We are undertaking this adventure as a means of combining our passions for travel, culture, cycling, food, sustainable agriculture, alternative lifestyles and spontaneity - and providing Bodhi the opportunity to learn and grow in rural and natural environments. France, with its incredible history, culture, landscapes, gastronomy and alternative lifestyles, is an ideal choice for this sort of adventure.
This blog is being created to share our experiences with our family and friends and acquaintances, both old and new. At the same time, we wish to actively promote alternative lifestyles, especially with young children!
We began on 17 June, 2014 in North Shields, England.
PREPARATIONS...
I suppose its no surprise that the planning and logistics for such an undertaking are considerable. But more important yet, the outlook of your kid(s). Luckily for us, Bodhi showed a zeal for adventure from the get-go...
OF TRAVEL, CAMPING AND ADVENTURE:
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| hiking in the Swiss Alps (age 3.5 weeks) |
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| walking in the English Lake District (age one month) |
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| Bodhi's first night camping, ever (age 3.5 months) |
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| 22kg backpack, 6kg baby, 1900-year-old wall |
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| Bodhi, pretty happy with the situation |
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| breastfeeding on the wall! |
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| taking a break from the rain with Mammy, in Cumbria |
OF BIKES AND TRAILERS:
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| Introducing Earl Scruggs, time-tested road warrior. Katy is to use this rigid-fork, steel-frame late-1990's Trek 830... Jeff previously rode it from Senegal to South Africa (2005-6), amongst other travels and modes. A bike with its own heartbeat and more stories than imaginable. |
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| Jeff's bike. Also a road-tested veteran: Alaska to Argentina to Brazil (2009-14). Steel-frame, suspension fork, 1990's-era Schwinn MTB, and a complete survivor: it's been to hell and back several times already. |
Now, hauling. We started looking for trailers about 8 months before the start of our trip. On a trip to Switzerland we had previously been impressed by a brand called Chariot (Thule-Chariot); the only problem is that new Chariots go for up to 1000 euros, without accessories. Thus began our search for used Chariots on E-bay and Gumtree (like Craigslist). By some magical coincidence, we happened upon the only used Chariot for sale on Gumtree in ALL of the U.K., and it was one block from our flat in North Shields. Even better, it cost 80 pounds. The model we obtained is the Cougar 2, which is a double-wide trailer intended to haul 2 children around. We bought it with no clear plan yet...
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| we took the Cougar on some local test rides, along the waggonways of North Tyneside and along the coastal biking paths of the North Sea... |
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| Bodhi enjoying his new ride (age 5 months). |
So, the next important step was the obtaining of Bodhi's future house-on-wheels: the Chariot CX-1. In our opinion, this is by far the best single-child trailer option on the planet. Besides the super smooth ride and the suspension system, with little or no effort, the trailer can be converted into: a stroller, a jogger, a bike trailer, a hiking rickshaw, and a cross-country ski sled (for that matter, so can the Cougar)! We bought one in nearly mint condition on Craig's List in North Carolina for $350, the bargain of the century.
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| in the CX-1 in snowy Pennsylvania (age 7 months) |
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| On one of his first rides (grandparents' house in background). The Chariot would reliably send him into a deep 3-hour sleep at this point in time. |
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| Daddy and Bo on a training ride near Newcastle in June 2014 |
Finally, some last-minute preparations for departure: clearing out the flat, doing a few test rides, performing some bike maintenance and component replacement, saying goodbye to friends and family, organizing what seems to be an endless mountain of baby things, etc.:
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| Bodhi runs like mad about the flat while Jeff does last-minute prep work on the bicycles and trailers |
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| Bo with Nana and Grandda in Whitley Bay |
OF NAPPIES AND THINGS (seriously):
This is a touchy topic. Of course we are 100% pro-reusable-nappies, but hard-travelling makes this a very complicated situation. So we have compromised: during our WWOOF stays we will use reusables as much as possible, and during our cycling days we will usually use disposables...
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| this brand (above and below) is Tots Bots, based in the U.K., and they are one of our favorites (we have tried various)... |
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| this style is known as a Flip, and we also have had good success with this type, especially for the overnights. |
As for baby wipes, we often make our own, using a solution of chamomile tea, olive oil and lavender essential oil.
NEW ADDITIONS:
The first item, and most important adjustment we made, was the addition of the following:
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| This bag, a Kelty Woobie designed specially for young children, has proven to be excellent. Although it's slightly bulky, Bo sleeps very well in it, and as its rated to 0°C it takes away any worries of the young'un being too cold. An x-mas gift from Cici and Grandfather, we started using it in Provence. |
In January 2015, also while in Provence, we added a new piece of gear to our traveling scene:
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| A Christmas present from Maureen and Phil Murray, Bo's English grandparents. |
The "Chillafish". Technically a tricycle/balance bike (since it converts into a two-wheeled balance bike as well), this was a stroke of genius, as Bodhi now had his own "wheels". This would prove to be invaluable for countless hours of indoor and outdoor fun along the way. It stayed with us until the end of our cycling route in Brittany.
Further along, near Bordeaux, we obtained a second balance bike, which was selected for its (future) ability for off-road conditions and overall durability:
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| Purchased through Le Bon Coin, France's version of Craigslist or Gumtree. Called the "street boy". |
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