Viva La France

I meandered my way out of the very comfortable stay with Jos in Holland and turned the corner off the high street to be greeted by an old friend. The wind whipped the warmth from my cheeks and did a swell job of holding back the raging Doris the tank engine from chugging too fast down the tracks.

chocolate fondu, camping style

Lucky too as I was trying my best to get some good ks in to maximize my London visit which of course would have been much too straight forward if the conditions were friendly. In fact any day since that point would have been straight forward in friendly conditions. But there were things to do and places to see so I made my way south and west to a smallish town of Breda to connect with some recently met but instantly liked Dutchys. It was all the way back in Mostar,  Bosnia where we chatted over watermelon and dirty dirty plum brandy, casually making a decision to try to arrange a meeting should I come though Holland. It was again a short stay, just the night but when one lives out of a tent then a bed is nothing to scoff at, not to mention the hot shower and the good conversation. Thanks Jos (from the red cliff in Te Anau), Laurens and Natasha for keeping me well.

Sleeping on the decision to head mostly north to London or south and west again to Paris the thought of eating good food in the sunshine beneath the looming Eiffel Tower tagged a note on my imagination and guided me to the French capital. Despite the heavy rain and biting wind during the day it became one of the most memorable and exciting two hours of the entire trip.

Route de Paris

Houses and towns became more frequent as I neared the city as the congestion started to tighten and constrict the streets, people cars, scooters and mopeds all shooting for the same non existent gaps. Somehow everything kept moving with horns blearing and bells ringing from a city alive with the movement of its people. It was a steep learning curve but a fantastic realization emerged when it became apparent the cars would not give you an inch but they are looking out for bikes and will stop at least a few horse hairs before making a mess. With this knowledge it was possible to duck and dart, weave and wiggle, slide and slip my way through the hoards out in the festive atmosphere of a saturday night. Through the heart of Paris I cruised the high end shopping districts before taking in the city lights crossing the canal. It all climaxed when I entered the gritty sculpture gardens outside the Louve and headed straight for the spectacular Arc De Triomphe at the other end of the Avenue Des Champs Elysees. The cars where out en mass and the painted road markings where simply adding to the art nouveau style of the area, not the systematic organisation of cars on a road. It was amazing to be swept up in the people and lights and not become a bug on the grill at the same time. Needless to say I did not venture into the round about but I stood on the corner a long time contemplating the prospect.

Brussels

Meeting some more touring bikers at the camp ground I had a needed day off before pushing the two big days towards the coast and the ferry ride to England's Newhaven port. The idea of sleeping in a bed in a warm house got me through the long day arriving at East Ginstead just after 2 am with my little lights leading the way. England was interesting, off the boat and into the familiar rhythm of spinning my wheels I was struck by a feeling of sorrow that the trip was nearing its end. It was deep in the bottom of my gut, the unshakable feeling that I had come upon the destination of the journey, that soon the fun of being on the road and meeting new friends and seeing sights would be over and real life could take over once again. These thoughts were soon enough eclipsed by the even more disconcerting feeling of biking on the left had side of the road. Thank goodness for light early morning traffic for I may well have been a pancake on the road given the amount of times I ended up on the wrong side of the road out of a habit built up over 7 months.

Found Ya

Arriving at Siobhan's, a friend of a decade and meeting her adorable young daughter was justification enough for the early morning push and it was a sad departure this morning on my way to London. Yay for Jd and coke, m'n'ms, ice age 3 and black eyes.

Excellent Bunji jumping platform

It was supposed to be uneventful, slipping into London under the radar and meeting up with a couple of friends, but then when has Doris ever let me get away with that. 18402 km's wear and tear had finally come to a head and I could no longer put pressure on the peddles without the chain slipping. I had the good fortune of making my way to a brand new cycle and outdoor store that was quiet, fully stocked and had great staff. I explained my issue and what I wanted to do but they suggested I bring it upstairs and get it on the rack for a better look. It was worse than I imagined. I had almost completely worn out the small chain ring on the front to the point where it would no longer grab the chain and drive the bike forward. Hence the slipping.

ET

The de-railer was had it, the jockey wheels almost perfectly round with just small nubs where half centimeter teeth should have been. The chain did not even fit the chain tool, designed to measure stretch because it was like a fat person in a leotard and stretched beyond reasonable lengths. Finally, the brake pads were past worn and the cables could not be removed from the housing for all the grime and scum that had accumulated. The tecs were impressed the bike was even still running in this condition and suggested there was nothing I could have done that I had not already. The bike had worn out all its components.

