Leaving the cool of Ireland behind, we boarded an overnight ferry to France then had to take two trains to get to our starting town in France, Mauberge. As I mentioned in the Ireland post, getting on and off ferries and trains is a very stressful situation for bicyclists, and this was no exception. We were, however, able to make it through the process and truly enjoyed the open borders policy for the Shengen Area. Unlike the land border crossingsRead more
Posts tagged: #family
Morocco – 52 Days from Timbuktu
“Fifty-two days” responded Mohammed, our Berber guide, when queried how long it would take to get to Timbuktu. “By camel” he added when noticing our quizzical facial expressions. My first though it that fifty-two days on a camel would be torturous, but the idea of fifty-two days on a camel through the Sahara seems down right impossible. We were only on the camels three days and had enough. Fifty-two days seems unfathomable. The salt traders were a heartier folk thanRead more
Understanding Oma
My mom was the eighth of nine children born and raised in Maastricht, a relatively small town (population 120,000) in the southern part of the Netherlands. Maastricht is not just a quaint little Dutch town, it is an old town. From early in the 1st century BC, Maastricht has had continuous settlement for nearly 2000 years. There are old churches from the 11th and 12th century still in use in Maastricht. There are parts of an old bridge from theRead more
The End of Six Months in South America
We have been on the road in Central and South America for six months. As we are wrapping up this phase, we wanted to reflect upon what the trip has held for us so far. South America has been a grand adventure – trekking, rafting, snorkeling, zip-lining, hiking, surfing, etc. We have experienced a range of situations that have tested our limits. We have navigated our way through an entire continent in a different language, not always smoothly, but we’veRead more
The Shindells - Four to Go 