clairedavieswriter

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the wind was hard going at times today. These guys were whizzing round: And on the many long, straight, exposed stretches it was brutal: The other challenge today was dodging the showers. I should say that I’m not a total fair weather cyclist: if it rains when I’m riding…

Over a substantial and wholesome supper last night (never let it be said I don’t take refuelling seriously): I realised I had missed one item off my must-see-in-Hannover list, so I nipped over to the Marktkirche to see its extraordinary front doors. Installed in 1959, they show unvarnished depictions of war, from the woman fleeing…

While enjoying a sustaining supper in the friendly local Italian last night, I calculated that Team Bernard have clocked up just over 400 miles since setting off on Tuesday. As usual, I won’t be breaking any speed records, but the pace has been perfect for me so far, allowing plenty of time to appreciate the…

I dined at the campsite restaurant last night. The place is Dutch-owned, and the tall, blond, very Dutch-looking server offered me a choice of mayo or ketchup with my fries, in a manner that suggested there was really only one correct answer. I chose diplomatically and just like that, we were friends. Though our new…

Several people have asked why I’ve chosen to camp. Trust me, as I was shivering in my inadequate sleeping bag at midnight, while rain pattered on the canvas, I was asking myself the same thing. I shall be investing in higher tog kit when I get home. But to answer the question – I’m doing…

After my poor show on the fuelling front on Day 1, I’ve been trying to do better, but yesterday I may have overcompensated. I made an inventory of my intake last night: 6am: pot of yoghurt with granola 7am: banana 8.30am: pain aux raisin 10.30am: omelette roll 2pm: cheese roll 6.30pm: red lentil curry, rice,…

The pair of Polish powerlifters were up at 5.30, which was handy, as I’d planned to start early to avoid rain forecast for the afternoon. Team Bernard were on the road less than an hour later. I confess I felt a bit bleary – not helped by the weather. It was chilly enough for a…

My stay in Husum was another great testament to the wonder that is Warmshowers: safety, shelter, delicious food and stimulating conversation with a like-minded stranger who takes no financial reward. What’s not to like? It’s such a great way for a touring cyclist to find out about their host country and the immediate local area…

Every end to end starts with a border, so Team Bernard’s first task this morning was to find it. This was a helpful start: As was this: But as with many European borders, there was no formal marker, just a ‘if you know you know’ kind of thing: in this case, a sign indicating a…

I hardly think so: I don’t think my cortisol levels have been this high since I discovered my son still in his pyjamas half an hour before his Physics A Level. But I’ll come to that in a moment (the train journey, not the almost- missed A Level). Once I’d packed all of this: Into…