Tour of Europe Planning Blog

THE Cycling adventure story of 2013: To St Petersburg With Love

2013-07-06T21:40:00.001+01:00

To St Petersburg With Love - Out Now

2013-07-06T21:33:00.001+01:00

We cycled for over an hour till my Cateye computer reached the 500 mile mark. We stopped to celebrate by doing a song and dance to camera in the middle of the road! Craig did a video diary, as we cycled along, about how we had the road to ourselves, conditions were perfect and questioning what could possibly go wrong. Were we tempting fate? Clearly, we were as minutes later, the sky above us darkened and a torrential downpour of Biblical proportions assaulted us. This was just the beginning of what was going to be our day from hell!

"To St Petersburg With Love" is a quirky travelogue in the spirit of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, Che Guevara's Motorcycle diaries and Peter Murtagh's Buen Camino. Proving that life is often stranger - and more fun - than fiction, this is a book about what happened when I attempted to cycle around most of Northern Europe in 40 days.

The aim was that of a cycling purist: to cycle on all land between Southend and St Petersburg, and back. The trouble was with just weeks to go, I learned of someone who took 2 months to cycle one way from St Petersburg to London. Had I bitten off more than I could chew?

With my friend Craig, an impossibly tight schedule, visa and ship deadlines, bear fears, mishaps and good fortunes, we set off on a life changing adventure to see most of Northern Europe. This is the story of triumphs and tribulations, challenges and compromises, of battling against all the odds and learning to let go off the rules to live the dream.

What began as a simple cycle to St Petersburg became a curious road trip to bring a consignment of custard to Anna, our Couch Surfing host, in Kaliningrad. All to learn a lesson that dreaming big is no use, if you don’t live big.

Available now on Amazon: "To St Petersburg With Love".

http://www.amazon.com/To-Petersburg-With-Love-ebook/dp/B00DFW40CE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373142641&sr=8-1&keywords=to+st+petersburg+with+love

Coming soon: "To St Petersburg With Love"

2013-05-24T22:04:00.001+01:00

Soon to be published: "To St Petersburg With Love". It will be available as an ebook and in print, through Amazon. It will recount the story of a 40 day trip around Europe, through 11 countries, mostly by bike. If you enjoy cycle touring, then you will love this -my debut- book.

And finally, we're off!

2012-07-19T23:11:00.005+01:00

Friday morning in a few hours time, we're finally heading on our 40 days cycle around Europe. We will cover 4,800km, 11 countries and is entirely unsupported. This has been in the planning for 9 months and so far we have raised about £1700 for the charities. To keep in touch with how we do, go to https://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg and click like to get full access to photos, updates and video of the trip.

4 days to go

2012-07-15T23:42:00.000+01:00

Ok, so that's it, with just 4 days to go, this planning blog has served its purpose. To find out how our trip goes, go to https://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg You will need to "like" it to get full access (naturally enough). We will post our photos, video and thoughts there. Hope to write up the full story in a book pretty soon. So, beginning Friday, 20 July, we set off on our 4,800km adventure to see 11 countries in 40 days by bike and in turn raise money for 3 worthwhile charities helping the poor. Feel like helping out? Then, hit the donate button above or here and be generous as we are going to be going through some serious pain to raise these funds. We are not doing it leisurely over 3 months, we are doing it over 40 days over a land area of 643,951 km². Catch us on Facebook. Bye!

Help!

2012-07-07T21:06:00.001+01:00

Hello blog readers and fans! Well our 4,800km adventure will begin in under 2 weeks and 2 things are still unaccomplished. First, to reach our £3000 target for our charities. We've raised about £1200 or so (at time of writing this), which in normal circumstances I'd be delighted with, but it is still short of what we would like to raise. (We're kind of stubborn in the face of adversity I suppose!) I've ran out of ideas for what next to do and all I can hope for now is some kind readers will get off the spectator fence (mixed metaphor there) and lend a hand. I've spent all I can. Could you help us by giving $1 or £1? What would that do? Our charities can feed a child at school for a month with that small amount (by working with local volunteers and farmers). Simple choice: do you spend it on a bar of chocolate on YOURSELF or do you give a young stranger a break in life, so that they can go to school and get an education? I know what I'd choose. Right, what's the second thing? We want to increase our facebook page likes to 200 by the time of our trip. We're currently at 110. Why do we want to do that? Well, because the larger the base of supporters the greater the audience and the greater the chance that some KIND soul will give a bit to help someone else.