Now in London, my wallet in feather light but Doris and I are in good health and ready for a couple of days RnR before the next phase of the trip, Australia. So here's me clinking my glass to Europe and the adventure of a life time.

Nelson - Auckland 915 kms (572 miles)
Istanbul - London 17487 kms (10929 Miles)
18402 kms (11501 miles)
27 Countries (NZ, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Lativa, Estonia, Sweden, Danmark, Netherlands, Belgium, France, England)
19 currencies
7 months + 14 days
4 flat tires, broken spokes, cranks, racks, bags, bolts, chains, cogs, cassettes, cables, housing, seat, flag pole, tent pole, Peddle and a bottom bracket. (dont buy a rocky mountain bike)

For every Kiwi who took the effort through the two previous world cups and stayed loyal in 2011!!
This ones for you.

Sooty Old Coal 2 of 2

Wet and wonderful Germany



Its amazing to think back on all the nice people that have given me nice things, let me stay at their houses and generally looked after Doris and I. So much so that I have almost come to expect the best of people and when it does not happen it seems to come as such a shock. Crossing northern Germany I was thwarted by a canal or two. Mostly large ribbons of ocean snaking their way through the very low lying inland areas and fairly easy to work out where the crossings were. One such ferry crossing happened on a rather shitty day. There was some anger in the sky and the rain fell incessantly all through the morning and into the afternoon. The wind drove the soaking rain into my face and never was there a let up throught the struggle to make the kilometers I wanted.



Oh Doris



I waited momentarily for the crossing on the deck of the barge and even took the time to give the old girl a once over and fix something to eat. As I was at the front the two cars and two trucks that made up the front row watched me go about my tinkering. The boat got underway and out of the relatively sheltered cove bay and into the main channel the wind began to tear across the deck reducing visibility and causing me to hunker down behind the leading wall at the bow. As the wind increased the waves that shook the hull sent frozen spray over the wall, over my head and saturated the cars. Still they watched. I thought I could ask to sit in one of the cars but I also thought I would wait and see if one of them asks me to come and join them. Alas there was no luck in this ploy so while the warm drivers of their vehicles continued to watch, the wind and waves soaked Doris and I sending a might chill all the way through to the very bones holding it all together.

Here moosey moosey moosey

People are quick to come and start a conversation with me when I am standing outside a petrol station or a supermarket and the other day as I was doing just that when a man sturck up a conversation about cycle touring. We were chatting about some trivial things like the start of the second world war and the fall of the soviet union when a land dismounted her bike came over with purpose put what looked like donald trumps hair piece in my hand and said "warm in winter cold in summer, have a good trip"?? It wasn't until the man joked that I should not put it on my head that I realised it was a bike seat cover made from sheeps wool.

Furry Wet seat

So here is some of the new plans that are zipping around that little head of mine. It seems that there are changes in the air. It has come about through no real fault of my own that the original idea to get work in Scotland has fallen through and failing any really good reason to stay in the Uk I have decided to continue the bike ride. Given that the very lose original plan was to complete the ride after 6 months and 6000km in the Czech Replubic I see no reason why adding another 2 months to the extra 1 already taken care of to this point couldn't be a good idea. So here is what will happen. In a few days I will reach London where I plan on staying for a few days

The cat wanted to Ride The doris

. I will move from there with Doris (assuming nothing else breaks with her) to Perth, Australia where I will take on the Snakes, Spiders and tree less heat of the plains across to Melbourne where I shall take another jet to the land of milk and honey, landing in Christchurch and make my way to the greastest place on earth. That of course would be Te anau and the gateway to Doubtful sound before taking my leave and heading to the winding, hilly, stunningly brilliant vistas of the westcoast road heading north to Nelson where I shall finish 9 months after starting in the exact same place. I have been accepted to the Nursing Degree Programme at the Nelsom Marlbrough Institute of Technology and thus will be getting home for the start of Feburary.

Very Dutch

 I will be writing a summary of my European adventure upon getting to London so until then keep your toes warm and your tires pumped up and think of me as you are having a nice cold beer in the sun. Unless you are reading this from europe where you will be inside as it is cold as balls outside.

