3 August 2014 (hot and sunny) 63 km

By the way everyone - thanks for keeping us company on this trip.  Today we have reached over 5,000 views on our blog and it's nice to know you are enjoying the trip with us.

During the night in our campsite in the woods, there was raucous laughter from the bunch of Finnish fathers, who are here with their sons, to play in a football tournament, just down the road at a place called, Kemio…..10km’s away. Not sure what time they finished but they were certainly having a good time.

When we woke this morning, the family across from our tent, had already gone and the boys were getting ready for their first game. Asked one of the fathers where it was being held and told him, we’d like to call in and see them play. He told us where and about 10am we broke camp and rode the short distance into Kemio….already under a hot sun.

Football - the same the world over

Unfortunately, the boys weren’t playing at the time, but we watched another group of youngsters, who showed great skills and were a pleasure to watch. With the score at 1 – 1, we carried on into the small township…..which quite honestly was closed….save for the little kiosk, where we bought two ice creams and a drink. The town of Kemio was nothing to write home about, except for their quaint church.

Pernio Church

Next destination…..Pernio….I kid you not…..I’m surprised the following town wasn’t called Nintendo or suchlike. I think I mentioned yesterday that Julia isn’t too well at the moment, which is why we cut short yesterdays ride. Today….she was very low on energy….not helped by another blazing sun, hovering overhead.

And so began a very slow slog of a day…not helped by numerous hills and no campgrounds to take refuge in and the not to be forgotten……head winds. The other factor which made it unpleasant was we were on the main road….as they don’t do a lot of minor roads in these parts. Traffic was whizzing by at a great rate of knots and it must have been energy sapping for Ju, just concentrating on staying on the bike.

Typical scenery from today's ride

We were heading for a town called Ekenas, as there were no bike shops in Kemio and that left us no options. 27km later we found ourselves in Pernio and took shelter from the sun in a nice and very popular  café which had internet. This provided us with food and a chance to charge the tablet and use it as well. Julia was also happy for the reprieve.

We’d decided to call it quits for the day as we’d done 40km and Ju was shot.    Found a supermarket and bought food for the night and set off for Ekenas, immediately on the lookout for a freecamp, as there were no camps anywhere.

The nice little bay where we camped the night

We were stopping every 15 minutes for water and a breather and Ju was holding in there.

After another  18km’s [of long drawn out hills ] I spied a swimming hole…. Which we cruised down to and found a great freecamp for the night. 

Ju blows up the airbeds for the night

The swim was refreshing and we sat and ate tea whilst the stragglers came out of the water. Set up tent and climbed inside. Just hoping that it will be a decent camp. Just had one soft git, buzzing us on a motorbike, showing off to his girlfriend.

Ju is still blocked up with cold  but throat not quite so sore  and headache has gone.

Hope she feels better in the morning.

‘So…. We finally meet …Pete’     he said’

‘Whats with the pigeon thinking he’s a parrot’I asked

‘I ii have you know zat he is very intelligent bird’

With that he begins a conversation with the bird.

‘How’s that possible’ I question….. ‘You understand that’…?...

‘He speaks the pigeon English’

‘Next you’ll be telling me he uses the computer’ I replied

‘Tis true’ says he ‘He is always tweeting’

‘It’s time to tell me what this is all about’ I said angrily. ‘That bloody pigeon has been tormenting us since we started this trip…….we can’t take anymore’

‘So’ says Sven…..’now you know vot torment is my friend……let me tell you de tale of my feathered friend here’.

And so began the story……….

Some years ago

In a small New Zealand farming town…….I believe it’s co-ordinates were p10 p10…..a café was established……they called this soon to be thriving enterprise, The Fat Pigeon…..

At first, this had no effect on my friend here……but after a while….people began to laugh when they spoke of the place name. People eventually stopped calling the pigeon by his first name….and just used to greet him as Fatty.

‘What is his first name’ I asked

‘Tarquin’ replied Sven

‘And he preferred that to Fatty’ I said

‘You see’ he replied angrily……’It’s the likes of people like you that he has been seeing a quack for counselling’

‘Ha… that’s good’ I said….. ‘Quack….for a bird psychologist’

‘He hasn’t been the same since he saw….. One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’…. A birds eye documentary of his cousin.

‘He made a pact that because he was tormented to such a degree…..that he would inflict such torment on a Kiwi’

‘So why me’ I said

‘Because  in the course of a normal day…..people were too busy to notice his constant coo cooing.

They had work to keep them occupied or were busy at home.’

‘But when he discovered that you were taking 3 months to cycle around Europe…… you were a prime target. On a bike you were always visible from the air…..and you never moved so fast that he couldn’t keep up with you. He swore that you would suffer…..as he has suffered….

‘So…. How does this end’ I questioned

‘Simple….we knew ….as you were a former secret agent ….known as the Cock….[because you were big……Down Under….] that you were respected……so we have come up with a plan to turn that respect into…..ridicule…!

‘And how do you intend to do that’ I quizzed

With that he showed me how……!?