Europe (local)

This cycle route from 25.04.07 to 25.05.07 was one of the most beautiful but most strenuous I ever made. Greece and Croatia with their many islands are very hilly. The advantage of such a landscape, it offers a different panorama at every bend. The total altitude my odometer shows is over 18.000 meters. That is two times the Mount Everest, not from the foot of the mountain but sea level. The weather is also responsible whether or not a journey remains a in great memory. During the whole journey I have had 4 hours rain on the morning from Pula to Porec (Istrien). That was the only rain I have had. In Greece the sky was sometimes cloudy, but I was not at all sad about this natural sun protection.

In May, 2007, my wife Carol and I joined three other couples for a cycle trip in Germany and Austria (with a weekend visit to Prague). This was my 21st cycle trip in Europe and Carol's 19th but only our fourth outside of France. I wrote this ``blog'' each day as we made our way from Frankfurt to Vienna so my verb tenses may slip from past to present and back because my proof reading skills are not dependable.

The Kystriksveien is a beautiful and unspoilt 670 km route along the RV17 coast road from Steinkjer in Trondelag to Bodø in Nordland, Northern Norway. We cycled along 450 km of the juicy bits (using ferries and a couple of buses for the rest) between 29 July and 13 August 2006. This travelogue describes the route we followed and the accommodation we found en route, with additional notes on web links and maps/guides for the journey. The Kystriksveien is known to just a few touring cyclists who appreciate how quiet and scenic it can be; it isn't a destination that sees a lot of cyclists, even during the high season between June and the second week of August.

The clock was ticking, I was one hour off C-Day with everything packed. I had gone through my checklist time & time again fully knowing that as always with my memory I was bound to have forgotten something.

[...]

3 days in, the sun had come out and I was settling down into my monotonous click, click of turning peddles, I was just dwelling on trying to figure out how many revolutions I'll need to turn these things to get me to my final destination, when In front of me not 30m away was a police car blocking the tow-path. On closer inspection its inhabitants were, as I first thought just having a crafty fag break down on the River embankment. But what was he trying to cover up with that white blanket? Like a puzzle it all clicked in, he was covering up a dead body & as it looked (why did I look) a pretty decomposed one at that!

Retching was not a clever idea when you're in a strong head wind & speeding at 25km. But the sight of that body will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Was this the way it was supposed to be? I was planning a pleasant cycle trip along the Rhine to chill out and clear my muddled head of all my earthly problems! But this was turning into a Hollywood horror movie & I was the sucker, who you always knew, was first up to get mutilated.

Well did I survive to tell the tale, did I find the inner me that I was looking for? Read on & find out!

In June 2007 I have joined a few members (20) of my worldcyclist-club to cycle a week in Great Brittain (De Wereldfietser). On my webspace you'll find information of the route and pictures to tell the story.

Our Dutch cycling adventure started on September 3, 2006 with our arrival in Amsterdam. After a few days of sightseeing in and around Amsterdam we took the train to Apeldoorn and cycled to our first overnight stop near Brummen. Over the next 4 weeks we cycled up and down the Netherlands and to Brugge in Belgium. The trip exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed fantastic weather.

If you are planning a similar trip you will find a lot of useful information in our detailed trip Itinerary, day-by-day Trip Report, and the collection of Practical Tips.

If you would like to see the beauty of the Netherlands do not miss the Best Photos. You may also be interested in our recommendations for the best places to see, stay and eat in our Top 5. Enjoy your virtual bicycle tour with Glen and Margaret!

Tagebuch einer dreitägigen Frühlingsfahrt mit dem Rad von München über Bad Tölz und Achensee nach Innsbruck

In winter 2003 we cycled around Iceland on road n°1. It was not that cold but very stormy with heavy snow and rainfall. the 1200 km were really hard-earned....

Il s'agit de l'aventure unique d'un étudiant parti à la conquête de l'Europe. Vous pourrez suivre son parcours, ses aventures et anecdotes au quotidien...

Il est actuellement en Croatie et parcours près de 80km/J.

At moment Raoul (who has left on 12 May from Civitanova Marche, Italy) on his bicycle is along the road to Kaamanen (Finland) where he is going to stay overnight. In the next two days he will reach Nordkapp!!!!! ;-))

A three week bicycle journey through the south of Norway in the year 2004. It was a round trip from Oslo - to Geilo - Flam - and back to Oslo. An amazing journey in a great Country. A detailed travelogue waits for you.

Bike trip in September 2006 through Croatia, and a bit of Bosnia. We traveled almost through the whole coast, sometimes with a bit of island hopping. See for yourself!