If you missed the chance to like our facebook page, when you first arrived then, here it is again, https://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg Once you click that link, click "Like" and you have already helped.

Thank you for helping!

Only a few more posts to go

2012-06-23T01:50:00.001+01:00

It's been 9 months or so in the planning and just a few short weeks now before we set off on a pretty epic journey around Europe. Currently, we've received offers of places to stay in Boras (Sweden), Berlin, Gdansk and Kalliningrad, which should greatly help our efforts to keep costs down and also it means we'll get to meet people as we make our way around. I got maps for Poland and Germany last week. I am hoping to get a specific map for the R1 route (otherwise known as Eurovelo 2) in the coming week. I will get a Russian Visa next weekend after I get paid. Money situation is pretty tight now, as I've spent a lot on preparing for trip, even all the small stuff all adds up. I realised this morning I had a metal multipurpose tool with spoon and fork, etc, so I didn't need to buy a spork the other day. I very nearly bought Suntan lotion as well in a shop this week and just as well I didn't as I discovered I had 2 bottles of it in my room. As I said I'm broke now and I must keep costs down.

After we start trip, I will continue blogging on a new blog called http://europeantour2012.wordpress.com/

This will report on the trip itself and not just what happened before it. There is usually a lot more that happens behind the scenes than I've reported, but I don't always remember to record it for posterity. Good thing too, as I don't want to bore the reader, if I can help it.

Facebook Page and Twitter Feed

2012-06-08T21:27:00.000+01:00

This humble blog has readers in 30 countries, which is great. Over the past few months, my updates on what is happening have gradually moved over to my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg hence the hiatus in my blogging. Check out that page and an add a "like". Tell me what you think of the blog and whether it is of any help to you. We are aiming to reach over 200 likes by the end of this month. Also, we would like to get more donations so we can reach the £3000 mark for our charities.

Follow us on Twitter too @S2SP_cycle

Bye for now!

Give a little, it can help someone like you

2012-06-02T22:31:00.001+01:00

Just a reminder for those kind enough to drop by and read this rather long blog. There is a blue button on the right, whereby you can donate whatever you like to a really worthwhile charity. If you give as little as £1, you get to feed a poor child at school for over a month. Actually, for £10 you can feed him or her for a year. So, you can rescue a child digging in a field or picking through a rubbish dump, instead of being at school. Ok, you won't fix the world, but isn't it better to take one step towards that, than to dispair of bringing about any change?

Also, for doing that, you'll continue to read more of my blogs, as I won't think my time is wasted here, trying to share some inspiration. Oh, and thank you! :)

Kit preparation

2012-05-28T22:49:00.002+01:00

Busy preparing cycle maps tonight, as the maps I got don't show clearly the cycle lanes. It is time consuming and tedious work, using http://www.opencyclemap.org/ which does show the paths well, but there is no way to print out a point to point map (that I know of), so it's a case of "screenshotting" my way across Sweden. Why hasn't someone come up with sensible software to do so or at least make it freely available on net (they have it for car journeys)?

At weekend (Saturday), I ordered my Russian Visa invitation and then, I did a 14 mile walk, which was primarily a shopping trip, but a good excuse in the sunshine to get more exercise in. I got a few handy bits of kit at Sports Direct: a spork (fork, knife and spoon in one) and a very compact self-inflating airbed. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a Snood, which is a seamless, light scarf that is multi-use and ideal for keeping the sun off. I also popped into an Argos store and got an Ipod nano for the trip. I have had an Ipod shuffle, but this was a major step up - it synchronised my entire music collection to it in about 3 mins, that's about 750 songs, I've never seen anything work so fast in all my life. I went into a bike shop in town for a snood, but they hadn't them and neither did Millets, so I decided to order one online. We were out in a nightclub and the DJ gave us a free bottle of champagne to wish us well on our trip, which was great.

