Following on from the previous two posts (“I Have Made No False Promises On Brexit – I’m Free To Tell You The Truth” and “Stick To Cycling Content”) which focus upon the ludicrous car crash that is Brexit, I’ve been pointed in the direction of the Freedom of Movement Tour that has just been cycled by two EU citizens called Chiara (Italian) and Alexander (British). This is how they introduced their endeavour back in March 2018:

“On 23rd June 2016 the UK, or rather 52% of the UK, or rather 52% of the people who turned up to vote, voted to leave the EU in a non-binding referendum.

We woke up that morning in total dismay and incredulity. We cried. Our money had lost value overnight and we felt rejected. We are EU citizens from different countries within the EU (Italy and the UK) and we currently live in the UK. Freedom of movement which gives us the right to travel, live and work in another EU country is one of the founding principles of the European Union. Without the EU we would have never met. Many things unite us including our love for bicycles as a vehicle that takes us from A to be (pun intended). We suddenly felt divided by our respective nationalities.

Months after, things were still suspended. Things ARE still suspended. We don’t know what our rights will look like. Despair is now mixed with moments of wry hilarity. At times we imagined us locking the door of our flat behind us, and instead of cycling to work, cycling to Dublin. Then Amsterdam. And then never stop until we found a place where we would not be strangers, another place that could be our home. We laughed. And waited. But freedom of movement is still here, it is still ours. 28 countries and 28 capital cities where we could live and work in, and we can definitely travel in. Our freedom of movement is now, and we are going to take it.

So that is our simple and enduring plan: to exercise our right to freedom of movement in the EU.”

They set off on April 10th and on October 16th arrived back home in Edinburgh. A few of their photographs are below but you can read a full account of their cycling adventure on the website: fomtour.tumblr.com or on Facebook: facebook.com/fomtour. Yet more evidence that politics has lots to do with cycling. (And by the way… Fuck BREXIT!)