Eine kurze Frühlingsreise von Nürnberg nach Rothenburg ob der Tauber, durch das Altmühltal nach Neuburg an der Donau, und weiter nach München. Gesamtstrecke: 330 km.

journal + a lot pictures

La mia bicicletta ha circa due mesi di vita: una city bike rossa, 21 rapporti, con la quale ho fatto circa 130 km, un po' sui colli bolognesi, un po' nei dintorni di Cereglio, e una quindicina su stupende, alte montagne marchigiane.

journal + a lot pictures

In spring 2007 we cycled Belgium on our new bicycles. In fact we cycled 550 km of the Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg). The sun was shining we've got a week off so we got our gear and cycled away. On my webspace you'll find a description of the route and a few pictures of the trip to tell the story. Enjoy!

I made this short tour because of a name: my bicycle has ``St Gothard'' written on it. But Gods didn't make it easy for me. My very last kms down from St Gotthard pass were like this:

``The heat was evaporating rapidly from my wet hands, and every gallery on the way down meant a refuge like coming home. I brake intermittently with one hand, sucking the water out of the glove on the other one. Behind the road barrier I can't see anything, it's total whiteness, I'm riding through the cloud. Could be like heaven if I weren't soaked to the bones.''

Agosto 2006: 1.000 km lungo la costa siciliana da Palermo a Trapani, Marsala, Mazara, Agrigento, Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina e tutti i bellissimi paesini incontrati.

Mare, sole, arte, storia, sapori e profumi dell'isola al centro del mediterraneo, dove hanno attraccato e hanno lasciato tracce della loro cultura Fenici, Greci, Romani, Arabi, Normanni, Spagnoli, da Ulisse e Archimede, a Federico II, fino a Garibaldi e ai giorni nostri

A short tour of some of Europe's flat bits...
1,029 km (639 miles) over 9 days from April 6, 2007 to April 14, 2007.

This was our third trip, I think, and this time we went to Ireland. A big warning to all travelling in the area: check the almanach for the rainy season. It may sound obvious but we didn't do our homework well and biked through a very rainy period which wasn't fun. Ireland is windy too so watch out and get in shape.

Ireland is absolutely beautiful and friendly and a lot of fun, it is also very green as everyone knows and I love green. Enjoy the pictures and stories.

This is our 6th yearly tour, taking us to Romania. It was shorter than usual but we got a few miles clocked. From Bucharest we headed north into the mountains, across, and down to the Hungarian towns of Transylvania. Then east toward Moldavia and back down to the Danube Delta.

We highly recommend this tour because the roads have gotten to be excellent in Romania, and in September the winds and weather are just perfect. We could wake up at 9 AM and still do 150km along the river. If you go - don't miss the special soup ``ciorba de perisioare'', it's delicious.

A one month cycle tour from Lund Sweden, to Switzerland via the Rhine and Moselle Rivers during the summer of 2005. Total distance 1600km together, plus 1000km solo back to Sweden. We left with a road map book of Europe, a guide book of the Rhine, but without a German phrasebook (we speak English and French). Some hiking in the Alps as a side trip.

Queste pagine raccolgono gli itinerari lungo l'Adda, il quarto fiume d'Italia, nel suo primo tratto, in Valtellina. La pista ciclabile dell'Adda, nel suo tratto in provincia di Sondrio, prende il nome di Sentiero Valtellina. Il percorso è ancora in fase di realizzazione, ma è stato commpletato quasi all'80% al mese di aprile 2007.

Pictures of my bicycle tours through the Alps.

Eine Radtour quer durch Süddeutschland über 667 Kilometer. Die Tagesetappen betragen zwischen 105 und 156 Kilometer. Die Tour beginnt und endet in München. Durch das oberbayerische Voralpenland geht es nach Füssen. Nach der Fahrt durch das Allgäu erreichen wir den Bodensee. Mit dem Rheinfall bei Schaffhausen ist der westlichste Punkt der Rundfahrt erreicht. Nur 30 Kilometer weiter nördlich fließt die Donau, der wir ostwärts bis kurz vor Ulm folgen. Ab Laupheim geht es schnurstracks nach Osten bis München.

Eine abwechslungsreiche Radtour durch das zentrale Südfrankreich über insgesamt 630 km, 7 Tagesetappen zwischen 64 und 120 Kilometer.

Eine reizvolle Radtour in 7 Etappen über insgesamt 829 km durch hügeliges Gelände, Tagesetappen zwischen 90 und 145 km. Die Etappenziele wurden nach Sehenswürdigkeiten und dem Angebot der örtlichen Gastronomie ausgewählt.

