Leaving Luna: Two Women, Two Bikes, Europe in a Year (ISBN 0979229502)

The Real Thing:
Cindy and Penny virtually take you to Europe "on the spot" via their emails sent home.You will hear conversations with Europeans, questions they ask of Americans,and you will be seated at their tables tasting their delicious food. My favorite chapter is Italy, where the girls housesit for 3 wks in a Tuscan villa, gather olives for olive oil, hear Puccini opera in a vineyard, and meet the local Tuscans. The authors paint well their adventures in watercolors and words. If you love travel,real travel, from the ground up-and love to smile at two girls making the "best of it", this book is the real thing!

Live'in the Dream:
What an inspirational tale! How many of us have thought of leaving the security of our day-to-day lives to pursue a dream? How many of us have actually had the courage to do it? Not only is this an inspirational tale of two women giving up their long-term careers and the security of their futures, but it is also a glimpse into the backroads of Europe as seen on a bicycle. The writing is great and the story compelling - five stars for this one!

If you're thinking of changing your life, read this book.:
I wouldn't normally read a book like this since the last thing I want to do is sell all my stuff and bike Europe in all manner of weather on $10,000 for one year. But the book is about risk, survival, and transcendence. It's a journal on steriods with great stories full of insight, pathos and humor. Borden and Richardson have a knack for picking out the right detail: Cindy being attacked by a Monkey who wanted her M & M's; learning Dutch after eating dogfood in Belgium; surviving accidents, downpours and steep grades, then returning home to begin new lives, this time doing what they want to do, not what they have to do. Oh yes, and I loved the delicate water colors Cindy painted to capture a whole experience in elegant simplicity. If you want a fun and inspiring read, this is the book.