Sooty Old Coal 1 of 2

Riga by night

As I have been pushing my way through the festive streets of Northern Europe I have been thinking about ginger christmas cookies, trees with lights, presents and that sort of carry on. A thought came to mind about the preverbal lump of coal that should one day find its way into a persons stocking. Firstly you would be excited, 'oh, a lump of coal'!! 'I can light it up when the temperature turns chilly outside and warm the house for my friends and loved ones' Then as you turn the carbon brick over in your hands and realise there is a sooty black residue everywhere and accompanied by a nasty smell and acrid smoke as you light it up you think, this isn't that great, infact its not nice at all.

Bay Of Riga

Using this line of thinking I might well be putting Doris in the stocking of a person whom I despise. "oh my goodness, how wonderful, a bike" Somewhat shiny and looking the part the recipient would jump on and feel the wind in their hair until suddenly and for no good reason Doris would become a lump of coal. She would tear, creek, snap, break, bend, buckle and all because you were using her as directed...ish.



Baltic Sea. North of Riga



So there I was out of the saddle and getting myself and Doris with all her winter weight up a small undulation in Sweden that felt like mt Everest after the flatness of the baltics when without warning my right foot gave way and I very closely gave up having children on my top bar. A quick glance behind and I saw the peddle on the ground and initially I thought I must not have tightened it properly when they were replaced a week or so ago. However it did not take me long to realise that I had broken the crank in half, an injury that is neither common or try as I might, fixable in the field. So I walked, scooted and glided the 10km in the pitch black into the next small town where I set up camp and made my way to the bike shop in the morning. Not opening until 12pm I was sitting outside when some old ladies convinced me to move into the small mall where I would be out of the negative temperatures. As I sat there making a hat or two I was inundated with visitors one of which called me crazy and invited me to the soup kitchen right before her partner dropped beer all over my bread. They of course were the local homeless and nutty as a fruit bar and indeed calling me crazy. I left this featureless corridor to the supermarket as they are always good for warming to toes when I was approached by an aging lady of slim build and a healthy demenor. I explainied my problem and you wouldn't have guessed it but she was selling her brand new crank set which we found out later fit my bike less than perfectly but fit none the less. The bike mechanic only had the tools to do the job as this lady, Susan had wanted her crank replaced last season and thus he ordered and used them for the same reason twice.

Baltic Sea

Making my way out of Sweden and into Danmark I was simply shocked at the treatment cyclists get there. There are lanes and lights everywhere and get this, the drivers actually look for bikes when they make turns. It helps that there are almost as many cyclists at a given intersection as there are cars so I suppose a strength in numbers is assumed. In Danmark you just choose the direction you wish to travel and there will be a cycle path along that route. Too easy.

Fancy that. Fixing Diris in the cold

Currently I am in Holland having made my way through the north of Germany, Danmark and Sweden. Joy and I crossed to Stockholme from Tallin having ridden the Baltic Coast through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia of copurse coming all the way through Poland. A big shout out to Joy all the Way from New York City who was with me for just over 5 weeks and amassed almost 3000km in that time. Pretty awesome for a big city gal. Thanks Joy and thanks for the post you put up last week.

Read on the next blog to see what the plan is from here. I have also posted the photos that Joy added with her post.

Joy to the world

"A Joyous Perspective"

Greetings to the followers of the Sore Bum!

Beach fire

Joy here. I've literally followed (and been followed by at times) the Sore Bum from Berlin to Stockholm. Ben's indulged me for the moment, and given me the opportunity to describe for you some of what goes on between the adventures he's been relating. I hope you will find the banality a bit interesting.

Yum yum, pastries and coffee!

Our days began with a reluctant emergence from the cocoons of our toasty sleeping bags. Change into the cycling clothes, eat breakfast of cereal and fruit and yogurt, pack up camp, ride bikes! Ben certainly spent the six months prior to my arrival honing his packing skills and developing an efficiency that I couldn't come close to matching. Although he did wear shorts for all but 2 of the days we cycled together, while I stacked on layer after layer against the ever-plummeting chill, so any head-to-head competition in preparing for the day would have been immensely tipped in his favor at the outset.

Even with all the baked goods....

Lunch!

