Yak on Tour

Legend

Cycling
Boat
Train
Driving

Guernsey, Guernsey ‐ Sep 26, 2020

104.3 km

After numerous delays due to poor weather, Yak and I set off on our last ride together of the tour. A super simple 2km through Saint Malo to the port. After 5 journeys shuttling the bike and Yak following by his huge crate by foot, we got ourselves boatside. The Condor ferries staff were very helpful in carrying some of our stuff on and settling Yak. A speedy 1 jour later we arrived in Jersey for an efficient covid-test before jumping on the boat to Guernsey. Plain sailin after several days of v [...]
ery rough weather. Before we knew it we were disembarking with the family waving us in at a safe distance. Time for self isolation and next tour plotting!

+2

Day 396: Island Hopping Home
Saint Malo, France ‐ Sep 24, 2020

50 km

... so that turned pretty cold when the wind changed direction. Normally, I'm colder than Yak in the tent was he has his full pyjama gear one, not so this night in the open air. Poor guy was shivering quite a lot and got a little worried for him. Found a way to squeeze all but his head into my sleeping bag but it still took a good while before he stopped shivering ... Cold start in the morning but warmed up straight away on tbe road. Easy coastal riding for our 394th and LAST TOUR DAY! Met a nic [...]
e French tourer from Dinard who was also riding his last day after a round trip of his homeland including the full pyrenees by foot. Entered Saint Malo as was only 1.5km short of my WarmShowers host Gilbert when the heavens opened again. Ducked into a cafe for the worst of it2x early morning faces as we set off. Finished the job and meet Gilbert and his Jack Russell, Whiskey. Cooked up a nice Lidl basics dinner, introduced the dogs and got talking with Gilbert. Condor kept cancelling, rescheduling and then delaying my boat on what seemed like an hourly basis. Ended up meaning I had two last days in France. Relaxed morning, long walk with both dogs, the three of us had a foot race on the local horse racing track. Cafe afternoon with the dogs and Gilbert before fried duck and a chilled out evening putting thumbs to screen to write these very words. After 4 cancellations, I'm not putting too much hope in a timely departure. Tune in tomorrow to find out ...

+2

The Home Straight
Mont Saint Michel bridge ‐ Sep 23, 2020

65 km

Scenic coastal start. Ducked into cafe for the worst of the storm. Found a host in Saint Malo and got Yak treated for the worms he didn't have. Got to Mont Saint Michel, riding the famous bridge into a tide of tourists captured on our timelapse. Gave Yak a whistlestop tour before a big downpour hit. We weathered it in a narrow alleyway in the old town. Both got fairly wet, Yak whined a fait whack and gave me the eyes as if it was me emptying the clouds on his fluffy little head. Rode back along [...]
the bridge and tiny bit of the canal before spotting a scenic bridge. With the storm intensifying this dry, sheltered spot with a MSM view became an overwhelmingly great option for the night ...

+4

Living it up under a bridge
Jullouville ‐ Sep 22, 2020

8 km

Hit up a Lidl at closing time and pottered south to pitch in a small wood as night decended. Nice to be able to see St. Malo and the English Channel! Edging closer, come on faltering bike, you can make it!

Farmer's Field
Grandville

94.4 km

What a dream trains are without a trailer! I can just simply wheel my whole bike on to the train whilst holding Yak in one go. You should try it some time. Always feels nice to watch the countryside speed passed on the train trying to work out if you are travelling 7 or 8 times faster than by bike. Poor Yaky was tied up and muzzled for it though. Defeated he just lay down and accepted his fate. As ever he bounced back with vigor as soon as we disembarked and I released him for from his muzzly sh [...]
ackles.

Train Travel and Muzzle Misery
Caen

55 km

Great night's sleep in my Gaia tent of ivy-claded arching tree roots. Feeling great on the road; seeview, Yak happily running and lots of new music to listen to. Had a host lined up and keen to attempt a 111km big push. Only got 25km when I got an epic flat. Found my earlier slash to the back tyre had really opened up exposing the innertube to the road and making any repair job redundant. Needed a new 26 inch tyre, which isn't too easy to find on the continent. Phoned all nearby options and even [...]
tually had to push / scoot it 10km backwards. Friendly repair man helped to change it and was back in a rideable condition but 4 hours down. Forced to chang tack, skip my hosts, change route and ride to Caen for a train to Granville. Not my preferred option but no choice in the matter.

Tyre Trauma and Spicy Samurai
Berneville ‐ Sep 21, 2020

65 km

Sad to leave the farm. Had an easy morning pottering about drinking coffee and sighing contentedly. Had a delicious Saint Mont Michel omelette for lunch before heading off. Me and the boss back to our default pairing. Had a great ride. Saw Hélène and Melaine briefly as they overtook us to feed their cows on our route. Followed a nice cargo railtrack through a natural reserve to get to the huge Pont de Normandie. Must be our biggest bridge of the tour. Shot a hyperlapse of Yak running it. Bit o [...]
f a hair raising one, as one lane was closed off meaning the traffic was condense and our cycle route took us on the pavement next to the oncoming trafffic. Memorable crossing but very glad to get it down. Next up was the pretty waterfront of Honfleur which really resembled St. Peter Port. 65km after a 2pm start was pretty good going for us. Found a dense, small forest and crawled under some ivy-clad roots for the night. The perfect warm shelter for the night 🌙

+2

A Bridge, a Waterfront and Nature's Best Shelter
Hermeville ‐ Sep 20, 2020

29 km

Relaxed start up on the cliffs. We stumbled across an ownerless dog on the cliffs. Funnily enough he resembled a cross of Yak and Eliot! Considered banging him in the trailer to fortify the pack but decided against it. Rode along the coast to Yport for some fries, local beer, refreshing dip in the sea and snooze. Carried on shooting a lot of videos and hyperlapses on the way home. We seemed to have packed so much into those two tour days. Eliot was happy in the trailer, very happy hopping up sta [...]
irs and sleep very well for his first ever camping experience. He definitively proved that old dogs can learn new tricks

Swims and Smiles
vattetot ‐ Sep 19, 2020

28 km

Hélène and Eliot join Team Yak for the weekend! So nice to have company on the road again after months of just me and the boss. Afternoon start waiting one weather to pick up. Eliot was all smiles in his trailer. Took pretty small roads down to the coast and the sheer, chalk cliffs of Etretat. Was a nice change not to be the centre of attention. Eliot's three-legged happiness in the trailer drew people's attention much more than Yak running. Left the tourist hotspot that is Etretat to find a [...]
beautiful river cut valley down to the sea. We hauled both bikes, dogs, trailer and bags up the cliffs for a cliff edge panorama pitch. One of my favourite pitches of the tour. Relaxed dinner and beers before letting the dogs sleep and shooting a coastal night timelapse. Epic tour day!

+2

Yak's New Recruits
Hermeville ‐ Sep 15, 2020

90 km

Relaxed morning surveying my land up on the hillock. Neither of us fell into any forest traps overnight :) Got up a few times overnight to set up some starry timelapses. Another hot and still day. This one took its toll! Very scenic first 45km along the excellent Veloroute du Lin. Contrasted nicely by a hot, traffic heavy final section. Very glad to reach Helene, my host on the farm, after a good many days on the road. Yak got on well with Eliot, the three-legged, happy farm dog. I was completel [...]
y exhausted and suffering from a touch of heat stroke on arrival! So nice to have the creature comforts of a house again. Edging closer to Saint Malo and the end of the tour. No rush to move on as its a 4 days ride and the rescheduled boat is still quite a way away. Leaving me lots of down time, to potter around on the farm, try out canicross, shoot some timelapses and catch up with this blog. A very nice way to end the tour and recharge :)

+5

Farmyard Festivities
Ambrumesnil ‐ Sep 14, 2020

92 km

Amazing day. Relaxed start saying goodbye to an early rising WarmShowers family. Coffee to go and picked a few tomatoes and pears. Flat 20km alternating between crate and running. Then 10km downhill to join the excellent Avenue Verte du Pay de Bray, a disused railway track convert. Super quick and traffic free. Great for Yak to free run but the heat and lack of wind kept that to a minimum. Finished cutting his head fur to keep him a little cooler. What a slim dog he actually is! Maintained a 25 [...]
kmh average speed descending to Dieppe. 2 steep climbs on 8km of road before we were able to jump on to another great cycle route. The Veloroute de Lin is also a repurposed disused railroute. Finished a no-trailer PB of 92km along this route, pitching up next to a 'trapped zone' forest. Good night for a timelapse

+2

Snips and Traps
Briot ‐ Sep 13, 2020

69 km

Found two cemeteries for water refills today, definitely the best way to find public drinking water in France. Fun ride today, feeling quick and light with Yak in the crate and not having to drag a trailer. Ascents are now much easier if I can't get Yak out to run. Headwind and another hot day, proved a bit hard for us, particularlyas Yak has no shade option now. Trimmed him on the road, to keep him cooler. Great to have a Warmshowers family for the evening. They have a really cute, tiny 3 month [...]
old Jack Russel. Bubbly, bouncy and sooooo tiny! Family dinner and evening walk with Loïg for the village tour. Bed for the night 🌙

+2

Furcuts and Jack Russells
Caix ‐ Sep 12, 2020

85 km

A lot of crate fun with the boy! We are adjustingto it now. Found a way to secure it better and realised that movement inside my panniers during the day means it needs to be readjusted periodically. 85km today is our current trailer free best. Yak loves it! Sitting and even lying whilst riding. Made him a chin rest for the side of the crate. Nice to cover a fair distance without the trailer. Pitched up in another hunter's forest.

+2

Y and a Hunter's Hideout
Noyales ‐ Sep 11, 2020

62 km

Wanted to replace my dics break pads this morning. Have limited experience with them as I've always used Vbreaks. Turns out my replacement pads a mechanic recommended were marginally too bug to fit, wasted most of the morning trying to sort this in the middle of a forest with no water left. Not ideal! Decided to disconnect and ride with only a front break which so far is going well. Mood picked up immediately by an apple farmer who collared me to refill my water and turn Yak's crate into an indu [...]
strial apple dispenser; great for leaning back, rummaging around and seeing water snack you get whilst riding. 90% chance it's an apple. Followed the leisurely EV3 trail on off road sections. Many breaks, the heat and adjusting to our new set up means we cover much less ground. Found a hunter's forest for the night and located a pitch out of line of sight of all the huts

Windfalls and Cratey Fun
Saint-Michel ‐ Sep 10, 2020

62 km

Celine, a warm showers host, offered to take the trailer off my hands over breakfast cake and coffee. Will be repurposed by a local bicycle association. Planned to cut down distances now Yak was only running and it was hot. Marie Pierre collared just on the road and invited us in for an omelette. Together we secure a crate to the panier rack for Yak. He took to it so quickly. I real great solution assuming the rack holds. Didn't make it in time to a scheduled host so camped up in a forest

+2

The Rise of the Crate
Charlesville Mezieres ‐ Sep 9, 2020

129.4 km

One change required which was particularly stressful. Literally, throwing all my possessions (including Yak) onto the train. Discovered condor ferry to Guernsey was cancelled anyway, meaning this train stint wasn't actually a necessity. The trailer attachment sheared making it unrideable. Could only just about walk with it over the river to an exposed camp spot

Trailer Rebirth and WarmShowers Coffee
Thionville

35 km

Bas and I relaxed in the morning. I got some train tickets to speed up our St. Malo arrival. We three parted ways and I rode the 35km along the canal to the train via a fun detour in Decathlon

Set Backs and Breakdowns
Metz ‐ Sep 8, 2020

103 km

Eady paced start, letting Yak run free along the canal. Pretty nasty mainroad climb, into the sun with a heavy Yak and a heavy trailer. Took smaller roads on the evening descent down to Metz. Stocked up on supermarket goodies before riding right through the heart of old town Metz to Ann Sophie's place. Had a great evening swapping touring stories and general purpose stupidity.

BASing it and a Tourers Social
Haedewald ‐ Sep 7, 2020

75 km

Super steep initial climb. Had fun filming 'a day in the life of Yak'. Met Bas in a supermarket. Super U staff gave us loads of food to take with. Bas is a bikepacking Dutchman who was a lot of fun to ride with over the next few days. Picked his brain anout switching to bikepacking. Even discussed the idwabof getting an emergency dog sling for a backup method to transport Yak. Cooked up a nice spaghetti burrito at our pitch over beers.

