On May 5th 2010 (ignore the date in the top left!) I will be embarking on a 500km journey from South East London to the centre of Paris on two wheels. I aim to raise at least £1500 for a local charity in Kent, the Ellenor Foundation.

The trip

Day 1:
An early start from South East London allows us to avoid the morning traffic. Our route takes us away from the main routes towards Tonbridge and on through the Kent countryside to Dover where we catch the ferry to Calais

Day 2:
After breakfast we head south through beautiful French countryside. Our route will take us along small quiet roads through villages and small towns.

Day 3:
Today we continue south through villages and along quiet French roads to the more forested region around Compiegne, where we spend the night.

Day 4:
Our final day's cycling takes us South West initially through small villages and woodland before we meet the outskirts of Paris. We cycle though the Parisian streets around the Arc de Triumph to our finish beneath the lofty arches of the Eiffel Tower.

The charity

The EllenorLions Hospice (www.ellenorfoundation.org) provides an all encompassing hospice care in North Kent:

- It cares for adults and young people with cancer and other progressive, life threatening illnesses;
- The children's team provides care for children with life threatening and life limiting conditions; - It provides specialist care at home, committed to offering support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year;
- Its teams at Darent Valley Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital give specialist advice and support for adults, and their families, who have been admitted to hospital with cancer and other progressive, life limiting illnesses;
- It offers advice and education on symptom control, ethical decision making, and end of life care to hospital staff, liaising as appropriate with other health care professionals and other services involved in patient care to ensure continuity of care.  
In order to continue to be able to support and care for both patients and their families, the EllenorLions Hospices needs to raise over £4 million a year from donations, bequests, fundraising, lottery, and its shops. 

Thank you all in advance.