In reverse chronological order, now split into parts for ease of use.
Part 10: Turkey
Days 62 to the present, on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/5 | rest day in bustling Edirne | ||||
| 25/5 | - near Pancarköy | 38.01 | 14:30/18:30 | 3:07:33 | 12.1/31.6 |
| 26/5 | - Silivri | 70.19 | 09:30/19:30 | 5:49:10 | 12.0/35.8 |
| 27/5 | - Istanbul | 46.20 | 09:30/17:00 | 4:07:22 | 11.2/35.9 |
| 28/5 | exploring Istanbul, visiting mosques | ||||
| 29/5 | exploring Istanbul, touring bike shops | ||||
| 30/5 | - Riva | 27.12 | 12:00/17:00 | 3:00:11 | 9.0/34.9 |
| 31/5 | - Istanbul | 27.98 | 10:00/16:00 | 3:04:38 | 9.0/38.5 |
| 01/6 | unexpected day of rest in Istanbul | ||||
| Tot | 209 |
01/06/16 So I was meant to be riding [edit - riding a plane, I mean] home today, but due to a BA cancellation I am still in Istanbul. To be honest, I think I need this ‘free’ day: i’ve been burning the candle at both ends for a while, filling every hour with more adventures, and getting behind on both the essential admin parts of touring and on sleep.
Istanbul has been great fun, and i’m starting to feel like i’ve done the tour. I’m apprehensive about flying with the bike, but another day to prepare will not go amiss. Here’s another Facebook status copy-paste:
“When I set off, two and a bit months ago, I hoped to get to Budapest. More aspiration than target, I thought it would be really cool to go further, to the Black Sea, if I could. Look at a map of Eurasia - it’s a nice big milestone!
Well, I ended up extending the tour by two weeks, forgetting about Budapest, and going through the Balkans to Istanbul instead. Best decision I could have made. Istanbul is unlike any city i’ve been to before. It’s been Constantinople and Byzantium. It’s a transcontinental city: i’ve reached the end of Europe. It’s the largest European city and has a population about three times that of Scotland. I don’t have words to get across what it feels like - most cities i’ve found can be described in terms of what parts of London they feel like, but not Istanbul.
Anyway, I didn’t forget my original ‘stretch goal’ of the Black Sea, overshadowed as it was by Istanbul. On Monday, Christian and I loaded up our bikes, took the ferry to Asia (!!!), and rode up to see the Black Sea. We cycled here from Britain… That’s a nice little ride. We pushed our bikes onto a sandy little beach overlooking the sea, on the other side of which is Russia, and stood knee deep in it until Christian finally flopped in with a grimace (so of course I had to too). That box ticked, we lazed about and had some well deserved beers, before finding ourselves a pleasant spot to camp.
I made an effort not to tell people of my idea to reach the Black Sea as I went, because I didn’t think I could realistically do it. Well, allowing for an extension, i’ve managed not only to reach the Black Sea, but to reach it from Asia. Triumphant Facebook status achieved.”
So what’s next? Well tomorrow I will hopefully get the bike intact to Heathrow, BA allowing. Then i’ll ride to Oxford, either arriving after dark, or perhaps with a wildcamp on the way. There, i’ll probably find a hostel, and set about finding a place to live, for take-two on ‘real life’. Wish me luck!
27/05/16 4405km (2737 miles), 65 days on the road, nineteen countries, nine currencies, many languages, several variants of the Latin alphabet plus a few versions of Cyrillic, 4000 blurry pictures and a few decent ones.
I’m in Istanbul! That’s the European continent cycled. I fly back to find myself a home on Wednesday, before that I have a few boxes left to tick: i’ll go see the Black Sea, and set foot in Asia, while i’m here. I set off solo, and ended up riding into Istanbul (a very memorable ride!) with four other cyclists. Cheers for the ride guys, and to everyone else I met and stayed with on the way!
25/05/16 (again) As I type, I can hear two calls to prayer just started from two directions. Turkey has not been what I expected - today’s ride was hilly, through farmland that could have been British, under muggy grey clouds and with occasional rain, just slightly warmer than British weather. Nonetheless, i’m now counting down the kilometers on the signs to Istanbul. It’s great to ride with somebody else again - Julia and I are doing this last stretch together, and it certainly makes wildcamping more pleasant!
25/05/16 Turkey seems exciting and outgoing, I think I will enjoy the trip to Istanbul. Yesterday I had a tour of the city with Ozan, one of Çağrı’s medic friends. It’s a bustling and cool place, though apparently a small city by Turkish standards. The famous mosque is absolutely incredible. I stayed last night with the Trakya Biciklet family, my first time with Warmshowers in Europe - Engin runs a fantastic bike shop and impromptu cyclist-hostel which really embodies the spirit of WS. Julia has caught up with me here, and we’ll get moving towards Istanbul shortly. I’m eager to hit the road again today.
