Pam's cycle challenge diary

On 10 October 2007, Pam Daruwalla left England to start on a journey of a lifetime. Pam decided to cycle 2,000 miles across Europe and in the process help to raise vital funds for Epilepsy Action.

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Pamela and her friend Dave Laye left England with two bikes and tents in tow and set off for Istanbul. During Pam’s challenge she travelled home through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and France.

For the first two weeks Pam was accompanied by Dave but from there on it was a solo cycle across Europe. As if all this wasn’t challenge enough Pam had just been diagnosed with a fractured back but had her consultant's OK for the trip.

Pam said: “I have given up work to complete this challenge, it will be such a great personal achievement and the fact I can do it for charity makes it all the more worthwhile. I am hoping that people may even sponsor me as I travel through the different areas.”

During Pam’s challenge she sent us updates on her travels which we you can read here.

If you would like to support Pam on her travels please visit her just giving page www.justgiving.com/pameladaruwalla.

Home!!

I took a leisurely pace out of Paris, wanting to make sure I'd get back for Sunday. I left on Wednesday and cycled through the suburbs to Beauvais, then Beauvais to Abbeville and then Abbeville to a village near Calais. It was really cold so the pattern for the day was get up and have a huge breakfast in the hotel, then stop around 1pm for a huge lunch and then cycle on for another couple of hours and find a hotel. The roads were nice and quiet and fairly flat until nearer the coast.

On the last day I stopped at Bologne-sur-mer for lunch and then took the coast road round towards Calais. It was incredibly hilly but amazing and it was a little bit emotional to see the White Cliffs for Dover for much of it. On Saturday morning I cycled into Calais and straight to the ferry terminal. I paid 14 euros for me and the bike and checked in. It was great telling passport control where I'd come from :)

Arrived in Dover about 11:30, it was grey and miserable and my great mood was ruined by having to follow a different route to the cars that led nowhere! I then got forced onto a cycle route which I took to Folkestone which was a terrible excuse for a cycle path. I followed the seafront along to Hythe which was very windy, then cut up to Ashford and decided I'd head towards Tunbridge Wells and stop off somewhere in between so I could meet Tim for part of the last cycle. Unfortunately there was nowhere in between to stop so I ended up cycling in the dark for the last stretch and finding a hotel in Tunbridge Wells, Tim had offered a room but I was too mucky to go into anyone's house! So I found a hotel and then told Tim I'd arrived. Also had a call from my travel companion Margaret complaining that I was in Tunbridge and hadn't called her so I said I’d come down and visit soon. Tim very kindly made me a yummy dinner and we arranged to meet at 9am for the last stretch.

I woke up feeling very sad it was the last day of my adventure, the last hotel I'd wake up in and the last day I’d have to get on my bike. I was also really excited about seeing everyone and it was some comfort to know that the days are too short and too cold to really carry on much longer anyway.

I met Tim and we had a great cycle through Kent, including a killer 16% hill that saw us both get off and walk, then realise walking was just slower, get back on and cycle to the end! We mistimed our lovely pub lunch stop by cycling too far and ending up in Croydon! So it was Pizza Express for us, but at least we could defrost.

Nearly home we cycled to Streatham and down the hill to my house to pick up some more cyclists, Gary made us coffee on the steps while we waited for Oli and Rich who I'd not seen for years and had come from Birmingham just to cycle. We cycled the four or five miles to Westminster, now drizzling and picked up Jax, Pete and Sue, it was to great to see everyone, we cycled along The Embankment in and out of traffic and up to St.Paul's. There on the steps was my mum, Margaret (the deceitful travel companion who'd always planned to be there), Elspeth and Duncan and Teena and Rachel.....holding banners Gary had made!

It was a bit emotional to see everyone, we headed round to Elspeth and Duncan's Barbican flat where they had by far the most stylish welcome home banners in the world, including one long poster Duncan had made with drawings of all the cities along the way and the Alps and Channel and a little gold bike making its way across. Elspeth had made delicious stew and smoked salmon and cake and trifle and all kinds of lovely things to eat and drink. It was a great way to come back.

And that's it, It's all over! Thank you all for reading the updates and donating money to Epilepsy Action. We have very nearly hit the £1500 target which is super though it's still not too late to donate at www.justgiving.com/pameladaruwalla

Thanks to everyone who sent messages, thoughts for the day, suggestions for routes and places to see, texted, emailed and facebooked it was lovely to have so many people on the journey with me and great to know that every time I'd stop someone would have sent something, that always kept me going.

Now I'm off to find or job, or maybe just plan the world cycle :)

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