Pedalling into the New Year in Portugal

In a few days we will be leaving Spain and heading into France - and we haven’t shared our experience in Portugal. So while sitting in a laundromat in Barcelona we are taking the time to write about our eleven days in Portugal - the land of beautiful beaches, ocean sunsets, cobblestone streets, the scrumptious pastel de nata and the oldest bookshop in the world!

Portugal is famous for its surf beaches and sunsets over the water

Portugal is famous for its surf beaches and sunsets over the water

Our plan was to arrive in Lisbon on the morning of New Year’s Eve refreshed after enjoying a sleeper on the famous Sud Express that leaves Hendaye on the France/Spain border every evening. The train departs at 6.30pm so we arrived with three hours to spare to be informed there was no train today but a ‘bus’. There has been major disruption on the French railways since November and we had been feeling quite pleased with ourselves that we had managed to avoid any major issues. The Sud Express however is a Spanish train and the French information desk wouldn’t give any more answers. As we had some time we decided to cycle the 4 kms across the border to Irun Station. There it was explained the train had a mechanical issue so instead of a lovely 12 hours in a sleeper carriage - to be one of the highlights of our trip - we were to spend the first 6+ hours in a bus and then transfer to the train after midnight! 

Peter took the time to pack our bikes into their bags and we boarded the bus with around a dozen other travellers. The bus finally arrived at the rail station around 1am ... and it was chaos ... we had to quickly lug our panniers and packed bikes across railway tracks covered in ice! Finally with the gracious assistance of a young man we found our carriage and packed ourselves in - the bikes stacked up in our shower. We immediately headed down to the cafe bar for a 2am dinner!! Arriving in Lisbon six hours later Peter set a record on bike assembly and then we cycled off to our ‘treat’ hotel for NYE. It was fun staying in the heart of the old town with a balcony and we joined the thousands at the square to welcome in 2020 with fireworks. The next two days we spent exploring the city, eating pastéis de nata and reorganising ourselves for our ride through Portugal.

Our cycle plan for Portugal was to take around nine days - six days heading south and then three to the Spanish border. After more than two weeks break the 55 kms on day one with some steep climbing was a bit challenging - well at least for Leigh. Fortunately we made our campsite in good time to set up and enjoy a rejuvenating hot shower! Peter was the lucky one who discovered that there is no toilet paper provided in the campsite toilets!!! 

Day 2 was much easier and included a nice ferry ride - though that night’s campsite was interesting. The woman who registered us was lovely and gave us what she thought was a prime position ... so we pitched our tent on stones under an old shelter in the middle of permanent caravans - all unoccupied. We had decided to treat ourselves and eat out as we were told there were nice restaurants nearby. Instead it was the worst food on our trip so far. We were the only people in the restaurant ... waitress spoke no English and our Portuguese is rubbish but still she had no interest in serving us and let us each order double servings! Usually that wouldn’t be a problem as after a day of riding we are ravenous - but there there was no desire to eat the food at all! We left most of the food on the table.

The next day we started riding along country roads ... and as it was Saturday there were lots of ‘Bom Dia’ to local cyclists along the way. We had lunch in Sines old town - then headed out past the port and along the coast. A nice day then became absolutely glorious as we spent two hours cycling the coast in the winter sun. A last 2 km run near Porto Covo (with a nice tailwind) took us to a coastal campsite. We watched the sun set over the Atlantic before tucking into Peter’s pesto pasta and the customary hot chocolate & a pastel de nata.

Peter is chief navigator and our general plan was to follow EuroVelo 1/The Atlantic Route. The Portugal section of EuoVelo1 has an app so along with Maps.me that was our navigation guide. The challenge in Portugal is the route can take you through odd places - sometimes through private property. It was a very sandy path through private land that saw Leigh’s first glorious fall - thankfully the sand buffered the impact. 

Two key aspects of our time in Portugal was running into other cycle tourers, sharing stories and tips and the abundance of Eucalyptus trees - and wattle. In one campground it felt like we were back home in Australia.

On Day 6 we reached Sagres - apparently for hundreds of years it was thought to be the end of the world - that sea monsters lived just beyond the horizon before the earth dropped off into a terrible black hole. For us the only monster was the strong headwind! Arriving at the cape we parked our bikes among camper vans and stood on the stunning cliffs looking out to Beliche Beach and the wet suit cladded surfers braving the cold Atlantic. 

