Pedals and Petticoats: On the road in post-war Europe by Mary Elsy
(ISBN 1 84024 439 9)
An interesting title I came across today about a road trip undertaken by four young and spirited girls. I have heard lots of friends and stangers saying that they will never get to see the world and its always been their dream to travel. Well, perhaps this tale will inspire them to.

[Publisher Description]
Christmas, 1950. Five years after D-Day, Britain was still recovering from the aftermath of war when four British girls – Mary Elsy, her sister Barbara and their friends Agnes and Esme – hatched a daring plan to give up their jobs and cycle through Europe. They would camp together in one tent on a shoestring budget, and ride 3,000 miles through battle-scarred Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Although the Second World War was now firmly in the past, the ruined cities they found were a sobering reminder. At a time when few were travelling for recreation, Mary Elsy’s party created a stir everywhere they went. With its fascinating cast of characters, Pedals and Petticoats is a charming eye-witness account of life in war-devastated Europe.