Dont think - Just Swim

Though we were depressed to leave Paris, we quickly made all kinds of progress, yesterday we biked around 170k to Alex`s place right outside of tours, where we are currently enjoying the sun and his lovely pool after a great breakfast.

With the help of a French friend we met along the way, we made it here; he took us halfway from Blois. Thanks!

Here are some pictures, enjoy!

Dont Think - Just Bike

Well ladies and gents, it's time to "partir." We are about to leave the beautiful city of Paris and get back into the rhythm of sore butts and uphill battles.

Thanks so much again to Alicia for having three smelly guys (but good looking I must say) stay with her for the weekend. Thanks for all of our friends who saw us this weekend, and yes, we will cry today on the road for you!

Here are some pictures of our last night here, can you tell which one is when Kris realized we have to leave tomorrow and I have to console him?

A Special Thanks To Our New Host, and those who helped us along the way!!

We are now at Alicia Karpetsky's place in Paris. Needless to say... its quite nice of her to take the three most smelly men in all of France into her home!

here is a cute little picture of us with Alicia, thanks again you wonderful person you!

Can You Guess Where We Are?

Thats right! France and... we have reached Paris! Lets just say that France is a lot "hillier" than the other countries we've faced thus far, but we made it nonetheless.

Here is a short itinerary thus far of the trip:

1) July 13, Goteborg Sweden to Halmstad - 154km
2) July 14, Halmstad to Copenhagen Denmark - 165km
3) July 15, Copenhagen to Koge, Denmark - 60km
4) July 16, Koge to Vordingborg, Denmmark - 74km
5) July 17, Vordingborg to GroBenbrode, Germany - 81km
6) July 18 - Rest Day (Injuries)
7) July 19 Rest Day (Injuries)
8) July 20, GroBenbrode to Bad Segeberg, Germany - 96km
9) July 21, Bad Segeberg to Wischhafen, Germany - 99km
10) July 22, Wischhafen to Bremenvorde - 97km
11) July 23, RAIN AND PAIN, Bremenvorde to Cloppenborg (hotel :)) - 99km
12) July 24, Cloppenborg to Nordhorn - 94km
13) July 25, Nordhorn Utrecht - 196km TEN HOURS ON A BIKE PEOPLE
14) July 26, Utrecht to Breda - 87km
15) July 27, Breda to Herentals, Belgium- 73.4 km
16) July 28, Herentals to Wavre - 75.89km
17) July 29, Wevre to Hirson, France - 128km
18) July 30, Hirson to Mareuil-sur-Ourcq - 153km
19) July 31, Mareuil-sur-Ourcq to Paris! - 88.23 km

Total Kilmoeters thus far: 1795 km

We will now enjoy the weekend and shuffle off on Sunday... or perhaps we may never leave Paris, we'll see...

What You Have All Been Waiting For

Booking It Through Belgium

Here we are in the lovely town of Herentals, at Kris's friend Tim's house, where we were fortunate enough to have an actual bed to sleep in, and more importantly, some amazing Belgium beer! Oh come on now, we deserve some :)

We have kept up our renegade camping sites, because to be honest the thought of sleeping one more day in that tent that now smells like je ne sais quoi... i'd rather sleep under an art gallery as we have pictures of below...

Today begins our long "push to Paris," after we have a delicious breakfast here and recuperate a little more.

Renagade camping in Nordhorn

Woke up in the german city Nordhorn at an improvised camp site yesterday morning. Rain had been pouring the day before that and it was still going. As almost every morning we made coffee on our beloved camping stove under some roof along the way. After a half an hour of biking we crossed the dutch border as our bike computers counted the 1000th kilometer of the trip.

We had second lunch in Arnhem, or first dinner if you will, sat at the big square for yet another cup of coffee.

At 8:30 Kristoffers friend Gert-Jan met us on his bike to escort us the last 35 km to his apartment in Utrecht, where we have now spent the night after setting the record of 192 km on one day. Right now we are resting after breakfast, listening and singing along to Scotts guitarplaying. Next stop Belgium.

/KF