Saturday October 10, 2015

Our world cycling trip has come to an end for the moment!

Here\’s to all the wonderful people we have met. Here\’s to the new friends we have made, to all the inspiring conversations we have had, to all the touring cyclists we have met, and the countries we have crossed. Keeping the rubber side down and the wheels turning, thank-you to all our warmshowers hosts. Thank-you one and all.

It has been a week of ups and downs. There have been times this week, when all I wanted to do was get back on Mrs Sweetcheeks and ride, or book a flight to Bangkok or somewhere warm. Then there were times when I relished the long lie-ins, the hot showers with big fluffy towels, the comfy bed with a big pillow, eating toast with butter and having a cup of tea with milk, fresh fruit and fresh veges and cooking with more than one pot!

We have spent time finding our way around Barrie on the transit system. We wasted half a day because we stayed on the same bus instead of transferring to another bus which would have halved the journey time. We tried to register for a new doctor and were told because we already had one we could not transfer to a new one even though our old doctor is out of Town by about 12.5 kms and we have no means of getting there. We have chatted to our bank manager and we have looked at some condos and townhouses. House prices have soared in Barrie since we have been away.

We opened our storage unit, and my “Green Mean Machine (my road bike) was front and centre. She was covered in cobwebs, but we had put a lot of grease on the chain and parts and she looked as if she was raring to go.

We got the suitcases out of the unit, yeah we have clothes. When we got back to Melinda’s place we did a fun fashion show! Some clothes do fit, but none of my skirts, trousers or jeans fit, I will need new trousers, jeans etc. I hate clothes shopping, although twenty-two months wearing the same two sets of clothes has got a little boring.

We didn’t ride our bikes all week as it was cool, wet and windy, we have become wusses already.

Tomorrow we will go for a ride – on MrsSweetCheeks, we cannot clutter up Melinda’s garage with four bikes, although it would be nice to ride the Green Mean Machine.