Day 1 May 1^st Antibes to Villeneuve-Loubet

 

A nice easy ride to end the day I was left on my own again after the three amigos left for the plane back to Manchester. We had a fantastic weekend in Antibes frequenting the friendly Irish bar, lying on the beach, mum coming out with her usual crazy comments and visiting every toilet in a 5 mile radius. Steve deserves 10 out of 10 for maintaining his sanity in such a crazy world! Only kidding Mum it was great to see you. Lou was her usual entertaining self providing Steve and I with much amusement and finally displaying her tantrum dance after much provocation. I’m sure the French will miss your attempts at their language Lizzy.

Day 2 May 2^nd Villeneuve-Loubet-Villefranche-sur-Mer (via Monaco)

 

Monaco and Monte Carlo may be glamorous but it’s no place for a nutter on two wheels with his entire luggage. It’s incredibly compact and busy with traffic seemingly coming in all directions and black tunnels thrown at you for good measures. Money is oozing from every shop and car window and there I am with my cloths hanging off my make shift washing line and the remains of my cold running down my face – such class. Still it is definitely a tourist attraction and it was already gearing up for the impending Monaco grand prix which was coming to town at the end of May. I even saw David Coultard driving down the Monte Carlo coast road in his gold Lamborghini. I very nearly missed the old town and the Palais which was by far the most impressive part of the Principality.

 

Distance 38 Miles

Total Distance 3179 Miles

Av Speed 10.2

Total time 3.45

Day 3 May 3^rd Villefranch-sur-Mer – Nice

 

Oooops… I set off this morning with the intention of catching the ferry at 9am to Corsica, however when I arrived at the ticket desk I was informed the ferry left at 7:45 and I had mistakenly read the office opening hours yesterday when it was closed! Ah well a relaxing day in Nice on the beach and walking the many multicultural and artistic alleys instead. Some might say I did it deliberately.

Day 4 May 4^th Nice – Calvi (Corsica)

 

Well everything I had heard and read about Corsica was today brought to life. It really is a (relatively fit) cyclist’s paradise with mostly well surfaced, quite but very hilly mountain roads, incredibly coastline scenery and amazing beaches. The crossing from Nice first thing in the morning was another rough one, I’m really starting to dislike boats. Not very good as I have another three to get on before I make it to the Italian mainland. Once I reached Bastia the road climbed for about 10 miles to 2000 ft; a bit of a shock to the system after my recent relaxation. It then wound up and down past the resort of St-Florent and then through the amazing national park of Desert de Agriates. The wind then pushed me on past the port and tourist resort of Ile Rousse and eventually to the campsite on the amazing white sandy beach just short of the up market coastal resort Calvi. I managed to provide some entertainment for the shoppers in the local supermarket as I didn’t weight the fruit before I reached the checkout, there was a massive queue and I couldn’t quite understand what the checkout girl was telling me so told her to forget about the peppers. For some reason all the locals found it very amusing. I’m amazed I can still get embarrassed after everything that’s happened so far but having 10 Corsicans laughing at you just about did it.

 

Distance 71 Miles

Total Distance 3250 Miles

Av Speed 11.3

Total riding time 6.14

Day 5 May 5^th Calvi – Sagone

 

What a ride! When I looked at this ride on the map it had a green shadow all the way (green shadow means scenic route) so it certainly looked good on paper. In reality it was amazing. The road literally followed the coastline all the way and took in some of the most scenic spots I have ever seen. This must rank as one of the most scenic routes in Europe. Certainly the massive ranks of incredibly friendly touring motorbikes weren’t there without reason. Mind you just because it ran along the coast certainly didn’t make it flat. I must have climbed about 15 peaks of over 1000 feet before descending nearly to sea level only to do it again. This made the going tough especially with the wind in my face for half the time and the gravel and stone part of the road where some resurfacing was going on but the workmen had decided to strip the road along the whole stretch rather than doing it one bit at a time. None of this really bothered me though as I was just so euphoric to be riding my bike with the glorious sunshine on my back through a road that would be any cyclists dream. This was my dream becoming reality. The road just got better and better as it passed through the small seaside resort of Porto and then through the amazing, imposing sandstone scenery of La Calanques which have been carved out over the years by the ocean. The ride finished in the campsite of the tiny coastal resort of Sagone which is dominated by its long, white, sandy cove.

 

Distance 80 Miles

Total Distance 3330

Av Speed 12 mph

Total riding time 6.37

Day 6 May 6^th Sagone – Propriano

 

Happy Birthday to Janet Harveys mum. Hope you all had a good weekend partying! Had a long break in the afternoon wandering round the slightly scruffy Ajaccio the capitol of Corsica trying to find out the ferry times to Sardinia. I am told there is a crossing early in the morning from Propiano…fingers crossed. Another incredibly hilly ride mostly along the coast, the scenery not nearly as dramatic as yesterday but not bad all the same. All you cyclists out there if you want to get fit for 2006 or any other year forget reading cycling weekly just do a weeks riding in Corsica - if that doesn’t get you fit then nothing will. Couldn’t believe it after all that climbing all day long the campsite I finished up was stuck up the top of a long gravelly hill. To make matters worse the restaurant was closed and I had no food left so I had to go right back down in the dark to find some food. Eventually I found a four star hotel and turned up in my swimming shorts and creased top…they weren’t going to let me in but I think the woman felt guilty and to the amusement of the other guests I was fed and watered.

 

Distance 93 Miles

Total Distance 3422

Av Speed 12mph

Total Time 7.45

Day 7 May 7^th Propiano – Palou (Sardinia)

 

I had checked with two people if the daily ferry from Propiano would still be leaving on a Sunday and received a definite yes. So I dragged myself out of my tent at 5.30 to get to the Port in time. There was of course no boat and no people whatsoever, it was clear it wasn’t running so I bought some Pastries cycled to the white sandy beach 7 miles down the coast. Just as I sat down to eat my breakfast I saw a boat heading slowly into the port in Propiano so I rushed back only to find it was going to Marseille and there was no boat today to Sardinia and there would be none tomorrow as it was a national holiday. So off I went to the next and more favorable option Bonifacio where I got lucky. Not only was there a boat which gave a fantastic view of the amazing coastline and walled old town, the crossing was calm and allowed an hour for some sun bathing. My arrival in Sardinia signaled my 8^th country had been reached although the sign in the tunnel saying “tourists remember you are not in Italy” was rather contradicting. As I headed away from the port I noticed a large rock in the road and on further inspection it turned out to be large tortoise with his little head buried in its shell slowly making his way across the road. I couldn’t stand to watch in case he didn’t. My final resting point was an amazing campsite literally on the coast looking out into the deep blue sea.