Our plan to immediately head east along the Algarve hit a challenge when we woke to our first cold and rainy day in Portugal. Needing to keep to schedule we decided on distance over views and took the main road rather than the scenic coastline. Our first few hours were into a headwind but eventually the rain and wind eased and we started to make good time. After lunch we decided to go off the main road and push on past Portimao to Lagoa. All was going well until we started down a gravel road straight into a pack of dogs ... every cyclists nightmare ... after a short face off we retreated and took a detour. Unfortunately the detour included a steep hill ... and for Leigh at the end of a long day it was just too much ... there was a teary moment. After some friendly encouragement from a local women she got back on her bike and cycled to the apartment and a treat of piri-piri chicken.

After seven days of cycling we took the next day to relax, dry out the tent and wash our clothes in the machines that are conveniently located in front of supermarkets. We decided to do a train/cycle day to reach the border. Though the Algarve trainline technically has a cabin for bicycles they don’t make it easy - from platform up to the cabin entrance was around a 1 metre - a challenge with loaded bikes. We arrived at the border for our last camp on a Portugal beach but first cycled to the ferry to check times for the following day. We were told the first ferry wasn’t until 10.30 am... so we made a last minute decision to take the last ferry of the day and cycle into the Spanish sunset.

Neither of us had been to Portugal before so really didn’t know what to expect ... we met lovely people, learnt some of the fascinating history, experienced amazing coastal views and wonderful winter sun ... and overindulged on great food. Tchau Portugal!

Some learnings:

  • Always keep a personal stash of toilet paper at campsites

  • There is always a pastel de nata space in your tummy

  • Make sure you don’t forget to have enough fuel for your camp stove

  • Sand is not the most cycle friendly surface

Pedalling Parenzana

After a week off bike in Zagreb and Split we hopped back on the bikes to head north to Zadar cycling a mix of the mainland with some island hopping. The coast and islands are stunning and as it is off season we enjoyed the light traffic on the coast roads.

Atop another hill!

Atop another hill!

Our plan to spend a couple of weeks making our way to the Istria peninsula hit some challenges … firstly and very importantly the ferries. During off season ferries run to reduced timetables and there were some other challenges ... such as finding they were not stopping at some ports or they were passenger only and wouldn’t take bikes. The other challenge was Peter was feeling a bit below par so after a day that included a ferry debacle, a big hill climb and our first dodgy accommodation situation we made the call to skip the islands of Cres and Krk and head straight to Rijeka.

One of the joys of travelling is the unplanned moments ... and we were treated to one such moment in Rijeka. Arriving earlier than planned meant we were there for the start of Advent and on the Sunday evening they turned on the Christmas lights at Trsat Castle - a 13th century fortress overlooking the city ... accompanied by fireworks … a magical experience.

From Rijeka we set off to explore Istria. For the last 800 or so years the peninsula has been under the Venetian, Hapsburg, Napoleonic, Austrian and then Italian rule. Following WWII the majority of Istria became part of SFR Yugoslavia and after 1991 it was divided between Croatia and Slovenia. The Italian influence is still strong with street names in both Italian and Croatian and Italian is spoken in many places. The countryside is beautiful and there are olive groves everywhere - a tourism release states that Istria has been named the worlds best olive oil region for the past five years. They also love their truffles and wine … and everywhere you look there are medieval hilltop villages and coastal towns. Pula, one of the largest towns has a magnificent Roman amphitheatre that we were able to wander around by ourselves - the benefit of off season travel.

Back on our bikes we cycled the coast from Umag down to Poreč to set off on the Parenzana Trail through Slovenia to Trieste in Italy. Parenzana was a narrow gauge railway which connected Trieste with Poreč. Operating from 1902 until 1935 the railway line ceased due to unprofitability. It is said that on some sections the train was so slow that workers in the fields would wait till they saw the train, then leave the fields to go home, have a shower before heading to catch the train. We decided to ride the trail in three and a bit days so we could have one more night in Croatia before entering the Schengen Zone.