Mon voyage entre Venise et Rome, environ 900kms de bonheur en passant par Bologne, Florence, Sienne, Montepulciano... Un vrai bonheur! Avec des cartes, infos pratiques, tracks GPS...

My travel in Italy in 2005 from Venice to Rome, about 900kms of happiness and beautiful landscapes going through Bologne, Florence, Sienna, Montepulciano... A pure delight!! Maps, practical infos and GPS recordings included. In French but don't hesistate to ask for details...

During the summer of 2006, I traveled with only a bicycle from Lviv, Ukraine down to Napoli, Italy, then north to Calais, France. From Calais I ferried to Dover, then rode to London to complete the voyage. I visited eleven countries and saw a variety of landscapes and weather. I had encounters with many people and most of these were positive. I also used this experience to draw attention to a little orphanage in eastern Ukraine, the Makiivka HIV / AIDS orphanage.

Eine Radtour durch die französischen Pyrenäen in 8 Tagesetappen über 760 km. Das Gebirge, wo Majestix der Himmel auf den Kopf gefallen wäre. Die Wolkendecke hängt vor allem im westlichen Teil der Pyrenäen so tief, daß man Mühe hat die Straße zu sehen. Obwohl nicht so hoch wie die bekannten Alpenpässe, haben es die hiesigen ``Giftzwerge'' in sich.

A bike circle within 8 stages over 760 km through the French Pyrenees. The mountain range where the sky would have been fallen on Majestix' head. Expecially in the western part of the Pyrenees, the cloud cover is so low that it is difficult to see the road. Although not as high as the well known passes in the Alpes, the local ``spiteful little devils'' are tough ones.

A weeklong trip through Germany from Frankfurt Airport to Munich via the Romantic Road, and Dachau.

Another tour of the mighty Alps, which lasted 25 days. I cycled only 3615 km this time (around the same distance as the Tour de France) and climbed merely 150 different passes (some more than once) of which 103 were new to me. It added up to 79544m height metres.

Maratona-rides: Gran Fondo Marco Pantani & Maratona dles Dolomites.

Places: Aprica, Vivione, San Marco, Garda, Monte Pasubio, Asiago, Misurina, Vallarga, Cuneo, Casterino, Mont Authion, Molini di Triora, Sampeyre, Sestriere, Mont Cenis, l'Iseran, Aréches, Chamonix, Lac d'Emosson, Bretaye, Hahnenmoos, Gemmi, Grosse Scheidegg, Glaspass.

This was a credit card tour (stayed in hotels and ate at restaurants). The route was from Como, Italy to Trento and Cortino de Ampezzo, then into Austria and over the GrossGlockner. Return was via Innsbruck and St. Moritz to Como.

A mental and cycling experience in a not cycling friendly country. This is my one day 399km trip from Bucharest to the Black Sea. As a meditation to the cycling experience in a country where cyclists are ridiculised daily.

Through Eastern Europe, summer 2006

Summer 2006 we cycled Eastern Europe. We started in Bucharest Romania and went all the way to the Ukraine border into Hungary, Slovakia, Chzechoslovakia into Germany. On my windows webspace the route and the pictures tell the story. Enjoy!

This time we cycle from our front door in Munich, our goal is my sister's house in southern France, near Toulouse. We ride to Lake Constance and on through Switzerland, then in France we follow the Valley of the Rhone to the Mediterranean. From here we can ride on parts of the Canal du Midi to where my sister spends her summers in the little town of Durfort. After our visit we have enough time to continue on to the Atlantic. We started out as so-called credit-card cyclists and ended up buying a tent along the way and camping whenever we got the chance.

We had just finished cycling the South Island of New Zealand and instead of sitting back and relaxing on the flight home, we began planning our next trip, a month long self-supported cycling trip in France.

What better place to begin a trip to France then in Paris. From the 'City of Lights' we would dabble in a little art history by visiting Monet's gardens and then it would be off to the D-day beaches and a WWII history lesson. From 20th century history we would go back in time to the 11th century and visit Bayeaux and its famous tapestry. We would then check out life in a monastery, cycling across Normandy to Mt. St. Michel.

From Mt. St. Michel we would travel along the Brittany coast. At St. Malo we would leave the coast for the medieval city of Dinan and continue to the mouth of the Loire. We would then cycle through the land of chateaux and wineries ending our trip at Fontainebleau.

Our site includes lots of photos along with a daily log and an equipment list.