With easy riding and favorable conditions, we trucked along nicely at the outset of most of our days. Until we would encounter a larger town with a bakery or grocery store, that is. Without any kind of certainty that we'd encounter another such oasis at some point that day, stopping in to pick up a pastry or six became a habit that will not be an easy one to let go of. A bit more riding before we would stop for lunch: I'd lay down a sarong and we'd make sandwiches in the sun or in a shelter from the wind. We spread our spread on many a bench of village greens, in bus shelters, next to lakes, even once in the lobby of an office building when a brief respite from the cold and wet was needed as much as the caloric fuel. Eating became something I looked forward to beginning from the last bite of any meal break, and it took me far too long to realize that Ben was munching snacks at a near-constant pace out of his handlebar bag. I was quick to follow suit.

Who's in the lead?

Back on the bikes for more riding through farmland and forests; along orchards and strawberry fields; past heaps of harvested root vegetables and lines of lettuces ripped from the ground leaving only a bed of soup greens behind to wilt into the soil. In every small village we passed through, we were greeted like heroes home from war with a ticker-tape parade by the domesticated (though unmannered) animals. The barking would spread from house to house as we rolled through, and the dogs would deepen the runways they'd grooved next to the fences that (usually) held them at bay. A squirt from the water bottle was often necessary to prevent the unfenced and unleashed canines from becoming our traveling companions. The cows would turn their heads, slowly following us with their fixed gaze, before occasionally letting out a surprisingly loud moo. Chickens seemed the only ones nonplussed by our presence, and I spent a great deal of time contemplating why the chicken did not actually cross the road. One does tend to have some pretty deep thoughts when spending most of one's day on a bicycle.

Dead ends

Tourist games

Navigation proved to bring its own adventure. I got a big kick out of the days when we had an enormous distance to our next destination and we picked a direction and ambled generally along it. We used what tools we could: maps, road signs, and bicycle path signs; on sunny days, we followed our long shadows north; we chased rivers downstream toward the sea or kept them as best we could to one side of our path; we encountered dirt and gravel roads that we would take a gamble in following. Ben asked once how long I'd be willing to try one such road. "Let's just commit to it, it's gotta lead somewhere", I replied, which was usually true. Except when that somewhere was a river bank with a long-gone bridge, a sand quarry, or a house at the end of the multiple kilometer long driveway. We did manage to continue along in a forward motion most of the time...only twice did we find ourselves riding in circles when trying to make our way out of a city.

Don't cry over spilled yogurt.....eat it!

Working for posterity

As the sun sank slowly, we would look for a place to call home for the night. We managed to find some exquisite campsites that people would have waited in line to camp at in warmer weather. We'd set up camp and cook dinner. If there was wood and a bit of seclusion, we'd have a fire to make staying outside the tent past dark bearable. We'd read, write in our journals, discuss the finer points of life, make a treat of rice pudding or popcorn. before diving into our sleeping bags for the long cold night.

So there you have a bit of the routine that we fell into. I hope all of you who know Ben can appreciate what I've endured, er, "experienced" in our travels without either one of us resorting to physical violence. Big thanks to Ben for letting me share in a good bit of his adventure (and for letting me make use of so much the gear he carried), and may fortune continue to be his constant companion!

Joy

Baltic Slug

nice fellows at lunch in Lithuania

I am beginning to think that the color of the sky here in the north eastern Europe is actually grey. The conversation would go as follows. Hey Fred, hey mike, great weather we are having. I know mate, I looked out over the lapping waves of the Baltic sea today and I could barely see anything. just multiple shades of grey..... It is true however that there is a certain beauty to behold when the sun does glint through the thick stratus clouds and warms the disjointed secondary roads that we a have been following for the last week or so.

Doris waiting at the Baltic, Lithuania

Joy and I thought we would be clever and follow cycle path that cuts along the ocean but what we found was hands down the most challenging road I have come to thus far. Its fair to say that I have had my fair share of challenging riding and it is a testament to Doris that she is still ridable at this stage of the game. This road being that it was only meters back from the beautiful exposed beach was of course very sandy and in places far to deep to ride. We took our chances on a path that led away from the beach but it introduced us to a grassy road with hidden bogs lurking just under the green surface. These sometimes caught us weary bike riders off guard and at one point Doris sunk up to her hubs with little more than a squelch of warning. Once through this smelly watery mess we made a farm crossing that was so riddled with pig scratchings and cattle hoof divots that it was akin to riding over a large golf ball. At least I think it would be. And thus, out the other side we popped into Latvia and headed for Riga where we are now.

a slippery bridge

Lithuania/Latvia

Doris has taken some TlC after breaking a pedal which I managed to completely open only to discover that the bearings were so worn they were not even round. In fact if you took a peanut M&M and dropped it from a mouth height it may start to look like these particular bearings did. Needless to say I bought a new set against my will only to discover that my foot cages would not fit until I found and used a discarded fan belt and manipulated it to my needs.

