Reacquainted with our bikes and reacquainted with Besancon, we're now planning our route into Germany and to Donaueshingen, the source of the Danube. We're looking forward to getting back on the saddle and, having been in France for so long, starting what feels like a brand new leg of journey.

We had a fantastic break in Italy. Lynn and John's wedding was amazing, the food was absolutely delicious and the rolling Tuscan countryside was idyllic. We had a car, so we managed to take in Florence, Bologna, Chianti, Siena and of course we had to take Luca to see Lucca. He loved it, especially as we explored its cobbled streets by rented bikes!



We also managed to spend a few fleeting days in Switzerland. Being able to take in so much is one of the joys of travelling by car. But we arrived in Tuscany, having driven almost 1000km from France, nearly the same distance we had spent weeks cycling, without a sense of the place. Seeing it from behind a steering wheel and primarily by motorway, it's difficult to get a feel for a place. This brought home the joys of travelling by bike and reminded us why we set out on his trip. Cycling through a country allows you time to take it all in. The subtle changes in culture, attitude, food and customs between Britanny and the Loire regions were so apparent to us because the transition between the regions was so slow by bike.

The wedding was a great break from the cycling routine though. It was nice to be back in finery after weeks in cycling shorts!



It was also lovely to catch up with family..... and of course to call in babysitting favours!




But it necessitated more goodbyes...... it's not easy to explain to a 2 year old why his beloved grandparents, aunts and uncles have all gone home on the "big plane" and we're still pottering around on our bikes! But he loves his cycling life and seems as keen to return to the saddle as we are.