Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Cycle Tours => Topic started by: Danneaux on March 15, 2014, 08:03:08 PM
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Hi All!
In less than two months I'll be embarking on a 4-month ~9,000km trans-European adventure of my own, thanks to Forum member AndyBG's very kind offer to lend his Thorn Raven Tour and a wonderful deal on round-trip airfare (USD$149).
I fly into Sofia, Bulgaria 9May, visit Bodrum Turkey on the Aegean, then depart Bulgaria ~27May for places West, returning home 11September. I will consider the trip a success whether I do the whole planned distance (roughly Black Sea to North Sea and back again) or decide to spend more time exploring interesting areas in greater depth. I chose my route in part to reconnect with family heritage. Besides Irish, Scottish, and English, there's French, German, and Hungarian in my background -- all the cool, cloudy places that ensure I sunburn easily. :D I have found the sites of old family dwellings and even some relatives, so it would be nice to make contact as well as see friends who live along the way. I'm viewing this as a cycling survey of Europe from East to West and back again, with new sights and experiences each day.
I'll be tent-camping where possible and using homestay accommodations like Warmshowers and Couchsurfing. I'll continue to administer the Forum by smartphone, but won't participate much as a member while touring. Be kind to each other as usual while I am traveling and don't put beans up your nose*.
If any Forum members will be touring in these areas or live along my route, I'd love to meetup along the way. I'll be largely following the Eurovelo routes -- primarily 6, but also 4, 5, 9 and 12 as connecting routes between Bulgaria and Calais. I'll be touring between 27May and 11September. If taken in full, my route will be:
• NE Bulgaria to Bucharest, Romania, then west along the Danube via Eurovelo 6.
• Belgrade Serbia, through Croatia to Budapest Hungary, to Bratislava Slovakia, to Vienna Austria, all on EV6.
• Vienna to Brno and Prague in the Czech Republic via EV9.
• Prague Czech Republic to Frankfurt Germany to Aachen Germany all via EV4.
• Aachen Germany to Vaalserberg Netherlands to Belgium and Encival, Theux, and Spa-Francorchamps via my own routing overlaying tracks from my 2008 tour.
• Spa, Belgium to Namur and Brugge Belgium to Lille France to Calais. Then, Calais to Dinant Belgium to Namur Belgium by my own route.
• Namur Belgium to Luxembourg to Strasbourg France and on to Basel Switzerland via EV5.
• Basel Switzerland to Passau Germany (Lower Bavaria), Vienna Austria, Bratislava Slovakia to Budapest Hungary, Croatia to Belgrade in Serbia, Bucharest Romania and back to NE Bulgaria, all via EV6.
Time is getting tight as I prepare for departure and do more riding after an unusually cold, harsh winter derailed my usual cycling. I'm putting in several unladen hundred-mile days each week with rides in-between on the rando bike and the Nomad, so should be good to go by the time I leave.
Best,
Dan.
*When my older sister was at Uni, the father of one of her friends required surgery to remove sprouted beans from his sinuses. As a kid, his parents left him alone briefly and he got the idea to put beans up his nose and forgot them for decades until...! The lesson is to "be good" and don't put beans where they don't belong.
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Best of luck Dan hope you have a blast and the weather is kind to you stay safe my good buddy,look forward to the film. ;)
jags.
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Many thanks, Anto. I'll be taking video with you in mind. I've been working on the equipment, so should be good to go. I'll never have the video skills of your son Frank, but hope to give a bit more flavor than still shots alone.
All the best,
Dan.
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ah let the camera do the work dan i have faith in ya. ;)
jags.
did you get another 100 miler in yet.
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I'll speak sternly to the Weather Bureau. What a trip!
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That is a wonderful trip Dan. Wish that I could join you for it. European touring is a very different experience to 'new world' touring.
4 months and 9,000kms? I do suspect that you are being very ambitious there. We were in Italy and did about 3,000 - 3,500kms in 3 months. One thing about touring in Europe is that you will feel like you are just passing by and missing too much if you aim for 120-140km days. We were often doing days of 50-60kms and working hard, because there were so many things to stop and visit - from the towm markets and wonderful foods; to the architecture, cathedrals, and museums; or just to take in the awesome views that appeared around every bend. The longer days we did in Europe were about 90-100kms, usually where there were fewer towns or scenic views to distract us.
Oh and don't forget those sightseeing days. In contrast to here at home where we plan one rest day every 4-8 days of riding, we were doing sightseeing, sometimes stopping one day every 2-4 days of riding.