 

Distance 63 Miles

Total Distance 3485

Av Speed 11.9 mph

Total time 5.01

Week 9 Day 1 May 8^th Palou – Dorgali           

 

The day started on a bright note with a young, friendly German couple (they do exist then) who love cycling and were fascinated by my trip and offered me a room in Berlin. Unfortunately I’m not going there but still it was nice. The morning got even better as I rode up an amazing, quite, mountain road with views of the small islands off the coast. I passed a Swiss mountain biker who didn’t seem so impressed when I told him he should be used to the hills. The horrible main road around Olbia was the low point of the day but once past the airport the road quietened and I stopped for some lunch on the beach at San Teodoro and what a beach. It was the most amazing beach I have ever seen with a good few miles sweep of pure white sand and a sparkling, turquoise ocean. It is obviously a popular beach with the kite surfers and I found out why once I set off, the headwind was ridiculous and made the afternoon incredibly hard work. Many times I felt like giving up and stopping especially when I very nearly lost my front pannier as it flew off when I hit one of the many potholes. Somehow I found the will to carry on beyond the desperation over and over again. In the end I felt great and flew up the final 1000ft climb to Dorgali and the treat of a hotel room. Upon arrival I realised I had managed to lose my top that was hanging of my bike clothes line…..aaaagggghhh!

 

Distance 95 Miles

Total Distance 3580

Av Speed 11.8

Total time 8.01

Day 2 May 9^th Dorgali - Muravera

 

A fantastic, long morning climb on an empty winding road brought me up to the peak at 1100 metres where I was greeted by some enormous, wild pigs. The inevitable long descent back down was of course enjoyable but the wind, which was swirling around all day, would occasionally hit me like a sledgehammer and the massive flying beetles made interesting obstacles.  My arrival at yet another empty campsite was met with disappointment as it looks like the ferry to Sicily doesn’t leave until Friday. This makes all my hard work a waste of time and also makes me wonder if I did the wrong thing coming through Corsica and Sardinia and it has put me at least a week behind schedule. I am now sat in my tent and it’s getting windier by the minute and I’m beginning to get concerned about how much my tent will withstand. I have also paid the price for raising my saddle a bit with some massive saddle sores that are going to make riding tomorrow very uncomfortable.

 

Distance 94 Miles

Total Distance 3674

Total Time 7.12

Av Speed 13 mph

Day 3 May 10^th Muravera - Villasimius

 

Ohhhhh what a night. The wind got worse and worse as the night went on until it was a howling gale. Twice I had to get out and re-peg my tent which was on the verge of collapsing on top of me. I must have slept about an hour all night. I was devoid of a plan today having been disheartened by the news there was no ferry to Sicily for another two days. So I decided to find some nice beaches which was never going to be too hard right in the south-eastern corner of Sardinia. There is cove after cove of amazing deserted white sandy beaches. I haven’t mentioned yet how crazy the Italians are when behind a wheel. Anyway let’s just say they are nuts and simply drive as fast as they can. It was only a matter of time before one of them put me in a gutter and he managed it today. Fortunately I didn’t come off but as you can imagine I was not overly happy. No longer do I have the saddle sore; it’s grown to the size of a boil and hurts like hell…just grateful for a few easy days on the saddle!

 

Total Distance 3707

Distance 33 Miles

Av Speed 13 mph

Total Time 2.45

Day 4 May 11^th Villasimius – Cagliari

 

Crazy cars yesterday, crazy bees today…. I cycled through a swarm of bees belonging to a local honey farm but fortunately managed to escape without being stung with only one of them flying through my helmet but escaping straight through the back. The rest of the day was uneventful and pretty simple as I travelled along the rolling, picturesque, southern coastline. Under deep blue skies the Meditterean’s colours were as magical as ever and lapping yet more white sandy beaches it confirmed my view Sardinia is the best place in the Med for beach lovers. The outskirts of Cagliari, the capitol of Sardinia, brought with it a change for the worse until reaching the amazing Poetto beach which is about 5 miles of white sandy beach a few miles from the centre of Cagliari. The City Centre itself is ok and at least there is some people to watch after all this time on my own on this desolate Island.

 

Distance 38 Miles

Total Distance 3745

Av Speed 12 mph

Day 6 May 13^th Cagliari – Nicosia (Sicily) via ferry from Cagliari – Palermo

 

For some reason yesterday all the locals wanted to have a chat with me, from the receptionist at the hotel to the guy I met on a bench (yes I am a tramp!) who had lived in New York for five years and wanted to cycle round Africa and even the security guard at the post was in on the act explaining how much his 7 year old kid loved cycling. Makes a change from talking to myself anyway!

 

The overnight crossing was nice and calm thankfully and I arrived in Palermo early and being a Saturday presumed it would be a pleasant, traffic free saunter out of the city. How wrong could I be…..it was absolute chaos. I thought riding to Leeds from Ilkley in a morning was dangerous. In Leeds at least you just get cut up, here everyone just ignores any flow of traffic completely and no rules exist, it’s simply a case of go and hope for the best. Fortunately I had just had a few strong coffees on the ferry so was in a good mood and laughed it off knowing it would eventually calm down and I actually enjoyed the buzz. Once past the turning for the motorway it was plain sailing and there was countless cyclists coming the other way which is always a sign of a good road. When I eventually headed inland about 2 hours later suddenly the cars disappeared completely. All that remained was a musical van and a few 3 wheeled fruit and veg vans. That pretty much summed up the rest of the day. The road climbed straight up from the coast to over 1700 metres past some tiny ski resorts and then descended on a winding road with numerous surprises. An enormous, black bull was holding up two walkers and as I passed the guy did the universal bull sign on his head which had me laughing the rest of the way down. Two massive stray dogs made my heart race and then numerous cracks in the road I could only assume were due to the frequent earthquakes which affect the area. I headed past some large and impressive hilltop towns on my way to Nicosia probably built high to give protection from the many invaders of the Island and possibly even Mt Etna. Nicosia was not a friendly place for a cyclist at the end of a long days cycling, once again it is perched on the top of a huge hill and the streets are incredibly narrow. Driving round would have been enough to make any couple fall out, especially if they were trying to park. I went round the one way system twice as I searched for a room, and eventually found a sign up to a rural hotel, perched even higher up an incredibly steep hill. As I approached the doors I heard the words I had not yet heard all trip and the words I really didn’t want to here right now “Completo” (full). So back into town I went and asked the local policeman, hairdressers and old man in the street who all kept pointing to this large building in the square. When I finally built up the bravery to enter I was greeted by Indian women in long white dresses and white headscarf. Fortunately there was a whole apartment for 25 euros in what seemed to be an old nunnery of some kind and I was one relieved cookie.