Forest Riding and Meeting the BAS
Birlenbach ‐ Sep 6, 2020

98 km

We set off together, Martin for a speedy 80km in Oldenwald with a cycling club and me and the boy a considerable less speedy 98km over the border. Yak and I breaked hard and fast today. Barely covered 10k before the lure of cold coffee / bread / fruit was too much. All self restraint lost a good while back. Nice forest section before flat, township riding. Found a 'neuer Wien' seller just on the border and took a litre of cloudy red. Nice to enter France. No discernable border. Straight into the [...]
hills on entry! Very pretty evening light. Found my recently married warmshowers couple in a huge farmhouse complete with handbuilt yurt and teepee. The draw of the teepee was too much for us and I assured Marieke that I didn't need to see the room offered to us. Had an enjoyable evening getting to know both over the cloudy red and a feast of dishes that remained from her birthday the previous day. Broke down into fits of laughter at points that I really struggled to recover from. Off for a fresh night in the teepee with a bit of timelapse photography on the go for good measure 😊👍👌

+4

Yurt Builders and Fresh Wine
Heidelberg, Germany ‐ Sep 5, 2020

48 km

Relaxed morning with a banquet-style breakfast spread! Went for a long walk together in the prettt Fürstenlager, a cool, hill retreat for the ancient elites of Darmstadt. Set off at midday for a short ride to Heidelberg. Hadn't revisted since I lived here 5 year's ago. Very nice to see the sights again. The Schloss, the Neckar and Neckarweise, the alte Brucke and the old apartment. Met the foodsharing reps making a delivery and made a tiny dent in the massive bread, veg and fruit collection on [...]
offer. Arrived at Martin's and spent a very nice evening talking about all things under the sun. Tasty 'beanjar-esque- soup and a couple of Weissbiers for good measure.

Retreading Old Haunts
Zwingenberg ‐ Sep 4, 2020

59 km

What a doddery day on the bike! Arrived at 7am and picked up a bakery To Good To Go, then found a green, forest path for first section. Yak enjoyed some free running and we dozed under a tree for a good while. Last half of the ride was a battle against tiredness, not helpped by a headwind and town riding. Eventually arrived at Gabi's. Very nice to see her after 5 years and she immediately bonded to the boy, spoiling him with treats and affection! Nice dinner and evening walk around a nearby lake [...]
before fatigue got the best of me

Forest Plodding and Evening Lakes
Frankfurt

494.1 km

Now that was a crap night's sleep! Had a stressful change in Hamburg as the train pulled up at a different place on the platform, meaning I had to wheel my vast collection of large, disordered objects further on and physical throw them piece by piece on to the train. The conductor at this point was very accommodating. There must have been a conductor change overnight. I was asked for my ticket 4 times during the night, then he kicked off when a tied up Yak started barking at a newcomer when I wa [...]
s on the toilet. When we pulled in to Frankfurt, I was a whirlwind of efficiency getting my stuff of the train piecemeal. Returned for the bike last to find my conductor nemesis. Hovering around, pretentiousnessly tapping this watch with a finger, muttering to himself. Jumped off to see him immediately not spring in to action. Nothing happened. He stood around for a bit in the stationary train. What then was the rush for?!

Train Changes and Sleepless Nights
Kiel ‐ Sep 3, 2020

620 km

Only really got a few hours sleep on the train. Arrived at 7am in Oslo and found an out of town park for a nap and lunch. Boarded the afternoon Kiel-bound boat along with plenty of fellow tourers. Yak had to be kenneled whilst I enjoyed the luxury of a cabin and bed. 21 hours later we arrived in Germany. Spent the day with a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend, and her two friends. Had 9 hours to kill in poor weather so gladly got involved in the vegan bbq, trying out a few words of rust [...]
y-as-hell German here and there. Then rode back in to the centre for another night train

Cabin Cruising and Vegan BQQs
Oslo, Norway ‐ Sep 2, 2020

393 km

A much needed rest day, attempting to sort out the logistical nightmare of returning to Guernsey with a bike, trailer, dog during a pandemic. The UK with nonsense dog regulations and very strict Covid requirements proved utterly impossible as a route. Eventually, decided on a public transport route to Frankfurt, ride through France and boat to Guernsey as the only viable option. Still a big ask! After a nice stay with Ragnhild, we left for a swim in the north sea and a coastal tour with Balazs. [...]
Fun evening with him at in a cosy cafe before boarding our night train. The first of 3 back to back overnight journeys!

+2

Turning Points and Overnighters
Trondheim ‐ Aug 30, 2020

23 km

Relaxed morning exploring the local forest with Francois and his daughter. Picked a good few mushrooms in the drizzle, seeing moose poo but unfortunately no moose. Francois demonstrated his tasty recipe of how to cook them up before saying a fond farewell. Balasz, who lives in Trondhiem with his girlfriend Camilla, met me in the village to show me a great, green ride into Trondhiem. I met them 6 years ago whilst hitching in the Lofotens. Crossed paths with Franziska for a coffee and dumpster div [...]
e. She hammered out 6000km in just 10 weeks riding the Baltics, Finland til Nordkapp and down Norway. Balazs and Camilla treated me to tacoos at theirs (a Norwegian delicacy I was assured!) Rode on to Ragnhild's place in the centre to drop my stuff before both gave me the tour of pretty Trondheim on foot.

+2

Tours and Tacos
Klaebu ‐ Aug 29, 2020

92 km

Yoghurts and endless fruit saved from the bins today. Doing our bit to reduce food waste! Met a nice German couple who welcomed me into their caravan for a coffee and bite to eat while Yak looked on forlornly. Francois came to meet us when we neared their family home in Kleabu. Very enjoyable stay with them. The kids enjoyed playing with Yak and I got inspired all over agaib hearing about their 8 months travelling the world when their kids were 7 and 9. An incredible, formative experience for th [...]
em backpacking through Asia, Oceania and South America

Moose Evasion and Mushroom Hunting
Orlak river ‐ Aug 28, 2020

104 km

Offroad climb to 1000+ for some leash-free running. Off road climb for the first 20km with Yak loving the leash-free running. Then we began the big, long descent of nearly 200km towards Trondheim. Very successful dumpster diving at Coop and a feast presented to us by a dog-loving manageress at a restaurant. She must have given us 2kg of freshly cooked beef, potatoes, dumplings and a huge salad! last us through tomorrow. Rode over 100km for the first time since arriving in Norway. After months of [...]
uncertainty, I finally decided that the tour needs to ne paused and decided to get to Trondhiem before figuring out a route back to Guernsey. 5000+ reasons to abort and excited about restarting at a later date in South America.

The Long Way Down and Competitive Eating
Dombas ‐ Aug 27, 2020

94 km

One year today! Definitely not as perfect as yesterday though! Our host pointed out that Finland had just recently closed their border to Norway, really putting the spanner in the works for our plans. Sweden requires 2 weeks quaratine on exit and with no Finland option an incredibly cold ascent up north would only require an even colder retracing of our steps. Took stock after a shower, coffee and chat with the friendly neighbours. This coupled with a very short night's sleep meant I felt pretty [...]
disenchanted during the day. Riding started well and then was 30km of main roads, lorry drivers were courteous enough but still not ideal touring. Two packs of sausages saved from the bins, I always ask first now and most of the time the shop assistants are only too happy to help. Pretty pitch up above Dombas. 700m altitude and unseasonably cold weather meant that the temp dropped to almost zero even though it was still August!

Anniversaries and Plan Changes
Lom ‐ Aug 26, 2020

85 km

Undoubtedly one of our best tour days which fell on day 365. Another very fresh night. Took the morningto climb the 1200m up to the highest pass in Europe. Beautiful views during a crystal clear day. We met some brave sheep on the road, defending their territory and making Yak jump, spin and back down. Met a lot of campervan tourist interested with our mode of transport and got showered with snacks. Once up it was a long and fast 50km decent all the way down to Lom. First camp on private propert [...]
y with a beautiful view of Lom. The owner even came out and gave me a beer a reindeer stew. Popped back to a service station for closing time to clean up with days hotdogs and buns. A haul which lasted us 2 full days.

+4

Magical Mountain Passes and Food Offerings
Fortun ‐ Aug 25, 2020

80 km

Took my time setting off as there was early morning drizzle and it was forecast to improve. My trainers broke completely to the point that the whole sole would flop around when I tried to walk. Luckily, I'd just arrived in Sogndal, found a sports outlet immediately who sold me some half price shoes for just 150 kronar (13 €). Can't beat that, especially here in Norway! Popped my knackered shoes in the bin and we set off again. Cycled along some heavy rapids with all the recent rain. Took anoth [...]
er fjord ferry shuttle and road to Skoljden alone the very quiet eatern shore. Arrived too late for both shops and was low of food for the night, with a 1400m+ climb before the next shop. Luckily I met Terje, a service station owner and snow plough driver, who not only gave me lots of out of date, still edible food but directed me a a beautiful camp spot 200m up the climb, overlooking the village of Fortun. Even found a peg going spare up here to replace the one I lost!

+3

Shoe Changes and a Local's Gifts
Hermanswerk ‐ Aug 24, 2020

77 km

Cold night with a notherly wind down the valley. A double pj night. On off drizzle all day. Beautiful mountain pass up to over 1000m when the rain came. Got wet and pretty cold descending. Dried off a bit half way down and wore a lot more layers all day. Had a lunch break in the pretty fishing hamlet of Vik. Iconic wooden 'stave' church there. 10km flat alone the fjord til the Hella ferry. Huge waterfall in arrival and then rode 20km passed Leikanger for a drizzly riverside campspot

+4

Manchester Drizzle and Double Rainbows
Mykrdalsvatnet ‐ Aug 23, 2020

43 km

Spent a nice two days with my WarmShowers hosts. Good company and food! Spent a good two hours combing Yak's curly locks. A big improvement but still more to do. Set off at 3pm which worked out well with the weather. Easy half day ride which was nice. Pitched up nice and early by the river for an early night and early start

Rain Stops Play and Bank Bursting
Evanger ‐ Aug 21, 2020

105 km

Gorged on blackberries just outside my tent before exiting my tunnel campspot. Pottered 40km along flat fjord coastline before getting to the boat. Yak ran up the gangplank at full speed as I thought they were just setting off! Turns put we still had a few minutes. Our second fjord ferry and just as zippy as the first. Stormclouds were gathering and we just made it to a park when they broke. Found an empty shooting club with a veranda that worked well. Scenic ride to Voss but got caught in th st [...]
orm on the ascent. Just about managed the 18km more to Evanger in crap conditions and in fading light. Relieved to have arrived at Artur and Blanka's so we could avoid the following day's worse weather and begin to dry stuff out

+2

Thunderstorms and Hot Chocolates
Odda ‐ Aug 20, 2020

95 km

Another top touring day. Gained 1600m+ during the day. Shot endless reams of footage of the traffic-free mountain passes, of Yak losing his s**t on a big patch of snow, of smooth and rapid descents and of Yak bounding only happy as can be leash-free. Arrived in Odda just before thw rain came down. First successful dumpster dive meant we had ample of supplies to munch on in a derelict factory whilst sheltering from the elements. Rode out of Odda looking for a place to pitch up. Steep cliffs runni [...]
ng straight into the lake meant we had limited options. Found a perfect flat, grassy hidey-hole when I followed an emergency exit in a long main road tunnel. Opened out right onto the lake and put us out of view.

+4

Snowy Craziness and Leash-Free Mountain Passes
Sauda ‐ Aug 19, 2020

7 km

Arrived at 10pm and poddled off a few kms to throw up the tent in the nearby woods, all the while sipping on a mighty fine IPA kindly packed for me by Seb and Evelyn 😊👍

Tent IPAs and Finding The Elusive Peg
Sauda

102.2 km

A romantic 2 hour sunset cruise with my better half 😊 Got the lowdown for our onwards Norwegian and Finnish leg from a fellow cyclist and enjoyed zipping along the water stopping a various tiny islands and docks on the way

Fjord Skimming and Route Planning
Stavanger ‐ Aug 18, 2020

102 km

A much flatter day bombing along the North Sea coast with a strong tail wind. Had a good few sessions cruising at more than 30kmh. 5 times the average speed of yesterday I imagine! Arrived just before the rain hit and stayed with Sebastian and Evelyn and their two kids Lucas and Anna. Lovely stop over and nice to meet the family. Got some more South America tour tips from Sebastian. Pottered round the town the following day with a romantic sunset fjord cruise booked for 2 for the evening. Promis [...]
es to be very nice as well as moving as one a good distance

+2

Wind-Assisted Riding and National Parks
Åse ‐ Aug 17, 2020

88 km

Toughest and probably the most beautiful tour day this year. 6 big fjords to navigate and spectacular views at all times. So nice to release Yak and get him running more. Home at last, back in the hills where we belong 😊 Kept the action cam glued to my head all day long! 7.20am start, pitched up after 9pm 😊

+5

Beautiful Vistas and Punishing Climbs
Øye ‐ Aug 16, 2020

70 km

Super steep gradients! Really only just made the first one. 200m+ in 2km, even getting off to walk might not have helped. Loved getting some actioncam footage of Yak running leash-free and some amazing descents. Norway is going to be an epic tour stage. Beautiful if hugely indirect cycle routes with tunnels only for motorway traffic and a conspicuous absence of boats and bridges means that one fjord crossing can take you hours!

