The Essentials

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Today. Perfect weather. 70 kms. next to the canal. Didn’t get lost. Saw lots of cyclists -- some touring, some training, mostly families out for a picnic. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about the essentials.

Several of our regular blog readers, I know, have dreams of doing their own long distance cycling tour. As you prepare for that tour, you’ll make all kinds of lists of stuff to take -- shorts, toothpaste, sleeping bag, and whatever. (One chapter in my perhaps-future book will provide a nice packing list.) But there are some items that Bill and I have found essential that rarely are included on any list. We did some brainstorming today of those essentials. Here they are in no particular order.

1. a small paring knife -- to cut the delicious melons and other fruits you find at roadside stands along the way. Packing tip: Place the knife inside a toothbrush holder to keep it and you safe.
2. a corkscrew -- something small is fine, but if you’re in Europe, you’ll need this handy, dandy item to open your daily bottle of wine
3. clothesline and clothespins -- you may have to look around for something very light weight (ours is about like a shoelace in width) but take one as long as possible cause trees are not always close together. As for clothespins, I got a dozen of those teeny, tiny ones from a craft store.
4, bags -- plastic bags from Walmart (for dirty clothes, clean clothes, and all that other stuff); Zip-Loc baggies, small and large, for breakfast cereal, your e-reader, your wet towel. Then at least 4 tall kitchen garbage bags, one to line each pannier. That’s double protection against the rain; clothes, food, books, maps, shoes, etc. are in their individual bags as discussed above, then all those bags are inside the larger bag. Twist the top and fold it over, and even if rain gets thru the pannier, your undies will be nice and dry!
5. A towel -- you’ll want one that’s big enough to cover the parts of your body that you’d like to keep covered as you step out of the shower. In the gites of Spain and the campgrounds of France, many shower facilities are uni-sex. And in most, the showers are in one building, the toilets and sinks in another. (Haven’t figured that one out yet.)
6. a calendar -- yeah, I know, in a perfect world, the time and date don’t matter. But if you have tickets for a flight home, you don’t want to show up at the airport a day late. You also don’t want to forget to e-mail your mother on her birthday.
7. a small, lightweight, packable back pack. Ours is a black mesh that I got at Walmart for a buck or two. It’s perfect for a day’s worth of groceries or for rain jackets when we’re walking into town. Just so you know, stores do NOT provide bags in Europe. It’s bring your own. Some stores will sell you plastic bags, but it’s not like Walmart where you walk out with 27 little white plastic bags full of your stuff.
8. an old cloth -- microfiber is good. Wash dishes, dry dishes, wipe off dirty picnic table.
9. a compass -- Bill used to have a watch band with a compass built into it. For this trip we got an electronic compass/watch, a Timex Expedition, but we are not pleased with the results that are sometimes displayed. Anyhow, when you are lost with no signs or sun to guide you, a compass will at least send you in the right direction.
10. Toilet paper: Enough said.

Now, of course, that previous list includes the tangibles, and I’m sure I’ll think of more later. But there are also the intangibles:
1. your best friend: Yeah, we see many people out here cycling solo. And I have no doubt that they are having a blast. But somehow, the highs seem higher and the lows seem less low when there’s someone to share them with. Besides, when it gets cold at night in the tent, it’s kinda nice to have someone to snuggle with.
2. an appreciation of other cultures and other languages; Note, I did not say a tolerance for other cultures and languages, but, rather, an appreciation. If you’re going to cycle tour in any area other than the one in which you live, be prepared for some cultural differences. And immerse yourself in them. Here in France, we have learned to appreciate those differences. For instance, the lack of toilet paper in the restrooms. Seems weird to us, but it brings everyone to the same level as we see children, teens, men and women heading for the toilettes carrying a roll of toilet paper. What does seem even weirder is that the toilet paper is often pink. Never blue. Either pink or white.
3. Flexibility: This is an area in which Bill has always excelled; I’m still getting there. The weather, your sore shoulder, a campground that’s on the map but nowhere on earth -- all these things force you to give up your plans and to go with God’s plans. What we’ve a found is that God’s plans are infinitely better than our own. When we’ve been forced to take a day off because of rain or to go farther than we anticipated because of a lack of accommodations, we have always been blessed.
4. A sense of humor. The ability to laugh at the hawk as it dives for its lunch and misses. To realize that you look ridiculous in your bike shorts, tights, three shirts, and a jacket -- but you’re warm. To enjoy the cold shower because the campground manager forgot to turn on the hot water heater. Ya gotta laugh cause in the end; c’est la vie!!

Okay, that’s our list of essentials, things ya gotta take with you. Maybe tomorrow we’ll make a list of what NOT to take.

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Photos

Our Loaded Touring Bicycles
Everything we need for the three months in Europe is in the panniers (4 on each bike) and the stuff sacks on the rear rack of each bike.