We found that at a couple of points we needed to do train-hops to catch up on the planned itinerary rather than miss certain 'must-dos'.
I also recall a friend over 30 years ago who planned a huge tour of Europe in 3 months involving 140-200km days (he was extremely fit - going to Europe to do the PBP first), travelling from France down to Greece, north to Scandinavia then back to the UK. He ended up doing nothing like this as, unlike here in Aus where you ride 60kms and maybe pass through one small town, he found that 60kms would have him travelling through several larger towns and villages. He just had to slow down and smell the roses.
However you do it, have a great time, and post plenty of photos.
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Just a wonderful trip, Dan, and I wish you the very best with it. ("How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm/After they've seen Paree?") Make sure you take some time to just wander and ponder and soak it all in, as Il Padrone says. The cultural density and diversity--not to mention the food & drink and architecture--make it all so different from North America. I think that's what keeps our daughter in Berlin, where I'll visit her in late summer. Will look forward to your fotos and perhaps stories from time to time -- but don't make "reporting" a burden for yourself. Safe journeys!
John
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Thanks for the well-wishes all, and very good suggestions from Pete and John to take it as it comes and simply enjoy the experience. I often find myself going faster farther alone and in my usual remote locales than when I ride with others or in more reasonable places. While it is nice to have an itinerary to lend a framework, this is about the experience, not distance. I do very much want to see and enjoy things along the way; if that means I don't keep to my itinerary, that's fine.
One of the nicest parts of my last tour through NL, BE, and FR in 2008 was the many wonderful people I met along the way. Unfortunately, my riding partner's circumstances meant having to decline frequent offers of extended conversation, dinner, overnight stays, and guided tours. I took care to get contact information, and some of those I met have remained email pen-pals and Facebook friends to this day. I very much hope I can make similar connections on this trip. Those are the things that transcend a mere journey and make for memories to last a lifetime.
I figure a high level of fitness makes any tour easier and more enjoyable -- I feel like a slug after this winter's relative inactivity -- so I'm putting in some distance now. That has its own rewards -- spring lambs in the green fields, sunshine (!), warmer temperatures and longer days. It's not drudgery and time on the bike sure beats time in the gym or on rollers for me.
I'll keep you posted as departure draws nigh and may have some questions to put to the you all as well. With luck, the occasional photo or linked video will make its way here once I'm on the road.
I'm so looking forward to all that awaits and thank Andy and his wife most sincerely for their kindness in making the Adventure possible.
All the best,
Dan.
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That looks like a fantastic tour Dan! Now I understand why you are training so hard.
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Wishing you a fantastic and safe adventure Dan What a fantastic gesture from Andy, this is why I love this forum so much, people are always willing to help.
Looking forward to reading your account and hopefully some photos but like John says don't burden yourself.
I'm also mightily impressed with your training for the trip, you put me to shame,
Neil.
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Dan,
Your tour sounds absolutely brilliant and with the photographs and film you send to the lads in the forum, it will feel as though we are pedalling along beside you. Have a blast and enjoy every part of your tour.
Jags will be ok with Andre, Ian, John and the rest of the lads whilst you are on your travels.
Regards , Alfie
PS, forgot to mention what a super gesture by Andy.
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4 months and 9,000kms? I do suspect that you are being very ambitious there.
I think it depends on your aims and whether you travel alone or not. For my 2011 trip I had just one month available, with some specific sites I wanted to visit in N and NW spain, plus one in the extreme NE of Portugal. I was on my own, so could choose what pace to go at and where to stop. I also did several months of training before my trip to make sure I would be fit enough for the hilly bits in the foothills of the Pyrenees and the Picos mountain range.
So for the approx 1,400 kms of the French part of my trip I did 150-200 km/day, this was in fairly flat terrain I already knew quite well. I did less daily mileage in Spain and Portugal (it was also much hillier).
I even ended up doing 50 to 90 kms on each of the 6 "rest" days I had reserved for just pottering about and visiting.
Average daily distance was 123 kms for the 27 days of my 3,335 km trip.
The house swap holidays I have taken with my wife in the Netherlands and Denmark were completely different. On these we did between 20 and 70 kms on the days we cycled, on other days we used public transport or walked.
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Whoah -- have an awesome time, Dan. I am hugely jealous!
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Dan,
Your tour sounds absolutely brilliant and with the photographs and film you send to the lads in the forum, it will feel as though we are pedalling along beside you. Have a blast and enjoy every part of your tour.
