We’re back on the eastward road, cycling up the mighty Loire - France’s last, great, free-flowing river. Our path takes us past iconic sights like the grand chateaus, vineyards that produce the regions fine wines, and acres of sunflowers in bloom. But we’ve also discovered a few secret gems, like the troglodyte cave homes of Samur. Every day brings new surprises.

We’re getting ready to return to France, and resume our eastward cycling journey to the Black Sea. This leg of our train odyssey will get our bikes and us to the southern edge of England. There, we’ll hang out for a few days before boarding a ferry to take us back across the English Channel to France.

We’re discovering many facets of Scotland, beyond sea cliffs and castles. Of course, we’re cycling past plenty of those. But now we’ve also met Scotland’s favorite cartoon character, we’ve admired a famous St. Bernard midshipman, we’ve seen how to run a North Sea oil rig, and even learned a few words of Scots.

Stunning scenery greeted us as we cycled across North York Moors National Park. On the coast, we gazed out from rugged cliffs, across picturesque bays and beaches. When our route turned westward into the heart of the moors, the big hills provided breathtaking views, coupled with heart-pounding ascents and descents. All the while, we were charmed by the wild birds, as well as the shaggy highland cattle and sheep. 

Cycling up the heart-pounding, cathedral hill in Lincoln, we left the flat marshlands behind. The Wolds of England generally aren’t too steep, but we still had to find our climbing legs again, after four days of biking through pancake-flat fields. In addition to the scenic beauty of the Wolds, we finally reached the North Sea. There, we visited a huge colony of nesting seabirds, including a few adorable Atlantic Puffins.

For hundreds of years, the ancient kingdom of East Anglia was somewhat isolated because of its marshy landscape. Modest monasteries grew into major cathedrals, including some of the most renowned churches in England. Cycling across the former fenlands, we were impressed by the expanses of agriculture, charmed by the wildlife in remaining wetlands, and inspired by the fantastic cathedrals that rise out of the marshes like crowns on top of the cities below.

After an extended break on the outskirts of London, a change of plans had us headed due north towards Cambridge. A brush with the busy traffic near Stansted Airport made us happy to get back into the more rural parts of England. Cycling over rolling green hills, we arrived on the DNA Cycle Path, a fitting approach to a University town renowned for its scientific discoveries.

As we head eastward along one of England’s grand canals, the land is becoming less rural, and more urban by the kilometer. We emerged from verdant countryside into the bustling city of Reading, where the ruins of an ancient abbey are the center of attention. Then, on to Windsor and its beloved castle, where royals relax for the weekend, and sports clubs use the front lawn for running laps.

The legend of King Arthur looms large over the marshes and hills, west of Bridgwater. We cycled across the fabled Avalon Marshes and up the lower slopes of Glastonbury Tor, where names like Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and Morgan are part of the cultural fabric. In Britain’s smallest city, we saw our first great, English cathedral. Then we descended back to sea level, and the vibrant city that gives Bristol Bay its name.

Our cycling route followed two iconic trails through the Devon countryside. Along the Granite Way, we rode through the peaceful hills of western Dartmoor National Park, sprinkled with sheep herds that included the first newborn lambs of the spring. Descending towards the coast, we then followed the popular Tarka Trail along the River Torridge. The gorgeous weather and gently sloped rail trails made for a near-perfect ride.

On a blustery, rainy day we bundled up our cycling gear and boarded the ferry for England. We lingered in Plymouth for a day, visiting famous sights like Hoe Park and the Barbican neighborhood and soaking up the maritime ambiance. But the Tors of Dartmoor beckoned us. So we rode our bikes northward, up the Plym River and into the rugged, granite hills.

We’ve left Castilla y León, and are now biking across the vineyard-covered hills of La Rioja and Navarra, Spain. We’ve entered Basque Country, where cycling is even more popular than in greater Spain (if that’s possible). Surrounded by beautiful mountains, we’ve had two great days of riding through wide open landscapes and lovely small towns. The Camino de Santiago is still with us, and the number of pilgrims that we pass each day continues to grow.

We’re back on the Camino de Santiago. But now we’re biking on the French Route, heading away from Santiago. The thorns in our tires - probably acquired back in Portugal - continued to plague us by causing flat tires. A poor routing decision ended up sending us over 60 km on gravel roads. And we’re pretty sure we discovered the steepest hills in Spain, because if they were any steeper, you just wouldn’t be able to get up them at all. It’s been a busy few days.

After nine days biking the Camino de Santiago (Vía de la Plata route), we are now leaving the Camino to head northeast on EuroVelo 1. The route takes us across the vast agricultural plateau of Castilla y León, where you can bike for many kilometers without seeing a single tree.