... celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas to those who do and happy late December to those who don't. Either way, enjoy your family, eat good food and plan more cycle tours for 2024!

All the best!

From,

The Irvines

Cochrane, ON Canada

Festive cycle touring to one and all who are out there travelling by bike at this interesting time of the year. In both hemispheres.

It’s high summer with wild weather in our part of the world.  Storms, floods, heat waves and a cyclone are probably testing the mettle of any riders on the eastern edge of Australia.

I’m pausing my cycle touring till autumn in hope of calmer weather conditions. In the meantime I’m very grateful to be spending this Christmas with rels and friends. 

We don't do Christmas here but Marry Christmas to all who celebrate.

And a Happy New Year.

Thanks, Brent, and Happy Christmas to you too!

It’s been a very social season for us and Al’s been telling people about our planned tour for next year.  Looks like it’s a go!  I’ll start looking for air tickets in January. 

Thank you Brent, and the very best to you and yours for the holiday and the coming year.

We are in the midst of a mild/damp/grey spell here in the Ottawa Valley:  yesterday, I did some grocery shopping on my city bike, in temperatures of 6º with mixed sun and cloud.  The 20 cms of snow we received at the beginning of December has completely disappeared. All very weird, though it saves on heating bills.  And, though I've been hoping to try some gently x-country skiing to see how my newly-refurbished hips respond, who knows when/whether that will be possible.

To mark the autumnal equinox, I did a 175 km overnight camping trip along the Québec shore of the Ottawa River, to parc national de Plaisance, just this side of Montebello.  Everything worked very well, so with a cycling acquaintance from Vancouver, we're sketching out a weeklong mini-tour in W Qué for the end of June.

Let me close by offering an old Irish blessing, adapted for those of us who choose to travel on two wheels:

     May the soft breezes caress your cheek,  

     And the gentle sun warm your back;      

     May the passing rains refresh you,      

     And the beckoning road not rise up to meet you.

Cheers,  John

A little late since I hadn't been watching the forum, but - thanks, Brent! I hope you and yours had a happy holiday season and that the new year brings lots of fun kilometers on your bike! 

Great photo, Suzanne!