Kia ora from Europe!

It's Roshni checking in from our European MTB mish!

Firstly, I have to say how special it has been to visit some of the spiritual homes of mountain biking in Europe. So many of the places we've ridden and explored are steeped in MTB history, and it's been inspiring to see the trails and the culture that have helped shape our sport.

One of the biggest highlights has been spending time with the family. Its been an excellent mix of sightseeing, reconnecting with family, attempting to speak a few different languages, sampling the delicious local kai and, of course, riding bikes.

Our first stop was Annecy, which was Kashi's home base during the ten years he lived in Europe. It was really special for him to show the kids around.

From there we headed to Les Orres, where Jasper lined up for an IXS Downhill Cup race as a U17. It was fantastic to get a taste of the European racing scene and to see so many talented young New Zealanders giving it their all. A huge shout out to Lucy Jenkins, Joel Burkett, Addie Rutherford, Ryker Thow, Lewis Laird, Rees Everett and Mason Parr.

Watching these young riders compete internationally reminds you just how exciting the future of New Zealand mountain biking is!! Jasper really loved it, learnt heaps and got through the race well. 

We also went to see Kashi's uncle and aunty, Helge and Eli.

The last time we saw them, Jasper was only a toddler, so it has been incredibly special to spend time together again. We loved exploring Munich and the beautiful town of Wasserburg with them. We got to eat some lovely local food, had lots of time to catch up and even played a round of golf.

While we were there we also visited the European headquarters of Yeti Cycles, located just outside Munich, in Haubach. (You should pop in if you are ever there, its pretty cool

A huge shout out to Marco and Axel for showing us around. It was lovely to see the European side of the Yeti operation and learn more about what goes on behind the scenes. Kashi and Jasper got to ride the local trails (actually super good!) just min's from the HQ with Marco.

On the back to France we did a quick stop at TQ, who make the motors on the MTe (the bikes we have with us). Cheers to ... for showing us around at late notice!

One of my favourite parts of travelling is exploring local food culture, and the farmers markets. If you are in Morzine anytime soon, the Morzine farmers market is every Wednesday - so good! 

This is where I saw so many locals doing their weekly shopping, and even in late July the seasonal produce is spectacular and affordable. 

The mountains have also provided their own nutritional treasures. We've loved foraging for wild raspberries, alpine strawberries and blueberries growing alongside the biking trails. There's something so satisfying about discovering berries in nature - they're packed with fibre, vitamin C and protective polyphenols, and they taste even better straight from the mountainside.

Visiting Europe has been fascinating with my Dietitian hat on. Reflecting on the conversations that I have both in and out of clinic. One of the most profound oservations that almost seems completely uninteresting - has been how mealtimes still dictate the rhythm of life here. Pausing & sitting collectively at the same time provides an essential signal to our body for it to do its internal jobs of housework, digestion etc.  Particularly important in the chaotic times we live in. This reminder of daily rhythm has been such a profound reminder of the importance to revere the wisdom of all of the grandmothers who have come before us. 

Here we are enjoying dinner in Italy with one of my best friends, Whitney and his son Nicolas.

It's also been a reminder that spring is just around the corner in Aotearoa and that we can start to plan and prep for what ever we have space for be it herbs and some strawberries and/or veggies we want to be enjoying during over summer and autumn. 

I look forward to sharing more adventures—and a few bike related lessons we've learnt along the way—in the next newsletter.

Until then, happy shredding and happy nourishing! 

For those interested in knowing more about Roshni, she is a dietician / nutritionist in Rotorua and her website is roshnimistry.nz