+2

Funky Fjords and Headcam Descents
Tarvatnet lake ‐ Aug 15, 2020

68 km

Off-road day with Yak running leash free! Such a tranquil day. Incredibly peaceful in contrast to many days 'commuting' next to busy roads in earlier European countries to get here. So easy and legal to wild camp means there is never a rush to pack up or a need to hide. Great to finally be back on smaller roads and in the hills where Yak can run his heart out again 😊

The Long, Cold Road and Trail Racing
Farvatnet ‐ Aug 14, 2020

20 km

Chilled in a park after jumping off the boat to make an onwards plan. Failed to make that plan and so just rode onwards. Got done over by a crappy trail near a service station. Looked good on the map but was unridable and unpitchable being actually a rocky outcrop. Not used to thinking about gradients after the Netherlands and Northern Germany. Yak thought then was a good time to go spare over some insects or lizards. It wasn't. Luckily, we pushed on a few km to find lake Farvatnet that had pris [...]
tine water for a swim and a great camping spot.

Belly Flops and Legal Camping
Kristiansand

140 km

Two big riding days brought us to the boat in time. No issues with either Yak entering or either of us requiring quaratine. What a bloody relief that was! We met a good few dog owners on the boat which raised the question of Yak's heritage again on seeing a practically identical dog

Plain Sailing and Lookalike Dogs
Hirtshals, Denmark

29 km

The boat leaves at 1pm and its just 30km there, after two 120km days to get this close, what could possibly go wrong, I tried to tell myself? Never, have I been this paranoid that each glint in the road ahead is a jagged piece of glass set on puncturing at least one of my four wheels. Somehow, we made it in tact. Did a bog last Danish food shop before having to endure Norwegian prices and got ourselves to the boat. Met some nice dogs and owners on the boat, including a huskey and a doppelganger [...]
of Yak! Kiwi is an 8 year old Irish Soft-Coated Wheat Terrier who was like a more refined and regal version of Yak. Sorry boy, perhaps its an age thing. Regardless, a lot of great dogs on that boat.

Breakfast Clearing and a Boat Dash
Rubjerg Knude ‐ Aug 13, 2020

120 km

Beautiful sunrise sending rays over the lake and into our shelter to gently wake us up. Spent the first half of the day plodding along cycle paths next to big roads. Nothing to write home about. Met up with Emilie to taste some local ice cream and get some all important cycle route tips. Had a nice swim on a car-infested beach at sunset. And then dutifully followed her advice to find this mythical sand-engulfed lighthouse. Yak and I rode, walked, ran, and eventually climbed an immense sand dune [...]
to discover it. Yak went nuts on the sand. He did a kind of bucking bronco impression which never ended. Pitched up in the signed, public campspot in a clearing for a peaceful night

+3

Ice Creams and Sandy Lighthouses
Hobro lake ‐ Aug 12, 2020

120 km

Norway ripped me off, before I even landed ashore, and definitely not for the last time! The theory goes that dogs need to be dewormed immediately before arrival in the country. Unfortunately, you can't buy this in a pharmacy, like in France, but require not only a vet visit but a full health check before the tablet can be prescribed. Thus, I parted with 65 hard earned euros to give Yak the smallest of pills to cure him of the worms he definitely didn't have on the off chance that someone on the [...]
Norwegian border bothers to check. After persuading myself that money is just a construct, we sped on, perhaps due to the lightened wallet. Banged out another 120km in line with our slightly ambitious aim to make the Friday morning boat whilst incurring no mechanicals. Met a lovely bunch of locals at the Hobro lake who invited us to join their birthday bbq. Was designated as the 'he'll finish it off' guy and given copious sausages and beers for the road. After a quick swim another beautiful shelter awaited us

Birthday BBQs and Vet Rip-offs
Horsens ‐ Aug 11, 2020

70 km

Easy morning with no tent to pack up 😁. Pottered along feeling pretty slow and weak. Found a nice lake and park for a break and couldn't but nod off. Felt a little sick and weak before noticing that the water in both bike bottles glowed a pretty green colour. On investigating it seems my water suplly had become pretty contaminated. Realised I wasn't in much of a shape to further and happily accepted Pia's invitation from the Camp in my Garden fb group in the nearby town of Horsens. Had a grea [...]
t evening riding out to a swim spot for sunset with their dog Buddy. Very tasty omelette on the return and a soft lawn for the tent

Leash-free Touring and Buddies
Stallerup So ‐ Aug 10, 2020

101 km

Decided to try the smallest border crossing in europe (so I've been told) first off but it was corona-closed. Then tried what seemed to be a hiking trail with an unlocked door separating the countries. Couldn't believe it was unlocked! And just like thay the small German trail became a small Danish trail. Pretty quick going up to Kolding and managed to find a really nice shelter overlooking Stallerup Sø lake for the evening.

Hiking Trail Borders and Danish Shelters
Flensburg, Germany ‐ Aug 8, 2020

100 km

Forth hot riding day in a row, felt like today was only really commuting. So much flat farmlands and busy roads, not ideal touring. Keen to get up into Scandinavia for cooler temperatures and hills, mountains and fjords 👍. Dip in the lake saved my skin after overheating a bit (why is it so hard to find public drinking water in western europe?) Happy to arrive in Flensburg and stay with a friend of a friend. So happy I decided to have a day off which turned into the prefect beach day courtesy [...]
of the Flensburg's massiv. Yak introduced himself to every dog and beachgoer he could find in the jopepf a belly rub. Tasty bbq, a good few swims and hours of Spike Ball made it a top rest day

+3

Heat Stroke (?) and Couchsurfing
Albersdorf ‐ Aug 7, 2020

49 km

Relaxed morning. Went for an hour's stroll with dogs, Wookiee loved dipping in the water with Yak looking on and not showing the least bit of interest. Garden breakfast before reluctantly stepping out into the beating sun for a late morning start. Didn't get very far before we had to break! Made 50km to a free camp spot where Neele, Niilo and Wookiee rejoined us for a swim and evening picnic

+2

Wookiee Returns and Dolman Camping
Wewelsfleth ‐ Aug 6, 2020

110 km

Chilled out morning with the family; meeting the cute one year old, grazing on their raspberries and blackberries and getting inspired about cycling Morocco. They live in a beautiful self built house. Another relentlessly hot day on the road. 85km to rhe evening ferry over the Elba. Rested at 8.30pm for a bite to eat to see three cheeky cows intent on licking the salt from my handlebars, tent and panniers! Neele kindly agreed to host me very last minute and Yak went a touch crazy playing with he [...]
r regal and proud Newfoundland. Half bear, half lion, half king

Cow Attacks and Wookiees
Fintel ‐ Aug 5, 2020

127 km

60km by 5pm then shifted up a gear with a smooth and fast evening session to get to 127km by 10pm. Had a great, spontaneous WarmShowers host by the Rosebruck family. Pizza, beer and even being able to celebrate a marriage!

Evening Racing and Wedding Celebrations
Hanover ‐ Aug 1, 2020

174 km

Biggest day of the tour! Not pretty riding, just hammering along on the cycle path next to the motorway but unbeatably quick. Exhausted on arrival after taking on too much sun but very nice to arrive one day early and avoid the next day's thunderstorm. Very nice to catch up with Sigrid and recover. Pushed too hard and I took 2 days to get my strength back. Yak was an immediate hit with Sigrid 😊

+3

Motorway Bombing and Tour Records
Fürstenau ‐ Jul 30, 2020

150 km

Had a nice breakfast with Annebeth and the dogs before setting off towards the Germany border. Quick day with smooth cycle routes following the regional roads both sides of the border and a gentle tailwind to help. Laar is the tiny village that straddles of the border which we passed through. Pushed on due east and rode until twilight before pitching. 150 km today makes that our second longest ride of the tour 😊

Borders and Big Pushes
Zwartsluis, Netherlands ‐ Jul 29, 2020

70 km

Easy day today. Pottered north up the canal with the wind at our backs the 70 km to Swartsluis. Met Annebeth our WarmShowers hosts and her two hilarious and cute dogs the tiny Huub and the big and boisterous Bella. They both did well to allow Yak ij to their territory and then proceeded to play, nip and poke each other all evening. Annebeth prepareda tasty, traditional dish 'Erwten soep'. The thick pea, veg and meat soup was remarkably similar to Guernsey beanjar! Went for a fresh evening walk w [...]
ith the dogs and heard about Annebeth's extended tour with the dogs. Compared dog trailer notes and both decided we weren't particularly happy with our own set up but didn't know what the solution was!

+3

Adventure Dogs and Cycle Tourers
Apeldoorn ‐ Jul 28, 2020

104 km

Simon took the day off so we rode the leisurely 25km to Naarden together. Being the consummate host that he is that meant he did the full Amsterdam pick up and drop off. Wind on our backs and we flew the rest of the 80km to Anelies' place in Apeldoorn. Her two young cats were really chilled out around Yak and they all got on pretty well. Yak avoided his usual mistake of running full steam at the cat in question to play and then being surprised when the cat reacts badly. Had a nice canalside wand [...]
er, delicious spicy soup and a beer at a repurposed soap factory

Brave Cats and Soap Factories
Amsterdam ‐ Jul 26, 2020

77 km

Cheim made me a huge muslei, fruit and yoghurt breakfast, ticking off half my required daily calory intake. Had a set off later to give more time to digest it! Followed quiet, green cycle routes to Hoffddorp to meet Simon. Farmer's field picnic before letting the wind blow us the 20km back to Amsterdam. A demijohn of Old Rosie cider was waiting back at his.

+2

Tour Coffees and Mayors
The Hague ‐ Jul 25, 2020

108 km

Back on the road before 7am. Overcast day turned to drizzle. For the first time in my trip I have a fully waterproof coat, probably should have got one a little earlier! Rain was never too heavy. Had our second breakfast under a bridge. Met a nice Dutch cycling family on a boat crossing who improved my route. Took a massive puncture with a large piece pf glass creating a big gash in my tyre. Fixed up and Yak got to run under the sea along the Benelux tunnel. Arrived with Ann, Cheim and Indigo fr [...]
om our time in Kazakhstan. Great to catch up and let Yak meet their dog Tarzan. Cheim kindly sewed a few seems on my trailer and the all important GY flag. Even given a cold coffee press for the road 😊

Underwater Runs and Kazakh Reunions
Ostenrecht ‐ Jul 24, 2020

112 km

Said a fond farewell to Arnaud and his parents and started on north. Got shouted at three times in a row by idiots annoyed I was on their road not navigating all the pot holes and parked cars on a particularly rubbish stretch of cycle lane. We regained our composure in a tranquil forest section. Very unclear whether I should stay in Antwerp with Marlies' parents or make a dash to the Dutch border. Settled on the very nice compromise of meeting Miek on the road and turning to meet Lucas and enjoy [...]
a very nice meal with fine Belgium beers to wash it down. They then both happily escorted us through the winding cycleways of the city to the outskirts for a quick evening push over the border.

Pitstops and Border Dashes
Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ‐ Jul 22, 2020

120 km

Yak and I tried the tasty local breakfast dish of 'pain perdu' in the morning before saying our goodbyes and heading on. Long descent from the southern hills to Rochefort. Got fully 'cobbled' in Namur, losing a lot of time navigating through the heart of city. Then took the cycle path on the major N4 road for a speedy of busy direct ride to Arnaud and his parents. 568 km in just 5 days is a big PB for us in our push to the cooler north. Great to meet the parents and see Arnaud for the 4th time o [...]
n the trip. Delicious pizza and a selection of Belgian's best beers over a catch up wss a treat. Got excellent value and service the next day at a community run bike shop

Old Friends and Bike Makeovers
Saint-Hubert ‐ Jul 21, 2020

90 km

Decided not to pass through Luxembourg as that could have made later passage difficult due to virus figures. Did a celebratory lap of the 'trois frontiers' roundabout before crossing into Belgium. Met Valerie and Antoine who saw our Insta account on the trailer and pulled over. Had a nice chat with them and their daughter. Valerie then asked all her contacts to see of they could host us en route for the evening. Thankfully a bit fresher in the hills. Celine and family responded and kindly offer [...]
me a bed for the night in Saint Hubert

+2

Border Crossings and Chance Meetings
Saulnes, France ‐ Jul 20, 2020

112 km

Hot always hot. Worked our way to Verdun passed many memorials and battlefields. Eventually made it right to the Luxembourg / French / Belgian border and stayed with Loic, a WarmShowers host. The perfect pitstop. Cleaned up, had a very tasty meal and interrogated Loic about his epic 4 year world tour. Loads of cool stories and advice for me. He definitely knows his way around a bike and incredibly kindly fully serviced my bike and replaced a fair few things in his own fully equipment bike maint [...]
enance workshop. We worked passed midnight in the end!