 

Distance 99 Miles

Total Distance 3845 Miles

Av Speed 11.6 Mph

Total time 8.32

Day 7 May 14^th Nicosia – Catania

 

The days ride was dominated by the snowy Mt Etna, the most active and highest volcano in Europe. My route took me around the southern and eastern flanks of the peak and gave me an insight into how much the smouldering volcano influences this area of Sicily. I am told by a guy from Sardinia the people here are among the happiest on earth as each day is special due to the constant threat and power of this enormous mountain. Appropriately my saddle sore has returned and is also threatening a powerful explosion. The final 10 miles of the route took me through the busy built up areas around Catania and I elected to take the highway as at least it had a hard shoulder, I was just glad it was a Sunday. I’m dreading Rome. Anyway I made it through the typically scruffy suburbs to this historic and bustling city to the news that yet again I had been let down by the ferries and would not be able to get to Malta until Tuesday and the Italian mainland by Thursday. This puts real pressure on me to reach Budapest by the 30^th of May to reach Matt and Jonny from JD cycles for a weeks riding to Prague. Best get my legs rested. Just got the news Matt won his first road race of the season, there is life in the old mans legs yet. See the news pages for the race report 

 

Distance 73 Miles

Total Distance 3919 Miles

Av Speed 12.3 Mph

Total time 5.56

Week 10 Day 1 May 15^th Catania – Valleta (Malta)

 

Some deeper investigation last night led to the discovery of a ferry from the far south of Sicily to the Island of Malta later today which would not really speed things up that much but would at least allow me to spend a day there. It also gave me the opportunity of another fantastic day exploring the amazing countryside of Sicily, and once away from Catania, the ride took me on very mountainous but very well surfaced, and incredibly QUITE roads (thanks Emma!!). The Catamaran from Pozzallo which is apparently the fastest passenger ferry in Europe arrived in Malta around 11:30pm and by this time Valletta the port and capital was an eerie, ghost town. Despite cycling round for an hour I was no closer to finding the appropriately named “British hotel” in the maze of historic streets. Eventually I found a taxi driver called Darren who very kindly drove to the hotel, while I followed, simply to help me out. I was amazed how British Malta actually is, even driving on the left hand side of the road which totally caught me out and felt somewhat unnatural. All of sudden everything was in English, from the road signs to the menu’s and I was able to understand the world around me once again. Its best I don’t get used to it.

 

Distance 88 Miles

Total Distance 4007 Miles

Av Speed 13.8 mph

Total time 6.21

Day 3 May 17^th Valleta – Catania

 

Today was Day 1 in reverse. After a day off yesterday wandering the lovely streets of Valetta the catamaran crossing was early.  I shared an espresso with a Scottish woman I met in Pozzallo who had lived there for 25 years and told me she had the best life you could imagine, she meant it as well. Not for the first time I accidentally ran over a Lizard, this time it was bigger and went with a crack, like the noise a branch makes when you break it. I also provided yet more entertainment for the locals at a petrol station. As I was leaving a car very kindly parked so I had to manoeuvre past a plant pot, only I didn’t and my front pannier got stuck. My bike fell in the most embarrassingly slow fashion but not slow enough for me to get my feet out of the pedals and down I went. It was obvious everyone was trying not to laugh and I am sure they did once I had picked myself up and cycled off with just damaged pride and a bruised hip. (I didn’t have to tell you all that now did I?!) Catania centre was as mental as I expected in the late afternoon. While waiting for the ferry for Napoli on the mainland I had the pleasure of meeting some fantastic fellow cyclists. Sam, Steve and Philip from Switzerland had been cycling around Sicily for the week and had obviously a great week. Thanks for the beer guys hope to see you in Zurich!

 

Distance 86 Miles

Total Distance 4093

Av Speed 14 mph

Total time 6.01

Day 4 May 18^th Catania – Sperlonga (Italy mainland)

 

Making judgement on Napoli (Naples) would be very harsh based on my experience this morning and I am sure it has much to impress a visitor who is not on a bike. However I was on a bike and I was not impressed. The ferry arrived at 8.30 am just in time for the rush hour chaos. It was four hours later before I had left the city properly and in this time my mood had gone from tired to apprehensive to depressed and finally to anger. The depression hit me when I had made it through the worst surfaced roads I have ever seen, the manic city centre traffic, past some of the poorest and frightening looking estates I had seen since South Wales and climbed up a long steep hill to the edge of the city. About 200 metres from the junction with the main road the road stopped, this time there was no scrambling over the rubble, there was no way through. This meant a 5 mile descent back into the city suburbs and trying to find, with no road signs whatsoever, a route out. The anger came when I had finally made it out another 2 hours later and I went for a coffee at a café. This tall, fat young lad just laughed in my face as I placed my order and continued to laugh hysterically at me. It takes a lot to make me lose my temper and I just stared at him in disgust. He proceeded to tell me, I think, that lots of Americans come here and can’t speak Italian, I continued to stare at him and said I was English and when he laughed again I paid the bill and walked out before my hands found themselves around his neck. Things did eventually get much better and the coast road, albeit busy, took me out of the poverty and into some relatively attractive towns and coastal resorts.

