Prelude

Last year, Koen, Bram and I (Bart) went on a cycling vacation. We cycled a big loop through the Netherlands, which had been fun but also tough. This year we wanted to go again, but to a different location. Initially we had lots of plans, including a loop through the Eiffel or Ardennes, or a return trip to Calais. The composition of the group also varied a lot, Koen couldn't decide if he wanted to join and some other friends were also interested. In the end only Bram and I remained. Three weeks before leaving we decided to cycle to the Black Forest in south Germany. Two weeks before leaving I realized Bram also wanted to cycle back. I then planned the route with a GPS and some Michelin maps. I took my dad's mountain bike and mounted an extra carrier on the front. I also fixed the handle bars and attached a water bottle holder. A week before we left we visited an outdoor store in Eindhoven. We thought about buying lightweight tents, but in the end stuck with Bram's heavy tent. We did buy pans, a new stove, and sleeping bags. They sold a lot of weird things there, including a funnel to pee through.