Hi guys
Apologies for my absence....a few technical pc errors have prevented me from being as available as I should have been here.
First things first...many thanks to all those who have replied. It's somewhat reassuring to know that I'm not alone in my general outlook on bike trips and what may (or may not) constitute a reasonably decent idea.
My original thought was to head south (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy) and perhaps a little bit west in the general direction of Croatia and Turkey with the main focus of being in the sun. However the thought of Scandinavia as part of such a trip doesnt sound at all bad I suppose. The suggestion of Russia maybe shouldn't be ruled out either and I suppose that's why a forum like this is invaluable. If there's going to be a 2-3 month window then anything within reason is possible. I don't think I should necessarily dictate destinations since the whole idea is that whoever goes is able to fulfil at least part of a personal dream, and if that means going somewhere you hadn't planned on visiting in order to get there then so be it. As we all know, life itself often takes unexpected turns and the ideas that don't immediately appeal to us often turn out to be the best of all. One thing though that is important to me is to be able to remember the places I've been to. What I mean by that is that I prefer to take the trip slowly and stay in a place for a couple of days or more if it looks appealing, rather than be riding 300 miles every day, going everywhere but seeing nothing. I'm simply not into focussing on the miles covered. If that were the case we could all sit on the M1 day after day and rack up 3000 miles a week!
As time goes by no doubt some people may drift away from the whole idea and others may jump on but hopefuuly all can add an idea or two as they pass by.

So that's me pretty much up to date. The original idea is only becoming stronger and it will develop further as time goes by. I've given an idea of where I'd like to go so any suggestions for consideration by all interested ae most welcome. Fortunately we don't have to decide the route by this weekend!
Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Chris