Plans, decisions and moving on

So glad I did and MBA - though somehow it didn't prepare me for the decisions I have needed to make on where to cycle here... Work is easy by comparison...

I have learnt so much about reading a map, fixing my bike, asking for help and being on my own.. but now it get moves to a new level.

Tomorrow, Monday 1st May I make my way to Luxemburg. This will be a bigger test than what I have already done as there is no cycle path/route to follow. Just the following rules:

• Whilst I can cycle 80-100ks in a day I spend a lot of the day reading the map and this is the cycling map... for this next stage to Luxemburg I'm having to use road maps -
• I ride on the white or yellow roads and if there is a bit of green next to them then its a nice road...
• Don't go anywhere near the red or orange roads - Simple?
• Try to find the blue lines as this is a river and tends to be flat and
• if I see a > on the map its a hill,
• if a see >> its a bigger hill and
• if I see >>> find another way!

The rest of the decisons have been about how far south do I ride? I have spent the best part of a day looking at maps and have now come up with the following plan... Of course it wil change but some idea is good. I have also booked my ticket to Iceland. Once I made up my mind on my options here then the rest of the trip has or will fall into place...

Iceland - I have decided I need 6 weeks in Iceland. This lets me have a rest day on average every 6 days. I have also assumed that I'll only average 60kms/day and I need to ride around 2000kms. To get to Iceland I need 1 week (6 days) by ferry which I have now booked. I leave on the Sat 24 June. I have 3 days & 2 nights in Torshaven. I arrive in Seysdisfjordur on the 29th June at 8am - What a great time to see land!

Returning I leave Seysdisfjordur on the Thu 10th Aug and arrive in Bergen on the 15 Aug at Noon after 2 days in Lerwick.

I then have 3 weeks to get myself back to Frankfurt via Oslo, Kobenhavn and Berlin.

Just in case your wondering where I'm going after Luxemburg? I have to find a way to Berlin and I have around 29 days to do this. If I get to Berlin early I'll store the bike and take the train to Prague...

Some of you may be laughing at my change in plans - no Eastern Europe trip... The 8 weeks needed to visit Iceland has eaten into my 22 weeks and I have found out whilst it is really easy to catch a train - I just haven't riden enough to want too - okay call me odd, but my mood is best when I'm riding my bike and I don't see sitting on a warm, dry, fast, visual & comfortable train as much fun as a cold, wet, slow, very visual and comfortable bike - not to mention sitting in my small tent in a camping ground...to a dry & warm bed with hot food on tap!

Now it will be a while before I can next update this site so sit tight and I'll let you know how I went getting somewhere east soon...

Also thanks for all the great comments... Its so encouraging

PS: Spell check is again not working and i have had to re-type this log twice trying to get it to work -