2016 P2P - our route

The two grand old sisters of steel, the Madames Dawes, are getting restless after almost two years in the garage recovering from metal fatigue. They have new metal prostheses to sort out all sorts of arthritic problems, have had some successful rehabilitation physiotherapy around the Cape, and are raring to go. We have been paging through the atlas and looking at possible routes. Also I'm starting to get thirsty so we need to find some interesting wines. We have entertained thoughts of Cuba (no wine), Scandinavia (too expensive) and Italy (too hilly), so have settled on a route from Prague to Paris. Why?

We have always wanted to visit and explore Prague. There are rivers to follow most of the way - Vltava, Elbe, Ohre, Maine, Rhine, Moselle and Marne. And where there are rivers, there are often vineyards. These rivers will take us through the vineyards of Bohemia (Gruner Veltliner), Franconia (Sylvaner wines), the Rhingau and Moselle (Riesling) and then Champagne (guess what!). Not sure if it will be tougher on our livers or our legs.

We are a bit concerned that the first two-thirds of the trip we will need to survive on the appetizing delights of snitzels, potatoes, cabbage, and liver sausage. As a friend commented, "Germany is a a culinary desert". We trust the scenery and friendly people will make up for it.

This time we are technologically advanced. The kids clubbed together and gave me a Garmin Edge Touring gps, loaded with the cycle routes of Europe. This will be great for getting in and out of cities and finding our accommodation, which were biggest hassles on our last trip.

We have trimmed our luggage load. Less spares, maps and cosmetics. We will still take our Kindles, a Bluetooth speaker for music, and iPads. This time I'll use an iPhone camera rather than a separate digital camera as it makes photo management easier. And without doubt, the "scrubba" will be packed to take care of the laundry.