That's the key thing, being virtually along for the ride. It's what's so fabulous about a conference of tourers like this one, all the places you see that you've never seen before, or through new eyes if you have seen them before.
We'll be beside you every inch of the way, Dan! It's a grand thing you've done, Andy.
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Oh my this sounds wonderful Dan and what a man Andy.
I am really looking forward to following your progress and living the trip through your camera lens whilst I am tied to the desk and computer. It will certainly be bringing us all along for the ride.
When ever I have done any trips or challenges I have enjoyed the training as much as the trip itself. It gave me a sense of purpose and I got out on days I wouldn't have ventured out on otherwise. That in it self was a great bonus. Enjoy the whole journey Dan.
Steve
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Great news Dan.
I hope to visit some of those places next year so will be reading your journal entries with interest.
Best wishes
Matt
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Hey dan, Good travels out that way my man. I did a lot of the Euro Velo 6 on my way to Istanbul. As you'll be coming the opposite way first you won't be used to having signposts and it will only get easier the further North you get.
I was going the other way and the quality of track and signage hit a severe decline after Budapest :)
Never know, but I might be hitting some of that myself in the not too distant future.
I've got to make a scheduled trip home for a few months and although the date was meant to be August it might get brought forward if the unthinakable happens and my team are still in with a shout of winning the league. There is no way I'll be missing the first victory parade for a championship in Liverpool for over 20 years.
All the best
Richie
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Richie!
Please keep me advised of your plans by PM or email, as it would be terrific to meetup along the way. Serendipity is a strange and wonderful thing and you never know. If you happen to see me, a sunburned and moustached 'Merkin on Andy's red Raven Tour loaded with my red/black Ortliebs and wearing a red helmet...we'll know truth is stranger than fiction.
I'll be traveling the eastern part of EV6 both ways so it just might happen.
All best wishes on your continuing journey and many thanks for yours.
All the best,
Dan. (...who will be looking for that black Nomad and moustache 'bar-bag)
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Can you give us the low down on that cheap air fair?
Are you related to the pilot or own Virgin airways?
Matt
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Can you give us the low down on that cheap air fair?
Sure!Are you related to the pilot or own Virgin airways?
Nope; wish I was!
Hi Matt!
I'm still astounded by the low cost of the airfare myself. There's a number of reasons why it was so low...
• I started looking well in advance, meaning November. I finally booked on December 6th, before peak December travel season when fares increase for not only the holidays, but well out in the calendar. I guess airlines figure holiday travel puts people in the mood for summer bookings and price accordingly.
• I spent a number of very late nights crouched over the computer, haunting my airlines' website. By "my airlines" I mean AlaskaAir, where I have a mileage rewards VISA card and this is also the airline local to me here in America's Pacific Northwest and they partner with several international airlines including BA and AirFrance. To gain air miles, I long ago put my utilities and other revolving charges on autopay using their card and treat it as if I were writing a check, paying it off immediately. With past travel and rewards points, I have accrued enough "mileage" points over several years for redemption. Booking myself, through my airline, using their redemption calendar and my accrued points resulted in a far better price than any of the online firms like Kayak or Travelocity.
• AirFrance had far better partner prices than did BritishAir, even though it meant mandatory routing through Paris CDG airport, which is notorious for being hard to make connections. In the end, going with BA would have made for more difficult connections overall and considerably longer layovers as well and some days/flights being completely unavailable, so worst of all outcomes. AirFrance was better from a travel standpoint as well as price.
• Tuesday nights, just after midnight, is the time when many airfares take a dip among American airlines, according to my tracking of prices and specials. It proved true in this case as well.
• Since I wanted to fly points insofar as possible in lieu of out-of-pocket cost, I booked based on availability through AlaskaAir's Rewards Calendar. These are flights by destination that have award or blackout dates to use your accumulated points. I was willing to fly at bottom-level seating, figuring if I'm on the plane -- even in steerage -- I'll still get there. Minimum redemption levels are 32,500mi and the next bump up is 65,000mi, but the extra boost doesn't always correlate with extra value -- sometimes it means a higher-class low-level seat just one row ahead. Sometimes it is the same bottom-level seat priced higher in reward points and cash. You have to check seat-by-seat and row-by-row. Airplane seating charts became my friend; when you actually redeem your rewards/book your ticket, you can choose your seating. I did, choosing aisle seats near but not close to the restrooms and galley on an aisle that will let me to stand and stretch without disturbing others and grab my bags and get out quickly on landing so I will gain time on my connections. In each case, I am just one seat away from the next higher-priced seat. All my connections are good and should allow transfer without missing a flight unless something goes really wrong with a mechanical problem or weather delays, the latter unlikely at the times/places I'll be flying. Plesae note: My booked flights only allowed seat selection on AlaskaAir and commuter-airline subsidiary HorizonAir. To select my seats on AirFrance, I simply registered for a free account and then made my selection. This also allowed me to select my meals/menu. They look to be good -- unlike the domestic flights which plan to let me starve, AirFranceprovides real dinners and an in-flight buffet.
