About six weeks to departure and planning has not been going too well. Routes have been written, then changed. Sat nav files have been prepared and then deleted. My thoughts change daily.
I need to pedal 80 miles, 130kms, each day to complete the journey from St Malo to Amsterdam in the allocated time and with a fully loaded bike, that will be about my maximum daily range.....especially in the slightly hillier areas in North east France.
So its always around now that I begin to have a debate with myself on whether I can really be bothered with having to put up a tent every night whatever the weather, then wash my cycling clothes through, then eat something in a local village and then sleep on the ground before having to pack up again, find breakfast and do another 80 miles.
Advantages are that it gives more choice of where to stay, it is cheap and you know your accommodation (tent) is clean and tidy. Disadvantages are numerous. Very much more gear = weight to carry around Europe, washing clothes and drying in one evening is tough, putting up/down a tent in heavy rain is just unpleasant and midgies frequent waterside camp sites. Bike security comes into play. Just sitting on the ground can be a chore too!
Balance at the moment is on canvas....but I'm still having the debate in my head!
