1. The journey begins!
My mood and motivation to do a blog about this trip have oscillated wildly between, yes, share the joy to no, keep the trip for yourself, it’s a personal experience. Right now my mood is in the former camp so here goes… Bertha, get back in your box, we’re touring again! Having not been serviced for years, I took her to Wheeler’s Retreat in Malmesbury to get fixed and tuned up. Gary did a marvellous job and now she’s ready to roll. Support your local bike shop! 🚲 My first flight in seven years. Mixed feelings - it was a thrill to be in the sky again, jetting off to exotic climes and reconnecting to a lifestyle that was such a big part of my younger self’s identity. But the carbon! How can I justify all that jet fuel being burnt?!? I hope that my non-carbon, pedal power mode of transport will go some way to mitigate my climate change impact and to salve my guilty conscience. Sorry, planet. 🌍 Ahh, the fun of the rebuild! This can be a stressful moment but Bertha came back tog...