23/05/16 A long hot day’s ride today. A complicated and arduous border crossing. For the first time, my bags got searched. Well almost, I showed the guy my shoes at least, then he decided to trust me. For the first time, i’ve had to pay for a visa. Cool guards though. I’m in Turkey, and i’ve followed signs to Istanbul - this is the final part of the journey, and I have very mixed feelings about the end being so clearly in sight.
Tonight i’m with more great Couchsurfers. Çağrı and her hard-working medic student friends have done a great job of introducing me to Turkish culture (which is very different) and the language (which is very very different). They’ve shown me Turkish chai, a local drink called Raki which they were surprised that I like, and they’ve taught me how to eat poppy seeds. Like the language, it’s going to be a while before I can eat poppy seeds like a local.
Part 9: Bulgaria
Days 56 to 61 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18/5 | Tarnovlag - near Maritsa | 61.70 | 10:45/20:45 | 5:54:48 | 10.4/36.9 |
| 19/5 | - Plovdiv | 61.93 | 09:30/17:30 | 4:58:55 | 12.4/24.9 |
| 20/5 | rest day in extremely old Plovdiv | ||||
| 21/5 | ..and again | ||||
| 22/5 | - Haskovo | 58.51 | 12:30/19:30 | 4:12:58 | 13.8/32.7 |
| 23/5 | - Edirne | 68.44 | 11:30/19:00 | 5:22:41 | 12.7/34.1 |
| Tot | 251 |
22/05/16 Tonight i’m Couchsurfing for the first time in a while, and host Tery has some really brilliant stories from travelling the world. Hell, she has had some incredible adventures in Bulgaria! I don’t think i’ll visit Brazil soon, but I certainly want to see more of this country.
Plovdiv was a well-deserved break from moving, and absolutely fulfilled my cravings for hostelling and meeting travellers. I met too many cool people to list here, but notably I was very excited to meet another cycle tourist, the first I have seen since Italy I think. Julia has travelled a remarkably similar unconventional route through the Balkans, and comparing stories, we have had some very similar experiences and formed similar opinions. When it rains, it (gently) pours: I briefly met another other cycle tourist on the road today, a Korean called Mongo (i’m so sorry for probably butchering the spelling) who has recently left Istanbul heading west towards Madrid. He’s riding a Surly similar to mine, and the first Surly I have seen in the wild on this tour. (If you don’t get why either the cycle-tourist-sightings or the Surly-sightings are so exciting to me, don’t worry about it. Ride across Europe for two months and it will make sense.)
20/05/16 I am in Plovdiv, the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe. I’m liking Bulgaria so far. The people are strange: they appear unfriendly on the surface, but it seems actually they are just not so outgoing, and once you break through, they are lovely. This makes it easy to spend a while in each little town where you get chatting to someone.
Night before last, I think there might have been a bear in the woods where I was camping. Scary stuff! I remain uneaten, whether or not it was a bear. The riding has been pretty direct since, and through some incredibly beautiful landscapes. It’s nice to be hostelling now that i’m in Plovdiv, and to be spending a day off the bike. Nice also to meet some other travellers. Tonight we’re going to try to find some traditional Bulgarian folk music. I’m feeling close to the end now, 232 miles as the cuckoo flies to Istanbul.
Part 8: Kosovo and Macedonia
Days 51 to 55 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13/5 | - Pristina | 56.18 | 09:30/17:00 | 4:54:45 | 11.4/33.5 |
| 14/5 | - Skopje | 55.33 | 13:30/19:00 | 3:46:58 | 14.6/32.1 |
| 15/5 | rest day in Skopje, city of statues | ||||
| 16/5 | - Kokino | 43.43 | 12:30/19:30 | 5:01:59 | 8.6/26.3 |
| 17/5 | - Tarnovlag | 59.52 | 10:00/20:45* | 6:08:02 | 9.6/42.1 |
| Tot | 214 |
** I crossed into a new time zone! Duuuude! Both times are local times, but I lost an hour.
17/05/16 Getting out of the mountains this morning proved tough. The ‘roads’ were often very steep muddy and rocky tracks, and I pushed my bike a few miles. The downhill into the valley once I hit asphalt was beautiful though - new top speed! I’ve been gradually learning Cyrillic from the bi-alphabetic road signs as I go, and now I can read most words, albeit very slowly. Anyway, on the main road, I didn’t really find my rhythm but nonetheless got to the border in good time. Bulgaria has welcomed me with a nice long downhill and a stunning sunset.
16/05/16 I wouldn’t have minded some more time in Skopje, but the road ahead calls. Today, on the reasonably nice main route towards Bulgaria, around when I was starting to wonder where to sleep tonight, I saw a sign and decided to take a detour to the Kokino Megalithic Observatory. I rode a truly epic route up into the mountains, the distant horizons filled with cool geography and cities, to a rocky feature 1000m up overlooking all that epicness which at the time was lit by a generous sunset. The observatory is a set of features carved and built into the rock in the Bronze Age for observing solstices and equinoxes (equinoces?), including a set of ‘thrones’, and there have been finds suggesting ritualistic use. NASA have officially certified it is being very awesome.