I ended up getting each leg -- outgoing and return -- for 32,500 air (reward) miles for a total of 65,000 spent. This dropped my out-of-pocket expense to $149.99 for both legs (round trip).
• These are not direct flights. Outgoing is Eugene departing @ 8AM 9May>Portland>Atlanta>Paris>Sofia @ 4:15PM 10May. Return is departing 11Sept @ 3:10PM Bucharest>Paris>Los Angeles with a 14hr layover and me sleeping at the airport as I've done before and then>Portland>Eugene 12May @ 3:30PM.
• I was willing to be flexible on my departure and arrival times and day-of-week. This meant weekdays, which also cut costs. I leave on a Friday and return on a Thursday. Saturday or Sunday arrivals/departures are in higher demand and thus more expensive.
• I am flying out just before peak tourist season and flying home just after.
• I booked an "open-jaw" flight, meaning different arrival and departure airports. Andy -- bless him! -- is willing to pick me up at one and drop me off at the other. This saved on costs as well. One airport is much farther from him in distance, the other involves lengthy border delays.
• I was willing to fly home on September 11th, the date of the 2001 terrorist attacks in America. There is still a general unwillingness by Americans to fly on this date, resulting in domestic underbookings and therefore lower costs. I feel security will be increased on that day and I will likely be as safer or safer than on another date.
• A major savings is realized from not flying with my bike, thanks to Andy's wonderful offer of his. My Ortlieb HB bag will be my "personal item" bag to go under my seat, I'll wear my helmet aboard so it won't get crushed in my bag, I'll have a small carry-on to stow overhead, and a larger bag that meets requirements in the cargo hold. Between them, I will bring my four panniers, my sleeping bag and pad, my 1-man tent, my small electronic gadgets (batteries with watt-hour capacity calculated and marked overtly to meet airline requirements, smartphone, solar panel, GPS), and basic clothing -- I'll wear helmet, jersey, shorts, socks, gloves, and SPD shoes on bike, plus 1 spare each jersey and riding shorts and socks and my raingear plus 1 each 3/4 tights and regular tights. Casual clothes will be an airweave synthetic "dry" t-shirt and cargo pants with zip-off legs to make shorts and my nylon-mesh Merrell clogs/slip-on shoes for the airport, tent/camp and even shower use. I will carry a light zippered fleece and a PrimaLoft "puff" jacket that stuffs very small in case of colder days/nights and my buff and ball cap for sun protection. I'l bring my Mini-Trangia pot and frypan/lid and potlifter and a couple folding spoons as well as the burner head for an iso-butane cartridge. I'll try to buy a multifuel stove in Ruse on arrival, since a friend who recently took a similar air route said he saw tables full of confiscated campstoves at airlines check-in counters in Paris, Atlanta, and LA. When he asked about them, he was told if they looked "used" they were "expected" to not be fume-free and were confiscated as a result.
So, no magic involved on the cheap airfare, just a determination to suss out the best dates cost-wise, some research, price-tracking, and a willingness to be flexible.
Best,
Dan.
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Interesting point you make about the stoves Dan. Imagine getting to the airport with your brand new multifuel that you've used once to test it. :(
I love the idea of coming to your country but I don't like the idea of customs. Both times I've ben to the states it was absolutely ridiculous. 6 six, yes 6 checks before CHECKING IN at LAX and when I arrived at Miami it was just after the mad cow disease here in the UK.
The fantastic sign at arrivals said "If arriving from the UK please inform us if you . 1. Live on a farm. 2. Have visited the countryside. 3. Have recently visited a bed n breakfast." I kid you not.
Everyone knows cows don't use BnB's because they cant get down the stairs ;)
On my Iran - India flight every old lady had a massive kettle of boiling hot water so she could make tea on the flight :)
Yes I'll keep in touch Dan. PM me your details please I seem to have lost them.
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Europe = Camping Gaz
Buy the 'puncture can' model, the spare canisters are available in every supermarket and village store in Italy and France.
