By: Blonde Two
I was recently sent a book to read and I have to say that after just one chapter I am already keen to read on.
The Beardless Adventurer by Donna Marie Ashton is the account of her bicycle journey with her husband Iain across 5,000km of Europe. Obviously I admire Donna for her commitment to getting outside and doing great things but there are far more reasons than that. Donna was in her 40s when she made the trip (that isn’t old but I am just saying) and she had next to no previous cycling experience.
So far (and remember I have only read Chapter 1) Donna has fallen not so gracefully sideways every time she reached a steep gradient, had a panic attack, cycled (and walked) up several ridiculously steep hills and drawn blood from her knee. In other words, she is my kind of adventurer. Anyone who can describe her legs as ‘flabby’, her physical state as ‘almost normal’ and just about everything else using a rather rude word has got to have the right self-depreciating mentality to succeed (if in a somewhat Blonde way!)
I am looking forward to getting to the end of ‘The Beardless Adventurer’ not to find out if Donna reaches her destination (of course she will), nor to work out if I would like to cycle across Europe (of course I wouldn’t) but to ascertain whether or not, by the time she reaches the ‘other side’ she has actually grown a beard and become ‘The Bearded Adventurer’ I have a feeling she will deserve one!
Love the cover picture! If you decide to emulate this feat, I strongly recommend an e-bike for all those parts of the EU where they have a regular supply of 230V 50Hz electricity. Even then, I suspect my little legs would die with the weight of the luggage (not to mention the bike. Pushing an e-bike is not recommended.)
P.S. I wonder if one could tackle EU using an electric scooter and a rucksack?
I have this idea that is usually directed towards people reticent to try a wild-camp on Dartmoor – try it today, you might like it, and if you like it today then you can do it again tomorrow but for every day you don’t find that out you’re denying yourself a potential treasure. I can lend you some bicycle clips if it’ll help – they’re a unisex style.
Yoiks! And likewise, Larry-the-Lamb! How did you know I have lost my lovely old black plastic cycle clips? (Well, one of them, anyway!) I can’t go though – where would I put Broughy on a bike? He’s too big for a basket or rucksack and too old to run alongside. Besides, he doesn’t like his equilibrium to be disturbed and I’d be sure to fall off!