16/05/16 On Saturday, I had lunch in one capital, then dinner in the next. In between, I had a really fantastic and fast ride in which I danced with a thunderstorm, and had some pleasant little interactions with locals. For example, my first ever ‘10/10 highly recommended’ overtake: pulled over by the side of the road, checking maps outside Pristina, a car of 30-something men pulls up. The driver says to me in heavily accented English ‘Welcome to Republic of Kosovo’, leans over to hand me a can of cool orangeade, and then they drive off. Little interactions, huge influences on the mood.
Well, Kosovo had nabbed the crown on ‘most stunningly beautiful country in the Balkans’ pretty quickly, but Macedonia snatched it away instantly. Skopje, far from the boring city that loads of people have warned me about, seems lively and vibrant. I’m just preparing to leave, but I feel i’ve barely scratched the surface.
13/05/16 Kosovo, so far, is surprisingly lovely and pleasant. I expected a bit more ‘war torn’ and ‘ethnic tensions’, but instead there’s really beautiful scenery and friendly, cool towns. And the food is so good and so cheap - like, fancy fine-dining type food for British fast food prices. Despite the UK Gov warning recommending against all but essential travel, the northern part actually felt safer than parts of Serbia.
Part 7: Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia
Days 43 to 50 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/5 | Slavonski Brod - near Ritešić | 32.30 | 15:30/19:00 | 2:50:49 | 11.3/23.1 |
| 06/5 | - Dolipolje | ~75* | 10:00/19:00 | ||
| 07/5 | - Sarajevo | 40.22 | 12:30/17:30 | 4:02:24 | 9.9/29.1 |
| 08/5 | rest day in history-drenched Sarajevo | ||||
| 09/5 | - near Bare | 33.40 | 13:30/19:30 | 4:03:00 | 8.2/30.6 |
| 10/5 | - nearish Priboj | 71.42 | 10:00/19:45 | 6:41:32 | 10.6/33.3 |
| 11/5 | - Vrnjica | 49.31 | 10:00/19:00 | 5:52:15 | 8.3/35.3 |
| 12/5 | - Eleskovice | 61.01 | 10:15/19:45 | 6:30:03 | 9.3/35.8 |
| Tot | 363 |
* Accidentally reset bike computer before I had a chance to note down the stats. Oops.
12/05/16 Serbia has been mixed. I keep getting fed up and disillusioned with the place, and then right on cue meeting fantastic people who force me to change my judgement.
Last night I ate with, drank with, and stayed in the home of Ivana and Miloś. When I passed by their village and asked them if there was a tap for water, they were settling down to an evening with the extended family of two sisters, another partner, a baby, and crazy energetic matriarch figure Slavica. They invited me in, and coffee turned to coffee and rakija, to rakija and beer, and then a feast appeared out of nowhere. It’s amazing how much conversation we had using a handful of English, German, and Serbian words, plus gestures (though we turned to Google for the subtler points). More rakija with breakfast. Normal, apparently. This is the kind of experience that makes a country memorable in the best way!
Yesterday I discovered that Serbian road planners like to put their roads right on the highest parts of their favourite mountains, as if people wouldn’t appreciate the size of the mountains otherwise. Today I found that a border crossing is not in fact a border crossing, once i’d spent two hours climbing up to 1200m to get to it. Hence, I am still in Serbia. Nice to get some exercise, I guess.
10/05/16 Today has been a day of the about-as-fresh-as-possible goats’ milk, unexpected hills, incredible Balkan landscapes, coffee with the local English teachers who happen to hang around at petrol stations, and new passport stamps. I am in Serbia!
09/05/16 Balkans convincing me today that they are in fact mountainous, as promised. Nothing too dramatic, but enough to slow me down a little. I’m benefitting from the famous Muslim hospitality tonight: a cheerful goat farmer stopped me by the side of the road with her flock of tiny goats, and invited me back to stay, for food, and to meet her sons who speak some English. More fascinating insights into a different world!
08/05/16 Sarajevo has significant history much more recent than WW1. From 1992, the city was under siege by Serbian forces for 46 months! The guide on my tour earlier was seven when the siege started, and with a wonderfully black sense of humour told stories of having to run fast to fetch water, because of snipers. It’s striking how the people who i’ve spoken to, who were in the siege, sort of downplay it and find things to laugh about. The Sarajevo Roses seem representative of this: where a shell caused damage to the pavement, if somebody died as a result of the shell, the damage has been filled with red resin, creating a memorial that is very present, yet inconspicuous. They are all over the city! Harrowing.