+2

World Tours and Bike Workshops
Seuil-d'Argonne ‐ Jul 19, 2020

111 km

Sun beating down all day but did manage another 100+km to a small lake. Met three Bulgarians fishing there. Dirty green water so not possible to wash off. Pitched the tent and managed a full body wash with just 1 litre of my drinking water. Made every drop count. Nice sleep and woke to find a nice big stag grazing near our tent

Stags and Fishermen
Piney ‐ Jul 18, 2020

132 km

Big push to start our charge towards Luxembourg. Yak was in fine form. Spotted a fox in the road that looked as if it was keeping an eyeout on traffic while his deer buddy crossed the road. Cute and bizarre in equal measure. Had a much needed dip in the lake to wash down at the end of the day before throwingup the tent in the park. Biblical plague of flies and mosquitoes

Pontoon Dips and Mosquitoe Swarms
Escamps ‐ Jul 16, 2020

70 km

Beautiful morning run with Joe and Yak along tbe canal beforw saying goodbye and riding the 70 hot ks to Escamps. Had the pleasure to be the first surfer to stay with Isabelle and her mum. Treated like royalty! Really nice food, conservation and twilight walks

+3

Royal Banquets and Sunflower Strolls
Briare ‐ Jul 15, 2020

112 km

Completed the loop from Briare to Crete and back in just 10 and 1/2 months! A little slower than I imagined. Really nice to stay with Hannah and Joseph and family again. They were my first hosts of this trip in August 2019. Hope to see them again! Spent the whole mornin being driven around Romoranthin by Maryse trying desperately to fix my bike. Was looking impossible due to sizing issues, until a mechanic at Intersport suggested trying a wheel designed for disk brakes. Luckily it fit and I coul [...]
d maintain my 9 speed cassette. After a goodbye lunch we set off at 1.45pm and managed a speedy 112km before nightfall. Felt very quick and easy on the flat with a tail wind.

Loop Closures and Hosts Revisted
Romorantin-Lanthenay ‐ Jul 13, 2020

126 km

A fresh start for the first few hours before the sun came out to exert its relentless self on us. Had to duck out for a few shade breaks along the way. A large, irreparable crack opened up on my back rim just before we arrived at Yohann's grandma's pretty mill. The following day being Bastille day meant we passed a relaxing holiday here and repaired the bike the following day.

+3

Mills and Rim Cracks
Douadic ‐ Jul 11, 2020

111 km

After 5 fun weeks helping Vera and Yohann renovate their barn as a HelpX volunteer, Yak and I hit the road again to attempt a speedy Scandinavian slingshot, hopefully generating enough centrifugal force during our artic circle arc to swing us into the the very west of Russia. Need to push north quickly to avoid the worst of the summer heat. Hot and cloudless start to this leg. Found the swimmable Etang de la Mer Rouge for an evening dip and to pitch the tent.

+4

Restarts and Evening Dips
Valence-en-Poitou ‐ Jun 9, 2020

170 km

Huge distance PB today after misjudging the length of this leg! Yak was back running and the weather cleared as we headed out of the hills back down to the plateau. Followed an incorrect pin to somewhere a good 15km away after I took a slight wrong turn. Arrived at Vera and Yohann's HelpX farm after midnight in the end. Very nice to arrive and meet the family. I have been upgraded from tent to caravan for my stay here. Horus, their whippet, is incredible. I considering, shaving Yak and swapping [...]
the dogs when I leave here

+10

PBs and Night Riding
Saint-Goussaud ‐ Jun 8, 2020

60 km

Just 60km today due to the weather. Given bread, biscuits and water by the very friendly La Lanterne cafe and then pitched nice and early in a Gallois fort from the Roman period just before the storm broke. Beautiful forested area with heavy mist and thick moss covering all

Rainstorms and Gallois Forts
Saint-Michel-de-Veisse ‐ Jun 7, 2020

100 km

Had an interview using Wi-Fi outside a village church in the morning. Then started on towards Poitiers in the afternoon. Did exactly 100km through the rolling hills. I allowed Yak to do a little running, thankfully, as that caused a huge grain of wheat that the boy poor had lodged under the skin of his paw for over a month to dislodge itself. It popped out through the open wound, and just like that, he healed himself. Road therapy. Found a nice forest spot to camp although it's hunting season so [...]
we heard a good deal of gunshots in the night

Self Treatment and Hunting Forests
Saint Martins a Tours ‐ May 16, 2020

87 km

Long day in the saddle to get to Anna's beautiful new house in this tiny village in Puy de Dômes. Bit of mental battle to climb the seemingly never-ending 550m+ hill near the end of the day. Made it eventually and had a misty lunch by the side of lake. Each perfectly conical 'Puy' or hillock in this area is an ancient volcano. Complemented with many forests and lakes this area is also great for trail running and hikes. Definitely a strange time to be travelling, I felt like the only 'tourist' [...]
in the whole of the Ardeche et Cantal departments. Ended up staying for 3 weeks as Yak's paw took so longer to heal after an operation and stitches. The perfect place to stay though

Puys and Unicorns
Paulhac ‐ May 15, 2020

110 km

Back on the road at 7am for a long day in the hills. Nico, a friendly passerby, insisted that he buy me local beer to try in the evening after enquiring anout my trailer (for his son) and my trip. I wasn't sure ho locals would react to a foreigner riding through their villages in the age of Corona but so far the majority like Nico have been very friendly. Lots of noce riding to be had in the rolling hills in this part of the Ardeche. Bit of a chilly, misty day at around 1000m elevation. Found a [...]
nother nice forest spot for the evening

+3

Craft Beer Sampling and Rolling Hills
Fontanes ‐ May 14, 2020

50 km

Started climbing up to the plateau in the Ardeche, quite a slow and steady day checking up on Yak who still was struggling with a suspected splinter in his paw that just won't budge. Commanding view for lunch. First wild camping night in ages, nice secluded spot with a lake not too far away. Forecast was very poor so we stocked up with loads of stuff at the supermarket and then weather the next day's continual rain in the tent. Popped out for a lake swim in a slight let up in the rain. Passed th [...]
e day reading, doing some Spanish and alternating between treating Yak's paw and giving him belly rubs.

+5

Yak Poor Paw
Saint-Mélany ‐ May 12, 2020

30 km

A short ride away, Yak and I had the absolute pleasure to stay in Vera and Yohanns' strawbale holiday home in Saint Melany. The built this second home themselves in this very pretty village in the hills. Commanding view of the valley and with hills, forests and trails leading out in every direction. Really felt the calmness of village life in this paradise. Had a good few exploratory runs in the hills with Yak and even managed a timed trail half marathon in which I picked up a dog that would not [...]
return home.

+8

A Zen Retreat in the Ardeche
Ribes ‐ May 11, 2020

140 km

Eventually the 8 week lockdown in France was lifted and we were free to ride into the Ardeche. Stayed in a beautiful strawbale house made by my host Thomas and an army of WWOOFers over a 5 year period. Beautiful location in the hills in Ribes with forested trials in all directions. So nice to be back on the move and it was a particularly special first stop

+5

Strawbale Freedom
Avignon ‐ Mar 17, 2020

75 km

Far too short a time to get back to Guernsey. Options were limited to semi-permanent camping in the woods without electricity or internet, avoiding the authorities and army whilst foraging for food. At this point we were told 2 weeks not knowing it would drag on for 8 in total. I planned to spend two nights at Steve's friend Clotilde but we ended up staying for the whole lockdown. She works on a agricultural school, a hugely better option than going to ground, and saving our skin. Managed to rid [...]
e the 75km and do a big shop all before 11am so I could arrive before the midday lockdown. We set off at 6am and just hammered the big roads. The confinement allowed us just 1km of freedom but luckily the farm was large and we could even get to the river within this radius, so Yak had space and I could perfect the interval running. We passed the time with the following projects: 1. Helping out on the farm as they had lost their student workforce. Our main duties were onion planting and weeding. Nice to be able to contribute in this little way. 2. Learning to sail! Did a few online courses to get the basics together for the far fetched plan of crewing a sailing boat from the Canaries to South Amercia at the very tail end of the season with my bike, trailer, no experience and a water-fearing dog. 3. Attempting a 7 day fitness challenge with Josh back in Guernsey. I ruined my back after 300 squats with a car tyre. The squats themselves were fine but it was actually twisting after putting the tyre down that it went. Queue 3 days holed up in bed and pain for 10 days, never had it that bad! 4. Getting back into the running for a virtual PB attempt. 5. Virtual yoga with my Italian buddies. 6. Regular quizzes and games with family back home and Manchester friends. And just like that the 8 weeks had passed and we were free-ish to ride again within France. Getting back into running, overhauling the bike, letting Yak loose and learning lots of farming skills.

+14

The Grand Avignon Lockdown
Aix-en-Provence ‐ Mar 14, 2020

58 km

Spectacular mountain track between Marseille and Aix with great views of the Med. Managed to arrive before dark at the Manchester reunion in Aix. Met Geoff, Simon and Alice, the three members of our 17 strong group who made it over. Covid came at a bad time for this reunion with many people calling the shot to cancel the night before the flights out. The MASSIVE villa was wholey too big for us four, should have bought along more dogs to fill space. We still had a great time and was so nice to se [...]
e these three after at least 5 years. In keeping with Manchester CS tradition we filled out time with cooking bizarre meals, hikes in the fresh air, chit chat, laughter and many, many stupid games. Met up with a local CSer for a walk along a nearby river before returning for 'league' based game competition. Table football seemed to excite Yak in particular, perhaps it was our excitement or the noise. Either way, either Geoff or Simon had to focus on the game whilst Yak performed a rhythmic denim cuddle to their legs. What a WAG he has turned into! Time's up made the competition, Simon was unstoppable and I was particular poor if I remember correctly. Then it was pentaque outside. We decided to let Yak play as a wild card 'interferer' who could chase certain balls, nudge others and generally remove any aspect of skill from the game. And then the Grande Finale ... Notre Spectacle Enorme. We had to involve the trampoline somehow. We devised the following rules for this round: Each Gymnast would have 20 seconds to provide an interpretative dance to a piece of music selected by the other competitors, with just one walk through allowed before their performance was filmed. The four criteria for scoring were Technical Difficulty, Apparent Joy, Musical Synchronisation and Involvement of Yak. Geoff stepped up to the plate and gamely kicked things off with a mostly supine version of Blonde - I touch myself. Strong on interpretative dance, less strong on bouncing. Then I was up with a slightly bouncier version on MJ's Thriller. I think Alice messed up the timing as my piece came to an end, as planned, at 19 seconds when she 'informed' me I had 8 seconds still to bounce. This threw me and resulted in some disastrous misbouncing and awkward landings. My score plummeted in the eyes of the judges and my hopes were crushed. If only I forgave easily. Alice was next up and was given exactly 20 seconds. She Alice maxed out for Apparent Joy in her interpretation of Right Said Fred's - I'm too Sexy. Simon, keen to nail a unforgettable performance, produced an incredible Star Wars - The Imperial March show for us. This epic began with a goosestep march which quickly gave way to wild and incoherent screaming choreographed nicely to random movements of his limbs. Truely unforgettable. He scored very highly on both Apparent Joy and Involvement of Yak and, in fact, took the round with this breathtaking display ... After all our fun and games our last evening together was a bit more 'back to reality'. Macron was due to speak in the evening and it looked like France would lockdown. A quick translation confirmed that at midday the following day France would grind to a halt. Simon had already headed off to the airport by this point and Alice and Geoff flew out in the morning, luckily avoided getting caught. That left me and Yako to make ourselves a lockdown plan and pronto ...

