Oh, woe!

I just know that I haven't the space to take my trusty Nikon with me. Cars are useful sometimes, I suppose.

I've been brushing up on my German and can thoroughly recommend Memrise www.memrise.com - they do a really good learning/revising app for Android, and doubtless for iPad as well - as if I cared!

I'm looking out of the window at the grey sky and rain - I do so hope it doesn't rain much while I'm away, don't mind the cold but can't bear getting wet.

I've been talking to a very nice chap called Stephen Loveridge at Evan Cycles www.evanscycles.com who was kind enough to advise me on the most appropriate tyres for my trip - Continental Touring Plus, in his opinion, so that's what I've gone for.

Mio 305 part 2

I followed the instructions on the website, format the system drive, reconnect and choose Restore...
It claimed to have recovered everything successfully - after several more hours -BUT the screen would only show the USB connection graphics, nothing else. I decided it was time to go to bed.

This morning, I installed the CycloAgent software on my Mac, and lo, it found another update, installed it, and all is OK.

I hope to try it later today. It looks like a good gadget, it's solid and well-made, but the software takes a LOT to be desired. I am very IT literate, I think someone who wasn't would have sent it straight back.

Mio 305

Hmm...what a disappointment. I got my Mio 305 GPS today, and it has spent all afternoon attempting - and failing - to update itself. We have very slow broadband and the files it is downloading are very, very big. Perhaps I should have got the Garmin. I will report back if/when I get it updated.

I'm retired now, but still haunted by technology!

Result!!!

After some guy defaulting on the deal through eBay, I have sold my aviation headset and can afford to buy a bicycle GPS - I've chosen a Mio 305 after some dithering - nearly got a Garmin, but the Mio has a higher resolution screen.

Rather than reading about me contemplating my navel, why don't you have a look at Frank's blog, he's touring Japan as we speak:

Serendipities of Life

My bike...can't think of a name, but not Reggie.

And this is my steed:

Currently without the encumbrance of luggage, it's nice and light. I thought it was pretty expensive when I bought it, but it seems I'm a bit behind the times.

A bike named Reggie

I am getting in the mood by reading Andrew Sykes excellent book "Crossing Europe on a Bike named Reggie" - buy it! Available here

In it he mentions a community called Warm Showers, which is not as kinky as it sounds. It is a site enabling one to find people offering accommodation to cyclists. Anyway, I signed up and have my first potential customers booked in already.

What an excellent idea Warm Showers

Wasting time

It's been cold here, unseasonably, and unusual for Cornwall, which has a slightly warmer climate than most of the UK. I am suffering still from winter sloth and cannot motivate myself to go for a long ride, even though I know I should.

I've looked at lots of apps for my phone, though...currently very enamoured with the snappily named Outdoor Navigation.

Pain

Hmmm...just been out for the first long ride of the year and the arthritis in my thumbs makes changing gear very painful. Mind you, you have to change gear a lot in Cornwall, maybe it won't be so bad in France/Germany....maybe?

About me and what I'm doing.

Having motorcycled all around Europe, I decided, now that I'm retired, that I will have a decent cycle ride instead. I have done a few short-ish trips with friends in France, Austria and Hungary, but this is going to be, for a geriatric like me, a biggie!

I live in Cornwall in the south-west of the UK and plan to take the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff and then cycle to Hofsingelding, near Munich, to visit my dear friends Ad and Carla. I will stooge around there for a couple of weeks, if they'll have me, and then, if I still have any energy at all, I will cycle back home via Belgium and Holland.

All of this is negotiable. Fortunately, there are good trains everywhere (except England), so I can always cheat, but I hope I don't.

I'm not great at planning, and am currently reading a couple of books about cycle trips; to say their planning is more detailed than my own would be an understatement. Still, I've got just under 3 months to come up with a cunning plan.

Feel free to offer suggestions.

Thanks for reading...Chris