This sort:
(http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/gallery/28/1218746706-GT_unlit.jpg)
We wrongly, bought the fancy new Click-stove model, very easy to use, but the canisters were rarer than poultry dentals.
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I went on a backpacking trip and only took one pair of spare socks. Big mistake, after washing they did not dry fast enough for me to start each day with dry clean socks. Since then, I always carry four pair of socks (three spares, one in use). Cycling, I carry both bike shoes and regular shoes (specifically trail running shoes) and I work very hard to make sure that one pair stays reasonably dry.
Last spring after biking in rain for several days, the first dry day my trail runners were still reasonably dry but my bike shoes were soaked. I had Shimano 324 pedals that allowed me to use cleated shoes or plain shoes. That allowed me to bike in dry shoes for a day while my bike shoes started to dry out. A friend on the trip only had one pair of shoes which got soaked. He started to have foot problems when he could not switch to dry footwear.
Dan, I know you have struggled with getting the right pedal for your knees, but I really suggest you have an option for footwear if your bike shoes get soaked.
It was suggested above to get the puncture type canister stove. Vaude or Markhill make an adapter that you can use to connect those canisters to a thread on type stove (Primus, MSR, Snow Peak, etc.). But the adapters are very hard to find in USA, so you might not find one here. I often use a Snow Peak stove on that adapter with some old Gaz cartridges.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edelrid-Puncture-Style-Cartridge-Adaptor/dp/B0037X9YOK/ref=pd_sxp_f_r
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Many thanks for airline ticket info.
May I ask what data you will be keeping as you travel?
I appreciate money and costs are a private matter but would be interested to hear anything on those subjects.
I like to keep within budget when I tour.
Matt
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May I ask what data you will be keeping as you travel?
We all have our own systems/preferences/obsessions, but I keep track (pencil & notebook) of all costs when I'm on tour, plus anything related, before & after (travel costs, mechanical prep or repair, etc.) Takes maybe a minute at the end of each day. Daily costs are usually limited to food & drink & accomm, as you'd expect, but occasionally trainfares/etc are part of the equation. I find it useful to know what a bike-trek costs, not least because it's usually cheaper than simply staying at home! After a few rides, longer or shorter, one develops a good sense of what a tour is likely to cost.
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Hi All!
Thanks so much for the well-wishes and suggestions -- all very much appreciated, integrated, and weighed.
Between putting in high mileage and getting things wrapped up here, so I may not be able to always make my usual individual replies and PMs, but I very much welcome and appreciate your thoughts.
With regard to air travel with stoves, I did come across this horrifying story, which unfortunately is not isolated, having been duplicated since and reported in local papers: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/13/heat-is-on/ No stove for me when flying. Portland (PDX) is notorious for problems with air travel and immigration, and I still believe it is there where my Miyata was so heavily damaged by TSA inspectors when I flew home from Amsterdam in 2008. According to the tags and leaflet in the box, it had been flagged for "B**b Scrutiny" and there was no recourse or financial recovery available from the airlines (not their doing) or the TSA (immune in the course of duties).
Matt, I like to keep costs in check while touring, and usually go for a minimal amount far below what othes do. I'll be keeping track of the costs as the credit card bills and bank records come in After. At this point, costs are minimal 'cos I have all my equipment I'll be bringing and/or will use any additional purchases long-term beyond this immediate tour (i.e. my Anker 20,000mAh external USB battery for charging the phone and other gadgets while away from mains power. Andy's bike does not have a dynohub, so I will use the big external battery and recharge off mains periodically of or off my Joos Orange solar panel and accumulator battery. Both those have to have watt-hours calculated and overtly labeled, according to AirFrance -- and then checked against allowable maximums per traveler, else one runs into problems).
I go on most of my tours for pretty minimal cost -- mostly take-along food equivalent or less in cost than what I eat at home. This is easy in my usual locales, which are remote and have no available lodging or restaurants anyway. For this trip, I expect costs in Eastern Europe to be very low due to local currencies, and to be unfortunately high for me as an American in Western Europe due to the strong Euro against a weak US dollar. The homestays should cut my costs for lodging compared to more commercial alternatives, and I have my little tent for all other occasions. If a homestay is otherwise occupied, the tent might allow me to still make a pitch in someone's side garden if no bed is available.