07/05/16 As i’ve been riding, i’ve been listening to podcasts, most recently about the history of WW1 (Dan Carlin’s ‘Blueprint for Armageddon’ series). This evening I visited the bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, sparking the whole thing. Pretty fitting! Sarajevo seems nice so far. Bosnia is an entirely different world from Western Europe.
05/05/16 A concern has crossed my mind before, that once I got this far east, i’d be skimming over the surface of the countries, wildcamping out of sight each night, interacting with the locals only so far as is necessary to buy food. I thought maybe that I wouldn’t discover so much about the culture and history of the area. And, most worryingly, that I wouldn’t have anything interesting to blog about… (I thought I might even be able to catch up on the backlog.) Well, so far, I need not have been concerned.
Yesterday, I rode possibly the furthest i’ve ever done in one day, to Slavonski Brod. There I stayed with the coolest and most fascinating couple in an otherwise dull town. Manja and Tomislav made me feel at home, and really gave me an impression of what Croatia is like (a very candid impression, certainly not all good). They farm goats and make cheese for a living, and this morning I got to meet the goats and further find out what life is like there. Today, though I was sorely tempted to take Manja up on her offer of another night in Slavonski Brod, I have begun heading into Bosnia & Herzegovina, towards Sarajevo. Hampered by a very dramatic thunderstorm (earth shattering crashes of thunder, sky rent asunder, etc. etc.) i’ve nonetheless got quite a first impression. Through asking whether I could camp in a nearby field, I have ended up meeting a family, being given beer and food from the whole pig freshly roasted over a fire, being invited into the house for coffee, offered a hut to stay in, all despite very little shared language. I’ve gained a bunch of Facebook friends (some literally from the side of the road), had demonstrated just how hospitable the Bosnians can be already, and i’m feeling a little like some kind of superstar visiting from faraway foreign dream-lands.
Part 6: Slovenia and Croatia
Days 36 to 42 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28/4 | Rožna Dolina - Dol pri Ljubljani | 64.93 | 10:30/20:20 | 6:38:39 | 9.7/26.8 |
| 29/4 | - Ljubljana | 8.31 | 18:00/19:00 | 0:50:22 | 9.9/17.5 |
| 30/4 | rest day in beautiful Ljubljana | ||||
| 01/5 | - Straža | 39.83 | 14:00/19:00 | 3:46:10 | 10.5/24.6 |
| 02/5 | - Zagreb | 53.33 | 11:00/18:30 | 4:58:40 | 10.7/27.5 |
| 03/5 | - Brinyani | 58.52 | 12:00/19:00 | 4:56:26 | 11.8/31.8 |
| 04/5 | - Slavonski Brod | 86.69 | 09:30/17:30* | 7:00:57 | 12.3/29.9 |
| Tot | 312 |
* N.B. Computer stats include some time/distance spent going into town and dawdling about. 20:30 or so before I got to the night’s final destination.
03/05/16 Croatia is a very different beast to Slovenia. I’ve experienced the huge, smoggy, vibrant urban metropolis of Zagreb, then decrepit farmsteads and time-machine villages, giving way to a lush green countryside complete with vineyards. Tonight i’ve had an insight into the small village life. Checking my map in Kutina to find a place to camp, a local came and offered help. Then offered to buy me a coffee. Then showed me a place I could camp. Then changed his mind and offered to let me stay in the spare room in his house. And so as we walked 7km back, I learnt all sorts about Croatia, from the economic situation (catastroph!) to the modern culture. I’m tenting in his family’s garden now, and more than happy with it: honestly Adam, your country isn’t that cold!
02/05/16 So on Saturday on the walking tour of Ljubljana, I met two Germans, an Austrian, and a Croatian, and ended up spending the afternoon exploring the city with them. This evening i’ve met up with Anna and Daniela again in Zagreb where they’re on Erasmus, they’ve shown me Zagreb and we’ve had a few beers. Sometimes doing touristy things turns out to be really great value. If they get around to booking it, we’ll have a gig to play in Belgrade next weekend, too!
01/05/16 I’ve got a month left now, and the deadline finally bears my signature. I’m sad to have an end in sight! Aiming for Istanbul, which is 771 miles south-east as the crow flies. Way behind on this blog, i’ve been too busy enjoying myself lately.
01/05/16 Ended up staying an extra day in Ljubljana, i’ve met a load of travellers and some locals and for (a) rest day(s) it has not been very restful at all, but i’ve been having a great and memorable time. Picked up some stories. Almost ready to get out into the rain again, i’m gathering moss and eager to get onto the road.
28/04/16 (again) So Slovenia is the first country where I don’t have a semi-reliable stereotype to set my expectations. My raw and relatively unbiased first impression is great.
The first night was not so pleasant: I arrived a refugee from the Italian drivers and thunderstorm shortly before dark, in heavy rain. I found a suitable and pleasant wood, however to omit the expletives, let’s just say that the tent pole broke, again. Same failure mode, different place. When Vango say that pole breakages are considered normal wear and tear, apparently they mean it. Well let’s not dwell, fortunately the rest of my kit is serving me excellently, and I got the tent bodged once more.
