So glad you're seeing the Aosta valley! Have you been before?

Sounds like a pragmatic way to go! Shit. When you guys did the French Alps, you were, ahem...67! I was 48 when we did almost the same route, and it almost killed us! Like I said...you guys are still badasses!

Never heard of this series. Looking forward to checking it out.

You and Ken are my personal heroes and inspirations. When Rachael and I think of how long we think we can travel like this, you two are always the first ones that come to mind.

I really think base-centered travel is the way to go at this point in our lives. We’re moving to a model of very easy travel days (flat, 2-25 miles) with longer stays when we come to a place with enough around to merit it. And, of course, we’re staying close to train or bus lines so we can rebase easily. Assuming our health holds and we’re flexible, there’s no reason we couldn’t do this indefinitely.

Actually, Annecy is a bit limited for this. There’s wonderful cycling along the lake, but once you leave the shore it gets mountainous pretty quickly. The major rivers and plains are more promising, I think. The Via Rhona is a natural of course, but we really like Castille and Leon north of Salamanca for its wide open spaces and quiet roads. Also the French coast between the Camargue and the Pyrenees, and Puglia. And South Holland, which we biked for the first time last autumn and fell in love with.

I relate completely to your need to change the way you travel. We are too faced with this but reluctant to stay at home. At 86 and 88 things are more difficult. I can now only walk with two crutches although apart from getting on and off the bike I can ride normally The main problem however is that I can’t walk and push a bike for more than about 50m. So what to do? Last year’s trip from near Paris to Avignon worked surprisingly well. What we had been intending to do this year was a loop ride from Frankfurt but we are beginning to have second thoughts. Maybe it would’ve better to base ourselves in a couple of places where we can hire bikes and see something of thé surroundings. Annecy is one thought. Have you any other ideas? Doesn’t matter where in Europe as it’s easy to get around without bikes

Watching the Strade Bianche Women yesterday (a replay, of course), I noticed that Trenitalia is a sponsor of the event. And rereading journals about tours in southern Italy as part of planning for a future tour, I really noticed that Cycleblazers were taking trains with few, if any, issues. I'll be interested in any comparisons of bicycle accommodation between French and Italian trains.

https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/geneva2015/

Include a link to your 30 passes in 30 days journal?

As always, I look forward to reading your journal.

Thanks, that makes my day!

I remain in total awe of what Team Anderson achieve. If I may drop the typical English reserve/flippancy for a moment: you guys are a *bloody inspiration*.

Sounds like a good and realistic plan, and not at all like a compromise, but a very enjoyable way to tour.

So impatient!

BTW, completely agree that the Seven Up series was phenomenal. K and I had similar feelings and thoughts about the last one as well. I didn’t stumble upon them until I was in my mid 20’s and all the films really resonated with me as I was just a little bit younger than the ‘cast’ and starting to find my own way in the adult world.

Well your seven years of vagabonding is an obvious one, but the second seven?
Seven months of travel? Seven countries visited? Seven lost wallets? The suspense is killing me!

Patience. All will be reviewed in time.