Western Europe

The Western European Countries (EU, EFTA etc)

The Cambridgeshire Alps

Posted by on 17, Apr 2021 in 2021 - Ipswich to Scotland, Tandems, UK | 1 comment

The Cambridgeshire Alps

Day two started bright and sunny and we hurtled along BMW alley to get off the stretch as soon as possible and on to some quieter back roads. Mission accomplished but the worrying thing was despite us alledgely heading to Scotland the signs for London kept getting nearer… Eventually we turned North and headed over the Cambridge Castle Camps ‘Pass’. I say ‘pass’ as we are, as many will know, Hill Averse and our route somehow managed to pick the highest point in Cambridgeshire for us to traverss, all 128m of it! OK, we’re officially wimps and God knows how...

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And we are off again…

Posted by on 13, Apr 2021 in 2021 - Ipswich to Scotland, Tilly the Tandem, UK | 2 comments

And we are off again…

With lockdown relaxed and travel allowed we packed Tilly up and headed off southwards to Scotland. I know, Scotland North, but our meandering route had to be planned in great detail rather than our normal, get to lunch and start thinking about where we will stay tonight attitude. And when I say headed off, we did that twice as we had to turn around within 500m as I’d forgotten my wallet! We can’t camp, we’ll we can if we can do without using the loo or having a shower until May 18th, so we’ve had to go for self contained Airbnb’s. You can’t book hotels or...

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What bike through yonder window breaks…

Posted by on 23, Oct 2018 in 2018 - Switzerland and Italy, Italy, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

What bike through yonder window breaks…

Leaving Lake Garda ( and the Dutch frites wagon) behind we headed on toward the Adriatic. The route skirts most of the mountains and is spectacularly beautiful. On one side you have mountains and the other is flood plain and as flat as Holland. The weather continues to be unusually hot but fortunately the Italians don’t tell us “It’s nothing to do with climate change” and the smoke continues to be ubiquitous. It really stinks here, and it doesn’t even keep the mosquitoes away! You really do end up with History overload though. Italy has more historical buildings...

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Unbelievable facts and death defying experiences

Posted by on 28, Sep 2018 in 2018 - Switzerland and Italy, Italy, Tilly the Tandem | 1 comment

Unbelievable facts and death defying experiences

Now here’s something no one who knows me will believe. We’ve now been in Italy two weeks and I’ve had more Curry’s than Pizzas! Ok that’s the facts done so next up is the death defying experience for which I blame Leon Kilbourn. His comment on our last blog about expecting the mafia or pope being mentioned in this one is surely the only logical explanation as to how the bolt from our rear brake came completely out allowing the brake assembly to jam in the rotor bending the rotor and cracking the rear pannier rack at the same time as making us topple off Tilly in...

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Leonardo was here….

Posted by on 17, Sep 2018 in 2018 - Switzerland and Italy, Italy, Switzerland, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

Leonardo was here….

I’m laying in bed writing this in the house previously owned by a Anna Magnani a famous Italian Film actress who coached Sophia Loren. It’s next door to the house Leonard De Vinci lived in and overlooks the Adda river from a high bank which is the last thing you want to see at the end of a cycle ride! The house itself looks like it hasn’t really changed since the films stars days and is full of dark wood furniture and paneling. Even the staircases have small steps to allow well dressed ladies not to trip over their skirts when using them. The day’s been full of...

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And we’re off…

Posted by on 12, Sep 2018 in 2018 - Switzerland and Italy, Switzerland, Tilly the Tandem | 1 comment

And we’re off…

Linda’s knee is now better and the summer holidays are over with the campsites thinning out and it’s time to head off again on Tilly for another short trip. This time the mountains are calling (at least the downhill bits anyway) and we’re off to Switzerland and heading south to the sun in Italy and Venice. The trip started in the most uninspiring fashion with the taxi to Scipol airport in Amsterdam not turning up at the 9:30 appointment and us finding out it had “touched a car” and would be late. It did turn up at 10 and the driver tried to go faster than the...

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