Since they, i’ve experienced warm and friendly people, picturesque landscapes, beautiful mountain roads (wasn’t expecting to climb to 900m), lots and lots of unseasonal snow, more picturesque landscapes, and some very gracious CS hosts tonight. Looking forward to getting to know the place a little better!
Part 5: Italy
Days 30-35 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/4 | Laas - Lavis | 76.28 | 09:15/18:15 | 6:15:47 | 12.2/30.7 |
| 23/4 | - Levico Terme | 22.89 | 16:15/19:30 | 2:27:16 | 9.3/31.9 |
| 24/4 | - Padova | 77.66 | 10:00/18:30 | 6:21:56 | 12.1/31.2 |
| 25/4 | - Venice (Mestre) | 28.05 | 14:00/17:30 | 2:45:25 | 10.1/17.5 |
| 26/4 | - near Eraclea | 30.74 | 15:30/18:45 | 2:40:17 | 11.5/19.5 |
| 27/4 | - near Rožna Dolina | 68.66 | 09:30/19:00 | 5:54:30 | 11.6/21.2 |
| Tot | 304 |
28/04/16 Been riding hard for a few days, not managed to update or upload this. My honest review of Italy will wait for another day, but i’ll say now that of all the countries i’ve visited, Italy is the first where I can say that I wouldn’t be disappointed never to return. This does a terrible disservice to the really wonderful people who hosted me, and some others I met along the way, and for them I am truly grateful. I’m also able to tuck Venice away as an experience that i’ll never forget. All in all, certainly worth it. On a more positive note, my last day in which I dashed for the border was largely pleasant and smooth cycling, until Italy had a last laugh by throwing a little thunderstorm my way. Arrivederci Italy, perhaps.
26/04/16 (again) I forgot to mention it, but when I got to Padova on Sunday, I crossed the milestone of being more than 1000 miles from Aberdeen where I started, as the crow flies. I’m also now a fair chunk closer to Istanbul than the Aberdeen. (If anyone is following my route, I may or may not have a new destination in mind.)
26/04/16 Bad Italian cycling infrastructure is really, ridiculously terrible. Like, official signposted (well…) bike path being underwater so I had to backtrack and join the busy road terrible. And I thought that arrows were a pretty foolproof graphical tool for indicating direction, until I got to Italy.
I get that out of the way first, so that I can now mention Venice. It is a fantastic (in the literal sense) and enchanting city. Last night I got the bus over, then put away all my maps and GPS, and just got as lost as I could for a couple of hours, with John Frusciante in one ear. Today I got a slightly more mainstream, touristy view of the place with a walking tour. It’s so rich with character and wonder, I couldn’t hope to adequately describe the place without a vocabulary boost. It is certainly particular, as at least one Italian has described it to me.
25/04/16 Yesterday I finally left the mountains and valleys, and reached a flatter, more industrial, somewhat less beautiful and impressive part of Italy. Staying with Federico, another cyclist, who took me to an electronic music concert last night, awesome new cultural experience! Quite different to Nadia’s garden. Italy is a very diverse place.
23/04/16 Fascinating day: very un-touristy little cafe for breakfast, where I tried a very very local creation, the hazelnut heart. Nadia and her gardening-buddy Damiano took me to see their community garden, a weird kinda artistic organic garden in the most incredible setting where they experiment with all sorts of symbiotic combinations of tasty vegetables. Damiano is hugely passionate about agriculture, and I got a fantastic tour. Not the most productive day’s ride - I left late anyway, but then underestimated the climb out of Trento, and had some trouble navigating the un-German bike paths, but at least the promised rain didn’t materialise until I stopped. Towards Venice tomorrow, probably.
22/04/16 Today’s headwind has a name! Rode a pretty huge distance into the Garda Lake Wind, quite proud that I managed to keep the pedals turning and keep the average up - the locals thought I was crazy, even got a ‘bravo’. Baking hot, humid day, scenery straight out of sci-fi. I’m staying with Nadia and Dario, a really lovely Italian couple who have taken me out for delicious ice cream and taught me all about Italy and it’s many linguistic complexities. Italy is certainly growing on me.