+7

The European Outdoor Trampoline Championships
Marseille ‐ Mar 11, 2020

109 km

Nice village riding and long descent down a gorge back to see level. Made good time and thankfully arrived in a traffic-clogged Marseille before dark. Hate big city riding with all my stuff and the dog. No fun, none at all. Very happy to get to Steve and Frans. Straight off to the beach for a sunset beer 🌅👍 Very nice to meet their friends, explore the centre and catch up after such a long time. They had a friend over for the first evening whilst we enjoyed a Spag 5000 dinner cooked by Stev [...]
e's fair hand. My new DJI Osmo Action Camera was waiting for me at theirs. Enjoyed testing it out along with my running sandals in the nearby Calanques National Park with Yakidoo. Such a surreal experience to be transported from bustling city into jungle calmness after just a 2km walk. Towering craggy peaks, dense jungle, caves and crisscrossing trails, all with great views of the Med and the city below. Shot some great footage of Yak flying around like an idiot. Second evening was with their friends downtown in Marseille centre. Both Steve and Frans French was coming along nicely. They were enjoying the south of France and all the sports the Med on their doorstep offered them; paddle boarding, surfing and kite surfing as well as great hikes nearby. The centre was pretty bustling in the evening, people seemingly unconcerned about the pandemic on the doorstep. No different to many other places I assume. Great to meet Fran for the first time and see Steve again. We planned to meet again in a month or two on the west coast of France but that plan soon got knocked on the head. Til the next time then you two 😄

+5

Sunset Beers and Reunions
Carces ‐ Mar 10, 2020

117 km

Pretty coastal riding at the at start but super slow due to the continual traffic lights and built up areas by the sea. Great to move inland and up into a forest national park. We rode all day with brief stops to gain some ground for the 2 day Marseille push. Found a perfect wild camp spot by a lake and waterfall

+3

Busy Beaches and Empty National Parks
Nice ‐ Mar 7, 2020

35 km

A relief to leave Monaco! The Nice waterfront is super wide and it was great for me running or riding with Yak. Quentin and Vera on Couchsurfing kindly hosted us along with their friend Thomas. Really nice bunch of people. They and their friends are very good jugglers and most have spent years traveling the world. Beautiful weather for a day in the park, fun games with good people. Tested out my running sandals. Need to work on the knots, super light but they didn't feel very secure, will see. [...]
I had a chillout day whilst the others spent the afternoon painting their van. Quentin and Vera have spent years on the road and in the van and were soon off in it to work the grape picking season, which they just managed to get to before lockdown kicked in. Very nice stay with them and got some good tips about places to go in Portugal from Vera (not that I would be able to ride there in the end). Cheers guys! 😊👍

+4

Jugglers and Magicians
Monaco, Monaco

30 km

Popped into Monaco. I have never been somewhere that I fit in less and that I am so glad I don't fit in! One just to tick off. I had to leave Yak in his trailer in an underground car park whilst I went to check out Casino Monte Carlo. Everyone is suited and in designer wear, full make up and driving expensive cars, all trying to out do each other. 18€ just to get access to the roulette table was exactly 18€ more than I was willing to pay. Is place is all about IMAGE and POSTURING! Spent a go [...]
od while trying to navigate the extensive tunnel systems and one ways and at last we were back in France. Never again!

Riverias and Casinos
Nice, France ‐ Mar 6, 2020

Delayed but the ferry did end up sailing. Found an okish spot to sleep and no-one protested about Yak being there. Not as rough as I thought it would be. Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica all briefly visited on a fairly speedy tour. Next stop Manchester Couchsurfing reunion, what could possibly get in our way? ...

Back to the Mainland
Bastia

82 km

Nice morning getting the views of the citadel, old town and mountains. A couple of little climbs before the route trended downhill to the sea. Warm, sunny day that turned very blustery in the evening. Ferry was delayed. Got kicked out of the terminal to wait in the gale force winds in the dark because of my scary, rabid attack dog. Ridiculous. 0/10 for customer service.

Corsica Out
Corte ‐ Mar 5, 2020

75 km

Great day riding up into the mountains in the interior of Corsica. Many black pigs special to Corsica in the area. Best boulangerie ever in the mountain village of Bocognano! Three generations of the Guidotti family have been running this authentic boulangerie for 100 years. Delicious pastries and they offered me a free sample of biscotti Corse, still hot from the oven. Just about made the 1163m+ climb before the rain came. Haut Corse is very scenic and we climbed following the well known mounta [...]
in railroute. Didn't get too wet in the end. Nice quick descent to the university town of Corte for my last evening in Corscia during our brief stop-over here. Happy to weather the storm at the Couchsurfer Pauline's place. Two hosts back to back is the highlife!

+4

Biscotti Bakeries in Haute Corse
Afa ‐ Mar 3, 2020

82 km

Two big climbs of 700m+ meters. Yesterday's rain turned into very gusty wind and long periods of hail! Arrived at Ajaccio in good time and had a drink with some friendly locals in town. Yann came to collect me and after 5 nights outside it was a great relief to wash, dry and get warm at his very nice place in the country with Solene and their two boys. Very enjoyable evening getting to know them, eating great food and trying out my rusty French 🖒 The perfect chill out day to get myself back o [...]
n track. Nice walk along a pretty beach with the family and Yak bouncing around. Yet more delicious food. Me and Yak really ate like kings at theirs! Nice to meeting these distance relatives on my aunts side and hear stories about the Handball glorydays. Huge thanks to my generous hosts 🥳

+3

Cold Hailstorms and Warm Hosts
Sartene ‐ Mar 2, 2020

68 km

Got going early to gain ground before the storm hit. Got soaked just before entering Sartene where I holed up in a cafe. I just missed a Canicross event nearby which was interesting to read about in the local paper. Me and Yak would have been pretty competitive! No let up in the rain and couldn't really dry off inside. One cafe owner didn't like me using the rain protection of the parasols of his empty outdoor seating area, so I returned to find he had dragged my bike and trailer (in spite of t [...]
he locked wheel out into rain to get a real soaking. What a thoughtful chap (were not the exact words I used to describe him when I had seen what he had done!) It did relent eventually and again very hard to find a camping spot as darkness fell. So little flat, tent shaped places around! People here are desperate to lay claim to land and build high walls and fences.

High Walls and Dense Jungles
Bonifacio ‐ Mar 1, 2020

8 km

Arrived as the light was fading. Headed off to the nearest cafe to get Wifi and see if I had any hosts (nope!). Got a bit of a shock seeing the bill for a beer, marked difference in prices between Italian and French soil! Took a good while to find anyway to pitch as all land seemed to be private with high walls and fences protecting dense jungle inside. Really took me ages. Eventually found a tent shaped piece of grass over a wall and on squeezing through the trees.

Out Running Lockdowns
Bonifacio

The one boat between the islands eventually ran after being broken down for 5 full days stranding many passengers. I had only a 24 hour wait which could have been worse. Timing was becoming pretty critical. Covid was by now widespread in Italy and there was talk of a national lockdown meaning we had to island hop from Sardinia to Corsica before that happened. I ended up being 2 days the right side of the Italian lockdown. Not the first time I would push my luck with leaving just before tighter r [...]
estrictions got put in place.
Valley of the Moon, Italy ‐ Feb 29, 2020

77 km

Good start and straight into very scenic coastal riding. Quick swim over lunch and made great time to Santa Teresa, only to find the ferry is broken down. Nothing to do apart from wait and hope it runs tomorrow. Found the Valley of the Moon commune and we celebrated the leap year bonus day! Amazing cut off area with crazy rock formations. Must have been 15 people or so there when I arrived and a good number of dogs to boot. The cut off peninsula meant I had to leave my bike in some shrubs and h [...]
ike there with Yak. All very sufficient set up. With people inhabiting many caves or building shelters along three valleys. They pool resources and food and share the hike to get water. Most spent months at a time and return annually, I think they said the longest resident hadn't left in 10 years. A good few similarities to cycle touring, frugal living, outside all the time. I admire the concept but for me I would find the lack of movement and stimulation hard

+4

Mechanicals and Moons
Olbia ‐ Feb 28, 2020

97 km

From one great wild camp spot to another great wild camp spot. Another cloudless day on the road as we pushed north along the coast. Time for a quick dip at lunch to wash off.

Prime Tour Real Estate
Orosei ‐ Feb 27, 2020

101 km

Said farewell to Manuel and the family and began the 1000m climb over a mountain pass. Another beautiful morning that turned overcast and windy in the mountains. Good gradient for the climb so we could ride at a relaxed pace. Once up we then had 40km of downhill all the way back to the coast. Made great time regularly riding above 40kmph. Beautiful valley views and we got to the coast just before darkness fell. Found a nice sheltered spot but even still the wind howled all night. The tent surviv [...]
ed it but had to repeg a few times. Yak basically slept through, a far cry from his first night in a tent in which a gentle breeze kept him awake all night!

+4

The Northern March
Tortoli ‐ Feb 25, 2020

104 km

Two very cute tiny 'guard' dogs yapping bravely away trying to get us out of the national park! Spent the day trying to follow what seemed to be a coastal footpath but all roads and paths ended up feeding only military bases so we had to retreat and follow the main road. Hot and hard 100+km with temps reaching 27°C. Wouldn't like to ride this section in the heat of the summer! Met up with my CS host Manuel in Tortoli and we saw the sights, ate pizza and met with friends. Relaxed day off hiking [...]
into the hills. We found a very deep cave up in the hills and had great views down to the coast and Tortoli. Checked out his friends hilltop bar they are renovating. Yet more amazing food by Mario, Manuel's dad to cap a great CS stay.

+5

The Tortoli Experience
Murera/Muravera ‐ Feb 24, 2020

97 km

6 months on the road today and we had one of my favourite tour days of the trip 😊. One of those days where everything comes off. The south-east coast of Sardinia is exceptionally beautiful and inhabited my such warm, friendly people! As the sun was setting, me and the boy decided to make some more ground and ended up doing 45km in the night. A balmy 17°C with no breeze at night made it feel like riding in bath water! Complete peace and tranquillity with not another soul to be seen. So quiet [...]
and so calm. Spoiled for choice for wild camping options here and found a nice forest in a national park for a warm night. Faultless start Sardinia, more of the same please 🥳

+2

Tripping on Colours
Cagliari ‐ Feb 22, 2020

Night ferry over to Sardinia. Managed to sneak Yak into the business lounge 😁 Giuseppe my nice CS host gave me a tour of the town, had some good food and I even fixed my trailer. Keen to see more of Sardinia than I did of Sicily. Planned out the eastern coast to ride south to north.

+2

Business Class Boating
Palermo

160 km

Very poor nights sleep! There was a least one dog patrolling his patch very close to our tent and obviously unhappy with our presence. The barking all night kept Yak and me awake and alert. I was braced to have to hold off the dog whilst packing up everything in the morning. Woke at 6.30am just as the sky was lightening up. Couldn't hear the dog so me and Yak had our fastest ever pack up, luckily dog free. Rode the short distance to the train station. Lots more green rolling hills through the tr [...]
ain window. Nowhere near the same experience but the weekly boat needed catching! I will have to come back to Sicily as I spent nowhere near enough time here and Mount Etna does need conquering.

Leg It!
Calascibetta ‐ Feb 21, 2020

46 km

Enjoyed relaxed riding in the hills. Each town in the interior of Sicily is fortified and perched on top of a very steep hill to repel both medieval invaders and cycle tourists. We took a long break in Calascibetta knowing Palermo was too far to ride. Boat onwards was already booked and the food poisoning lost me time. Beautiful sunset over the plains, Etna and fortified Enna. Took a good while to find a camp spot due to the steep gradients all around!

+4

The Sicilian Interior
Lak Pazzillo ‐ Feb 20, 2020

60 km

Recovered from the food poisoning and felt great to be back on the road especially with my new aerobars to test out. Took a good while to leave the traffic and broken glass of Catania behind us but soon enough we were into the green hills with Mount Etna ever the imposing backdrop. It was carnival day so many kids were all dressed up for their village parade. Climbed to roughly 1000m before finding a nice (but chilly) spot to camp looking over Etna and Lake Pazzillo.

+2

Catcus Carnival
Catania ‐ Feb 18, 2020

60 km

Threw Yak, my bike, trailer and bags on the train and had a nice time sitting on the train toilet 🖒 Chilled by the sea for a bit as I had time to kill. Locked the bike, and the slept on the beach clutching Yak and a bag of valuables. Didn't seem like the safest place going but beggars can't be choosers. Got myself to Una's, my WarmShowers host after making loads of hugely stupid navigation errors trying to get there as I couldn't think straight! What a relief to arrive though as I was very we [...]
ak and thirsty by this point. Had to shelve my planned assault on Mount Etna as I needed a recuperation day. I'll have to come back for it one day ...

Decathlon Decadence
Furci Siculo

25 km

Beautiful sunrise. Felt progressively weaker as the food poisoning began to kick in. Did some nice dry heaving on a beach before stumbling into a cafe in Furci. Spent a good few hours there checking the quality of the facilities every 15 minutes. Couldn't keep any fluids or food down. Riding was clearly impossible in this state but had a host scheduled for Catania. Rode to the nearest train station to find a sign saying you must buy tickets before boarding the train. However, there was no-one wo [...]
rking at the station. A local said you buy tickets in town in little tabacs. Fruitlessly searched for a tabac that wasn't on a 2 hour lunch break without any success. What a ridiculous system! Eventually boarded the train and simply bought a ticket on the train whilst cursing that stupid sign!

Chestnuts Gone BAD
Mili San Marco ‐ Feb 17, 2020

15 km

... A lot. I've been used to easily finding great wild camping places in Greece and Italy. Not so today. Didn't help I had very limited battery life on my phone, external battery and headtorch! Messini sprawls and sprawls on a tiny sliver of inhabited land between the coast and steep hills. Very frosty welcome in the first cafe which promptly closed. Completely different in the second, in which the manager and one restaurant goer couldn't stop giving me and Yak food! Eventually found a possibili [...]
ty on Gmaps. Rode inland, uphill, waking all the guard dogs in the area before finding a great spot on the stroke of midnight after hauling all my gear but a steep bank.