 

Distance 91 Miles

Total Distance 4184

Av Speed 12.9 Mph

Total Time 7.30

Day 5 May 19^th Sperlonga – Rome

 

I was dreading heading into the capital of Italy, especially after my experience of Napoli. I felt the ride was almost the calm before the storm heading along the Mediterranean coast past numerous beaches, through quite coastal resorts and eventually flew through the sand dunes of one of the many Italian national parks with the southerly wind directly on my back. I actually reached Rome with an average speed of 16 and a half mph which was by far the quickest I had been so far. The Friday afternoon traffic gradually built up as I got closer and closer to Rome but I had the advantage that, as with most cities in the evening rush hour, most of the traffic was heading out. As it happened cycling through Rome was not nearly as bad as I imagined. The only real problem I faced was that every hotel and hostel was fully booked. Only after 15 disappointments did I find a room on the edge of the city.

 

Distance 97 Miles

Av Speed 14.7 mph

Total time 6.35

Total Distance 4284

Day 6 May 20^th Roma – Bastardo

 

I had to stay here, even if it was only for the FHM photo opportunity. My early morning tour of Rome, by bike, confirmed my initial view that a day was simply no-where close to being enough for me in this incredible city. I would definitely be returning without my bike someday. I quickly flew to the Vatican City where the queue to get into the Sistine chapel was unbelievable. I would guess stretching about 1 kilometre. Once again I feared the worst leaving Rome and couldn’t believe my luck when I stumbled across a bike lane than ran alongside the River Tiber. This carried on for 10 miles and took me right out of the City with only a busy ride of another 10 miles or so, on the outskirts, to take me into the countryside. The traffic then gradually thinned as the size and frequency of the hills increased when my route headed into the greenery of the Umbrian countryside.

 

Distance 100 miles

Total distance 4384

Av Speed 12.1

Total time 8.14

Day 7 May 21^st Bastardo – Urbino

 

Today would have been an awesome days riding had it not been for the awful Italian roads. Much of it reminded of riding in Yorkshire, with many steep hills, intense greenery, narrow windy roads and aggressive drivers beeping their horns as they pass. Italy has provided the biggest disappointment to me so far. I thought because it is a nation of cyclists I expected it to be a great cycling country. So far only Sicily and Sardinia have lived up to these expectations. The mainland has offered poorly surfaced, busy roads, too many close shaves with inconsiderate drivers and a complete lack of road signs. It’s not all bad though. I visited some lovely hill top towns today. Assisi was apparently where St Francis was born and an amazing church dominates the town. My favourite of all was Gubbio where there was a very colourful festival in full swing. This historic town with its majestic setting must be up there as one of the most attractive and peaceful in Italy. My day ended with a long climb to Urbino and a further long climb to the campsite perched above it with an incredible view of the town and the surrounding hills.

 

Distance 90 Miles

Total Distance 4474 Miles

Av Speed 11.9

Total time 7.30

Week 11 Day 1 May 22^nd Urbino – Ravenna

 

San Marino, my Mum had warned me, was on the top of a very long hill. Indeed it was and feeling very tired the morning was very tough. The ride continued to undulate taking me along some very well surface roads (I’m sure it was no coincidence the Giro d Italia had passed through a couple of weeks earlier) with every long descent followed by an equally long climb. The longest climb took me up the centre of San Marino which is an incredibly scenic if extremely touristy place with tiny winding alleyways and some impressive buildings. The afternoon was a complete contrast. A long descent took me to the busy tourist resorts north of Rimini, and then on a busy, long flat ride to the city of Ravenna. I loved it here; it has a feel of Cambridge to it with bikes everywhere and a quite central pedestrianised area. In Italy even the cyclists become a hazard though, cycling in the same manner they ride their scooters and drive their cars.

 

Distance 85 miles

Total Distance 4559

Av Speed 12 mph

Total time 7.02

Day 2 May 23^rd Ravenna – Venice

 

My flattest ride so far took me across the wetlands and lagoons to Lido across from the Island of Venice. An hour or so of the day was spent on boats; some of them 30 seconds to get across a canal and others 20 minutes as I hopped across islands to get close to Venice. 75% of the riding was on the horrible national highway between Ravenna and Venice which was over-run by artics. Venice was much as I expected, mobbed by tourists, very wet and dominated by incredible buildings and atmospheric streets.

 

Distance 90 Miles

Av Speed 15.7 mph

Time 5.44

Total Distance 4650

Day 3 May 24^th Venice – Gradisca d’ Isonzo

 

You may have noticed over the last few weeks there had not been much mention of the weather. That’s because it had been sunny and dry every day since leaving Nice and a} I had got used to it and b) I didn’t think you would really like to hear about it judging by the weather in the UK. Well yesterday heralded a change and today I got soaked. It rained all day and with a ridiculous headwind as well as a dull, flat industrial landscape my last full day in Italy was extremely forgettable. Maybe all that sun has made me soft but right now I’m sat looking at the torrential rain dreading my next few months as I head north back into the cold and rain. Bring back the Mediterranean!

 

Distance 76 Miles

Av Speed 13 mph

Time 5.48

Total Distance 4733

Day 4 May 25^th Gradisca d’ Isonzo – Ljubljana (Slovenia)

 

The sunshine thankfully returned this morning as I crossed the border into Slovenia. Yet again the border provided an incredible change. Suddenly I was surrounded by mountains covered in a dense, green forest. The roads emptied to nothing and gone were the flat roads of the Italian, industrialised land. I climbed up to around 1400 metres where snow was still lying and the tarmac turned to gravel and mud making it tough going. Around 20 miles of the day was spent off-road shared with only mountain bikers (even though they were classed as main roads!) Slovenia is almost like you would imagine all of Europe was many years ago with dense forests, little traffic and a very low population density. Bikes are everywhere, especially mountain bikes and the majority of the paved roads have bike paths on both sides. Ljubljana, the capitol of Slovenia is a vibrant, compact and attractive city with hundreds of cafes lining the river which cuts through the centre.

