Europe ’round on a tandem

Via warmshowers.org I had the good fortune to “almost-host” Wendy and Michael, a couple of west-coast Americans who are at the start of a Europe-round trip on a tandem that will last two and a half months.

Almost-host as in I didn’t host them, but rather will stow their bike transport containers for the time of their trip, and in return could watch them assemble a folding tandem in my yard. They also offered a tandem trip to our kids, but they declined, slightly insecure where to put those English-speaking folks with the weird machine…

While we only stuck together for a couple hours, I quite enjoyed the pleasant company of the lively Doctor who quit her day job at the Mobile Medical Office to do this trip with her husband, who has developed a heart condition, while they still can. (The things you learn from Google – she never actually talked about her occupation, but I found out quickly enough that she is a busy person with quite an agenda.)

They plan to roll the Netherlands, Switzerland, and then decide on the spot whether to turn to Spain or Austria and Slovakia. I saw them off till the local supermarket row.