In the Beginning
We never really planned to start cycle touring I had even resisted it when Ken had previously suggested it. We were long distance walkers - we had walked all over Europe. Latterly we had become interested in Ancient Christian Pilgrimages and were fascinated by the stories and legends behind them. We had walked the ancient pilgrim route to Santiago de Compestella from three different starting points Le Puy, Vesalay and Arles. I am ashamed to say that in some ways we rather looked down on the cyclists and certainly we found them very irritating when they rushed past us without even ringing their bells when we were walking on a rocky track. We were to remember this years later when we too cycled the Camino, we were careful to take the 'cycle route' rather than one reserved for walkers and to always give them plenty of warning of our approach. Walking we felt was so much better than cycling, the distance was covered so slowly that you really felt part of the land, you could talk easily if you wanted to our just trudge along in a rhythmical way which was rather like meditation.
Then one day everything changed. I was turning seventy and I wanted to do something really special to mark it. I didn't want to go on a luxury cruise around the world drinking champagne and eating caviar, I didn't want to go to an exotic tropical island and I didn't even want to reserve a flight on one of Richard Branson's preposed sub orbital flights. No I wanted to walk the Via Francigena and I wanted to walk the whole way in one go. The Via Francigena is an ancient Pilgrim Route that links Canterbury and Rome. It was first documented in the 10th century when Sigeric the Serious the then Archbishop of Canterbury travelled to Rome to receive his Pallium, a journey that has been well recorded. In reality it is much older then this as it was a trade route from Roman times. There was one problem though, to walk it in its entirety would take us 90 days with no allowance for rest days - that was just too long to be away from our other obligations. What were the solutions? We could get a train some of the way - immediately discarded. We could get bikes and bike part of the way. We toyed with this idea for a while but the logistics were awful. Where would we get the bikes? What would we do with them at the end? We could walk faster - not possible. Then the simple idea came we would just bike the whole way. Again there was a problem. Ken is a very good cyclist having completed 10 Ironman Events but I hadn't been on a bike since I was at University more than 45 years previously.
I had a lovely birthday party and at it announced that in August we were going to ride our bikes from Canterbury to Rome. Now I was committed we had to do it, so we booked our flights into Gatwick and out of Rome. This was at the beginning of February so I had six months to become a cyclist capable of getting on a bike at Gatwick Airport and riding to Rome. It was actually the start of what was to become a serious addiction - worse than heroin.
Into the serious stuff, collecting gear. We bought bikes. They were moderately priced mountain type bikes of the unknown make of Turbo (Ken has ridden his on ever tour we have taken though mine is now replaced by another bike which I find easier to get on and off, they have never given any trouble). We were yet to discover CGOAB but managed to find information on what was required for cycle touring and with the help of our cycle mechanic set the bikes up with racks etc. I bought second hand panniers from Trade Me (after all we were only going to do this one tour then we would be back to walking), handle bar bags and a tent - most of the rest of the stuff we had from walking. I felt self-conscious getting cycling shorts but realised I needed to wear them if I was to be reasonably comfortable.
Training was the next step. I got onto my bike and immediately crashed into the garden. Things got better though and I took to riding to get the mail each day, this is a 5km round trip involving a steep hill. We did some longer rides but not enough, partly because it was now winter. Time for departure was fast approaching.
This Journal will be written using our diaries - largely Ken's
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