On Sunday, I checked out lots of youtube clips about what to pack for trip, how to organise the packing, what to optimise and what to leave out. I will leave one here that I thought was especially useful.

I think kit wise I'm pretty much there, apart from wanting an Ortlieb Rack Pack, which would fit across the back panniers and hold the tent, sleeping bag and self-inflating mat. I will wait another month before getting that, as my budget is busted after all the expenditures this month.

To Stockholm

2012-05-20T16:14:00.000+01:00

After Gärphyttan, we are going to head east for Stockholm. We head Arboga, Eskilstuna, etc. To be completed. Note to ourselves.

11 weeks to go!

2012-05-03T21:42:00.000+01:00

For those stumbling onto this blog for the first time, let me summarise what has been happening. Back in September, 2011, I first considered doing a major cycling tour in 2012 across Europe, though a less definite idea was probably in the back of my mind earlier in the Summer. In 2011, I had made a number of enjoyable cycle journeys, including Cambridge to Southend, Southend to Lincoln and London to Paris. The London-Paris cycle especially enthused me about the joys and adventure of cycle tours. Arriving in Paris and being feted like a conquering king felt cool too! The idea of a route gradually changed over the weeks. Originally the plan was to cycle to Newcastle and then ferry to Norway, but I discovered that the Ferry no longer traveled there, so the plan was changed to go to Denmark. Later, also the plan to return via Calais was changed to return via Hook of Holland to Harwich. I also thought of going through Stockholm, but when I learned more of the cycle routes through Sweden, I realised that a more direct route across Sweden was preferable, especially as the long distances involved became clear. An Irish friend was originally going to travel with me, but this later became impossible for him. I spoke to another friend, Craig, about the trip. I didn't think he'd be interested in joining it, but to my surprise he was. I went over the route and the time frame needed to do it and luckily he was willing to take part. Later, he suggested we should raise money for charity as an extra focus for the trip. So, I had a look online over a number of nights and finally had a shortlist of some. I decided we should do it to help the poor, a sort of cycle of Europe for the poor in Africa and Asia. I liked the idea that our fundraising efforts should go towards 3 complimentary UK and Ireland charities focused on helping the poor in various ways around the world. CAFOD was one of the first to be picked, as I knew a lot about it and it had a good reputation, working in 40 countries and in operation for 50 years. I also chose Trocaire, which is the Irish version of CAFOD. Lastly, I discovered Mary's Meals, which I hadn't heard of before. With its simple concept of feeding poor children at school, thus, encouraging and enabling them to get an education, I was won over immediately to its aims. We have over the weeks become more and more successful in raising money for these charities. Money is divided between them equally. If you would like to sponsor us and help the poor, that would be great, you can do that at http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/Melcormican . Also, you can also do us a huge favour, you can show your support for what we do by liking our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg. This helps us to spread the word for these great charities and also, the more people "like" the page the easier we can get corporate sponsorship for our charities. So, thank you for dropping by and don't forget to like our Facebook page! :)

"Charity is love and love is free"

2012-04-22T21:25:00.001+01:00

Today, I took steps to get serious about training and so I joined a gym. I focused on cardio/aerobic training. With 88 days to go, I need to achieve 2 important objectives: lose some weight and get greater stamina in my leg muscles, especially for prolonged hillclimbing, which is my weak point.

