Disclaimer: The page below was our Dream Route indeed, which was altered severely due to COVID... We ended up spending 5 months biking, exploring and being in isolation in Portugal from January 2020 - June 2020... For posts on the actual trip, please scroll down the blog pages... 

The Adventure Begins

Jan 6 2020: Sandspit to Vancouver. To London. To Lisbon. 
Portugal.
Spain.
France.
Italy. 
Switzerland.
Germany.
​Holland.

Landing zone, Sintra for a month. Theme is daytripping and school work. The boys have plenty of schoolwork to cover. The area is hilly and natural. 

After Sintra, it's bike tour time, from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We follow one of the famous pilgrimage routes called the Camino Portugues. Our first bike tour test. 633km. 

Spain, España, Spanje. Bullfighting. Futbol. Moors. Passion. Flamenco, tango.
After surviving the Compostelo (big "if here), we give up biking for the train to Bilboa. 
Then on to Bordeaux, France!

From Bordeaux, we aim to bike again, this time down the Canal du Midi, a very old canal system linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, avoiding the Spanish coasts and the Armada. Powerful forces that controlled the Straits of Gibraltar and access to the Atlantic. The canal, situated entirely within France gave an alternative route to England and the countries of northern Europe. After touching down on the Mediterranean, we head back to Spain, to Barcelona for some quality futbol (FC Barcelona is maybe the top team in the world and the home of Lionel Messi, the Gretzky of soccer and Lief's idol). Then, back across southern France to Italy...

Italy. Torino is the goal, home of Juventus, and the team for Cristiano Renaldo, the Portuguese superstar, rivalling Messi. Sol's demigod. 
We plan biking, schooling, soccering and chilling. Then on to Switzerland...