Sicilian Sunrise
Messini

8 km

Short boat ride across he straight. Foolishly ate my gone-off chestnut spread on bread. I realised this was a little risky but had nothing else to hand and threw caution to the wind. I mean what could possibility go wrong ...
Villa San Giovanni

42 km

Pretty cold night in Yak's Palace. As this is my only way of 'hosting' friends on the tour I feel a sense of responsibility for conditions, be it too sloped, too hard, too cold. That night I definitely failed on the temperature front! Relaxed morning, climbed down to the venus pool after breakfast but couldn't tempt Yak to join us for a swim. Noemi rode off for the train home and me and the boy began a long ascent the other direction. Alone once more. Great views on the descent and in the pretty [...]
town of Scilla. Soon got to the port and hopped on the next Sicily bound boat

+4

Morning dip and Sicily hop
Palmi ‐ Feb 16, 2020

59 km

Rode to a nearby farm with Noemi and Salvatore and were feasted by the locals. We arrived to buy some farm fresh cheese but soon the table was set, homemade wine was poured and topped up and the feast began! Love these spontaneous acts of generosity. I was having trouble leaving Calabria with the welcome I had received! Then said goodbye to Salvatore and continued towards Sicily with Yak and Noemi. Made it to Palmi for the evening and some cheap and tasty bakery food. Noemi decided to stay one [...]
more night and we rode down a small track to find a wood and 'secret' beach complete with venus pool. Another fine, fine tour day :)

+4

Secret Beach
Drapia ‐ Feb 15, 2020

75 km

Amazingly relaxed morning at the thermal baths. Only started riding at 2pm :) A long and fairly monotonous coastal road section the 70km to Salvatore. Had some nice sunset views over volcanic islands a stone's throw from the shore. Salvatore very generously collected our bags and trailer from down in the town so we could ascend the 400m to his as light as a feather! Much appreciated after some fast riding. Salvatore is another cycle enthusiast who has hosted many tourer. Had an apartment all to [...]
ourselves. Yak proved exceptionally gifted at acroyoga.

+6

Winter Sun and Thermal Baths
Lamezia Terme ‐ Feb 14, 2020

85 km

Noemi, our Warm Showers host, joined Team Yak for a stint and what a lot of fun we had! Slow and steady climb to 1000m up and out of Cosenza. Warmed up in a cafe at the top of the hill as the rain came down. Then the rain, wind and mist hit hard for the long descent to the sea. Luckily, Noemi's cousin sorted us out with a fire to dry off by and warm, tasty carbonara. Weathered another storm in a cafe before making the rest of the ride to Lamezia Thermal springs in the dark. Found a great camping [...]
spot surrounded by towering cliffs. All set for a morning soak 🖒

+3

Storms vs. Carbonara
Cosenza ‐ Feb 12, 2020

92 km

Such an incredible day :) I had a good feeling when I passed into the Calabria region and saw beautiful hills rise up ahead of me. Such a joy to leave the wind battered plains and renter the mountains. Slowly wound up a 700m ascent for excellent views and many very friendly locals keen to see if we needed anything. I received oranges, coffee, cakes, biscuits and countless smiles today. Neatened up Yak's fur over lunch. Today's memories .... rode passed burning hedgerows, Yak outsprinted every do [...]
g that gave chase, a few good German conservation with locals, got utterly lost in the pretty hills, a rapid 30km night ride and a good few 'bonus hills' thrown in. A great feast awaited me at Noemi's place with her family. Marcello, Paola and their two daughters Noemi and Gaia hosted us. All very keen cyclists that enjoy touring and hosting riders. Marcello and Noemi both have regional roles in promoting cycling, I believe they are actually celebrities but are both too modest to admit to that. Chilled out for a couple of days. Explored town, helped Marcello prune some trees at their out of town farm. Found it very interesting finding out about the Ndrangheta, the Calabrian Mafia and learnt that most questions or points of confusion can be answered with the following three words: 'Errrr the mafia'. Cosenza was a real highlight :)

+6

Mountain Magic and Cosenza Class
Villapiana ‐ Feb 11, 2020

91 km

Second ridiculous day. This one was even more special! Spent 30 minutes trying to leave the farmer's field. All tracks led to private farms not to roads! Then spent the next 40km trying to hop on and off paths, tracks and service roads to make some progress down the 106. Had to cycle quickly through a large mining facility at one point (no-one spotted us) as this was the only way to cross a river. Eventually the final obstacle proved impossible. Luckily, a very nice policeman based there told m [...]
e to just put my head down and blitz it along the motorway as there was no other option. After making homemade roadside lemonade for an energy boost we flew down 10km of the motorway as fast as possible. A relief to get off and take the back roads again. Huge headwind developed and I took to swearing my little head off to release a little steam! Saw an American hiker and stopped for a chat. I was walking the whole of the Med sleeping rough on beaches without a tent. Eventually got to Giuseppese's, a CS host, for delicious restaurant food and a good chat. Felt great to get those roads out the way

+3

The damned 106 and the damned headwind
A field ‐ Feb 10, 2020

88 km

The first of two ridiculous days! The motorway 106 along the barren Basilicata plain is known by cyclists as being very poor. Bikes are banned on the road but for many sections there is no other choice. Had to field hop, push my bike along a streambed and under bridges. Such slow progress. Big headwind didn't overly help the situation. A large fallen tree blocking the farmer's track out an end to our day so we pitched up there. Spectacular morning sunrise though!

+3

The damned 106
Grottaglie ‐ Feb 9, 2020

68 km

Big push through Basilicata the 600km or so towards Sicily. Relaxed first day in the sun. Lunch picnic in an orchard. Found a really nice cafe in Grottaglie, the owner took a shine to Yak and gave is free food and take out for the evening 🖒 Locals advised not to wild camp near Taranto and pointed me towards a local park. Very still night and my new mat proved much warmer. Enjoyed the supermoon illuminating my boy

+4

Supermoon with Superdog
Brindisi ‐ Feb 6, 2020

117 km

Big Push Day. Zero degrees getting up. Very strong, cold head wind 10km to Gioia. Slow start to the day! As we turned east the wind became a side wind and even a tail wind at times as we powered on through Trulli country. Great pasta lunch for energy before we got to Ostuni for sunset. 30km more to Brindisi and our friendly host, Ateeq. Such a relief to have a warm house, shower and bed after the storm. Very nice relaxed few days with Ateeq. Explored the pretty town, went to a salsa night with [...]
his friends and sheered the winter coat off Yak out on a pier. Said goodbye to Marlies, who returned to Brunick by train, before beginning a 500km in 5 days effort to Sicily 🖒

+7

Big Push Day to Brindisi
Petrara ‐ Feb 4, 2020

31 km

Then we headed off late afternoon towards Gioia looking for somewhere to pitch, knowing a storm was brewing. We pitched our tent in a little forest as darkness fell which gave us some shelter. Sleet and gale force winds all night long. The tent did well to stand up to it all! We wrote off the next day as we had driving sleet all day. Hitched into Gioia, had a nice lunch there. Luckily managed to find two guys happy to drop us off near our tent (on a road to nowhere). Driving horizontal sleet whi [...]
lst we were in their car. They thought we were a little bizarre to be camping out in this. Returned to the tent for another windy night, but it held strong!

Hailstorm Hitch
Matera

25 km

Rode the 25km to Matera to see the beautiful and extensive old town as well as the Dali artworks. Left our bikes in a cafe and spent a couple of hours taking into the sights of this famous city.

+3

Authentic Matera
Murgia ‐ Feb 3, 2020

59 km

Day 1 on the Italian tour. Rode into Bari to meet Marlies who was picking up her bike from the rental shop. Began the slow ascent inland. Warm, 'summer's' day so had a long picnic and snooze in an orchard. As darkness arrived we thought about wild camping and went to ask a farmer's permission, when a driver stopped and offered for us to stay in his empty large family farm house for the night. We offered food and drink in return but he had to rush off so after showing us how to get the large fire [...]
place roaring he head off. All three of us had a great night, warm infront of the log fire. Pretty great start!

+3

Fireside Farmhouse
Torre a Mare ‐ Jan 30, 2020

20 km

Beautiful sunrise on the boat. Chilled out by the pier to sort gear and have breakfast. Rode the 15km along the coast to Torre a Mare to meet Marlene, Steve and Francesca's friend. Great home cooked lunch before heading to Torre a Mare 🖒 Spent 3 nights with Marlene, Mikey and all their friends enjoying balmy summer's weather for a picnic on the pier and 2 nights in Bari. Delicious food, particularly the octupus stew; caught by Mikey and cooked by Marlene! Marlies joined us for the final eveni [...]
ng before we set off to ride Puglia

+6

The Italian Chapter
Bari

2 km

Said farewell to Julian who was carrying on through Greece and took the overnight boat to Bari, Italy. Had a great send off from Spiros and Team Panos after I was cutting it fine. Spiros took some funny action photos of me and Yak rushing around the port trying to check in. Found a dark area on deck 8 and bedded down for a good night's sleep. The 8 weeks in Greece was incredible; hospitality, beauty and epic touring through the winter 👌

+6

Late for the Boat
Patras, Greece ‐ Jan 28, 2020

128 km

Fast day with a light tail wind bombing the 128km to Patras along the hard shoulder of the main road. Beautiful sunny day reaching 20°C. Julian arrived a good 2 hours before me and the dog. We Couchsurfer for a couple of nights with Spiros. A great guy who replied to my open CS request. Time to chill in Patras before my boat to begin the Italian chapter. Had a lot of fun with Spiros and his friends Panos, Panos and Manos (he only befriends people who rhyme with him). Went for many nice walks ar [...]
ound town with them and ate a delicious homecooked meal at his Spiros' parents place. I collided with a scooter on the way to the bike shop. So lucky that I didn't have Yak and my bike was unloaded otherwise it could have been a lot worse. Patras works on a grid system and it is really hard to work out who has priority. Possibly I didn't, but either way, that scooter rider was going to fast. Luckily his scooter hit my frame not body and we both hit the deck. Bumps and scratches was the worst we received. Both my wheels were buckled and brake pads twisted. Walk it to the bike shop and the man there kindly trued my wheels as a freebie.

+9

Tailwind to Patras
Zacharo ‐ Jan 27, 2020

26 km

Nice ride back with the setting sun adding beauty to the villages and coastal views. Evening dip in the baths before an early night to prepare for Big Push Day tomorrow 👍

Back for a Bathe
Ancient Olympia

26 km

Really easy relaxed morning after our 100km double header. Morning soak in the thermal baths where we met Vinchenso again and a German guy who had olive groves nearby and who has been coming to these baths for 39 years! Overcast, drizzly day. Left our tents at the springs and rode to Ancient Olympia. Yet another puncture en route! Julian carried on to check out the archeological museum. Once we were fixed up, we caught up with Julian and had a quick ride around the site.

Ancient Olympia Flyby
Zacharo ‐ Jan 26, 2020

105 km

Great coastal riding day with Julian. Bumped into Maik the German cycle tourist doing a WorkAway here in Koroni for a late breakfast. Not a super early start but we made great time on the relatively flat ride with a light tail wind. Arrived at the hot springs before it got dark. Met Vinchenso, a very nice Italian, who explained how to vault the fence to access the baths. Pitched up on a quiet spot by the lake then threw Yak over the wall and chilled in the beautifully warm springs sipping some l [...]
ocal wine. Bliss! The pool entered a bat filled cave. Had a meal with Vinchenso after to round off a great day

+3

Double Header 100km Day
Methoni ‐ Jan 25, 2020

101 km

An ambitious 120km was planned but we stopped short after 100km at Methoni. Great breakfast wih our hosts and then we set out to explore the beautiful southern Pelopennese. Coastal riding from Kalamata through olive tree groves down to Koroni on the sea. Yak happily chased down Julian on the climb helping to offset the drag from his trailer. My boy needs to pay his way! 🐑/🐕❤🏃 Incredible sunset views over the islands on the descent. After locating Julian we ate in Methoni and then peda [...]
led a little way alone the coast to find a wild camping spot by the beach. The 101km we rode today was mostly flat, which takes it out of me and Yak. We are better at mountain sections as he runs / trots the climbs and stays in the trailer for the descents. The flats mean we are forever changing between him running and going in the trailer and with neither option are we particularly quick.

