With Rhyme and Reason

You don't go on a bicycle tour without rhyme or reason, do you. So what is the rhyme and reason this time?

Let's start with the reason: To state the obvious, we love to ride our bikes, we love touring. But why now and why in Portugal and Spain, why so far from home with long car trips to the start and back again. Well, there is always that age factor at our stage in life, the feeling it's now or never. That's nothing new.

We are hoping that April will be a lot warmer at our destination than it is here in Bavaria. Although this winter has been relatively mild with many days when we could get out on our bikes, still it has been cold enough that the air bit our fingers, noses and toes and we longed for a ray of warming sun. We are tired of winter. Now here's the rhyme. How does that mnemonic rhyme go?

Thirty days has September, April, June and November
All the rest have 31
Except December, January and February
Which have 5, 692.

And a haiku (which doesn't have to rhyme):

here Siberia
Iberia is our dream
sun blue sky flowers

The big reason for our choice of time and place is that we will be meeting our CB buddies once again when they return to Europe on fresh Schengen visas. First we will have a week with Susan, and later a week with Rachael and Scott. Yippee!

We have the logistics figured out for where to leave the car and how to get back to it while we meet Susan and then Rachael and Scott for some cycling time together. The itinerary is set, the bookings made, the routes worked out. Are we ready? There have been a few health hiccups in the course of the winter, but I hope we are now fit enough to take on our new adventure.

Part I: Loop starting in Estremoz, riding clockwise

Part II: Ride south to north, starting in Mérida and taking the train back to the car.

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Rachael AndersonIt’s great to see a new post from you! I’m sure hoping we will be well before our meet up. What ever bug we caught, it sure is nasty,although I’m doing slit better energy wise but still have a lot of congestion.
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8 months ago

Suzanne GibsonI sure hope you are better by then, too! But if you have to reschedule your itinerary, we should manage a meet-up somewhere else down the line. The main priority is that you two get you energy back!
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8 months ago

Scott AndersonThis is the first time I’ve seen the big picture. Looks like a wonderful, ambitious loop and the perfect time to be there. Surely we’ll get our health back by then.
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8 months ago

Nancy GrahamSo glad to see another adventure journal by you. It is looking like a very nice journey indeed, and quite a bit of planning has already been done. You have been busy! I will love following along - either as you travel day by day, or afterward when you finish the tour. Best of everything for you and Janos.
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8 months ago

Nancy GrahamOh yes - forgot to say that I love your Haiku. And your rhyme ;’-).
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8 months ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Nancy GrahamThank you, Nancy! I must give you credit for the idea to include a haiku. I am considering a haiku a day, but don't want to commit myself and bite off more than I can chew. I will be happy if somehow I manage to keep my journal up to date while on the road.
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8 months ago

Nancy GrahamTo Suzanne GibsonI was successful in doing a Haiku a day when we were traveling, and when I was bicycling. Being weathered in, that project will have a hiatus! And like you - I don’t want to totally commit to one-a-day, but will do the best I can. Truly it brings back a thought, memory or vision for me as well as a photo does. May I say — once again I am slightly envious of your tour ;’-).
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8 months ago

Kathleen JonesHere’s to a nice warm, tailwindy tour for everyone.
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8 months ago

Susan CarpenterIt looks like a great tour! I’m excited for you and Janos, and for me in getting to spend some time with the two of you.
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8 months ago

Jacquie GaudetIt looks great! And I'm envious, as everywhere I want to go involves flying. I hate flying!
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8 months ago