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Our names are Lionel and Mary Blanche and we live in a small village in Norfolk, called Reedham. After many years of being Restaurateurs we are now retired and as we still feel relatively fit, want to take the advantage of going on an adventure before it’s too late. So, what then is this adventure.
We are chasing a dream. Some years ago, when we were on a cycling holiday in the Netherlands, we came across a cycling map highlighting the North Sea route from France to Den Helder in the Netherlands. Many a time we thought about cycling this route but as with so many intentions it never materialized. Always too busy. This year we read in our local newspaper an article that this North Sea route had now grown into a giant cycle trip encompassing The Netherlands - 409 kilometres, Germany – 907 kilometres, Denmark -801 kilometres, Sweden - 396 kilometres, Norway – 1130 kilometres, Scotland – 1242 kilometres, England – 1057 kilometres. A Total of just under 6000 kilometres!
We now want to achieve this dream as we have the time to be away for a lengthy period.Although we titled our trip as ‘Around the Sea in 80 days’, we realize that we very likely won’t achieve this. But the purpose of this title is to stimulate and discipline our thinking process that it could be done and also stops us from becoming complacent.
If you want to find out more about this route in detail go to www.northsea-cycle.com Looking at maps has always been an interesting pastime for us.It excites and exhilarates.You may find it does the same to you.
Our starting date is planned for June the 14th 2004. As we live in Reedham, 15 miles from Norwich, it will take us 2 days to get to Harwich, where we will take the ferry to the Hook of Holland. We shall take a tent, but will only use that in an extreme necessity. Bed and Breakfast is what we plan to aim for each night. An early start each day and with stops for refreshments do about 40 miles. Stop for lunch and cycle for about 10 more miles, then rest for the remainder of the day. If we have a strong wind behind us, then we shall do more.This will make up for days with strong headwinds and/or rain.
After Christmas we started to train seriously.
Loose a bit of weight and select the right clothing for the trip. We have
got the bikes, Lionel has a ‘Specialized’ Expedition bike, and mine is
a ‘Specialized’ Crossroads. Nothing very special, but it will have to
do. We will take as little as possible with us in our panniers and therefore
at the end of each day, things have to be washed.
In addition, and as Christians, we would like this also to be a spiritual
journey. There will be long moments when we cycle in total silence and
by listening and seeing the beauty of God's creation around us will
draw us into a spiritual silence and contemplation and experience God
in new ways, which hopefully will renew and refresh us.
The reason for this website is that family and friends can track us en route. This is primarily for safety and for our record. We will make a report at regular intervals on this website, which will also be accessible for messages from you to be received by us. So wherever you or we are in the world, we shall be close. And after all we do need encouragement from you.
For the moment we just think about the time we shall be riding our bikes with the North Sea on our left and coastal villages on the right. From experience we know, that The Netherlands will provide us with wonderful cycling paths. We realize, that this will not always be the case in other countries. Norway, being hilly, frightens me a bit but we shall have proper cycling legs by then as we travel this round anti-clockwise. The prevailing winds at that time of the year will be south-west. By the time we get to Scotland, we hope there will be strong northerly winds! The best moment will come when we finally arrive back in Reedham and we can say: ‘We achieved our dream’.