Part 4: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria
Days 23-29 on the road.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/4 | Basel - Seppenweid | 26.65 | 16:30/19:30 | 2:49:22 | 9.4/22.2 |
| 16/4 | - Sursee | 25.39 | 10:00/14:00 | 2:12:55 | 11.4/32.6 |
| 17/4 | - Zug | 29.39 | 13:30/19:00 | 3:06:26 | 9.4/28.6 |
| 18/4 | - Mels | 62.43 | 10:00/19:00 | 5:57:41 | 10.4/26.5 |
| 19/4 | - Dalaas | 47.42 | 10:30/19:30 | 4:17:53 | 11.0/26.8 |
| 20/4 | - near Ried | 46.60 | 10:30/18:30 | 4:55:50 | 9.4/40.7 |
| 21/4 | - Laas | 52.29 | 10:30/19:00 | 5:42:15 | 9.1/33.7 |
| Tot | 290 |
21/04/16 Local campsite wanted €17 for a pitch, and so I am sitting high above a wide valley, the sun just set over the mountains from whence I came today, watching the bustle in the valley and listening to the bells around the necks of the goats on the hillside below me. Today in numbers: border crossings - 3; countries - 3; languages that I don’t know - 3; pizzas - 0; altitude reached - 1530m; coffees - just one. Italy has been mixed so far. At first I considered heading straight back to Austria, but i’ll give the place a chance. I haven’t really scratched the surface of the culture, but in my defense that’s tricky when everywhere is shut and everyone is presumably asleep.
20/04/16 Pretty incredible day today. Climbed the Arlberg pass over the Austrian Alps, getting to an altitude of 1800m. It was stunning. And then the other side! Pretty sure i’ve set my highest daily max/av speed ratio, my highest brake pad wear per distance travelled, and also my top speed on this bike, today. Strange and awesome cocktail of brain chemicals going on. On my way to do another Alpine pass into Italy via a little corner of Switzerland, then on to flatter ground and east again. But right now, i’m on a bench next to the cyclepath, under a very clear night with the stars starting to come out above snowy mountains. Got Earth playing, the rushing of a river in the background, and my tent is tucked away behind some trees (mostly fixed now). The few people i’ve met in Austria have been really friendly, and i’m definitely hoping to get to know the place a bit better sometime.
19/04/16
Switzerland still wet and cloudy. Warming up by Liechtenstein - I barely put my feet to the ground and passed into Austria before i’d noticed. Switzerland gave me one last incredible view of the Alps. Austria is fighting the good fight for being more beautiful, more picturesque, more welcoming than Switzerland. So far Austrian Alps are better than Swiss Alps, but the fact that they’re not hidden in a cloud is working to their advantage. Sorry Anja - i’ll think about a return visit!
So i’ve heard about people asking after camping spots and being taken in to a local’s house, but tonight is the first time it’s happened to me. “Come on in, we’ll have a tea or coffee… Or a beer. I think a beer.” Many thanks to Veronica and her husband, who motorbike tour around Asia. May the people you meet be as kind to you as you have been to me. Good start, Austria, good start.
18/04/16 Everything is wet: I am wet. My face is wet. The outside of the tent is wet, and the inside of the tent is wet too (not to mention falling down). My shoes are soaked. My phone is wet. The inside of my camera is wet and the last few pictures are fuzzy. D’Schwiiz is just one big raincloud today, and i’ve got a lot of great views of the inside of it. However, there’s not been a headwind. I’ve had a good day.
17/04/16 Been having a fantastic time in Switzerland, despite some very wet weather. Anja, who I met in St Andrews, and family Heller, showed me some amazing Swiss hospitality and many many types of Swiss alcohol. Recovering some energy tonight so I can push east tomorrow, as the Swiss alpine passes are still closed with snow. Also hopefully i’ll get the tent fixed soon.
15/04/16 Basel is a cool and exciting place, i’m pleased to have got a little tour. I saw coffee growing, and many other awesome things at the botanical garden. Thanks Myriam and flatmates! Little ride into Switzerland today. It’s been rainy, and i’ve found my first decent hills in Europe. Perhaps a few similarities to Scotland… First serious equipment failure too: tent pole snapped! Bodged together for now but i’ll see whether the tent is still standing in the morning.
14/04/16 I’m in Switzerland! Awesome Couchsurfers made fondue - very tasty. Basel seems great. But where to go next?
Part 3: Germany and France
Days 14-22 on the road. Blog post here.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/4 | Dreidlandenpunt - Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler | 73.76 | 10:00/19:45 | 6:50:24 | 10.7/29.4 |
| 07/4 | - near Siebenborn | 40.04 | 10:00/19:30 | 3:52:58 | 10.3/22.5 |
| 08/4 | - Eltville | 45.90 | 10:00/16:00 | 3:59:40 | 11.4/22.9 |
| 09/4 | - Mannheim | 59.84* | 10:30/19:00 | 5:07:36 | 11.6/30.3 |
| 10/4 | - Heidelberg | 18.26 | 14:30/16:30 | 1:47:36 | 10.1/20.6 |
| 11/4 | - Karlsruhe | 35.02 | 12:30/16:00 | 2:39:01 | 13.2/24.7 |
| 12/4 | - near Strasbourg | 53.24 | 12:00/19:30 | 4:47:13 | 11.1/21.1 |
| 13/4 | - near Neuf-Brisach | 50** | 09:30/20:15 | ??????? | ????/???? |
| 14/4 | - Basel | 37.14 | 09:00/15:00 | 3:36:42 | 10.2/20.1 |
| 339 |
* The bike computer stopped recording a couple of times today. I’m not sure how much it missed, but the mileage is about right, so can’t be too much.