It was a clear, beautiful but cold day when we set off with the aim of cycling 36 kms to the medieval village of Motovun. We read that the 88 km Croatian section of the trail was gravel and most suited to mountain bikes. As we ride fully loaded touring bikes we knew it would not be easy ... but it was really, really slow going. As well as very rough gravel there had been a lot of rain so there were large areas of mud and sections through the trees with a thick carpet of sodden leaves. In some of the shaded areas the puddles were still covered with ice at lunchtime.

The first 20 kms was a steady climb and it wasn’t until we were about 10 kms in that it started to feel more like an old railway line ... the trail swept along the side of hills, and we cycled over viaducts and through tunnels. The entrance to each tunnel was signposted with the tunnel length and there were sensor lights along their length. Still headlights are extremely useful, as Leigh found in a long curved tunnel when a section of the sensor light didn’t work and she was too far behind Peter to have the benefit of his light ... we now know that the acoustics in the tunnel are quite good! The last 14 kms of day one was a fast but cold descent towards Motovun. Motovun is on a hilltop so the long tunnel underneath took us past where we wanted to stealth camp for the night ... so we had to backtrack and in fading light push our bikes up through a steep olive grove ... not the most enjoyable activity at the end of a day of cycling!

It was a cold night and when we set off for the 32 kms to Buje the next morning it was still only 2 degrees C ... so we piled on the layers. After a few kilometres downhill we commenced 18 kms of climbing. The sun didn’t break through the clouds and the temperature dropped to 0.2 degrees. Even though we had a steady cycle uphill on a rough track we had to add layers of clothing - it can be a bit challenging when you can’t feel your fingers to use your brakes. Then after lunch it started to rain ... so thankful for waterproof gloves! Despite the cold and the need to concentrate on keeping upright on the track there were many times where you just have to stop and take in the view. Looking out at the rural scenes it is not hard to imagine the view that train passengers would have seen 100 years ago. Though the trail is quite popular from spring to autumn, as it was December we only saw one other traveller, a lone hiker heading the other way.

The highest point of the trail is the tunnel at the artist village of Grožnjan so once through that tunnel our last 9 kms of day two, even in the rain, was a speedy downhill run. We had pre-booked an apartment in the centre of Buje and arrived quite wet, weary and cold. The owners let us store our bikes in their wine and olive oil cellar and then we slowly climbed the three flights of stairs to our cosy loft apartment and warmed up with pizza, fries and salad.

Day three was a glorious sunny day and a warm 10 degrees C. When we set off from Buje it was so clear we could see across the northern Adriatic to the snowy Italian Alps. We had planned a short day with no climbing staying in Valica, a small community just before the Slovenian border so we took our time, arriving at our accommodation early with enough time to do some bike maintenance and cleaning.

The final day (52 kms) of the trail was a total contrast. After 5 kms we crossed the border into Slovenia. In Croatia apart from the first couple of kms in Poreč we cycled through rural areas, skirting around or cycling under small villages. Once we were in Slovenia we were on asphalt cycle paths, cycling through towns and sometimes alongside major roads. Also as it was Sunday we shared the path with walkers, dogs, joggers and cyclists. Still the cycle through Slovenia was lovely and the tunnels were the best of the trail. Slovenia and Italy are Schengen countries so there was no formal border ... a small sign beside the path told us we were in Italy. In Italy there was no feeling that you were on a rail trail - it was cycling into a large city - with the added excitement/challenge of motor scooters.  Also as Trieste is on an escarpment there was some climbing to end our day. Our final destination was an apartment in the old town just near Trieste Railway Station. 

Parenzana Trail statistics:

  • 3 countries

  • 132 kilometres

  • about 65% gravel

  • 8 tunnels

  • 7 viaducts

  • breathtaking views - lost count

So this marks 1,300 kms, six countries and the end of Stage 1 of our Grand Tour. Time to pack up our bikes for a Christmas break with family in Switzerland and then France. Stage 2 starts 3 January in Portugal ... when once again we will just start pedalling.

Slavonia … an unexpected experience

Historically and culturally Croatia is divided into four regions, Croatia proper, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia …we crossed the border from Serbia into Slavonia. Immediately we noticed the improved road surface but unfortunately the plentiful and quirky EuroVelo signs disappeared. A requisite bakery stop gave us not only the opportunity to start thinking in Croatian Kuna but some needed sustenance for five steep climbs ahead. The final stretch of the day into Vukovar, where we planned to spend the night, was an easier cycle and we fell into a good rhythm.

