“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
Our family and friends used to wonder why we weren’t afraid of traveling outside the United States with our young children. It never occurred to us to be afraid, especially since the United States is arguably one of the more dangerous spots on the planet – even more so now as a result of our response to the pandemic. But travel expands one’s perspective and helps you look beyond frightening headlines, and we wanted our family’s perspective expanded.
When we embarked on travel adventures with our kids, we were simply excited about the prospect of opening their eyes to not only the diversity of other cultures but to humanities’ sameness. Everywhere we traveled, whether in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Central and South America we encountered the universal value placed on human connections, on creating community, and on family and friends. We did see scary things: the extreme poverty and ravages of war in Cambodia, Cape Town’s vast shantytown near the airport, heaving crowds in China, bands of roving hungry baboons in Zambia, and Poland’s Auschwitz. But facing the realities of our bruised and beautiful world rather than ignoring them builds compassion, resilience, and understanding, all attributes our children have carried into their young adulthood.
We took away from our travels the delights found in casual connections, especially in the ubiquitous central square where people young and old gathered to eat, drink, wash, play, work, or simply be together. These effortless social connections are often missing in the communities we visit in the United States, and we’d like to be part of changing that – once we are able to gather again post-pandemic!
2020 was a year of dreams placed on hold, but as that upside-down year turns into 2021, we hold precious the memories of three magical months cycling through Europe. Christopher and I had grand pre-COVID empty-nesting travel plans, and our cycling trip through Europe was the kick-off.
The trip took months of planning, so we approached the adventure without a shred of fear, and thanks to Christopher’s tireless research we were well prepared. Christopher’s superpower is planning and solving for the technical aspects of our travel – clothes, luggage, navigation, necessary electronics, and the big one for this trip, our bikes. Christopher worked with a local expert bike builder to create custom touring bikes that will keep us pedaling for years to come. We each had two side panniers for our clothes, a saddlebag for rain gear, and a handlebar bag for toiletries, snacks, and electronics. Our bikes were equipped with durable nubby tires to withstand routes that took us through farmland, dirt and rock trails, and over massive cobblestones.
We started cycling in Berlin, Germany, and from there headed north to Denmark then south through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Spain, chasing the sun as the days grew shorter. We cycled over 1,500 miles from late August to mid-November, though at times we hopped on trains to jump to new cities.
Just the two of us cycled much of the trip, but we did meet-up with friends on several occasions in different regions of France. We joined a Backroads bike tour through picturesque Normandy and Britany, France to supplement our historical knowledge of that region, and in several big cities (Berlin, Copenhagen, Marseille, Barcelona, and Valencia) we joined local bike tour groups to enhance our knowledge of those historic cities. While we have not left the U.S. for another bike adventure abroad, we have continued cycling, it’s Petal+Bramble’s preferred mode of transportation. We believe through biking we can help build community and a more healthy, resilient world. Take a look at what Peace Peloton and Cascade Bicycle Club are doing in this regard.
Stephanie Daley-Watson is a retired corporate lawyer, spouse, and mother of two newly adult children. Stephanie spent nearly 30 years practicing law and is focusing (along with her husband Christopher) on making the world a better place over the next 30. She is a newly minted wellness coach focusing on healthy aging. Stephanie is an avid cyclist, lifelong learner, and novelty seeker.