The Road Is Calling

To say that it’s been a long time since my last update would be, well … an insult to “a long time”. It’s been even longer if you consider the fact that my most recent update, “Posting By Email (Test #1)”, was actually an inadvertent posting that wasn’t suppose to show up. However, when three people made comments on said post I couldn’t very well remove one of my most popular posts (as sad as that is).

Side note: I don’t want to wish ill will upon people so instead I’ll wish ill will upon the computers belonging to those people out there that feel the need to hack websites and add links (for specific pharmaceutical products) to EVERY SINGLE UPDATE that may appear on a blog. Clearly, this is not being said hypothetically. I really hope those computers melt into a pool of goo.

Okay, thus ends my disclaimers and rants. On with the actual update.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five months since I was cycling my way through the Sunshine State and completing my 13,500 km trek around North America. I’m not going to lie, since my return to Canada the amount of cycling I’ve been doing has been VERY limited. And not just by my standards. I blame the weather and my severe lack of cold weather tolerance. Did I mention it was snowing today? Snow. On May 14th. Sigh. Snow after my birthday is entirely unacceptable (snow before my birthday is simple undesirable). Anyway, it’s time to change that – the lack of cycling, not the weather … actually, it’s time to change that too but despite my best efforts I haven’t figured out how to do that.

Fortunately, I have figured out how to correct my recent lack of cycling – it was as easy as booking a flight. Actually, there were several flawed plans along the way but they all failed to materialize for various reasons. That said, the time has come for another long overdue attempt at treating my ongoing midlife crisis with more BTT (Bicycle Tour Therapy … okay, that’s not a real thing – but it SHOULD be). This year’s therapy begins in about five weeks and will take me across the Atlantic Ocean.

The current plan, while still VERY vague, will begin in Scotland and end in the Netherlands. Glasgow and Amsterdam, to be specific. Everything in between is still entirely undetermined. Okay, maybe not ENTIRELY. I have a Warm Showers host tentatively arranged for my first night – which, if all goes well, won’t actually be in Glasgow but in Inverness.

Having never been to the UK (and having VERY limited European experience), I really have no idea of where I want to (or should) go. That said, I’m looking to explore Scotland for a bit before potentially crossing over to Ireland and then back over to England before making my way into France, Belgium and the Netherlands – and Germany if time permits. I have to be in Amsterdam by August 7th at the absolute latest but other than that my schedule is pretty flexible. And, if all goes well along the way, I’m hoping I’ll be able to reunite with a few of my cycling friends that I met during last year’s tour.

And so I now have five weeks to take a closer look at the map to see what my UK/European options are (yes, I’m very much open to suggestions). Oh, and I’ll probably need the five weeks to get back in to cycling shape. At the moment, my bike is in much better shape than I am!