Start of the worst road ever

After a quick dip in the rather refreshing Baltic to continue my quest to swim on all sides of the Eastern Europe land mass we made a camp in the sparse pine trees adorning the coast but close enough that the refreshing and beautiful smells and sounds so familiar to the coast dweller I once was. It is great to be back where the sand is beneath ones feet and the foamy water tickles at ones toes.

 Further to my trying to fit in with the locals, as well as learning what words I can when I get into a country I am growing what I have termed a Baltic Slug. That is to say I have shaved my delicate face with the exception of a slug or soup strainer as it were above my upper lip. I have been known to give a cheeky cheer when I see a local (often swigging from a plastic bottle of beer) when they are also sporting the same facial do.

Joy and I have the good fortune to ask some lovely small towner's if we could use their fishing hut to get out of the wind for lunch. After they had created a bench and a couple of chairs by lugging large freshly cut rounds of wood under the awning they took off in their car to return a few moments later with hot water in a flask, arabian coffee and a micky of brandy to wash back the chills of the afternoon.

Riga, just in case you did not know

The weather has been extremely friendly considering the day time temperatures are and have been hovering between 0-5deg. I continue to be told by animated locals that it is uncommon for the ground to be clear of snow at this time of year so I hope we can continue to keep dodging that bullet.

Life on the road continues tomorrow. We head from Riga north to Tallinn, Estonia and get the ferry to Stockholm heading west to London where the trip is scheduled at this stage to be completed. There is however another plan in the works so I will keep the world of my blog posted as the plan formulates.

Pine Forests and Train Tracks

About Time!! Good on ya boys

When one thinks back to the long days at work some 7 months ago and the day dreaming that took place I never imagined for a moment that I would be camped in so many pine forests and for that matter I never thought that this late in the year I would still be able to bike in the relative comfort of shorts and a light wind jacket. But there you have it. The riding has been for the most part very straight forward with the exception of a couple of insignificient rises it has been fast and flat, which is great because the landscape has not really changed for the last couple of weeks. There have been some fields that have been left to weed for the winter and there are those that have been turned over ready for next seasons planting then repeat as necessary and you get the idea.

Who hasn't ridden a tank??

I am in the capital of Lithuania at this current juncture in a town called Vilnius which has a lovely old and cobblestoned Old Town and a new and up market new town like many of the cities in Europe that I have wandered through. Getting in wasn't the easiest task and I am sure when I go to take my leave in the morning I will find it equally frustrating in the opposite direction. People here seem aloof but once we crack the outside of the nut they seem to be nice enough folks although as yet no one has gone out of their way to be particually helpful or generous, Perhaps I am becoming needy as I am nearing the potential end of the trip.

Camping in the trees. Poland

A week or so ago we were diligantly following the map to cross one of the larger rivers that snakes its way across the planes of Northern Poland heading for the chilly waters of the Baltic when we were stopped in our tracks. That is to say that the road stopped on the waters edge and as we viewed the expanse of the slow moving water we could make out the partially submerged bridge embuttments and imagine what the construction my once have looked like but in reality had to make 100km detour to make the correct heading on the opposite side.

Learning Early. Northern Poland

I had the great pleasure of watching the final of the rugby world cup again with Andy and I need not say more than good on the boys and I am proudly waving the Nz flag off the back of Doris. So obviously in fact that I was approached by a polish gentleman at the Lathuania Poland boarder restaurant who gave me a congragulations for winning the cup. He went on to quickly mention the efforet he needed to go through to make sure he caught the game. The week before was successfully unsuccessful??? I was in a small town trying to catch the Aussie game and making my way through a few of the open stores trying to find a tv and the game. Needless to say I did not see the game but came out of the bakery with a couple donuts some muffins and a hot cup of coffee for my worries. All that and not a word of understanding was spoken. Love it!!