** No bike computer data from today. Problems with low transmitter battery, and interference with speaker charge cable meant nothing usable. Should be fixed now though. Mileage is approximate, from Google Maps.
13/04/16 What started as a wet, slow, miserable day has turned really great this afternoon and evening. Not the most interesting ride, but France has decided to put up with me, and the scenery is teasing epicness. I happened to come across a friend of the person who i’m staying with tomorrow, we shared food next to the canal, and I had a go on her recumbent - I want one!
12/04/16
I’m 7km or so out of Strasbourg. The thunderstorm has passed. I’m sitting in a shelter next to some woods where my tent is hiding, with a bowl of road-soup, and QUOTSA playing. The sky is lit up pink. Quite a bit going on since I last updated.
Heidelberg is quite the postcard. Incredible views from the Philosophenweg, but pro-tip: don’t carry a loaded touring bike up the stairs to the top.
Then I left my previous top average speed in the dust of a blazing hot day. What factors contributed to this? No tailwind. No tire pressure experimentation. Trick is, I cycled fast lots and didn’t cycle slowly very much. I was feeling energetic, only had 35 miles to do, and got a bit self-competitive.
Last night I got to hear some live Finnish doom metal, and also a jam with some local musicians in Karlsruhe. Thanks David for having me! Once again Couchsurfing is proving brilliant.
Today I figured i’ve been in Germany long enough, so i’ve got my sights set on Basel, and i’ve been trying out the French side of the Rhine.
Still working on the next proper blog post, i’ll get there…
10/04/16 Last night in Mannheim I stayed with Tine, a fascinating and lovely couchsurfer/hitchhiker with a flat full of colour and pattern and good music. Mannheim is a very different place to the cities i’d passed through previously. Today she invited me to stay for lunch with her family and her partner, which was great! Quick ride today to nearby Heidelberg, which is like a postcard. I’ll have a proper explore of the old town tomorrow before I set off south again.
08/04/16 Couchsurfing is awesome - after three days in the tent, a shower, hot meal, laundry, chat about travel, film, and beer, is exactly what I needed! Thanks Sonja :) Anyway, so the Rhine has more ruined castles than you can shake a dragon at. Seriously, seriously picturesque. There was actually a castle catching sun atop a dark hill framed by a rainbow yesterday. No shit.
07/04/16 (again) So TIL German eggs are inferior to British or Dutch ones. I spent the better part of 1000 miles with at least some eggs in my front left pannier around Britain, and got through a box in the Netherlands too. Never a breakage. But this evening I picked up some German eggs, and by the time I had the tent up, three had broken. What’s up with that, Germany? In unrelated news, I had egg fried rice for dinner.
07/04/16 Haven’t managed to get any updates out in a while, as i’ve been busy doing things, seeing stuff, seeing things, doing stuff, staying in a tent without Wifi. Here’s a few days of updates. In Koblenz now, the Rhine is quite awesome. Working on a post about the Netherlands and Belgium!
06/04/16 I’m in bad place tonight. Har har har. In all seriousness, I am a terrible cycle tourist. It’s so beautiful how people can pick the perfect spot two hours before sundown and spend the evening cooking and meditating and soaking in nature or whatever. About that though… I’ll keep trying. Today, I got to two hours before sundown, and there were some more miles I wanted to do. Anyway, i’m almost at the Rhine already. No regrets, camped up in the most tranquil spot.
Part 2: The Netherlands and Belgium
Days 8-13 on the road. Blog post here.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31/3 | IJmuiden - Delft | 56.22 | 09:30/18:30 | 5:04:16 | 11.0/24.6 |
| 01/4 | - Gooren en Krochten | 65.77 | 10:30/20:00 | 5:42:18 | 11.5/20.2 |
| 02/4 | - near Westerlo | 52.62 | 10:30/18:30 | 4:34:55 | 11.4/20.2 |
| 03/4 | - Leuven | 19.59 | 11:30/14:00 | 1:44:39 | 11.2/19.0 |
| 04/4 | - Maastricht | 50.42 | 11:00/18:00 | 4:14:16 | 11.8/22.5 |
| 05/4 | - Drielandenpunt | 20.31 | 17:00/20:00 | 2:04:41 | 9.7/27.4 |
| Tot | 265 |
05/04/16 I’m camped in the Netherlands, about 300 meters from Germany and 400 from Belgium. Yesterday I had a beautiful quick ride (dat average) to Maastricht, where I had a brilliant time seeing the city, meeting locals, and visiting the weirdest and possibly best beer bar i’ve ever been to. Today completed the city tour, and featured a quick trip to a cool blues bar full of character. Thanks to Aleks for the tour and for letting me crash, first Couchsurfing experience definitely a positive one. Got a few miles in before dark, but I found some hills in the Netherlands, and had some slight bike-issues (nothing significant I hope) so it was slow going. Off to join the Rhine next!
