The Proudest Moment of my Life

If someone would have said to me 6 months ago that I would have been able to cycle from London to Paris in 3 days, I would have laughed in their face and told them there is no chance of it happening.

But it did.

Writing this, I can say that this is one of the proudest achievements that I have completed. It's not everyday you meet someone who can tell you they cycled over 200 miles, through the sun, rain and wind to arrive directly in front of the Eiffel tower and be able to say "I made it".

It was a gruelling challenge, that pushed my body and mind both physically and mentally.

Not only do you have to deal with the looming hills and long distances between breaks, but you are also running on very little sleep and relying on sugar and adrenaline.

Day One

My challenge started early, with a 5.30am rise in London to meet at Hersham playing fields. As it was July 1st, I was expecting a calm, summer sunrise but unfortunately this being Britain, we were greeted with the cold, wind and rain.
As we set off in our groups, we cycled out of the busy streets of London and left the city for the rolling hills of Surrey. At this point, as the distance racks up, I started to doubt whether I could pull this off. The hills are steep and challenging, but it is the moments when you see how far you've come, but how far you've got left that are the most difficult.

I have to admit, I did very little training for this. It was my own fault, but training would have helped a lot! However, I did not let this stop me and make me give up! I powered through, determined not to make it into the support vehicle.

After a challenging day, we arrived at Portsmouth in the evening (after the most horrendous hill), proud to have completed day one. A quick shower and some carb loading, and we were boarding the overnight ferry to Caen, ready for day two.

Possibly the worst selfie in the world

Day Two

As 4.45am dawned, we had arrived in Caen with possibly the worst nights sleep ever, having only a chair as our beds. Nevertheless, we prepared ourselves for day two, with 87 miles of the French countryside between us and Evreux.

I have to say, the best parts of this trip are cycling through the picturesque French villages. I stopped for a coffee in one and it looked like a movie set. Just being able to see France like this makes the cycle worth it.

This was the hardest day, with the weather doing all it possibly could to dampen our spirits.
But it did not defeat us, all this hard work and fundraising could not stop me from giving up. As the miles slowly increased, we arrived at Evreux in time for a traditional French meal and a well deserved nights sleep.

Day Three

The final day rolled around, and this time, the 5.30am start was taking its toll on me. However, as soon as we started cycling again, the adrenaline kicked in and the thought of arriving in Paris at the end of the day motivated me to keep going.

After 74 miles, we reached the outskirts of Paris, and together as a team, we cycled through the (rainy) Parisian streets. Thanks to the Euro 2016 football being on, and with France playing that evening, the French morale was high, and this only encouraged us to make it to the Trocadero.

This had to be the best feeling in the world. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in front of you, having cycled there from London, was a euphoric moment. It just proves that no matter what you set your mind to doing, you can achieve it! I have surprised not only my friends and family, but also myself on what I am capable of achieving. This trip was so surreal and I encourage anyone who gets given the opportunity to do something like this to grab it with both hands.

Of course, the most important aspect about this trip was that it was raising money for Breast Cancer Now. Collectively, we raised over £270,000 for the charity, with myself contributing over £1000 to it.

I am so thankful for the generosity of the general public, who helped me to do something so special for the charity and to help save lives in the future. If you still want to donate, then you can at:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Davis20

On a final note, I would just like to say the biggest thank you to anyone who supported me and donated to this worthy cause. It has really surprised me that although there is so much pain and hatred in this world, love and unity will always conquer.

Thank you for reading this post,

Love,

Charlotte

A weekend in Disneyland Paris

Having worked for Disney this summer and enjoying the perks of free entry into the parks, I decided to help alleviate my post disney depression with a Christmassy trip to Disneyland Paris.

I last visited around 7 years ago so this trip was planned with my friend who hasn't been since she was young, and nothing beats seeing the face of someone when they see the castle for the first time!

Day 1

We started the trip on a cold Friday, arriving at the Hotel Cheyenne. I've stayed in this hotel before and had good experience's from it, but it's basically a budget Disney hotel within walking distance to the parks (around 20 mins), and with a Western/cowboy theme.

The room consisted of a double bed with bunk beds, obviously being aimed at kids. The theming of the room was nice but it is the outdoor theming that makes this hotel! As you walk through the surroundings you really feel like you are in a western village! It really is perfect for kids and not badly priced either.

We hit the Disneyland Park straight away. Thankfully it was empty and we waited no more than 5-10 minutes for any ride. We literally went on everything and pretty much covered all the rides in one afternoon. Our favourite rides were Space Mountain: Mission 2 and Buzz lightyear! 

