Camargue

We're having a lazy day today, at St Gilles, on the edge of the Camargue. Yesterday we left the trailer and all the luggage at the campsite and cycled 65 miles around the Camargue National Park. We saw flocks of pink flamingoes and got a close-up view of an otter swimming around in the ditch. Weather is fabulous - a bit too hot in fact. Photos to follow.

re-packing the trailer

re-packing the trailer
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

It took over 2 hours to break-camp and re-pack the trailer! Why do sleeping bags, air-mats and tents never, ever pack as small as when you bought them?!
The views down over Newtown made us wonder why we were bothering to leave our home-town.

first camp, first cook

First camp, first cook
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

It took a while to work out how the tent went up, in the dark (it had never been out of the bag), but man that pasta smelt good...

trial (maiden) voyage

P4060022
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

The box trailer is full to the brim. I had joked that Kitty had to choose between spare knickers - or her violin...it turned out to be true!

and final touches to the trailer...

P4060020
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

I thought this huge toy box would fit all our stuff...how wrong I was!

final touches to the bike...

P4060018
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

The tandem is nearly ready - but where do I put this hooter thingy (a present from our friend Mary)?!

Our neighbour Mike...

...expresses his opinion of the idea of cycling thousands of miles round dodgy bits of Europe!

Maisie wonders how we're going to fit all the luggage in the box...

P4060017
Originally uploaded by garrysaady.

Not quite sure where this mad idea to tandem around S.E. Europe (and beyond?) came from - but it's too late to go back on it now, so, with only a few days to go before we have to set off on the real thing - a trial run was planned for Easter weekend.