Elkins and the boys from Brum save the Days

So, we have undergone a fairly significant change in our trip identity: despite the title of our blog, we now continue the adventure eastwards on our own bikes. This came at quite cost in time and energy, not just ours. We are incredibly grateful to Al in Norwich who co-ordinated a splendid rescue mission by getting our bikes together and shipping them out to us safely. Sending the tandem home was the least of our worries until we started looking into it - due to its size, impossible to send. Luck came in the form of four lads on a European road trip, complete with a car and nothing on the roof. Not bad for the first English tourists that we had come across in Austria. We were pretty stunned when they took Luke up on his suggestion that they take the bike home for us. We have word that it made it and also thank the Coles for putting a roof over its head in Birmingham. We had almost given up hope and were considering the unthinkable option of abandoning our wedding transport in Central Europe - we are very relieved, thanks lads.

Time without wheels was frustrating, but it was nice to rest and catch up on some sleep and reading; in fact we were at the campsite for so long that the local wildlife became fearless, the hedgehogs taking food from our hands. We also took a train to Vienna and treated ourselves to a night in a nice hotel, it´s an amazing city.

Life on bikes is good. We were very sad to say goodbye to riding the tandem but having our own bikes is a pleasure and turning out to be a lot more convenient and easy to handle on potholed Slovakian bicykle routes. We have even resorted to sending Bob home due to him being superfluous to requirements so are back down to four wheels as we began.