Firstly, I must get my weight down, as the bike is heavy enough and there is little I can do about that, so I must lose any unnecessary pounds, especially around the stomach. I'm currently 80 kg and I would like that down to 70 kg by departure time, if not lower. The problem is the more I exercise the more my appetite goes through the roof. I'm going to eat a lot of eggs, which are said to be great for keeping hunger at bay and good for protein. Also, I'm going to measure the pasta I take with a cup, so as to avoid overeating. I will cut out the sweet stuff too. I'm going to stick to a "drink rarely" policy with alcohol. I don't want to go to extremes and cut it out entirely, as it is meant to be a fun excursion, as well as a challenge.

Secondly, I want to increase my stamina generally, but especially in my legs. In the gym, I did 25 minutes jogging and 30 minutes "hillclimb" cycling. I finished off with a few minutes in the sauna. I will go to as many Spin classes as I can, before now and July 20. I've heard they are tough and really burn the thigh muscles, which is exactly what is needed for me. So, come hell or high water, there are no excuses for putting off training any longer.

Good meeting Friday night with our supporters. Craig and Janice have been doing trojan work, while I was off in the Far East, on holidays, but I saw first hand what the poor are living on each day. (I met so many nice, educated people, earning about £5 a day, while out there and it came as something of a shock.) Friday night showed me, there is a lot of good will out there for what we are trying to achieve as a personal challenge as well as for the causes we are championing (CAFOD, Mary's Meals and Trocaire). Lots have clicked "Like" on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg, which is helping in our fundraising efforts. I'm struggling to be pushy, which is not really in my nature, but I know that every pound we raise can do so much and it has become the greater part of the challenge for me now and my daily obsession. I wonder what I have been doing with my life up to now, basically ignoring the problem of poverty or maybe feeling powerless in the face of it. But, we are not powerless, with modern social media, we can mobilse people and prompt people's consciences from their state of lethargy, a lot can be done. Random ideas of who else to contact prompt me to action. Just since last night, I got money to the charities from an old friend from Italy and I literally got handed £20, when leaving Mass from someone who had pledged some weeks ago and true to his word, did so. So, the last few weeks have been exciting and worthwhile in equal measure. Having crossed the £500 mark for money raised, we are now setting our sights higher. There is another £500 already pledged, and so we raised our target from £3000 to £5000 as we feel increasingly confident that this is achievable. I must admit to being disappointed that some haven't given, but then, I keep reminding myself that charity is love and love is free.

"The hardest thing is success is uncertain"

2012-04-13T14:40:00.002+01:00

Taking a break in the Far East currently and will resume training for the cycle on my return. I was fascinated by these following words on holidays - where I got them I can't remember - "the hardest thing about this is not knowing whether we can do it". That is the essence of what makes ventures like this both a subject* of dread and an object of desire. We are drawn to it, because it is difficult, and we don't know how we will cope. I'm reminded of Kennedy's famous quote "We choose to go to the moon [and other things too] ... not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." Will we fall out after day 3 and return shame faced our tails between our legs, like sheepdogs scolded by a shepherd or rather will we persevere? In less than 100 days, we will begin to find out. My mind has already thoughts of an even greater and totally different adventure next year in 2013, but that will have to wait.

*If this is a grammatically incorrect use of the word, apologies in advance

Overview of Distance (Mileage)

2012-03-28T20:24:00.000+01:00

Leg 1: Southend - Harwich 60 miles or 96 km

Leg 2: Esjberg - Sundsvall

Esjberg - Copenhagen 162.5 miles or 260 km
Copehagen - Helsingor 28.1 miles or 45km
Helsingborg - Boras 172.5 miles or 276 km (approx)
Boras - Snavlunda 158.7 miles or 254 km
Snavlunda -Torsång 141.8 miles or 227 km
Torsång - Sundsvall 214.3 miles or 343 km

Total Leg 2= 878 miles (approx) or 1405 km.

