I am walking through a field, talking to myself about everything I need to do. Wilfy is with me, although his contribution to the planning process is limited. He has his own priorities, most of which require sniffing. My phone is in my back pocket, my headphones are in, and the microphone is recording. Anyone…
Two daughters, two weddings, and the moments I want to keep. The bridesmaids had gone ahead. For a few moments, it was just Emma and me. There were people waiting, a ceremony about to begin, and a day that had taken months to organise. My job at that point was fairly straightforward: walk slowly, take…
A little lesson in try before you buy. Oliver probably shot better than me. Younger eyes, obviously. We had gone to a local shooting range for an hour with an air rifle. A bit of time together, something different, and a chance for me to revisit an interest that had been quietly waiting in the…
I buy sourdough on a Thursday. Always have, for years now. It has become one of those small anchors in the week, the kind of ritual you barely notice until it is missing. The bakery is only a five minute drive into town, but I make an occasion of it. Park the car, walk the…
62km, one very tight bike bag, and the long way home. Up early, no leisurely hotel breakfast today. That could wait until the road provided something. The mission was simple enough, 62km to Brussels, Eurostar to St Pancras, train to Hassocks, and the final 5km home on the Brompton. In theory, three hours of easy…
Bruges wakes up quietly, and if you’re smart enough to be out in it before the tourists arrive, it rewards you handsomely. Lucy has always loved this, seeing a city rub its eyes and stretch, and I have to admit she’s right. There is something about empty cobblestones and soft morning light that no guidebook…
Blue skies, Belgian cycle paths, and a hotel upgrade. This is more like it. Some days just deliver. Everything I’d hoped for when I planned this trip, the blue skies, light winds, good trails, people out enjoying themselves, beautiful canals, interesting things around every corner. After the brutality of Days 2 and 3, Day 4…
128km, sideways rain, and a Brompton in the bath. The forecast said rain all morning. It was right, and then some. The first 20km felt like 50. The wind was relentless, the rain was horizontal, and there was nowhere to stop, nothing to duck into, just open Norman countryside rolling on in every direction. On…
100km, 750m of climbing, and 50km of rain. The adventure gets real. Breakfast first. A little bit of everything, and a quiet piece of cake slipped into the pocket for later. No apologies. Just outside Dieppe I joined the Avenue Verte, a dedicated cycle path that threads south through Normandy towards Paris. Flat, safe, largely…
The warm-up. The goodbye. The silly small bike. The last week was a blur. Work, emails, deadlines, the usual noise that fills every corner of a busy business life. If I’m honest, I’d barely had a moment to think about this adventure, the one I’d been planning for weeks, until this morning, when I finally…