Cycling Full Circle: a lone woman’s 2-year pilgrimage round the world

What better way to kick-start your second half-century than by announcing to friends and family that, ‘At some point in the future, I shall be cycling solo round the world for two years’?
After all, this is not only the province of macho males in their mid-twenties; middle-aged mums in mid-menopause also deserve a look-in.
Eighteen months after this confident announcement, ignoring the imploring pleas from her frantic (grown-up) children and prising herself away from their fearful clutches, 51-year old Astrid Domingo Molyneux set off in May 2008 to do just that.
For the next 2 years minus two days and 20,000 miles, it was roses all the way.
Or was it?