Leg 3: Vaasa - St Petersburg

Vaasa - Pori - 111.25 miles or 178 km
Pori - Turku - 87 miles or 139km
Turku - Helsinki - 105 miles or 168 km
Helsinki - St Petersburg 229 miles or 366km

Total Leg 3: 531.8 miles or 851 km

Total Southend-St Petersburg by bike: 1470 miles or 2352km

Leg 4: St Petersburg - Hook of Holland
The approximate distance between St Petersburg and back to Amsterdam is 1,392.1 miles or 2227km.
Amsterdam to Hook of Holland - (41 miles) 67km
Total : 2294km
Leg 5 - Harwich - Southend 60 miles or 96km

Leg 1 = 96km

Leg 2 1405 km.
Leg 3 851 km
Leg 4 2294km
Leg 5 = 96 km

Total would be 2963 miles or 4742km, based on conservative estimates and not taking into account cycle paths that take longer routes and also extra mileage due to getting lost or going off track.

More Kit

2012-03-24T16:21:00.000Z

Despite saying to Craig during the week that I was won over by the argument in favour of getting an iPhone rather that an ultralight notebook for blogging on tour, I changed my mind. I did some research and despite how cheap the iPhone deal was per month (£16), it would work out very expensive when roaming on the continent. Also, do I really need to have a nice map of the route we take, via mapmyride? Yes, it would be lovely, but we will have a lot of hassle with batteries going dead, as we are going to be out on the road for long hours each day and wild camping at times, so with no recharge options likely on occasion. Then, there is the point that a good detailed blog, peppered with photos and video, is preferable to a frankly dull map with statistics about distance, speed and altitude climbed (yawn). Do I need to prove that I have cycled it through incontrovertible evidence? Then, there is the simple pleasure of having a laptop with me, when we stop off in a cafe or hostel, and being able to communicate our adventures and stories in an easy way via free wifi. So, despite being tempted with getting an iPhone, I got a cheap Asus notebook today in a local Dixon's store. I'm pleased with its funtionality. What can I say, I'm a bit of a technology junkie! Right, no more kit now, that is it. I promise.

Ferry To Hook Of Holland

2012-03-23T17:16:00.001Z

When I looked at the cost of ferrying from Harwich to Esjberg last night, the costs involved were prohibitively expensive. For about a fifth of the cost, we could ferry to the Hook of Holland instead. I am considering continuing Leg 2 of the journey as originally planned from Esjberg, but getting to the starting point first by train. This will get us there in about the same time as the original ferry planned. I have considered cycling from Hook of Holland to Copenhagen and continuing from there, but two main reasons go against that for me. First, I would prefer not to cycle the same patch again on the return journey and second, it will add 200 miles onto the journey, that we haven't planned for.

New route to starting point of Leg 2 at Esjberg (in yellow)

A lot of fundraising has been going on quietly behind the scenes this week and there has been a big increase in sponsorship. There has been a great reaction to the Mary's Meals charity, as it is a simple concept that everyone can relate to: one nutritious meal a day for poor children in a place of education. Of course, receiving resources from Mary's Meals has given the team a tremendous boost and we hope we can repay their confidence in us by reaching our fundraising target. A lot of people have taken charity boxes for that cause and promised to bring them back full! I expect we will reach 10% of our fundraising target by end of next week, which would be terrific!

Now featured on Facebook

2012-03-18T19:08:00.003Z

The Southend to St Petersburg sponsored cycle now has its own Facebook page. Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/Southend2StPetersburg

Don't forget to "Like" it, which is a great way to assist us, get the word out and raise much needed funds to make the world a little better. With your kind support we can hopefully reach our fundraising target of £3000.

Just a £1 donation will feed a child in Malawi in school for a month and save him/her from malnutrition. Donation couldn't be easier, click http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Melcormican

Getting the word out for sponsorship

2012-03-12T18:44:00.000Z

I sent emails today to get my donation page included in various newsletters, in my parish and at work. This should make a big difference in the amount of sponsorship received and bring us closer to reaching our target of £3000. To donate, click http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/Melcormican

Russian Visa dilemma

2012-03-10T12:21:00.001Z

Ok, so welcome to the joys of Russian bureaucracy! Where do I begin? First, I need to work out which Russian visa would apply to me. Here are the questions before me:

Are you traveling via Russia en route to another country? (Yes, so a Transit Visa is needed, allowable for up to a maximum of 10 days)
If no, are you planning only 1 short visit (up to 14 days)? (Yes, then you need a tourist Visa, that would give me greater flexibility, but then if I stick to a tight cycling regime, a transit visa should do)
Is the total period of visit is up to 3 months? (Doesn't apply for me, a business visa isn't necessary).
Are you entering Russia more than once during the period of your visa? (Well I would do, so I could pass through Kalinningrad, but it costs more to do so, so I'm going to cycle around it, instead of getting a double entry business visa).

