We're back, baby!

Allow me to introduce La Fenice.

If you've followed the story of this blog so far, you'll know that my original scooter, the courageous and much beloved Rocinante, sadly died in the overwhelming heat of central Italy towards the very end of our outward journey to Assisi. After mourning her demise I pressed on by train, completed the pilgrimage, and had to travel back by plane. Which was fine, but wasn't the return leg I'd hoped for.

The story since then has been one of surprising and delightful generosity. So many people who'd followed these travels reached out and offered to help in various ways. And thanks to a kind grant from a clergy trust, and to a generous gift (I won't embarrass the givers by naming them, but you know who you are!) a new bike has risen from the ashes: La Fenice, the Phoenix.

She's pictured here on her maiden run to Oakham, where we visited (of course) the local church: always start as you mean to continue. Naturally, the next day it rained and I fell off ... so she already has a couple of scratches in the lovely pristine paintwork, which hopefully prepared us both for the days to come. She's beautiful, but also a working bike, not a decoration. After the first scratch, I find, you worry a lot less about the next one.

So - we're back, baby! And the next pilgrimage is in planning, with details to follow. I'll be setting off around August 16, but I'll be posting more again here as we prepare for the off. It's nice to be back ...!

///suppose.wacky.newlywed