Buzz Lightyears Lazer blast

Fantasyland

One disappointment was that Big Thunder Mountain and It's A Small World were closed! Two of the classic disney rides and we couldn't ride them but if you go, make sure you pay these a visit.

For dinner, we exited the park and wandered into the Disney Village, which is full of restaurants and shops just outside of the parks. We went to Annette's Diner, an American themed restaurant that do the best burgers ever! Thoroughly recommended and very yummy!

We also headed to the Sport's Bar for cocktails which are a little pricey but hey, it's Disney!

Day 2

We were up early for our second day and after filling our bellies with french croissants from the hotels complementary breakfast.

We ventured into the Walt Disney Studio's Park for our second day. Our first ride; Rock N Rollercoaster! This is a high speed roller coaster that rides to the sounds of Aerosmith and really is so much fun! We enjoyed this so much that we ended up going on it three times!

Another favourite of mine is Tower of Terror, but this is not for the faint hearted! Other rides we tried were Crush's Coaster, which was an unexpected surprise that we actually really enjoyed. 

The new Ratatouille ride is definitely worth going on as it uses really clever cutting edge technology that makes you feel like a rat.

One thing I preferred from this park was the theming. Just wandering around makes you feel like you are in movie sets and it really is from the clever work of Disney Imagineers. If you have time, have a look at all the little details of this park. 

For dinner we went to the Rainforest Cafe , also in the Disney Village, which is pretty much the same as the others located around the world. We treated ourselves to some yummy cocktails before heading to the Disneyland Park to catch the Disney Dreams fireworks and to also get a look at the Christmas lights all lit up. It added the perfect festive touch to the holidays!

Disney Dreams

Day 3

Today was spent watching the shows and parades. One we enjoyed the most was the Frozen Sing-a-long which is perfect for kids (and adults) that are obsessed with the film. 

We caught the Christmas Parade which features an appearance from Santa himself and we also watched Micky and Minnie turning on the Christmas Lights. The addition of fake snow makes its really Christmassy and is the perfect touch!

There is also a night time parade which is great to watch when it's dark and gives you the opportunity to see more of your favourite characters, but it was a little cold waiting for them to arrive.

Our evening meal was in the one and only Cafe Mickey, which is a character dining restaurant where Mickey and his friends come round to you table and gives you the opportunity to take pictures. It's a little pricey and the food isn't great, but you are paying for the experience which you can't get elsewhere.

Day 4

Our last day was spent shopping in the Disney Village and have a last minute wander in the parks. Our hotel let us leave luggage in storage so if you have a later train you can still enjoy your last day in the parks before heading back.

If you think this is Walt Disney World, it's not. It's smaller and different in it's own unique way. One disappointment for me was the lack of magic the staff had. WDW really has the best people working there and they make the experience ten times better!

Disneyland Paris is great for a little holiday or detour from Paris and for getting a disney fix. When it gets it right, it's an amazing place and you are guaranteed to feel like a kid again, but if I had to choose, a trip to WDW would always come in first place. Don't let that put you off as a kid will always feel special no matter which Disney park they visit, and there is nothing better than seeing their face light up at the sight of the castle!

I will be cycling from London to Paris!

Please help me raise money for Breast Cancer Now!

I am taking on a little challenge next year by cycling from London to Paris in 3 days to raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

The charity is amazing and its aim is to raise money for funding into breast cancer research. They hope to find a cure by 2050 for breast cancer so that no women will have to die of breast cancer again.
Finding a cure for breast cancer can also find a cure for all types of cancer, so no one ever has to lose someone or die themselves.

Cancer is a very common subject and many of us have been or know people who've been affected by it. My Grandma was personally diagnosed with breast cancer, although she was lucky enough to make a complete recovery from it. Others aren't so lucky and a close family friend of mine made the decision to have a mastectomy to be able to live her life to the full.

By finding a cure, women won't need to die anymore or have to make the horrible decision to lose their breasts due to this devastating cancer.

I will be cycling as part of a group of students from London to Portsmouth, then hopping across the channel and cycling through the french countryside right into the heart of Paris, arriving at the Eiffel tower.

My aim is to raise at least £995, however anything extra is a bonus and will all be going to the charity, so there is no limit.

I will take you on the journey and update you with how my training is going on this blog!

If you would like to help me and donate, here is the link to my just giving page. Any amount helps and even £1 can make a huge difference in scientific research, and possibly find a cure for cancer.

Thank you!

https://www.justgiving.com/Charlotte-Davis20