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Our overnight stops are planned around distance, terrain, budget and accommodation options and that is why we chose Vukovar but as we cycled into the town we passed what was obviously a significant memorial. Though aware of the conflict in the Balkans in the early 1990’s we were not specifically aware of the role of the Battle of Vukovar in the conflict or the Vukovar hospital massacre. For 87 days - from August until 18 November 1991 - around 1,800 self-organised lightly armed soldiers defended the city against approximately 36,000 JNA soldiers and paramilitaries equipped with heavy armour and artillery. Eventually overrun it is estimated that 2,000 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were forced into exile. The Vukovar hospital massacre or the Ovčara massacre (200 killed c.60 missing presumed dead), occurred two days after the town’s capture. Vukovar remained in Serbian hands until 1998, when it was peacefully reintegrated into Croatia.

Much of the town is still physically scarred. We stayed near the city’s famous water tower, riddled with bullet holes it has been retained to serve as a reminder of the battle. Across the street from our apartment was a large mural of an anguished woman in the midst of graves. As we left and cycled though the town and surrounding villages, past other memorials and sat eating pastries, we watched the community go about their lives. All that violence and suffering happened less than 30 years ago - we couldn’t help but wonder the impact on their lives and their families. Some days later we shared with one of our hosts where we had cycled and she was visibly upset - her hand went to her heart as she said ‘So sad - for all our people.’

Osijek was our last stay in Slavonia and we took the afternoon train to the capital Zagreb. It is always an interesting operation getting two bikes and eight panniers onto a train - particularly when the platform is not elevated! We spent the weekend enjoying elegant Zagreb and then boarded the overnight train to Split. We need to sit in the same carriage as our bikes - so unfortunately no reclining seats or a sleeper! Arriving early in the morning our lovely Airbnb host let us check in at 8.30 am…so good. Our very cute apartment was in an old stone building near Bačvice Beach and a short walk to the old town. Five days off our bikes gave us the opportunity to do a big wash and some bike maintenance… as well as time to explore Split. It was also a chance to review our trip so far - the good and the challenging - and with these learnings plan the journey up the Dalmation coast and islands to Istria and then Trieste Italy.

Forests, fortresses, farms and a ferry

Even though the last six days in Serbia took us through the two cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad most of our cycling was through farmland and small villages.

Peter and Leigh outside the fortress at Golubac

Peter and Leigh outside the fortress at Golubac

Still overwhelmed by the stunning scenery and exhausted from the climbing through the Iron Gates section of EuroVelo 6 we enjoyed our rest day in Donji Milanovic. We had booked a room in a family guest house on the banks of the river and it was so good to be welcomed with a lovely cup of tea and fresh homemade biscuits - and to top it off our host offered to wash our clothes. We also brought out our camp stove for the first time (we had struggled to find the correct fuel). A park bench by the Danube was our kitchen and Peter cooked up a tasty pasta dish.

With another big climbing day (for Leigh) and a forecast for rain we decided to put our bikes on a bus for the 56kms to Golubac. At this point the Danube is 6 km wide and such a strategic position means … a fortress. So we cycled out and wandered around the recently restored medieval fortress. From Golubac we cycled along the river to Ram (and another fortress), managed our first ferry crossing of the Danube and thanks to a recommendation from fellow cyclists @pedalsandpuffins we spent a great evening at @Banatomia1086. In a simple farm house with a warming wood stove our host Stanojevic shared (over endless homemade raika) his vision for the farm he inherited from his grandparents.

The day into Belgrade was going to our longest so far ... and to say Leigh was anxious is an understatement…82kms on a loaded bike! Leaving early we managed to visit a bike shop for a new pump, demolish tasty burek and already have 45 kms under our belt by 12.30. At the town of Omoljica we stopped for a short break ... just as we leant our bikes against their house Borislav & Svetlana came out and invited us inside for what we thought was coffee ... little did we know! We were not aware that November is the month of patron saints in Serbia and families celebrate (Slava) their patron saint by gathering together and eating - and it was Slava for the Blagojevic family. They shared their feast with us ... soup, sarma, lamb, pickled vegetables, cheesecake coffee and slices ... such generosity. Two hours later we hopped on our bikes for the remaining 37 kms into Belgrade on a cold Friday evening. Adding to the challenge of cycling on a very full tummy was 12 kms was on a very rough track on a levee bank in fading light. Thankfully we had scheduled a rest day to visit Belgrade ... the time off also gave Peter a chance to repair the 3 punctures from the previous day (the levee track!). He pulled out two dozen prickles so only having three punctures was a good result!