Ok, so a Transit Visa is what is best for me. What next? According to a website on Russian Visas, it is usually enough to present a Russian Visa and travel documents, showing I am traveling to another country via Russia. As I am using self-propelled transport and not on a train, that would work for me. Period of validity is usually about 3 days, but it also says if traveling by car, the Visa length is based on distance traveled, divide distance in km by 500 to get days allowed, which in my case would be 4,800 km divided by 500, so 9.6 days. All I need is a range of 3-4 days for contingency in case of mishap en route. I should be allowed close to the maximum, because of my unusual circumstance. Since March, 2011, the rules about registration have changed, so if staying in Russia for less than 7 days, it is no longer to register when there.

What next? In order to get the Visa at a local Russian embassy, I need to get an official letter of invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service Department or specially authorized travel agencies. What a palaver! So, I must be invited to a country to be allowed to visit it? This is like joining a Masonic Lodge! :) The question is how do I go about getting that, without presumably forking out a lot of money for this bit of red tape?
I read that

"For a transit visa, please submit to your local Russian Embassy Consulate an entry visa to the country of destination and a copy of the air, railway or other ticket. If you can't satisfy these requirements, we suggest you apply for a regular tourist visa instead."

OK, I won't have an entry visa for another country, but I will have a ferry ticket for my return journey, will that be enough for a Transit visa? I have no idea.

So, what about Plan B, a tourist visa? According to the website, I was looking at:

"For a tourist visa to Russia, you must have confirmed accommodations or transit information for every night of your stay in the country.
We will provide you with visa support invitation to satisfy this requirement and confirming your accommodations/itinerary. No hotel reservations or bookings are needed on your part."

So, I take it if I have confirmed hotel bookings, then that will suffice and won't need a third party, "visa support invitation" which costs £100 or so, if I remember correctly.

But, no! I read in the FAQ, that:

"Hotel booking confirmation and visa support documents (invitation) are not the same thing. Confirmation from a hotel is only sufficient if a hotel is authorized to provide visa support for foreign citizens. Only first class hotels (such as Sheraton, Marriott, etc.) are entitled to do this. If you book another hotel, you should also present a letter of invitation from an authorized tour company in order to get a visa."

I will have to go the route of a tour company (a blatant moneymaking scheme if ever there was one) in order to get visa support for me, a foreign citizen. Well, it's that or go first class in St. Petersburg. I don't think my budget will stretch that far. To be concluded later, as I will apply for the Visa next month.

Focus on one of the charities we support: Mary's Meals

2012-03-02T21:54:00.000Z

The concept of Mary's Meals is really simple: feed poor children at school, so that they can be educated and not have to choose between school and food. Getting millions of people out of poverty will depend on ensuring poor children get a decent education, so that they can make a better future for themselves. It is the link between food and education that is key - this isn't just food aid that achieves little in the long run. Most previously under-developed nations have seen their fortunes turned when their people were given a good education. Aid alone, I believe, won't solve world poverty, but when coupled with education and training, investment, fair trade and good governance, a lot of worthwhile change can happen.

Below is a piece from the Mary's Meals website.
"After reaching the milestone of feeding half a million children at the beginning of 2011, the continued generosity of Mary’s Meals supporters has since enabled an extra 100,705 children to receive a daily meal in their place of education.

Mary’s Meals is a global movement that sets up school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities, where hunger and poverty stop children from gaining an education.