03/04/16 Relaxed ride to Leuven today. Had a celebratory pizza with the Texans, then said bye to them and now checked into a hostel to recover a bit. Off to explore Leuven now!
02/04/16 Pole camping again, this time in Belgium. I spent the day riding with the Texans on their tandem, and this evening we’ve also been joined by Christoph, a Belgian preparing for a bigger tour. Saw Westmalle this morning. Another campfire tonight, another good meal cooked in an aluminium pan.
01/04/16 ‘Pole camping’ in the Netherlands, with a couple of Texans - a moment ago we were sitting on a bench overlooking Belgium. The Netherlands have shot past! Today I did my highest average and lowest top speed, as well as my greatest distance by a hair. Still having an awesome time over here.
31/03/16 Everyone is driving on the wrong side, the cyclists are crazy, and the language sounds silly, but the Netherlands is awesome! Really incredible cyclepaths - I haven’t enjoyed the actual ‘cycling’ part of touring so much, well, ever. Rather than stay the day in Haarlem or Amsterdam as i’d intended, i’ve found myself 56 miles along in Delft. Really pretty and friendly place, I could spend some time here if the cyclepaths weren’t so good.
Part 1: Aberdeen to Amsterdam (nearly)
Days 1-7 on the road. Blog post here.
| Day | Distance (miles) | Start/Stop | Time Moving | Av./Max Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/3 | Aberdeen - Lairhillock | 12.60 | 17:30/19:15 | 1:10:05 | 10.7/23.6 |
| 25/3 | - Dundee | 65.48 | 10:00/20:45 | 7:39:42 | 8.5/29.8 |
| 26/3 | - St Andrews | 13.35 | 10:00/12:30 | 1:25:03 | 9.4/21.8 |
| 27/3 | - Edinburgh | 52.68 | 10:15/19:30 | 5:46:18 | 9.1/28.2 |
| 28/3 | Berwick - Chathill | 43.64 | 12:00/19:00 | 4:20:18 | 10.0/24.1 |
| 29/3 | - Newcastle | 47.33 | 12:00/20:00 | 4:36:21 | 10.2/29.7 |
| 30/3 | - Ferry terminal | 9.72 | 13:45/15:00 | 1:03:53 | 9.1/22.5 |
| Tot | 245 |
30/03/16 (again again) You’d have thought that the ferry live-musician would know how to tune a guitar, huh? So far the Orkney ferry is winning. EDIT: Bingo has finished in the other room, so now there’s a much better live band. A guy dressed as a Pinnochio just danced/strip-teased to Red Wine - apparently this is normal for Dutch people.
30/03/16 (again) I’m on the ferry, going to another country!
30/03/16 I’m in Newcastle now, getting ready for the ferry this afternoon. Yesterday was pretty tough, bit of a headwind. Coming into Newcastle wasn’t the most pleasant riding per se, but it was pretty fascinating comparing the urban sprawl to that of Edinburgh - very different feel. Anyway, gotta go buy some euros!
28/03/16 Beautiful day. Fast-forwarded (on a train) to Berwick. Explored city briefly. Then headed to Lindisfarne in time to get across the tidal causeway and back. Finally had a tailwind, felt like going downhill all day! Lindisfarne has the priory that vikings attacked in 793, widely regarded as the start of the ‘Viking Age’ - had to listen to some Amon Amarth on the way back. Now staying with Jonny, a fascinating and welcoming Warmshowers host who has shared great stories and great food.
27/03/16 (again) I’ve made it to Edinburgh! Long day, not the nicest weather, but not nearly as bad as day 2. Cycling the Forth Road Bridge was pretty awesome.
27/03/16 Yesterday I had a nice relaxed ride to St Andrews where I took a bit of a rest day. I needed it after the day before! St Andrews is a lovely quaint and very old university town (third oldest university in the English speaking world apparently - cute [not that i’m smug about that]). Saw some cool buildings and ruins, found a couple of Geocaches, and ended up staying in the hostel where I met Swiss sisters and a Kiwi guy. Swapped some travel stories and felt very unadventurous, as is the danger with hostels. Drank a couple of beers and booked a ferry - i’m off abroad!
25/03/16
Day 2 done. Really tough day today. The distance is on the long side for starting out, but what really kills is the headwind. Spent most of the day exhausting myself while barely crawling forward. Anyway, I made it to Dundee when Stef has kindly put me up for tonight. Looks like the wind is keeping up for the next few days so I might be changing plans. I spent some of the long day composing haikus:
Fuck right off headwind.
Except when hair blows in my face,
Tailwind is cooler.