 

Distance 79 Miles

Av Speed 12 mph

Time 6.39

Total Distance 4813

Day 5 May 26^th Ljubljana –Ptuj

 

After enjoying a morning coffee in this city that I really didn’t want to pull myself away from I wound my way out on the numerous bike paths back into the countryside where I remained all day. There were none of the big mountains of yesterday; instead there were gentle, rolling, intensely green hills. I had an interesting meeting with a bike shop owner who didn’t have what I had asked for but insisted I bought something else which he said was better (I was trying to get some Speedplay cleats and he wanted to give me Shimano) Now the Slovenians don’t seem to smile very much but he looked like he was going to hit me. I made a sharp exit and then he followed me, fortunately it was to ask me where I am from, wish England good luck in the world cup and shake my hand. Very strange.

 

Distance 93 Miles

Total Distance 4906 Miles

Av Speed 13.5 mph

Total time 6.50

Day 6 May 27^th Ptuj – Keszthely

 

I eventually left the quiet but pretty town of Ptuj and the lovely shaded but damp camp site after 1 too many coffees and my first puncture for weeks. My route took me along the Slovenian side of the border with Croatia eastwards with no change in the undulating greenery and numerous enormous detached houses. I read that they call Slovenia one big village and its hard to disagree. The whole country seems to be populated but very sparsely and the towns are very small and compact. It is not a great place for road cycling though, indeed roadies are by far the minority here with many of the major roads pretty busy and the minor roads often turning to gravel. For mountain biking though it looked majestic. It was interesting to note as well it was the roadies that were the friendly ones here; always waving, the MTBers on the other hand tending to look down and ignore me.  Once I passed the border to Hungary the route flattened out and I found a fellow cyclist taking abreak at the side of the road. Some people have said I am an inspiration. Well this guy knocks me well off that pedestal. He decided to ride to lose weight and says he will not stop until he is thin. We rode for about 20 miles and he was clearly finding it tough going especially on the hills but I have total respect for this guy and it just shows what you can do if you really try. He has lost 10 kilos in about 20 days! Keep going Domenico remember it beats weight watchers any day.

 

Distance 93 Miles

Total Distance 4999 Miles

Av Speed 12.9 mph

Total time 7.10

Day 7 May 28^th Keszthely – Szekesfehervar

 

Another damp and cloudy day as I made my attempt to make it to Budapest. Incredibly 90% of the ride was spent on the Balaton bike path. This path circumvents the large green Balaton Lake and was mobbed with other cyclists. It makes me wonder when I see all these bike paths everywhere why the UK has such a dearth of such paths when there is such a problem with traffic as well as obesity. Its not rocket science…more bike paths = more cyclists. The only downside to bike paths is that they do make it slower sometimes as you are dodging other cyclists and taking longer winding routes and the locals do not like you cycling on the road. The chances of me reaching Budapest today were evaporating after lunch and when a seriously strong headwind suddenly whipped up and the rain became heavier I decided to take a break about 40 miles short. My arrival in Szekesfehervar did not give me a good first impression with a very depressed eastern block appearance and no sign of any hotels. Eventually I found the much more attractive centre and it would appear the only hotel set in a rather grand historic building.

 

Distance 87 Miles

Total Distance 5086 Miles

Av Speed 12.8 mph

Total time 6.45

Day 1 (Week 12) May 29^th Szekesfehervar – Budapest

 

I hate cities. Today was going to be a nice relaxed ride knowing I had only 40 miles to do and a day off tomorrow. The 40 miles into the city were indeed relaxed if rather damp and cold. Once I was within the city boundaries though a dramatic change took place. The roads widened to four lanes full of traffic coming form all directions, the air filled with thick fumes from the mainly old cars, buses and trucks. There were no bike lanes, no pavements and most annoying no city centre! For some reason the centre didn’t seem to exist and with no signs indicating where it was or which side of the enormous Dunube I should head I cycled for 2 hours attempting to find the focal point. It would appear it is just one big city with no real centre so instead I focused on finding a hotel. Unfortunately they were all incredibly expensive 3 and 4 star business hotels. 3 hours of stressful riding after entering the city I finally found something reasonable. After an evening strolling the city I am finding the tag “one of the most beautiful cities in the world” very hard to understand. Still, tomorrow may change my mind as I wait for the arrival of Matt and Jonny and enjoy my first day off from cycling since Malta - 13 days ago.

 

Distance 63 Miles

Total Distance 5149 Miles

Av Speed 10.9 mph

Total time 5.41

Day 3 May 31^st Budapest – Gyor

 

Grim, grey and miserable is my conclusion of Budapest. It would seem many will disagree and to be fair the constant rain didn’t help but apart from the few very impressive buildings this city failed to inspire. Our route out this morning was on the bike path running along the River Danube. Unfortunately with all the rain and the floods earlier on the year we only managed 10 miles on muddy, wet and sometimes gravel tracks before it disappeared completely under water. So it was onto the roads for the rest of the day into a very strong and blustery headwind. Fortunately the rain held off but it was incredibly cold for the time of year and the dull, flat scenery just compounded a very disappointing day. We briefly crossed the Danube into Slovakia then realised we still had a load of Hungarian money to spend so headed back into the land of happiness for one more day. It has to be said that the people around here were both miserable and unfortunately ugly; the buildings were grey 1960s tower blocks and the factories large concrete jungles. Gyor, though, was refreshingly attractive with a lovely old town, pedestrianised centre and a very interesting hotel. Most importantly the hotel also had a Belgian beer café for the three of us to enjoy the end of a long day.

 

Distance 95 Miles

Total Distance 5244 Miles

Av Speed 14.6 mph

Total time 6.31

 

Day 4 June 1^st Gyor - Bratislava 

Hi it’s Johnny here, at the helm for a few days while Graeme recharges his creating juices. So Matt and Myself have joined Graeme on his mad trip – and were really glad we chose this week – what with the rain, flat roads and blistering headwinds, you know that’s what riding is all about. Today started good, we said bye-bye to the ladies from the hotel bar (aka Knocking shop), few corners to keep you awake, then what can only be described as the most boring, monotonous track/road/beach I’ve ever ridden on. I’d go as far to say I wish my bike had been bent on the plane, as this was really bad. 30 miles flat, got chased by a dog and my pannier bag fell off. Quick café stop to polish off what would appear and taste like a dog burger and a few exchanging smiles with the local peasants, think no one smiles here. Then we were welcomed into Slovakia with a run down passport control, with the first building being a knocking shop. Tonight we are staying in Bratislava capital of Slavakia. To the bar batman…

