Homeward Bound for Harriet

Our much loved sister Harriet was born with an unknown learning disability which means she needs full time care. Six years ago mum found Home Orchard Care Home for Adults with Learning Difficulties, this is now Harriet's favourite place in the world. It is a truly wonderful place and they take such good care of our sister and we felt it was time to give something back.

Home Orchard are at the early stages of installing a sensory room, this is where we come in.

A Sensory room is used for relaxation and de-escalation for people with autism. They are also used for people with emotional and behavioral difficulties, sensory processing disorder, or other special needs for when they find themselves overwhelmed and in need of a safe and distracting place to return to a state of calm. A huge benefit to all at Home Orchard.

To help Home Orchard we have come up with a little challenge:

On 23rd July we will be embarking on a mammoth 1000 mile bike ride (neither of us have ridden a road bike before, and apparently Boris bikes don't count) from the northern tip of Lake Maggiore, where are grandfather grew up, to Home Orchard in Devon where our sister now lives.

Our journey will be completely unsupported just Flappy, Lanky, two bikes and a tent (and some extra bits and bobs). Things will inevitably go wrong, punctures, broken bikes, crashes, arguments and more, so all supplies will need to be carried with us.

The first and most challenging leg will be the climb into the Northern Italian and Swiss Alps until we descend out the other side into France crossing the border at Bourogne, we aim to complete this in 5 heart aching days of climbing.

Thankfully it is 500 miles of beautiful flat French countryside to Calais from there, so the miles will flick by and we will be in Calais in just 5 days. And then the ferry to the motherland. At this point you would like to think we are home, oh no! Merely 2/3 of the way, another 300 miles along the glorious southern coast of England, with the wind in our sails and home in sight we aim to be there in 3 days. Landing at Home Orchard on the 5th August.