An invitation to attend a commemorative ceremony at the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic was the catalyst for this particular trip to Prague. Then to add a cycle tour from Prague to Krakόw was suggested. A chance to return to our favourite city and cycle and explore more of Czechia tracing some more family history along the way.
2. Cycle Tours Pre 2020
Our Blogs are grouped into 4 sections - each with numerous stories:
1. Cycle Tours Post 2020
Our most recent Connal Cycling Tours in Europe and in Australia.
Balkans Cycle Adventure - BCA Tour 2024; Adriatic to Baltic Cycle - ABC Tour 2023; and several small group Western Australian Cycling Tours. All of these have videos posted on YouTube. See YouTube Kit JS Connal.
2. Cycle Tours Pre 2020
A collection of stories from our earlier cycling tours pre 2020.
Including Scotland, England, Spain, Czech x3 - Vienna to Prague, Cheb, Prague to Krakow, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France x2 - Burgundy and Brittany, Adelaide. A couple still in the writing.
3. Cycle Touring - The How-Tos...
Cycle Touring Gear Part 1 - Bikes; Cycle Touring Gear Part 2 - Bags; Guide to planning a cycling tour, Why a cycling holiday? Where to ride?
4. Background
Stories of family, history, where we live, how we started and why the wolf is important.
Cycling Tour Coast to Coast England
Posted on November 10 2024
This cycling adventure in England followed on from our Cycling Tour of the Scottish Highlands. After our cycle in Scotland, we met with our good friend Tony in Edinburgh and headed further south into England, to cycle the Coast to Coast from St Bees on the west coast to Whitby on the east coast. Tackling the Hardknott and Wrynose passes in wild storm conditions. From Whitby we relocated to Ilkley and rode some of the Yorkshire countryside as well as following up on some family history in Leeds.
Cycling the Scottish Highlands
Posted on October 01 2024
A Connal Cycling Tour in Scotland, retracing a cycle tour Kate Connal did in 1934; paying tribute to the Czech Special Operations Executive (SOE) paratroopers who trained in Arisaig during WWII; and exploring the Scottish Highlands. Our brand name and this ride were inspired by the discovery of a photo of Jen’s mother (Katharine Connal) taken in 1934 whilst on a university cycling holiday in the Scottish Highlands. Using postcards she'd sent home, we plotted her 1934 route and based our own cycle route on this and some of Greg's research into his mother's Crawford ancestry. Kate and a friend cycled Scotland from 31/7/1934 to 9/8/1934. 12 Days 660 km. Our own Scottish Highland Cycle Tour: 16 days; 1060 km; 11787vm.
Cycling tour Pyrenees, Spain and France
Posted on April 01 2023
Cycling Tour Spain, France, the Pyrenees. The first Connal Cycling Tour. Discovering the Basque Country, the Pyrenees, the wine region of Rioja, food heaven at Extebarri, Col du Tourmalet, Col de Tentes, Guernica, Guggenheim Bilbao, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Barcelona. Rugged coastlines and mountains to climb. Just ride.
Cycling Tour Brittany, France
Posted on August 16 2022
Cycling and exploring from our base in Quimper, Brittany. We explored the coastal fishing towns and the historical Breton villages. Cycled the greenways, tasted the cidre and sardines, viewed the light houses, went to the fish market, and soaked up the atmosphere of this proud and traditional part of France.
Cycling Tour Switzerland
Posted on August 12 2022
Cycling Adventure Switzerland – 7 Days. 4 Countries, 3 Lakes, 8 friends. Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany. A cycling adventure to capture the essence of the Swiss countryside, taking in the history, culture, creativity, beauty, tastes, sounds and smells of central Europe on the back roads of Switzerland.
Cycling Tour Bavarian Alps Germany
Posted on July 24 2020
A cycling excursion into the Bavarian Alps, Germany, in the mountains of the Oberallgäu region, very close to the Austrian border. Setting out on a crisp morning along the valley of the Ostrach River, which was “picture book beautiful”, we were lulled into a sense that this would be a casual kind of ride. We just followed our friends who were taking us for an adventure into the Allgäu High Alps nature reserve.
Cycling Tour Vienna to Prague
Posted on May 07 2020
Cycling Vienna, Austria to Prague, Czech Republic, Europe. A 7 day bicycle tour visiting some of the most delightful areas of Moravia and southern Bohemia and bookended with two of the most beautiful and interesting cities you can imagine. 4 West Australians making our first foray into a self-guided cycling tour.
Cycling Tour Kitzbühel, Austria
Posted on February 23 2020
Cycling in the Austrian Tirol – Kitzbühel. A delightful day of mountain magic. A self guided cycle tour in the Austrian Alps with warm sunshine, lush green meadows, soaring mountains, crystal clear blue skies and icy waters. Witnessing the locals enjoy their playground on the water and enjoying the local foods. Some more family history bringing us into this area near Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Austria.
2020 Adelaide Santos Tour Down Under
Posted on February 21 2020
January was the annual pilgrimage to Adelaide for the 2020 Santos Tour Down Under. Nine keen cyclists from Dunsborough made the journey. The standing rule: What goes down in Adelaide stays in Adelaide! We decided to road trip from Dunsborough in Western Australia to Adelaide. Eight days of driving, seven days of cycling in Adelaide. A Pop Up Shop in the village. Thankyou South Australia.
Cycling Tour Burgundy, France
Posted on June 22 2019
A cycling holiday in the heart of Burgundy, France. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes brought pure joy to our hearts as we slowly pedalled and explored the region by bike around the town of Beaune and villages of Bligney-les-Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Santenay, Nantoux, Nuits St Georges and further afield. A week of cycling this beautiful region and sampling the wine and food of Burgundy.
Cycling Tour Czech Republic
Posted on March 10 2019
Hooked on cycle touring with one day in the Czech Republic. At the time we didn’t realise this would be just the beginning of many more cycle tours. This sunny spring Saturday, 22nd May 2010, was our very first experience of cycle touring in Europe. We had travelled by train to Františkovy Lázně in the Cheb District to discover some family history from 1948 and an escape into Germany.
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