Here is a rough and preliminary description of the journey we are about to embark on! Sketching on the map really reminded me that our route is largely unplanned and that is quite exciting... We do have few things booked:
* Flight to Havana on Tuesday April 4. * First two nights accommodation in a casa particulare (bed and breakfast) close to the airport. * The very same accommodation for last night in Cuba (we agreed with owner to store our shipping boxes there). * Flight from Havana to Milan on May 14. * Two weeks in Sweden at end of trip to see dearly missed family and friends, and of course, fly from there back to Edmonton in mid August. The purple stars are points of interest and consequently, we need to find a route roughly along the purple line...Cuba is supposedly full of casa particulares, so we hope to stay mostly in those. In case we don't find any beds for some nights, we are bringing full camping/cooking gear and food. We hope to camp most of the time in Europe, and occasionally rent places. There will be some ferry trips over the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Sea, to Arthur's delight. He even proposed that we take a "Snorkel car" from Cuba to Italy! All in all, when travelling and exploring with kids it helps to stay open-minded, flexible and optimistic, as best as one can...
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Today we packed our bags and loaded the bikes for the first time. The snow has finally started to melt and the sun was shining so it was a good day for it. Plus, it is only 9 days until we leave for Cuba. I am a complete novice when it comes to bike touring. I jumped on without much caution and it was just like learning to ride a bike again. My balance was off and I grasped for the brakes in the wrong place...After an unsteady ride down the sidewalk, I took some of the heavy stuff out of the front panniers and placed in the back and it was much easier. Then, it was time to try the Burley trail bike. I took all weight off of the bike and rode sans kid for a few meters first. Felt good. Alma jumped on and it was not that easy again. She's a strong creature and overpowered me. I kept yelling "sluta trampa" ("stop pedaling"), and the neighbours stared...Eventually we both got the hang of it. We loaded up the bike and tried again. Much better! We think Alma will be a great powerhouse! Andreas tested towing Arthur in the Chariot with a fully loaded bike. He had no problems with that, luckily. It's a bit flatter here than most places, but quite encouraging that it worked well.
Only two weeks left until we head out on our 4.5 months bicycle adventure starting in Cuba and and ending in Sweden. Soon, our butts will hopefully be good friends with new stiff Brooks leather saddles. Soon, our two kids will hopefully enjoy pedaling the Burley trailer bike, between rests in the Chariot trailer. Now though, it is about preparing and packing. "How do you pack for a trip like that?" is a question we often get. Well, Andreas has spent hours accessorizing our new Surley Disc Truckers with front and back racks and several bottle holders. We will pack in panniers, handlebar bags and duffel bags. The Chariot also has a bit of space to pack lighter things such as sleeping pads. Yes, we will are bringing a full set of camping gear. Good thing we have a light Hilleberg tent! We also need to bring plenty of spare parts and tools for bike repairs, as there is not much in terms of that to get in Cuba. They have grocery stores and pizza stalls of course but we are not sure how close to them we will be. So, jerky and power bars is our emergency food. A fully stocked medical kit is a must. Wipes for when showers are lacking and 40 some diapers for the boy (still not dry at night). Hopefully we have room for some clothes too! Total pack volume: 242 liters. Andreas insisted we put that in here!
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AuthorWelcome to our family's 2017 bike touring blog! Who's going? Archives
October 2017
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