Belgrade has been destroyed and rebuilt around 40 times in its 2300 year history, most recently the three month NATO bombing in 1999 so though our apartment was in the city’s second oldest residential building it was only circa 1852. Belgrade is a lively city full of young people and lovely to walk around at night. As well as coffee we love ice cream & gelato - even when it is cold we cannot resist - interestingly when we bought gelato in Belgrade they weighed our scoop for the cone!

Still building up our cycling fitness we needed a nights stop midway between Belgrade and Novi Sad... we choose Stari (old) Slankamen ... unfortunately the guest house only took cash and we made the mistake of not having enough ... then we found out the closest ATM was in a town 23 kms away! So 4.5 hours and 2 bus rides later (reading bus timetables in mainly Cyrillic script is challenging!) we had the cash to sleep easy!

The cycle into Novi (new) Sad gave us our first chance to really test out our wet weather gear. Thankfully the rain stopped just as we arrived at the gorgeous town of Sremski Karlovic and we were able to dry off over a warm lunch. A late afternoon cycle into Novi Sad ... such a cool city ... though we couldn’t fit in a rest day to explore we stayed in an apartment right on Liberty Square, this meant we were able to spend the evening wandering the old town

We planned a short last day in Serbia - 38 kms and mainly flat. To celebrate we indulged in a cafe breakfast and late start before setting off for Backa Palanka. Straight away the wind came up - unfortunately not a tail wind - and to make it worse according to the EuroVelo map it looked like most of the day would be a dreaded levee track. An hour in we stopped for coffee and made the decision to stay on the Eurovelo rather than take the road. As we headed off though still windy, the sight of road bike cyclists in lycra coming the other way warmed our hearts - obviously the map is out of date as we were treated to a new bitumen cycle way for most of the day!

Our last stop in Serbia was a guest house on farmland (with requisite manure aromas) a few kilometres before the border town. We are cycling in off season, so again we were the only guests … this time we were asked to lock the front main gate when we left!

Interactions with people are part of what makes cycle touring so special, dogs not so much. Before crossing the border we went to a supermarket to spend our last dinar - packing up our supplies two friendly women said hello and asked us where we were from. When we said Australia they were very excited. Turns out though Backa Palanka is their hometown they lived in Gympie, Queensland for 45 years - small world!

The border crossing into country #4 was easy ... we zoomed past the line of lorries and crossed the bridge over Danube for the last time. Welcome to Croatia...

“Dear Cyclists”

After successfully managing the border crossing into Bulgaria we had a short ride into Vidin. We felt a bit apprehensive cycling to our accommodation through rundown 12 storey+ apartment buildings but we were greeted with a smile and the hotel was a pleasant surprise… so was downtown Vidin. We enjoyed a lovely meandering walk through parks and along the riverbank.

Leaving Bojan’s house in Negotin

Leaving Bojan’s house in Negotin

Next stop Serbia .... en route we met some German girls heading the other way ... (most cyclists seem to head east along EuroVelo6) ... it is always good to chat, laugh and exchange tips.

We enjoyed our brief time in Bulgaria but our last town was quite odd - it felt like we had stepped back 30 years .... the shop shelves were mostly empty and there was a large communist memorial in the centre of town. The border crossing at the edge of the town was totally deserted ... in Romania/Bulgaria the two border officials sat in rooms next to each other but this time we had to cycle 200 metres past rundown old buildings and a border watch tower between each official.