+3

Pelopennese Coast
Kalamata ‐ Jan 24, 2020

74 km

Incredible sunrise at the Menelaion in Sparta. Headed back down to Sparta to warm up in a cafe over breakfast. We had a look around the sprawling ruins of Mystras before starting the long and smooth 1524m+ climb through the Langada canyon. Beautiful rock formations and views all along the climb. This is a renowned pass for cycle tourers and it was suitable incredible. Once up we had a long descent before rounding a corner to see a 'bonus hill' called the 5 roads. 10 hairpin climbs rising up almo [...]
st on top of each other. After shedding all our layers for the climb we redressed and descended to Kalamata to our hosts. Another great WarmShowers experience with Yorgos, Eliza, Lydie and their dog Babu to end a spectacular day. Yorgos, cycle tour leader, improved our onwards route hugely and we were treated to an amazing meal, a fun game with Lydie and our own fire-warmed apartment. Absolutely luxury! 😇

+9

Loving the Langada Pass, 1524m+
Sparta ‐ Jan 23, 2020

62.5 km

My amazing WS host Georgios rode the first 15km with me from Tripoli up the gentle hills to the plateau then it was a long descent to Sparta. Yak and I saw a few sights and then waited in a cafe of Julian to rock up. Great to overlap again after meeting briefly in Crete. He had an epic 100km day along dirt mountain paths to get here. After a bit of unavoidable 'This is Sparta' play acting we found an exceptional wild camping spot recommended on the Park4Night app. This sight at the Menelaus over [...]
looked the whole of Sparta with the snow capped mountains in the background. Beautiful views but a frigid night! Sub zero and my deflated air mattress and thin sleeping bag didn't help to much! All worth it for the incredible nighttime and sunrise views 😃 Need to upgrade my gear.

+4

THIS IS SPARTA !!!
Tripoli ‐ Jan 20, 2020

114 km

EPIC cycle touring day! Woke up and decided to ride two days in one as we had Georgios, a WarmShowers host waiting for us in Triploi. It was a warmer night down by the sea. Enjoyed a beautiful sunrise, which gave Yak a nice spray-tan orange, before setting off. On the rode at 8.10am to start our first climb inland and then a long descent back down to the sea in Argos. Yak ran very well today and must have covered at least 70km (!!!!) of the 114km total. Lost my voice shouted away the pack of str [...]
ay dogs that guard each village. Began the long 800m+ climb from Argos to Tripoli as the sun was setting. Much needed 'bread and spread' dinner cured my lethargy and we were buzzing the rest of the way. Rode a good 4 hours in the peaceful, darkness of the chilly mountains trying to get some arty photos. Night riding out here takes on a whole new dimension. Often the wind drops, no traffic to be seen and we can enjoy the peaceful calmness. Great to finally crest the summit and speed down to the lights of Tripoli. A warm fire and and an Imperial IPA awaited at my host's. Couldn't ask for more!! Tripoli is the coldest city in Greek (Florina, which I ticked off earlier, the second coldest) and you really felt it up here. Biting cold all day, so happy not to be wild camping! Had a very relaxed few days with Georgios and his son. Collected wood in the forest and Yak tested out Georgios's cargo bike with his son. Georgios is big into cycling, has hosted many tourers and works in the community to promote cycling. He was the EuroVelo 11 Greek Co-ordinator and did a team ride along this route to promote it. He kindly gave me one of his promo banners for this EV11 event #NowWeRide which I used for the rest of the trip as waterproofing for Yak's trailer. A top stay!

+9

Triumphant Ascent to Tripoli
Kavos ‐ Jan 19, 2020

58.7 km

Amazing morning views and well worth the climb up here last night. Morning boat off the island and then a scenic coastal ride towards Corinth. Couldn't find a host there so we carried on round the bend to the enter the Pelopenese. Big climb day tomorrow ...

+3

Pelopennese Pottering
Aianteio ‐ Jan 18, 2020

32 km

Easy morning and only got motivated to leave Athens at 3pm. Took a boat over to Salamina island and was happy to stay there for the evening. Chilled out in a dog friendly cafe until early evening before heading up the hill. It was a little cold due to the exposed position, my punctured air mattress and my ripped sleeping bag liner. Still Yak helped with the heating situation. The view was suitably epic overlooking the whole island with Athens a tiny spec in the distance. Funny to think that at t [...]
his point not only was my air mattress punctured and my sleeping bag thin but I also didn't waterproof coat, trousers or shoes. Didn't make things easy for myself through the winter!

+2

Command that view
Athens ‐ Jan 17, 2020

15 km

15km back to Athens for the gigantic port of Piraeus. We got caught on a really big road after we missed a turning and got many beeps until we could get off the road. Zero fun. Once off we took the back roads and little alleyways into the centre to make up for that crappy start. Stayed with Elena and Ines and her dog Oscar after meeting Ben and Ro for the last time at their hostel. Mixed feelings about leaving so many good friends here in Athens but we still have the memories. The tour must cont [...]
inue! Chapter 1 - Bomb South for the Winter is successfully complete and now it is time to kick off Chapter 2 - Athens to the Arctic Circle. [At least this was the plan at that point in time. Covid hadn't hit European shores yet.]

Athenian Adios
Piraeus ‐ Jan 16, 2020

Overnight boat back to Athens. Managed to smuggle Yak in to the cabin from the kennels so we could all enjoy the plushness of the Deck 12 carpet. 🖒🤗

Boat Kennel Fun
Chania

15 km

An easy 15km to the boat in Souda after saying goodbye to the boys. Yak bounced between our front wheels at one point when he got excited by some sheep. Bit of rubber on his fur but no harm done :)

Calling Time on Crete
Tsivaras ‐ Jan 13, 2020

62 km

62km up and over return from our 2 days wild camping in the south of the island. Beautiful weather again for this ride. Cycled well into the night before arriving at Arnaud's villa. Had a few more days to relax before riding to the habour to jump on the boat back to Athens. Crete was beautiful!

+7

Sheepblock
Damnoni ‐ Jan 11, 2020

56 km

Eventually the three day storm subsided and Crete showed its true colours. From rain-lashed barren rock in the sea (read Guernsey in October) it morphed into a warm, sunny paradise. Blue skies, snowy peaks and beautiful riding. Heading south to weather the European winter paid off! 55km up and over the mountain spine to get to the more rural south coast of Crete. Team Crete rides again! We just about got to the summit as sunset and were treated to a real spectacle. Then it was near enough just f [...]
ree-wheeling down on the coast to meet the boys. Spent two nights relaxing there. Rock climbing, Yak begrudingly had a swimming lesson and we had synchronised cliff jumping session caught on footage with a drone flyby. I think we needed about 5 takes in total as I kept freezing. Very happy I chose not to jump in the end as there was quite some clearance required! Didn't need another knee op. Downsized for a easy jump on take 5 😀

+10

Southern Sojourn
Tsivaras ‐ Jan 8, 2020

82 km

Epic tour day! Another wet and windy day. Had a great warm hour getting to know Dimitros, who welcomed us into his closed-for-the-season cafe with coffee and a bag of oranges. Had a large tasty lunch in a very warm restaurant at 2pm. Looking at the map we decided at 2pm to try and ride the rest of the 65km into the rain, hail, wind and darkness to arrive. I have a very vivid memory of descending back down sealevel in the darkness with an angry sea and large rolling waves crashing into the road n [...]
ext to us, it seemed as if the waves towered higher than the road itself. A police car stopped and didn't like us pushing our bikes on the road and Yak not being in his trailer. They then tailed us for the next 5km as we pushed uphill into the wind until we were able to take the first turning of this regional road. They didn't seem to like us riding for some reason so we said we kept our final destination nice a vague; 'almost home sir!'. Happily, they headed off as we tucked in to some souvlaka, leftovers from our massive lunch. We pushed on before walking the last big climb up to the little village of Tsivaras, passing some wine between us and telling stories. Arrived at 11.30pm to meet Arnaud and Victor at Arnaud's uncle's plush villa. So worth it! Really impressed with Brittany's fitness and positivity throughout these 3 days of her first tour, conditions don't get much worse than this!

+7

ARNAUD'S DREAM PALACE
Bali ‐ Jan 7, 2020

40 km

Day 2 of the storm. Packed up the tent in the rain only to discover a puncture in my trailer tyre. Fixed it whilst huddling in a bus shelter then we were back on the road. Punishingly slow progress against the wind and rain and hills. Eventually made it into little touristy village of Bali. The usual great Greek hospitality was missing today. Walked into two different bars to ask the owner and guests if they had any ideas of where we could weather the incoming storm. Weren't sure the tent would [...]
make it. Angling for an invite or even garage space would have been a win. The owner had no interest so we could only walk back out into the rain. Luckily, as we were leaving the village with nowhere to go in particular a resident offered his unfinished building for us to hunker down in. Bloody great. Closed off as many draught points as we could find and after scouting the building we found the toilet to be the warmest place. Cooked up a nice meal, found a dusty case of wine which was crying out to be tasted as well as a room stacked high with mattresses. What a dream hearing the storm rage around us!

+2

EYE OF THE STORM - Day 2
Achlada ‐ Jan 6, 2020

15 km

Rode out into the eye of the storm. Did consider waiting bu the forecast was poor for several days and we only had two weeks in Crete. Absolutely buffeted by the wind as soon as we got to the coast. Hail, heavy slanting rain and gale force winds. We had to push our bikes uphill into the headwind and at some points we even slowed to a near standstill on descents due to the headwind! Only achieved about 15km but it wasa great adventure and a good decision to hit the road. Heavy rain and strong win [...]
ds all night but the tent just about about stood the test. Not quite what I had in mind for the winter in Crete! A baptism of hail for Brittany's first cycle tour 😂

+2

EYE OF THE STORM - Day 1
Heraklion ‐ Jan 3, 2020

Rode straight to our CS host Alex in Heraklion after some pub grub in Heraklion. He was an awesome host for our three nights in Heraklion. Luckily, as a doctor in training, he was happy to take out my stitches. A great surgeon in the making, I can testify :) Brittany and I went for our first really training ride to the nearby Knossos Palace ruins and decided we should get all the teething problems out of the way early on. My front wheel skimmed over the hind legs of Yak after a dog scared him u [...]
nder my front wheel. This was Yak's only really accident on the roads. Luckily, nothing broken and after a few hours with a slight limp he was fine again. Not too much later, Brittany lost a battle against a vicious road stick, toppling over. We then had a ford crossing to make, I timed my last piece of advice for her crossing exceptionally poorly and she lost concentration and almost toppled in to the water. All of this excitement in just 10km!

+5

Dog Carrying in Greek Ruins
Piraeus ‐ Jan 2, 2020

14 km

Ben and Ro planned to work at a Athens hostel for a month or two so Ro kindly lent Brittany her bike and gear. We rode the short but traffic heavy road to Piraeus. Great to be back on the road after the Christmas / New Year break! My knee was ok for very gentle riding and I planned to give it a good few more days rest once we got to Crete. The boat was delayed overnight due to rough seas but luckily they allowed us to sleep on it overnight. We scoped out the entire boat for the darkest hidey h [...]
ole to claim as ours. There were a few storage cupboards; beautifully dark but unfortunately it was leaning space only. Deck 12 was hands down the winner. The uppermost deck which feeds a closed dancefloor. It was dark, quiet, lots of floor space and very little through-traffic. Hunkered down there for 30 hours or so. Yoga, Spanish and Ron Burgundy podcasts were the order of the day / night. Yak in theory should have spent his time in the onboard kennels but none of the staff seemed to mind he presence on deck 12. Then we arrived for two weeks in Crete. Doesn't get much more southerly than Crete in Europe for some winter warmth.

Crete Ahoy
Athens

Back to the Christmas house to pick up the bike and trailer before riding through the city to say goodbye to the gang.

Sore Knee Saddle Up
Varikza ‐ Dec 28, 2019

I left the bike, trailer and bags at the Christmas house and met Emma at a nearby coffee shop whilst we waited for Connie. We had rented an apartment on the coast for a few days either side of NYE with the plan to do a a good few trails and maybe a night trail through NYE, my knee put pay to that but Emma, Connie and Lucien (who joined a little later) put in a good number of runs. The apartment was very spacious and we were joined by Ben (the tourer I met in Albanian) and his girlfriend Ro. Had [...]
a nice time cooking us big vegan meals and playing many a game. Was great to see these people again but felt a little stupid being unable to do to much due to the knee! NYEs itself was back to the bright lights of Athens to meet with the CS lot and Antonio's house party with Yakidoo.