Our idea is simple one that works. We provide one daily meal in a place of education in order to attract chronically poor children into a classroom where they gain an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty.

Mary’s Meals began by feeding 200 children in Malawi in 2002. Today, we feed over 600,000 children every day in 16 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean." (Quoted from Mary's Meals website)

Fundraising - good start

2012-02-28T18:37:00.002Z

Colleagues have been very generous today and have pledged or given over £130, which I am very pleased with. Certainly, the cakes have made a big difference in drawing attention to the causes. Great day! I feel like I'm beginning to achieve my goals, which are to raise money for these charities and be fully prepared for the trip. One thing I need to do next will be start regular training on the bike.

Fundraising

2012-02-27T17:57:00.000Z

I sent an email (a "begging letter" email) to my work colleagues today announcing my plans to cycle to St Petersburg this Summer and looking for donations tomorrow at break-time. I am bringing in cakes in return for their donations, which I thought would draw attention to it, without me having to say much, plus it doesn't feel as bad giving, when you get something back in return. I wrapped a tin with a map of the route and some charity logos, after that it's down to them, I have done what I can.

150 days to go...

2012-02-20T21:42:00.002Z

It's 150 days to go before our epic journey and time to take stock. The motivation for us, has been and still is primarily, to cycle from Southend, England and reach St Petersburg, Russia. We hope also to return by bike, all within 6 weeks. This will be quite a challenge. Also, we hope that our efforts will raise money for our 3 charities. Mary's Meals feeds over 600,000 children every day at school in 16 countries, so that poverty is not an obstacle to an education. CAFOD and Trocaire are also Catholic agencies working to combat poverty around the world working in over 40 countries, providing emergency aid and long-term development assistance. All moneys raised goes directly to these charities. I hope if you have been inspired by this blog, that you will help the world poor with what you can afford at the following link: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Melcormican
And thank you!

Monday, February 13th - Onwards to Plymouth

2012-02-14T17:08:00.002Z

On Sunday evening, I treated myself to a nice meal in the restaurant. In the morning, I had a full English, which was to set me up for the day. (Two absolute essentials for touring are a good night's sleep and a good breakfast.) It was important that I made up for the poor mileage on Sunday. After a couple of miles, I reached Camborne and set my sights on Redruth. On a normal day, this wouldn't have seemed much of a challenge, but with missing a night's sleep, even a day later, it can be hard to get into the zone. After Redruth, I seemed to get more into it. The hills were unrelenting, it was one hill after another till the town of Bodmin. The A30 on a bike is a bit hairy with cars flying past. I counted down the 28 miles with relish, wondering whether I would make Plymouth early in the day, so that I wouldn't be charged another night. My right had twitches of nerve pain, probably as a result of the fall, so I alternated the hand positions.

Turning on to A390, there was some amazing miles of descent through heavily forested countryside, followed by evermore climbs. Have I said I don't like climbs? I eventually passed Liskeard and the final miles of hills before Saltash, seemed to have been the hardest of the day or were my legs just too tired? It was getting dark, because of the rainclouds. I decided - foolishly - to book another night at the hostel, as I was running late. I stopped off at Burger King and demolished a Double something or other, bring the bike in with me for company (actually to prevent it getting nicked) - it must have looked a sight. To cut a long story short, I reached the hostel and was again kept awake from 10pm till 1.30am by the party going on downstairs. I normally don't like confronting situations, but I had had enough. I said how unfair it was and how I could hear every word they had been saying. They included 2 members of staff, one of whom was the manager, so much for curfew at 11pm! I finally got to sleep, then at 4am, 2 guys came back late to the dorm-room, waking me from my slumber. They then chatted loudly to each other, before they fell asleep proceeding to snore from then onwards! I was livid! I got up and went down to the sitting room and tried in vain to sleep on the couch. By 7am, I decided I would get a train home, booked it online there and then, via one of the guy's laptops. Land's End to Southend was abandoned regrettably, all I wanted to do is get back and get a decent night's sleep.