Lisbon - Barcelona

Another marvellous cycle adventure is taking shape.  After a great outdoor winter of xc skiing, hiking and snowshoeing, our minds are excitedly turning to this spring’s European escapade.

Those who followed our fall adventure travel blog from Paris to Lisbon, know we left our trusty steeds in a storage facility in Lisbon.   Our tour dates are: April 4th starting in Lisbon, and ending in Barcelona June 2nd.  It’s eight weeks this time as we are coming home for our children, Rob and Kathleen’s, university graduations!  Lots to celebrate, as their respective universities are both holding their first 'in-person’ graduations in two years.  

It’s been a busy winter so trip planning has taken a back seat.  However, these past few days has found us plotting routes and reading cycle blogs, including the indomitable Andersons, and undaunted Canadians Brent Irvine, and Pat and Scott Fenwick.  We are particularly grateful to the Fenwicks who sent us their GPS itinerary from their November,2021 Portugal trip.  They did a 3-week route which is the first part of ours, from Lisbon to Faro.   We look forward to having their mapped  routes and we will most likely stay in many of the same towns and villages they did.  “We took our time going down the coast as the towns are really great and the scenery even better.  We rode to many of the beaches on route usually averaging only 50Kms a day”.   That sounds just about perfect for us too, thanks Pat and Scott. 

With chilly nights and a warm fireplace, we did manage to read a few books.  Many had nothing to do with cycle touring, yes some about travel though, some pure escapism and others political intrigue.   Ann re-read one of her favourite books, Kate Harris’ - Lands of Lost Borders, Out of Bounds on the Silk Road.   One reviewer commented:  “Lost Borders is a paean to wanderlust and a call for readers to launch their own explorations.  It is illuminating, heart-warming, and hopeful in its suggestion that we will explore not to conquer but to connect.”   This is Kate’s story of going from a small Ontario town dreaming of being an astronaut to realizing that she could be an explorer here on earth.  She was influenced by the writings of another  intrepid female explorer, Alexandra David-Néel, so Kate sets out to cycle the Silk Road with her childhood friend, Mel.  It’s a rollicking read and sure to get you inspired about travelling by bicycle in your own city/town or perhaps farther afield.  Reading Lands of Lost Borders will have you dreaming of infinite possibilities.   

This line particularly evokes her travel philosophy: "Every day on a bike trip is like the one before--but it is also completely different, or perhaps you are different, woken up in new ways by the mile.”  Kate Harris.    

We can’t wait to head off once again!  We hope you will join us along the way.