 

Distance 64 Miles

Total Distance 5308 Miles

Av Speed 12.6 mph

Total time 5.04

Day 5 June 2^nd Bratislava – Vienna

 

Feeling a little rough today after we spent the night getting hammered with 30 lads on a stag do, and 10 crew members from Slovakian Airways. After robbing some sandwiches from the IBIS breakfast bar (a very risky venture) we rolled out over the Danube and onto a lovely cycle path, obviously built during communism for the workers to ride on their weekends. After a very short while we entered Austria, with a great welcome from the passport control kid, looked about 15, we plodded on. My seatpost decided to break, so I was then riding on a seat that kept turning every pedal stroke – not nice. For those not in the know, the Danube floods, so they built a 10000000000 mile dam along it’s side, with which they build a 1000000000 mile cycle path. After yesterday I thought nothing could top it, but today was as bad. Two hours dead straight, I even got excited by a pylon. The path into Vienna was nice though and we had a few coffees, got a new seatpost and then got wet looking for a hotel. Think the next two days is going to be really hard, over 200 miles, it’s raining and we have a very strong headwind. Going to keep Graeme going with some jokes, going to keep myself going looking at birds.

 

Distance Miles

Total Distance Miles

Av Speed mph

Total time

Day 6 June 3^rd Vienna – Trebic

 

It’s Johnny again, with the help of Matt’s magical memory as we are a little behind on the old diary. Vienna was wet, cold and grey. We are sure it’s nice but we couldn’t actually see much from inside an Austrian restaurant while Graeme organised his love life outside in the rain. The next two days were always going to be hard; 200 plus miles in two days to get to Prague for a few beers on Sunday/Monday. So the plan was to get up at 7am, get some miles under our belt, although this went a little Pete Tong when Matt texted Graeme at 8.30 to suggest we got ourselves out of bed! Meanwhile this did have its advantages as Matt could case the joint for potential sandwich smuggling from the breakfast buffet. This small quaint hotel had CCTV making this potentially criminal activity especially dangerous today – but we managed it, I was pleased with my 3 sandwich haul. We left Vienna along some fast cycle paths. After a near fatal collision with a lady cyclist laden down with rhubarb we eventually found another 3000 mile long riverside path into a depressing headwind finished off with some rain. At this point the river (Danube) was actually brimming the path which was actually closed! After rising through a town called Kronenburg or some such, we hit the first of the big hills. The first being up a long busy road into, you guessed it, a headwind. The rest of the day was especially boring zipping through backward towns with old hags waiting at bus stops. After much effort on the cheeky northern/southern (delete as appropriate) smiles we rode into Trebic. This horrid town looked like Hull/Blackpool/Hastings (sorry Nanny - Matt) all rolled into one. Our hotel was one 60’s concrete block which had been squeezed out of communism into the hands of Mr Big the local entrepreneur come all. His hotel sported wait for it: nightclub, manicurist, computer shop, sauna/solarium, Bedioum tea bar, sock shop, doctors surgery, Egyptian restaurant – the electricity was a little dodgy, we think Mr Big was saving on overheads. There was a musical festival in full swing, but after getting abused by some drunken homeless people with dogs (who Graeme befriended) we decided to hit a local friendly restaurant run my Mrs Grumpy who Matt did make smile eventually!

 

Distance 96 Miles

Total Distance 5453 Miles

Av Speed 12.7 mph

Total time 7.31

Day 7 June 4^th Trebic – Prague

 

After a disturbed nights sleep as the concert was going on till 5am, with a nightly mix of rock, ambient and what sounded like someone trying to break into the room through the roof (Graeme snoring – Lou he does!) we settled down for breakfast in Mr Bigs’ Egyptian breakfast boudoir run my Mr Big JR who had obviously not listened to his fathers cost cutting antics by serving cappuccinos for breakfast. The ride today was hard as Graeme pointed out after 3 hours riding we had only covered 35 of the 115 miles we needed to cover. After a short game of I Spy and Matt & Graemes’ Mrs & Mrs game which lasted about 5 minutes we kept the pace up until we reached a closed road with 3 bridges which had been washed away. Picture 3 tired bikers trying to carry our bikes over a bendy plank over a stream – Graeme very nearly lost his bike into the stream at one point. The road into Prague was terrible as it was basically a 3 lane motorway that went right up to the hotel door. After a short search we ended up checking into good ole Ibis hotel, they moved a few things round when they saw how the headwinds have deformed our faces and made us feel like sardines as they rammed another bed into an already tight double room. Having slept with Matt 1 night I decided to bed Graeme tonight. We went out to explore and found one vegetarian bar. My Uni mate pee wee came over & talked out Prague life & how the communist’s only lost the election 1%! We stayed all night gibbering quietly, listening to fat beats & enjoying putting our feet up after the 115 mile day into a rainy headwind.

 

Distance 114 Miles

Total Distance 5567 Miles

Av Speed 12.9 mph

Total time 8.51

Week 13 Day 1 June 5^th Prague – Prague

 

Oh God..Matt here, Jonny is wasted. Today was the day I was dreading, a hard slog , cobbles to tackle, tricky busy city streets, fridge magnets to find, cappuccinos to chose & chips..AYE, to eat– in fact today was just a sightseeing tour of the city coffee bars, wine bars and restaurants. In all fairness we deserved a break and the sun even came out, albeit it was still minus 4. After an onslaught of texts we had been getting saying how it was boiling back in the UK it was nice to turn our skin back to pink after a week of blue. We sat by the river swigging Staroplamens’s (Czech beer) and talking crap. Graeme got his fix- we had a Indian meal then we tried every bar in Prague and ended up in a very cool cocktail bar where we wobbled the night into morning as Jonny took photos of himself with nigh on ever girl in the bar. Well Back to Gods country…tail winds Tramp.

Day 2 June 6^th

 

Hi all its Graeme again, back on my own, back in the coffee shop just signing off for a week of chillin in Prague and resting my weary legs. Mum, Auntie Sue and Lou are coming over on Thursday to see the sights and I will be back riding on Monday when hopefully England will have their first win under their belt. A big thanks to Matt and Jonny for getting me through the last week. Shame you didn’t get the best of it lads but we still managed to have a good week in less than enticing cycling conditions. Enjoy the hot English sunshine everyone!