Fall beauty, Poland

Fall, Poland

Welcome to Lithuania

                                               


No real problems to talk about. Doris has broken her peddle so it remains to be seen if that will be a big issue. It still works but something is very wrong. Otherwise she is running ok with the winter weight she has taken on. Apart from the Police waking me up in the middle of the night and a couple of curious locals sleeping through the long nights has not been a problem at all.  Thanks again for the comments.

Warsaw Saw War

Its been a few days back on the saddle since leaving the wonderfully wet and historic city of Berlin and into the German countryside and I feel remarkably good and ready for action after the long break. Leaving the German capital was one of the easiest riding experiences of the entire trip. Take for instance the pain in the ass Auckland was to ride into and the epic I had when I left Istanbul to start the Europe leg of the adventure and this really was a breeze. Not long thereafter I found my way to the open fields and pasture lands dividing Poland from Germany. So continue we did and have now arrived in the interesting city of Warsaw where we took in a museum of the uprising in the second world war and went for a tiki tour around the old town. I must admit, this is a city like many other cities I have been in and add to that the grey drab overcast day and the temperature hovering around 8deg C and its not really writing its own story. Never mind, tomorrow I head south in an effort to make sure I am in a position to catch the All Blacks playing in the World Cup final sunday morning Polish time.

I met with Joy in Berlin and she has been riding with me since then. The riding has been easy and we have been finding some great campsites along the way so it has been a good introduction for her. We have even been invited into a couple of homes for coffee and showers so it has been a very pleasant experience for everyone.We have been pushed along by a strong breese which has helped put some good kms on the clock although when we turn north in a couple of days there is potential that it will be very challenging with this very same wind. Not to worry.

Fortunately the riding temperature is excellent although after the sun sets and the frosts greet us in the morning I am happy for the gloves that I crochet for myself, just as any worm blooded nz male would in the same situation.

Thanks for all the comments, Pip, I am coming to see you in Dunedin atsome point so you will get a chance to see how Pimped out Doris has become. Take care Gina, didnt have a drink there but I am sure it was a lovely bar, and Liza, you're gross. Lots of love to you all.

No photos Im sorry, the internet is not the best.

Go the all Blacks, stick it up the french

Czech Mate

Misha, Overlooking Prague

It must be said the Prague is one of the most fantastic cities in the whole of Europe. Certainly not the easiest to ride into with all the tram tracks, cars and people everywhere but friendly, beautiful and old as can be. From the hill top where I was staying we can look out over the towers and spires of this thriving city while throwing a disk around among this somewhat eclectic but brilliant group of fashion stylists, musicians and students to whom I have been befriended.

John Lennon Memorial wall

As I rode into Prague I was attending to my map when a lad of 20 some years rode over and asked if I needed some help finding my way. I had the address for Misha but no clue at all how to get there, and as it happens Michael did not either. What he did though was take me to his student residence where he produced a map and showed me where I needed to go.  It was not as straight forward as one would like so he insisted on biking with me to her house. Not only this but as we biked he gave me a quick overview of the areas I was in, stopping to point out things of interest and giving me a low down on some of the more interesting historical happenings in the past couple of hundred years.

Locks of Love! Lovers pad lock the iron grate and throw the key into the river for the key keeper to look after. Gross!! 

Prague

I know Misha from my days in England's south west and very soon upon arriving we were in the car and racing off to her home town of Chomutov, close to the Czech/Germany border. As seems to be the trend with meeting old friends, their friends are keen to meet me and find out what makes me tick, or at least what kind of a person bikes through Europe. And of course this is done over some great Czech renditions of well known American pop music. Take for example Grease Lightening in Czech.

A beautiful fall day full of daisys

Biking into the Cz Rep from Poland I was instantly greeted with quiet smooth roads that simply meandered through the most picturesque of vividly green rolling hills adorned with the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges of the fall that would rival the beauty found in Canada's east as the seasons change. Leaves floated to the ground as a breeze rusted through the trees and acorns fell in alarming numbers with strong gusts, making the going somewhat hazardous for young Doris and her fortunately helmeted rider. None the less, through such trying riding we made the destination in good time.

