We Fly Home to Saltspring Island - Italy Bound with our Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze

October 27, 2015

We Fly Home to Saltspring Island

Preparations for our flight to Canada are always a bittersweet time. After 3 months on the road, we always feel like we could carry on.
Since retiring 4 years ago, we feel fortunate that we have been able to make an annual pilgrimage to Europe for a multi-month camping/cycling trip. Every year, we feel that this has been the best trip yet, and once again, this trip has exceeded our expectations. Travelling south from Frankfurt through Germany and over the Alps into Italy for two months culminating in Rome was extraordinary.
Revisiting the Main River and following the beautiful, historical Romantic Strasse reaffirmed Germany's preeminent position as a top cycling destination. The routes and infrastructure are superb. Germany is beginning to feel like a second home for us.
We fell in love with Italy. There is something magical about riding in a country that loves bicycles and respects those who ride them.
This was Barry's second visit to Italy as he and his family had visited relatives in Northern Italy in 1963; but this was Mary Ellen's first visit. We had always thought that cycling in Italy would be challenging due to narrow roads and fast drivers. This preconception was quickly disproven as we were able to ride on paved, dedicated cycle paths when available or on secondary roads, often with Italian Cycling Federation signage. We were always respectfully treated by drivers.
Italy....incredible food, wine, scenery, history everywhere you turn, and best of all, the people. Being surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic curious Italians who are trying to understand the design and mechanics of our tandem, all the while conversing in rapid Italian, complete with hand gestures and much laughter. Somehow we conversed in English/Italian simultaneously and the message (kind of) got through.
Staying or camping at Agriturismos on farms and wineyards was a highlight for us. Generally the cost was less than other accommodation and we gained valuable insights in to life in rural Italy. Being presented with a bottle of their own wine and fresh produce upon arrival was not unusual.
Reminiscing about the joys of Italian hospitality, remind us of another reason we enjoy returning to Europe...and that is the opportunity to spend time with the Reitz family. We share a love of travel..cycling..nature, great food, laughter and conversation. Meeting this family a few years ago while camping on the Rhine River was serendipitous and sums up for us the value of travel and the opportunities it provides.

Mary Ellen, Clara and Cora ready to drive to Frankfurt airport.
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Barry, Clara and Cora
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New places and new stickers
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Flying from Frankfurt to Vancouver with two stopovers in Iceland and Edmonton, Alberta. It will be a journey of about 17 hours by the time we reach Vancouver. Hope there are good movies on the plane(s) as there is no meal service which usually helps to pass the time.
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Charmaine RuppoltRolls Royce engines on a plane - interesting!
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6 months ago
About to land in Iceland...it seems so long ago that we started our trip here as so much has happened and we have ridden many km. on our bike. We loved the rugged raw beauty of Iceland. In July, it was cold and windy, but early November looks less desirable.
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The airline lost some of our baggage after the stopover in Edmonton. It arrived the next day
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Only two more ferries until we get home
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Almost home - about to board the ferry to Fulford Harbour,Saltspring Island. In preparation for the next trip, we will be riding the bike routes shown on the map, including the "Gonzo Abusive" with monster hills!!
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