November 22, 2020
We’ve all, for the most part, had to curb our wanderlust these past nine months. I used my time to complete my book, Bicycle Odyssey, about my epic around-the-world bicycle trip.
Then, encouraged by a friend, I entered a virtual trek on the Camino de Santiago. The challenge took me out onto the quiet streets of my city and beyond to new neighborhoods. It brought me full circle back to bicycling daily and filled me with exhilaration. I completed the 480 miles over the summer, becoming a virtual pilgrim. The adventure left me thirsty for more so I entered a virtual length of Great Britain challenge from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Now that I am 60% through the 1084-mile trek, I find myself right by England’s beautiful Lake District where I started my epic around-the-world bicycle trip in 1991.
These past nine months have brought me back to my passion of bicycling. It had been buried for a long time and I am thrilled to have it back. Have you rediscovered something long neglected this year? Or discovered something new?
Below is an excerpt from the beginning of my book, Bicycle Odyssey just out now.
We covered thirty-five miles that first day. Exhilaration swept through me. Mist filled the sky, and rain fell softly at times. The clean, fresh air cleared our heads. We cycled along gently rolling hills and down narrow country lanes bordered with thick vegetation. At one point, dozens of bleating sheep blocked the road and milled about. Two highly trained sheepdogs responded to the shepherd’s whistles and kept the flock in order while we all waited for a train to pass.
Our itinerary led us north to the Lake District National Park, a mountainous region known for its lakes and forests. Hill Top was home to Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and many other well-known children’s books. William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and other poets had also resided in the Lake District in the early 1800s. We set up our tent to face the lake near Ambleside and Windermere, and gazed out, drinking it all in. Imagine stepping inside a painting by Constable or Turner! The visit to the Lake District was Dermot’s father’s suggestion. It stands out for me as the most beautiful spot we visited in England. The Lake District is part of Britain’s National Trust for environmental and heritage conservation. Since we could visit many impressive historical properties in the National Trust, we decided to purchase a membership to use throughout our trip. Traveling through England and Scotland transported us into the worlds of many of the authors we had grown up reading.
You can read about my life-changing around-the-world bicycle odyssey in my book.
Bicycle Odyssey An Around-the-World Journey of Inner and Outer Discovery
Available in print or ebook through amazon.com , BalboaPress.com , or BarnesandNoble.com .
Lake Windermere, The Lake District National Park, Great Britain
Lake Windermere, The Lake District National Park, Great Britain
Bicycle Odyssey 