Day 7 June 11^th

 

Well England rather limply managed to beat Paraguay and the dancing ladies have returned to the sweltering UK. This is my last evening in Prague before heading south once again towards the Alps. Mum told me not to mention her toilet habits this time but for some reason it is always a source of amusement. This time Sue got in on the act nearly using a restaurant cupboard thinking it was the bathroom. Of course Mum had to top it barging her way past three bouncers into an R n B nightclub on her desperate mission. Lizzy proved herself to be amazing company as always putting up with the eccentricities of my family and I.   It is said that Prague can get under your skin which I can completely understand. After a week in one place (not bad for a trolley pushing tramp eh?!) I thought my feet would be desperate to push on but I could quite happily stay here for longer.

Week 14 Day 1 12^th June Prague – Somewhere on the River Vltava

 

Thankfully the cold headwinds and rain of the previous week had now changed to clear blue skies and gentle breezes (sorry lads). Indeed the only hazard was the melting Czech tarmac which in places created a sea of sticky treacle. It’s amazing how much more attractive the green forests and hills suddenly seem with a deep blue sky as a backdrop. My plan of watching the Czech Republic play the USA in a local bar fell through as none of the towns I passed through had anywhere to stay. My timing was impeccable though as I finally found somewhere just as they went ahead 2.0 thanks to an amazing goal.

 

Distance 53 Miles

Total Distance 5620 Miles

Av Speed 11.6

Time 4.33

Day 2 13^th June Somewhere on the River Vltava – Cesky Krumluv

 

This morning I managed to work out the shower, that I didn’t think worked, does and in the process soaked myself fully clothed as the massage jets sprayed out all over me and the room. As I was leaving the owners’ goats decided to run loose and the ensuing struggle to catch them reminded me of Rocky and his chicken routine. The quiet, twisting, undulating roads took me to Ceske Buejoveice the ‘true’ home of the better version of Budweiser. The historic old town had an enormous attractive main square lined with bars and cafes specialising in Tetleys (yeh right!) I decided to spend one last day in the Czech Republic when I arrived in Cesky Krumluv an incredibly picturesque old town almost surrounded by the river and dominated by a well preserved castle.

 

Distance 54 Miles

Total Distance 5674 Miles

Av Speed 12.5

Time 4.15

Day 3 14^th June Cresky Krumluv – Steinbach a Attersee

 

Phew……..that was hottest day I have had so far and included some punishing climbs that had me in 1^st gear for the first time since France. I left my room in the conical shaped building and my final few hours cycling in the Czech Republic followed the river into Austria gradually climbing along the way. Matt and Jonny had both agreed Austria seemed very nice, and that was in the rain so I was pleased to be heading back into it. I wasn’t disappointed. Everything is so pristine and finished off in a similar way to France. Linz, back on the River Dunabe, looked pretty unspectacular and then the climbing really began interspersed with some great long descents until I reached the Saltkammergut lakes where the climbs became incredibly steep, just what you want after 100 miles of cycling in the heat. The spectacular views of the snowy mountains and the clear blue lakes just about made up for it though.

 

Distance 114 Miles

Total Distance 5788 Miles

Av Speed 12.3 mph

Time 9.14

Day 4 15th June Steinbach a Attersee – Soll

 

Err it was even hotter today…and to make matters worse all the shops were closed due to a public holiday making refreshment sometimes difficult. The views around Attersee in the early morning reminded me of the English Lake District on a rare clear sunny day. It was to become more dramatic as I headed briefly into Germany and then into the skiing area of Tirol and the heart of the Alps. The picture postcard city of Saltsburg was mobbed by American tourists but very nearly kept me there with the lure of a very impressive outdoor world cup viewing area for the England game later. Instead I made it into the heart of Tirol and the ski resort of Soll where I sat frustrated watching England eventually beat Trinidad and Tobago. To make matters worse a Scottish family were the only other British people around and they were of course desperate for England to get beaten – Dad you would have been very proud of them! 

 

Distance 96 Miles

Total Distance 5884 Miles

Av Speed 13.1

Time 7.17

Day 5 16^th June Soll – Innsbruck

 

All this fresh air and Snitzelburgers must be good for the legs as I suddenly found some strength today. Innsbruck persuaded me to stay especially when the rain started to fall and I spent the rest of the day watching the world cup in the outside arena with lightning striking the snowy mountains as a backdrop then drinking Guinness in the Irish bar. Sometimes I despair of my stupidity. In the morning I had taken a hard boiled egg from breakfast to eat along the way. However upon reaching my room this evening I realised the contraption with hot water in it next to the hard boiled eggs was actually for cooking the fresh runny eggs. The fresh runny egg in my bag had smashed and covered my bag and everything in it in a thick yellow slime. Nice.

 

Distance 49 Miles

Total Distance 5933 Miles

Av Speed 16.5

Time 2.50

Day 6 17^th June Innsbruck – Nuziders

 

I think the owners of my hotel must have been Hungarian….I have never seen such grumpy service. After spending the morning in their company waiting for the torrential rain to ease updating the website I finally set off in the afternoon and the clouds cleared making it very warm once again. Being a Saturday there were many roadies out training and I couldn’t resist trying to chase them down, much to the disgust of the ones I caught. I went really hard on one long climb and caught a group of 5 and they refused to talk to me! I paid for these efforts later as the road climbed from 500 metres up to 1800 over around 20 miles through many ski resorts including the ghost town of St Anton up to the cold summit where snow was still lying. A fantastic 20 mile descent was the reward as the weather closed in again once more. The initial 5 miles went through some long dark tunnels and it was an amazing feeling flying down as there is little wind resistance against my bulky tank like bike. It felt like an Alton Towers ride as I reached nearly 50 mph through the twisting enclosures.

