Here we go again!

It's hard to believe that we are nearly half way through 2025.

It's scary to think that 40 years on from my first bike tour, I possibly only have half that amount of time left to be able to ride a bike, let alone tour on one.

As a fitness trainer, my mortality was given a shake up at the end of last year, when two of my long term clients (and lovely people) died, out of the blue. They were 54 and 63 years of age. It really opened my eyes and made me realise that the life that we have led will change, no matter how fit or adventurous we are, the clock is ticking. Forty years ago, life was endless, now we need to think carefully about what we take on and how we go about it. 

So, with that in mind, this tour, all being well, will start in France and end in either Greece or Turkey. It will include the French Alps, Swiss Alps, Italian Alps and Dolomites, Austrian Alps, Julien Alps( Slovenia) and other beautiful scenery in between and beyond. 

After a 1985 tour which took me to Greece, I had been telling Julia that someday I would take her to Greece. Well, we have been to a lot of countries, but Greece was not one of them, hopefully now I will fulfill my promise. 

Having reached retirement age (officially) last August, we put the house and business on the market, hoping for a relatively quick sale.

Well, that didn't happen. The housing market was and is not in a very good place for sellers and so we made the rash decision to buy ourselves a retirement apartment, down by the beach and close to all that we enjoy. We managed to rent it out to a lovely girl and her three children, who took great care of it until May 2025, when we rented it out again, this time to a very nice chap.

So, with a house and business and a retirement property to maintain, why not go all in and take a four month cycle tour?

Brody, our son, and Aimee his girlfriend, both Personal Trainers, were home for Brianas's wedding and offered to look after the house and business whilst we pedalled off on our latest escapade. 

They had bought a van with the intention of doing it up over winter, so that once Summer approached, they could go touring around NZ.

After spending time with our Face to Face clients in the studio, they suggested that we may want to book our flights, as time was moving on. 

Monday 12th May, flights out were booked, with return flights on hold, as we're  not sure whether it will be Istanbul or Athens, we fly out of. 

So, there we are.

Over the next two weeks, we will have regular updates, until day of departure, when the blog will officially begin. 

Come along for the ride.