OMG - Spring has sprung and with this the dormant community of the tick world has exploded - far out I have never experienced anything like this before. These beautiful dogs that we are looking after come back from their walk and I have pulled, or flicked up to 10 ticks off them - YUK!!! You have to get them off quick as in France ticks carry Lyme Disease - now check that out not something I want, and dogs can die from it, disgusting creatures. We are surrounded here by wooded areas so its tick paradise. Having been in France lots of times I have never even seen a tick so this has been a new experience, in New Zealand we all know about ticks but they don't carry "Lymes" So everyday I check the dogs 2 or 3 times and of course ourselves too. The ticks love to latch on suck your blood and then inject you with their poison - well not on these kids! they are not getting us. This has made us really aware for our biking trip, for when we are camping.  

Enough of that, I think you get the picture that its freaked me out.... We are at the end of our wonderful 6 week housesit in Cheissoux, we leave here on Wednesday to start our adventures, heading to see some wonderful friends we met in 2012 and spend a couple of nights with them and then to Normandy to spend Easter with a french family we met while Rod was working on Vomo Island in 2013, I was working too in between swiming in that beautiful warm ocean.

We have had a great experience living rural in France, cycled a ot around stunning lakes and country roads, eaten lots of baguettes & cheese, Pintade (guinea fowl) - its delicious, drunk a bit of red wine and a few Picon Beers. The flowers that come out in spring are stunning all the tulips, daffidols and even my favourite poppies are about too.

So its on to the next chapter and now we have done some proper training on our own bikes we are starting to feel really excited about our epic bike adventure.