Andy's kid in Poland

As the seasons change and the snow begins to fall in the mountains it is now an unfortunate reality that I will no longer be able to acquire vast amounts of fresh fruits from the trees lining the sides of the road. A staple diet for most of the past 5 months I will now indulge in the hearty soups and stews that are designed to keep one warm and cozy. People are certainly surprised to find out my journey is continuing north and while I shrug away the suggestions that it may be too cold to bike I am looking forward to the challenge of such a eventuality. 

Found you Gina!! Trying to hide in Poland couldn't fool me

Currently I am sheltering from the drizzly rain here in the south west of Germany at my good friend Annette's flat. Annette also put me up for the night in Wellingtion on night one of the trip before moving back to her native Germany to follow an offer of work so we have come half a circle if you will. Off to Berlin in a couple of days before I head back into the east and into Poland tending north towards Estonia over the next month.

Love, sunshine and happiness.

Old friends

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Castle in Slovakia





I haven't seen my once good buddy Andy Gillian for the best part of a decade and a half but thats nothing a good night out untill 6.30 in the morning did not fix. High five for Polish pop music. I pulled into the Polish border as the light from the day was quickly receeding and the fog so indicitive of winter started rolling off the mountain tops and into the valleys. I went to the first people that I saw who were standing in their driveway and asked in my best charade if I could pitch my tent on their lawn. No worries was generally the reply I got and this was no exception. Within moments of my tent hiting the dewy lawn before the poles were even snapped into position I was asked if I wanted to come into the house to sleep. Of course I accepted and after a lengthy introduction period consisting of dinner and beers with them we sat in front of google translater and had an almost normal conversation. I think. The following day to Andy's place in Katowice was much longer than I expected and it wasn't until the lovely attendant at a petrol station made a call for me, gave me a coffee and let me chill out in the store with Doris that I was collected by Andy's lovely wife and we headed for the city.

Not a good road to be heading down

Its fair to say the roads in Poland, certainly in the south are very difficult to negotiate. Perhaps when I get further north I will have a better time staying off the large roads and on the rural roads where the trucks and cars aren't allowed to scream by at 140kph. Needless to say we made it without too many dramas and I have been here for a couple of days. A very welcome relief for my poor ass which seems to be getting worse, not tougher and more resistant to soreness.

Slovakia was generally speaking a beautiful place and filled with lots and lots of contrasting communist concrete buildings and very old churches and castles of which I am not too concerned if I never see another one.

William shatner look alike

Leaving a small town the morning I was trying to get to the border, I went into a pub at 9am to fill my water  bottles. Its become apparant that these are really the only places open at that hour, not only that but there are usually plenty of people entertaining themselves there. This one however only had a couple of patrons who were very curious why someone was in a helmet and a bright yellow high vis vest ordering a water in their local. As happens I left the bar at 1pm and was just a little wobbly on my bike. It seems that I am similar to a circus in that people enjoy the company of the exotic animals as much as wanting to see them perform. In my case they want maps and photos and then when they need to leave they call their friends who buy more rounds and take the place of the original patron. Its like a relay where I always play catch up but cat pull out of the race.

Hello to you too Poland

It feels like the winter is on the doorstep. I have twice now had to fill a water bottle in the middle of the night with hot water to keep my self from a restless cold shivering night. There are plans to get some better gear in the next few weeks but it will not be too much longer until there are frosts and the first snow falls of the winter months. Heres hoping that doris loves the cold as much as she like throwing me off onto the pavement. I was riding along quite happily on a very busy road that had just been sealed. The problem being the new seal was an inch higher and an inch narrower than the old seal so once I slipped off the new sometimes the tires wouldn't grip the surface as I tried to come back to the new road. This time my weight went over but the wheels stayed and I skidded out sprawling over the lane of traffic fortunately between cars. Dodged a bullet there but Doris suffered an interesting injury. Instead of breaking her chain completely which by all accounts although messy is easy enough to fix she bent a link in half. Much tricker to fix and twice as greasy.

In a great little tid bit, the German ladies I mentioned last story time wrote to me and said the bike was no better and no worse for the time I put into fixing it. However they came up with the name bobby for the bike as I kept calling it bobby when I was tinkering and they confessed they couldn't understand why. I racked my brain and it dawned on me that I was calling parts of the bike I didn't know the name of 'thing-a-me-bobbys' so one of the gals is now travelling on her bobby.

Some dude showing off in Krakow

Heading to the Cz Rep next then north to where the real expedition will kick off. Here to warm fingers and toes.