 

Distance 95 Miles

Total Distance 6027 Miles

Av Speed 14.2

Time 6.38

 

Day 7 18th June Nuziders – Vitznau

 

3 countries in one day- Austria, Liechtenstein and finally Switzerland. Leichtenstein is definitely not a tax free trailer trash hell hole. In fact it’s not much different to Switzerland with Vadoz its capital a very quite and attractive little town with a pedestrianised central street lined with cafes. I was going to head straight to Zurich but I was told how nice Luzern and the surrounding area was so decided to take a little detour south instead. I made it to Vitznau, one of many fashionable lakeside resorts on the shores of the Vierwald-StatterSee, having climbed once again into the snow in burning heat before the refreshing rain fell as I rolled down yet another amazing steep twisting descent. I really don’t want to leave the Alps. 

 

Distance 103 Miles

Total Distance 6130 Miles

Av Speed 13.1

Time 7.52

Day 1 June 19^th Vitznau – Zurich

 

A quick blast round the lake took me to the typically attractive city of Luzern and over a few fairly tough (although low by Swiss standards) climbs, with the reward, an incredible view of Zurich and the lake from the top. Finally a long descent down brought me into the city of Zurich just as the Swiss team beat Toga and the streets were in full noisy celebration with every car tooting there horns and waving the Swiss flag. I met up with Sam, Steve and Philip the Swiss guys I had met in Sicily and was looked after for the evening and shown some of Zurich’s drinking holes and pretty ladies hang outs.

 

Distance 56 Miles

Av Sp 11.5

Time 4.51

Total Distance 6186 Miles

Day 2 June 20^th Zurich – Muggenbrunn(Germany)

 

Well I just watched England stumble to a draw against Sweden with 4 Germans who all wanted Sweden to win so they would play us in the next round as we have been so poor! Anyway I left Sam’s (family) flat early this morning (Thanks again guys you were very hospitable I hope I can repay the favour one day) had a quick tour round the relatively quite streets of Zurich (stopping only for my first Starbucks coffee since leaving the UK and headed back out into the countryside on my way to the Deutschland border. As you can see from the Av Speed I had a very tough day/ unfortunately my legs decided they didn’t want to get me to Germany and once they had crossed the River Rhine they almost stopped and put me in reverse. This was the start of the incredibly green Black Forest and some long steep climbing on the way to Freiberg my planned destination for the day. Unfortunately I was simply not up to it and finally gave up on a long climb having been one of the amazing mountain bike trails for 10 miles.

 

Distance 64 Miles

Av Sp 10.2

Time 6.15

Total Distance 6250 Miles

Day 4 June 24^th Strasbourg – Saarlouis (Germany)

 

Following a late start after last nights party the last thing I wanted was a day of strong headwinds. As the day progressed it was clear I was heading back into Northern Europe as the fine drizzle began to fall and even the sheep began to look more normal. The area of Saarland is very different to that which I left only a day ago. It is relatively poor and industrial although fortunately has yet again a large network of cycle paths kept me away from the busy roads.

 

Distance 96 Miles

Av Sp 12.8

Time 7.29

Total Distance 6434 Miles

Day 5 June 25^th Saarlouis – Bastogne (Belgium) (Via Luxembourg)

 

The scenery improved massively as I headed along the bike paths to the Luxembourg border at the same time the terrain becoming much hillier. I crossed the border through the tiny wine growing region at Remich where the number of petrol stations (apparently its cheaper here than anywhere in Europe) seemed to outnumber the people. It was national day in Luxembourg and the streets of Luxembourg City perched high above the valleys below were closed for an impressive military procession. It was getting late by the time I had watched everything pass through and still had another 40 miles to the Belgium border but after about 20 climbs and descents I made it into the heart of the Ardennes and the infamous town of Bastogne where thousands of soldiers and civilians died during the World War 2 Battle of the Bulge.

 

Distance 98 Miles

Av Sp 12.7

Time 7.43

Total Distance 6533 Miles

Day 7 Bastogne – Namur

 

Yesterday I visited the museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge and learnt about the heroic resistance the Americans and the Bastogne civilians put up when surrounded by German troops towards the end of WW2. I have cycled around here once before when Matt and I completed a Randonee (a long organised bike ride) a few years ago. The riding is fantastic; quite lanes through dense pine forests and hilly but no really big hills. On the way to Namur I passed through Rochefort where Matt used to live and also saw a round of the European Jet Ski competition on the banks of the river in Namur. I finished early so I could watch the England game against Ecuador just as an incredible storm broke out directly overhead. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of a storm during the game but to the disappointment of the locals England won once again.

 

Distance 71 Miles

Av Sp 13.1

Time 5.01

Total Distance 6604 Miles

Day 2 June 27^th Antwerp – Utrecht (Belgium)

 

Out of my whole journey I have not managed to get lost like I did today. On paper the journey should have been around 70 miles not the 100 it turned out to be. The problem lay mainly with the numerous bike paths which although fantastic are very confusing to due to the non existent signposts. To make matters worse bikes are banned from the roads so you cannot follow the signs that do exist (although I did at one point find myself on a dual carriageway much to disgust of the car drivers!) Anyway the frustrating days’ cycling was worth it. Utrecht was a great place with cafes and restaurants lining the canals and a chilled out feel to the place very typical of the Dutch personality.

 

Distance 102 Miles

Total Distance 6785 Miles

Av Speed 14 mph

Time 7.19

Day 3 June 28^th Utrecht – Amsterdam

 

The day started well following the paths along the canal which should have taken me straight into Amsterdam. Of course it was never going to be that simple. The Canal disappeared along with the signposts and a 25 mile journey eventually ended with 50 miles clocked up with the final destination being a campsite 10 miles south of Amsterdam. I had attempted to find a place in the centre of city but after numerous attempts eventually gave up. It would seem if you want a room round there you have to book in advance or you have no chance. So I only had a 1 hour tour of the cities’ infamous ‘coffee shops’, seedy streets and grand buildings.

 

Distance 54 Miles

Total Distance 6839 Miles

Av Speed 12 mph

Time 4.03

Day 4 June 29^th Amsterdam – Holten

 

Riding along straight flat cycle paths into a headwind doesn’t get anymore interesting the more you do it. In fact I visited the Het Loo Palace along the way to stop myself from falling asleep but learning about where our past kings and queens used to sleep didn’t work. On the plus side the campsite at Holten is luxurious to the point where the toilets are actually clean and even more impressive the swimming pool had water in it!

 

Distance 82 Miles

Total Distance 6921 Miles

Av Speed 13.7 mph

Time 5.57