Recorded under a shady tree in Retiro Park in Madrid, we take some time to fill you in on our preparations for Central and South America. We visited Cenas a Pedal in Lisbon to get help with our bikes and do some last minute shopping for supplies before our flight to Cuba. We also discuss our route, goals for the trip and thank some people who have helped us prepare for the next part of our journey in the regular feature, ‘In praise of’.

Clockwise from top: boating lake at Retiro Park. Sign outside school. The Maas River mud on Shirley. Ana, Baden and Bruno at Cenas a Pedal. The wasteful packaging for some new pieces of kit. Palacio de Cibeles.

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We found an oasis during the Madrid heatwave in the cool waters of our hosts’ plastic paddling pool, so we recorded the podcast there. This time we review our whole European trip. We pick out some bests and worsts, count up kilometres travelled and other statistics and discuss some of the things we’ve been reflecting on since we finished in Lisbon.

Centre: Castrojeriz. Clockwise from top right: paddling pool podcasting in Madrid. Atop the Cruz Ferro. Finishing point for Camino de Santiago. Colourful sign on our way into town. Delicious apple flan by Michele. Cycling along Galician coast from Baiona to A Guarda.

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Before we planned this trip I began a course in horticulture, learning about plant biology, the soil environment and garden establishment. Once I realised I might miss my final exams I decided to make a special trip back to London in the middle of our tour to finish what I’d started. It was also the perfect excuse to see friends one last time.

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Finally a whole week off the bikes! Shelley spends some of it jetting back to London while Baden finds things to do in Lisbon like feeding his face and listening to stories. We wrap up our final week in Portugal. You will be rewarded with some more stunning photography when you click through to this post.

Clockwise from top left: On the aquaduct. View from below the aquaduct. Our house and host in Lisbon. Nuno Libório & José Branco from LisbonStorySailors.pt. Miguel Clarinha, Manager at Pasteis de Belem.

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In this episode of the How are you? Where are you? podcast we focus on what it means to finish the 800km Camino de Santiago. Recorded in Santiago de Compostela we capture the moment we officially finish, are joined by a special guest and whip up another treat on the camp stove.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and please post a comment below, we love to hear what you think!

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Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Katherine Boo

Just finished this book and thought it might be nice to put a short review on here. I enjoyed it a lot. It contrasted pretty starkly with the beautiful French and Spanish villages we’ve been riding through.

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Our seventh episode was recorded in central Leon near the halfway point of the Camino de Santiago. We also made an audio diary of a day on the camino and we hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to Callum Campbell for original music and please post comments below! Find our podcast on iTunes here.

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We crossed The Pyrenees and climbed 2,600m in two days, and that wasn’t the end of it. We also climbed to the Cruz de Ferro and there will be so much more!

I only have a few secret weapons for helping me climb. One is to sneakily put my heaviest stuff into Baden’s  panniers, another is entering a deep, trance-like state thus leaving my body, the third is my climbing playlist.
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