The final countdown ...
20 - 30 September 2022
With a 2-week break between the last 2 races, Prudence (NZ Teamie) and I took a flight from Brussels to Milan. From here we set off to make it back to Belgium within 10 days while seeing as many countries as we could on our bikes!
We booked a bus from Milan to Austria, so that we wouldn't lose a few days riding over the alps. Unfortunately, we booked that bus for the wrong day and then had to catch the one to Switzerland! From here our trip went very smoothly and to plan.
From Switzerland, we rode to Austria via Liechtenstein and back to Switzerland, then up to Germany, France, Luxembourg and finally, back to Belgium. Throughout the journey, we used the app Warm Showers, which provides accommodation options for bike packers. Along the way, we met some lovely people with amazing stories to share. In Austria, the couple we stayed with had done a 10-year straight bike packing trip! They'd even done a year in Australia! It was very interesting to hear all about their adventures.
We spent our last night in Dinant, Belgium at at Airbnb, which was so beautiful. In the end, we visited 8 countries in 10 days; it was so much fun exploring Europe by bike!
4 October 2022
Today was scheduled to be the race of the season - Binche UCI 1.1 in Belgium! However, last night the Team Manager made a last minute decision to pull them team from the event as one rider and the mechanic had tested positive to COVID-19. We were already short 2 riders, so dropping to be short 3 riders meant that under UCI rules, we couldn't start. This was disappointing news as I felt confident after 2 weeks of solid kms. So, at 12am I booked the train to Paris for 6am the next morning to fill in the last day before I flew home.
On the train, I made a list of all the things I wanted to see and do throughout the day; this included the Wall of Love, Louver Museum, Arc de Triomphe Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse Tower and Pont des Arts. I ended up walking a total of 20km today between attractions. But, I also bought an all-day metro train ticket that allowed me to jump on-and-off multiple times to save time. The highlight of my day was climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which had an amazing view and was a very cool experience! Closely followed by Montparnasse Tower, which is 59 floors high (210m) with 360-degree views of the Paris skyline, including the Eiffel Tower.
5 October 2022
Today is the day that I fly home after being away for 9 months and 2 days!!! I finished packing all my bags and then left Niel on the train for Brussels Airport. From here my flight was Brussels > London > Sydney via Singapore > Dubbo. A total travel time of 32 hours before I touched down on home soil. What a journey!
7 October 2022
Finally, I arrive back in Dubbo! It was so lovely to reunite with my family and friends. I have had the best 9 months and can not wait to see what opportunties next year brings! Next up, I have a little break away and then my training for Nationals and next season begins.
I'd like to thank Dubbo City Toyota & Gilgandra Toyota for supporting me and allowing me to share this journey with everyone via my blogs. Thank you to everyone for following along, I can't wait to share more!