+5

Team NY 2020
Athens ‐ Dec 22, 2019

35 km

Not far to go to Athens and waited for an afternoon start due to the weather. Not a fun ride into a headwind on increasingly big roads towards Athens. Got in just before dark luckily. Enjoyed two nights with my CS hosts Amal and Hassan and their friends. Then got a 'CS family' apartment for the Xmas week with Brittany, Arnaud, Elena and Michaela. Great food, games, company and laughter. Nice to be off the saddle for a bit and meeting new people. We all enjoyed cooking up huge feasts which quickl [...]
y turned into eating competitions ... how much cheese fondue can you eat in one mouthful? A very memorable Xmas 🥰 We arranged a Couchsurfing party for Christmas day itself and Brittany and I scouted out a nice park venue for it. Late for our own party as we ran through Athens on Christmas day sipping Vermouth from Arnuad's camel pack whilst hitting up the local bakeries. We had a good turn out and the South American element got us going on the spirits, dancing and limbo before the morning was out. Poor Man's Secret Santa, food, drink and merriment. On packing up Arnaud and I made the fateful decision to play a game whilst cleaning up our site. He was to lay up empty beer cans to me and I was to jump, catch it, complete my 360 spin and slam it down in the park bin. In slow-mo 👍 Here's a not-so-accurate account of events ...... Arnaud's first throw, caught on camera, was wild and high. After quickly conferring about who was to blame (we both agreed it was Arnaud's fault) we lined up for attempt number 2. There was a hushed apprehension in the audience. I ran, I leaped, higher and higher I climbed, I turned with the left shoulder to begin a graceful 360 rotation. Slow-motion now as I maxed out my hangtime. Arnaud sensed the moment was right, he delicately laid off the beer can. Damn, too far out of reach I realised. I made a mental note to admonish Arnaud after I landed. Stretching, straining, I reached out fully with my right arm, hand and fingers. I could only tickle the can with my forefinger but manage to work it into my hand and then I slashed my whole arm downwards, a whirlwind blur to hammer home the can in a blaze of glory. The audience totally lost all of their s**t. Celebration rang out and me and Arnaud (but especially me) were carried off on their shoulders to celebrate our heroic feat. Daring, breathtaking, artful, elegant, perfect...... too perfect??? Well that was the plan anyway. I actually jumped straight onto the rusted, spiky metal bin and scored a nice gash on my knee which required a 5 hour hospital trip and 8 stitches. Very lucky that although quite deep and wide the dash was only superficial 🙏🏻 Team CS mobilised and our designated driver Antonio drove some on to a house party and me and Brittany to the hospital. Arnuad and Michaela took Yak looked after Yaki or me. After quite a wait the treatment at Athens General Hospital was excellent (once we got passed the angry receptionist who enjoyed scolding us that 'this isn't a coffee shop' and very self evident statement that everyone was acutely aware of) Too late for the pharmacies for my antibiotics so we hobbled into a taxi and went to find Yak. Won't be forgetting that Xmas in awhile!

+9

Team Athens does Crimbo
Polydendri ‐ Dec 21, 2019

22 km

Had a short ride up from the coast to stay with my Warm Showers host George Balis and his family. He has hosted a lot of cycle tourers. Another rider was already there having some down time during his multiyear tour. Went to a party of one of his friend's and experienced the massive scale of a Greek feast! Today was the winter solstice, we made it Yaki, the days will only grow from here on in 👌

Greek Feast
Agia Marina

Just a quick ferry hop back to the mainland.
Nea Styra

28 km

Only 28km to ride to the ferry back to the mainland. Had an excellent time in Evia, a sparse island of rugged beauty.

Olive and Out, Evia
Dystos ‐ Dec 20, 2019

70 km

Big riding day in which we covered 70km including two massive climbs. Evia's northern coastline becomes more and more mountainous. Our maps showed a huge lake that I hoped to camp next to for a wash, but it must have been a seasonal marsh area as there was only lowland and no water to be found. Wild camped in an olive grove out of necessity. Didn't see anyone to tell us otherwise

+3

Evia's Mountaineous Coast
Lamari ‐ Dec 19, 2019

62 km

The coastal path really started to turn off-road here. Steep, gravel ascents win which the bike and trailer needed hauling up. All very pretty though. Definitely had the impression that these little villages had seen better times. Many dilapidated buildings left for nature to recover. Meet three friendly clifftop gardeners to share lunch with. Found a tiny little village open with a drinking spot / locals house. Ordered up a feast and then headed out into the night for some relaxed evening ridin [...]
g. Took a good while to find a suitable flat spot for the tent. Had to settle for a bit of an 'industrial' spot, which required a lot of nettles and brambles to be cleared for the pitch. On the plus side I worked out that I can get Yak to pull me up hills 'husky' style by shinning the beam of my head torch just in front of him. He gives chase and we accelerate uphill!

+4

Clifftop Gardening
Pili ‐ Dec 18, 2019

45 km

A swarm-free pack up. Spent the day pottering along the rugged northern coast of Evia. Found a great penisula for the evening. Took awhile to bring all my gear down the very steep path but worth it! Our little grassy plateau gave views over bays to the east and the west. It was a very mild night. Dinner, diary and reading outdoors.

+2

Balmy Bliss
The forest ‐ Dec 17, 2019

26 km

Swim first thing when we woke up on our beach. Then saddled up for some coastal riding. We followed the road inland and climbed up into a forest. Many smiles from locals en route and the occasional banana or crate of oranges passed out of car windows for us. Found a clearing in the forest and pitched up high for maximum view. Caught short with water so rode to the nearest river for a top up. Spotted a large bee hive near our tent when I returned and considered repitching. No visible activity so [...]
we took our chances and had an attack-free night and morning pack up :)

Bees in 'em hills
Tsokaiti ‐ Dec 16, 2019

20 km

The first of 5 nights on Evia. Beautiful, rugged and not a single tourist in our way. We stopped at an old world convenience store run by 4 generations of a family. They hand pick your order for you. We got to the coast and stopped at a dog friendly cafe for a coffee. The owner and friend had some small kids playing and were happy for Yak to play too with their dog. I had to grab back Yak after he showed signs of interest in a crawling toddler 😬 . The women laughed it off but Yak remained on [...]
the leash after that escapade! Found a truly beautiful wild camping spot on a deserted beach with the sun setting out on the sea in front of us and reflected off the lagoon behind us. No doubt one of our best stops of the trip 👌

Beach Bums
Epidsou

30 minute zip across the calm, turquoise waters to our first Greek isle, Evia

Evia Exploration
Arkitsa

29 km

We had just 29km to ride before our 10.30am ferry but ended cutting it very fine! Got caught the wrong side of the motorway on a path that petered out, had to backtrack and found a bridge to cross the motorway. Bizarre bridge no question. There was a accessibility slope as an alternative to the steps but then on the other side one MASSIVE step after the slope down. Must have been 50cm or so. Hard for us impossible for wheelchair users. Ferry for our first island hop. After navigating this hefty [...]
drop we rode on and caught our boat.
Kamena Vourla ‐ Dec 15, 2019

27 km

Had a morning soak with a Moldovan family in the thermal baths after breaking camp. Pedaled passed a few pipping hot thermal rivers for some late morning coastal riding. What a spike in the temperature being back by the coast! We have been in the chilly hills for the last 6 weeks or so. Stopped off in a Prova cafe and got chatting with the owner, Kostas. He kindly offered for us to stay at his father's hotel for the night and we were only too happy to accept after riding 200km over the last 2 da [...]
ys. Spent the afternoon exploring the town and reading down on the beach 🐬📖☺️

+2

Hotel Highlife
Thermopyles ‐ Dec 14, 2019

85 km

Relaxed morning catching up on the blog and sorting out my route in the Cafe Boheme. I was told that there were a few VIPs in the main area so Yak and I got treated to the pool room. The weather eased at about 1pm and we set off. I found four french travellers on the road in the middle of nowhere, the same that got hosted by the owners of Cafe Boheme. The two couples were both independently walking a pilgrimage from France to Jerusalem and met at random on the road. Small road riding in the h [...]
ills before descending to the main road to Lamia. Stopped at a closed bakery to ask the two chefs for a water top up and we got a big box of pastries for the road. It was dark by the time we stumbled across the warm, sulfurous natural thermal springs in Thermopyles. Rivers of piping hot water condensing into the cold, winter air. Impenetrable woods, cliffs and wasteland made finding a pitch hard. Eventually squeezed in the tent and popped back to the bath with Yak for a wash.

+4

Thermals to Warm Our Bones
Anavra ‐ Dec 13, 2019

104 km

Broke camp and stumbled across Toby a beaming German tourer who was riding the opposite way and was planning a high and frigid mountain pass for the day. Not long before we passed through the spectacular Meteora mountains. Huge, smooth mountains jutting straight out of the town itself, which looked more photoshop than real. Possibly should have passed the night there for a day walking / climbing these famed mountains, but chose to ride on. Carried on to Anavra and rode up to a mountain lake. Sto [...]
pped at a restaurant there as the sun was setting. The owner told me of other travellers who found a host for the night at the well known Boheme cafe back in town. Took a gamble and rode back down to the cafe. Met Eleni and Dino there who owned the Boheme Cafe. Obviously, a great local hangout and it was clear immediately they were keen to help us out. They happily let me weather an overnight storm in their local football club changing room; complete with food, a warm shower, running water and an electric heater. 5* hotel standard! We even got a moped escort to the place. Vasilis and his friend showed us round, checked the hot water was working and got a heater for us. A dry, VIP night for us during the big rainstorm :)

+4

Bohemian Bolthole
Mykani ‐ Dec 12, 2019

57 km

A short riding day today as we were TRUFFLE HUNTING!!!!! Spent a good few hours in the forest. Scented Yak's ball with the truffle oil I bought and hid it from him to test his power of scent. 6/10 I would say. After just 10 minutes of this I judged him ready. I let him roam free to explore the undergrowth whilst I excitedly chased him, spade in hand, ready to dig whereever he started sniffing. Was fun for us both, but ulimately a tuffleless experience 🍄⛔ We wild camped near a lake. Quite an [...]
overgrown muddy track to our tent. I had just finished setting up the tent when I popped my head out to see a large, lone boar about 30 meters from our tent. Boars cause more injuries than wolfs or bears as I have been reliably told. Yak was on his leash but it was trailing free out of my reach. After a long moment in which the three of us just looked at each other, the boar ever so slowly turned around a padded off as I jumped on top of Yak's leash. Great stuff boy, that was exactly the right time to stand your ground!

A Truffle-less Boar Hunt
Grevena ‐ Dec 10, 2019

70 km

Drizzly day's ride, not conducive for truffle hunting in this famed region ... Got the contact details of a relative of Iraklis who was into the truffle hunting business and got some tips and a seller for any future truffle we did manage to rustle up. Popped into a cafe in Grevena whilst Iraklis was making himself free. The resident dog, silently stalked up to us and lashed out at Yak before I could move him away. A bit stupid of me in hindsight as it is the dogs that don't bark that cause the t [...]
rouble. Had a nice evening with Iraklis who saved me from a wild storm.

Grevena Greetings
Kastoria ‐ Dec 9, 2019

51 km

Winter touring in the Greek mountains, can't beat it! 😀🌄Great day's ride going through the national park between Florina and Kastoria. Small road took us clear of traffic for the day. Just the usual packs of free roaming dogs t bark us through each village. Cold start in the mists of Florina but after awhile we broke through the clouds on the climb into clear, blue skies. Amazingly vivid colours. The summit was a chilly 1800m and so me and the boy needed to wrap up with everything we had f [...]
or the cold descent (hence the SuperYak costume!) Arrived in the pretty, historical town of Kastoria jutting out into the lake for a atmospheric sunset. Couchsurfed with Olga and met a number of her friends, included a Greek captain with a phoraoh-esque beard that I used a model my own on for the next 10 months.

+4
Florina ‐ Dec 3, 2019

89 km

Another memorable day! Struck camp and rode down and along Lake Prespa, decided to ride straight into Greece, heading south and out of the mountains as it was getting mighty cold here in December. After a long climb, the rain worsened and I sheltered under a bridge for a few minutes. Laughter caused me to turn round to see a soaked rider, lacking a coat and even shoes (he was wearing only socks and sandals) stop for a chat. Uni is a South Korean who has been travelling the world on off for 8 yea [...]
rs or more. He had no fixed plan for the day and had only the loose and adventurous aim to ride 1000km to Instanbul over the next few weeks on very meagre rations (one bag of rice was about it I think!) We pedalled together for the rest of the day, he would rest his feet on his top tube on descents to keep his exposed feet out of the worst of the spray! After a cafe stop to warm up we crossed into Greece and onto Greece's coldest city, Florina, to our Couchsurfing hosts Mirsini and Aris with Sisly the dog. I had a few days off riding here with this very friendly couple. Yak and I did a little trail running training in these beautiful snowy mountains and we walked together up the other valley side with Sisly the dog in tow. Florina is surrounded by snowy mountains on all sides meaning it regularly sits under a blanket of clouds. Many locals seemed particularly interested in Yak and would shout stuff in Greek which I couldn't understand. Aris translated that they were offering to pay me to stud Yak out to their dogs as they believed him to be a valuable Truffle finding dog! I did some research and he does resemble two different truffle dog breeds. Perhaps he is??? I don't know his heritage as he is adopted. As this is truffle region, I thought I would test his innate location skills for this highly profitable commodity. I bought some truffle oil from a supermarket and had a good few sessions with him in the hills over the next week or so. I extended my stay even further to incorporate a weekend getaway up to a 2000m mountain cabin with Mirsini, Aris and their friends. It was back near the North Macedonian border and, in fact, Lake Prespa was within sight of our cabin. We had a great time hiking up to the snow, cooking and drinking in the cosy cabin with the big group friends. Near enough a full moon, so at midnight we all ventured out to climb the peak nearby. Really excellent timing to be able to join a memorable trip such as this. Our 8 week Greek odyssey had got off to a perfect start! 😀

+11

There's Truffles in 'em Hills