As soon as we hit Serbia the sun came out and there were EuroVelo signs!!! Also we encountered our first hills ... finally we (Leigh ;) ) managed to get to the top and then we had the glorious down hill run to Negotin and our wonderful host Bojan. In the house his grandfather built at the beginning of 20th century he has created a restful haven for travellers - particularly cyclists. Along with coffee and Serbian pastries he had plenty of advice regarding our journey. He shared that once we arrived at Kladovo, our next town, the surrounds would become beautiful. That was an understatement ... 30 kms out of Kladovo there was a really big climb up from the river ... but when we got to the top we started to cycle through the ‘Iron Gates’ (a huge gorge on the Danube River separating the southern Carpathian Mountains and the northwestern foothills of the Balkan Mountains) ... absolutely stunning. We were mainly downhill so it was easy to stop to try and take it in the amazing views. We also hit our first tunnels ... a bit nerve wracking but we were encouraged by a sign at the entrance addressed to ‘Dear Cyclists’ asking us to press the button so drivers would know we were in the tunnel. We just love that Serbia welcomes cyclists ... though like Romania and Bulgaria they drive fast they give room, wait patiently when necessary ... and frequently give a friendly toot and wave … so good!

A rest day in lovely Donji Milanovic (a small town frequented by Danube cruise boats) sitting on our balcony looking across to Romania to catch up on planning before we make our way along the next 250kms to Belgrade.

Some interesting titbits..

There are paper obituaries - about A4 size - posted at bus shelters and other public places. Sometimes more than 10 at the same place.

Each major Eurovelo 6 sign has a quirky quote - Peter’s favourite so far “You can dream all you want but sometimes you have to just get our there and do it.” (Dan Coonce)

Drum Bun Romania

We arrived in Romania one week ago and tomorrow we cross the border into Bulgaria.

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After a couple of days in Bucureşti we have spent our time in south west Romania cycling through small towns and villages following EuroVelo 6 - the Black Sea Route. This section of EuroVelo 6 is still under development so apart from a blissful 5 kms on Day 3 (see above) we have been on the main road. Romanians drive fast - but as the road is also used by local meandering cyclists, farm vehicles, pedestrians and horse drawn carts - they make room.

In many Romanian tourist brochures you will see pictures of the beautiful mountains in the north - the south is very flat so though sad we didn’t get to see mountains I am glad we didn’t have to cycle them this early on our tour!

Things we will remember from Romania - apart from it being our first country on this adventure. The people - though they don’t walk around with a ready smile - when they do smile it is big and warm. Also they are always ready to assist and give advice ... quite persistently at times even when it is clear we cannot speak Romanian. They also don’t mind staring and laughing openly at two heavily laden cycle tourers as they zoom by on their light weight bike. Mostly we will be forever grateful to Adrian - a friend of a friend who picked us up at the airport and persisted until our big bike boxes were ‘secure’ in his small car for the drive to our accommodation.

Also accommodation is very cheap - between AUD$40-$50 per night including breakfast - so we have not camped... that will wait until Serbia. We have been hosted by some wonderful people - particularly Daniel & Ionelle in their ‘Rustic House’. As well as breakfast we were treated to a delicious 3 course dinner - and Daniel fixed my bike! Also our last host here in Bechet came out on the street to welcome us.... and straight away took us to a place to secure our bikes.

As we pass through villages we’ve been fascinated by the bench seats in front of many of the houses... often an elderly Romanian - a man wearing a cap or a woman in a headscarf sits there. We get ‘Ola, Ola’, Salut, Bonjour or hello and a wave. We saw lots of young children on our first day.... many running up to us to give a high five as we passed ....we only saw teenagers on the last day which may indicate the area is quite depopulated.

The landscape is quite flat and dry and the weather much warmer than we thought it would be - mid to high 20’s by the afternoon. One of the fears in cycling is being chased by dogs. Happily the dogs of Romania barely give us a glance as we cycle past.

We really needed our rest day after our 4th full cycling day as Peter has come down with a heavy cold. Ahead is a couple of easy days in Bulgaria (though we are a bit apprehensive about our first border crossings on bikes) before we cycle to lovely Serbia.

I know it is early but some stats:

Lost - 1 Drink bottle - Leigh, 1 glove - Leigh

Puncture - Peter 1, Leigh 0

Dog attack - Peter 1 (with teeth marks to show for it)

There have been lots of learnings but only one near disaster....

Leigh cycling off from a market stop realised she had left her wallet sitting on her back panniers ... saved. After we gave ourselves a stern talking to we set off again ... 500 metres on we cycled over railway tracks ... there was a crash then a cry as a woman dashed out in front of a truck to save Leigh’s helmet ... that had also been just sitting on the back panniers!!! So we now have instilled a full check list before we set off from any stop!!!