While I really enjoy food and love a good, tasty meal, I have usually considered food simply as "fuel" when touring and pack accordingly for weight, mass, and caloric payoff by type (carbs, protein, etc). I need to change that approach for this trip and really enjoy where I am and what is offered in the way of regional food -- it is part of the experience and will make for a much richer adventure and some truly tasty meals if I do! Still, roadside stands are fine on occasion and I don't mind going with a hunk of hard cheese, hard salami, and a baguette for my pick-up food to carry me through with windfall apples and pears and such along the way as supplements. I intend to carry some small tins of food to tide me over Sunday closures (I got caught out by these occasionally in more traditional and conservative Zeeland and again in eastern NL). Some rice or beans softened in a water bottle during the day for quick warming at night or early morning is fine as a quick supplement if food is otherwise unavailable, and I usually put in 30-40km before breakfast so I can break camp and get some distance in early. The main thing to watch is *me*. I find I tend to lose my appetite when exercising, so it is important for me to remember to eat enough to offset the calories lost and so avoid my usual pound-a-day weight loss while touring. In 2008, I made sure I got a hot meat protein-heavy meal at midday everyday and it really helped. With apologies to my vegetarian friends, I'm an omnivore and really feel the loss in performance when I don't have meat-based protein in my diet. My touring partner on the 2008 tour was an accomplished vegetarian and cook, and I still went progressively downhill over the course of the first week without meat. With frequent infusions of smoked salami and soon-beloved pickled herring, I perked right up and went back to my usual riding performance standard. I could find roadside pickled herring-and-frites-with mayonnaise stands like a heat-seeking missile finds its target.
By the way, auto clubs may be of unexpected assistance in the money realm. I found AAA (The American Automobile Association) which in my eyes didn't offer much back in the day beyond basic towing, roadside assistance and insurance -- is now a wonderland of travel accessories and services for everyone both online and in local AAA stores. For a small fee, they also offer foreign currencies in "tip packs" or larger denominations so one can arrive with local currency. Larger amounts are available as well, all shipped from their Florida headquarters for arrival in 7-10 business days. AAA now offers members free pickup/recovery/repair while bicycling in some cases ( http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/07/15/aaa-always-anti-bike-launches-bicycle-roadside-assistance-serv/ ), at least here in Oregon and a few other states. I'm not a member, but some of their offerings might tempt me before this trip. Their AAA Visa card is chip-equipped for ready overseas use. This is useful, as RFID chips are still rare here in America, though a recent nationwide store-chain security breach (Target stores) has caused a short-term increase in chip-card availability for those demanding them. I waited from November till early March to get my AmEx chip-card. My bank (US Bank) tells me they don't even have one available and probably won't until the year 2020. My credit union -- largest in the state -- doesn't offer a chip card. AAA also has debit cards readily available. Most of their available services don't require membership.
As an aside...Off on the Nomad here in a few minutes and want to keep a close eye out for mountain lions; maybe I'll see one to photograph again. Two cougars have been trapped inside city limits in the last couple weeks, and efforts are underway to find and trap a third that has been seen in local town parks and they do go after horses and alpacas on occasion after a cold winter and I see them occasionally. Some of this local news is available here:
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20140318/UPDATE/140318001/Second-cougar-trapped-killed-Eugene
http://ourcougarnightmare.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Dan.
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Goodness gracious Dan, your planning makes the moon landings look like underprepared jaunts. I'm impressed by your mastery of detail and the sophisticated booking strategy.
Have a good time. you've certainly earned it.
Bonne chance!
Ian
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I need to change that approach for this trip and really enjoy where I am and what is offered in the way of regional food
Some suggestions, Dan:
> Check out the apple strudl and apfelküchen, plus of course the coffee, along the Danube & into Germany. Divine mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Opinion is divided over ice cream or whipped cream -- I tilt a bit towards the latter 'cos you can add some to your coffee, and it's a little less sweet.
> Heavier, but still excellent, were the dinner variations on pork-apple-cabbage, esp in Germany.
> Found several good Italian bistros along the Danube too.
> Lunch on cooler and/or damper days: Gulaschsuppen -- needs a bit of hot pepper sauce, but excellent calories.
> Choc bars: Ritter Sport are the best I've ever tasted -- various flavours, but I prefer the Espresso. The Praline variant is pretty good too, as it the Jogourt & the Duo, the latter being layers of white & dark choc.
> Almost endless varieties of salami, but suggest you keep an eye out for pecorino (sheep's-milk cheese) -- not so very common in N America, 'cept in Québec in my experience. I've found that works very well indeed with salamis and you can get it in grades of hardness. When I was hiking in the Spanish Pyrenees with our daughter in 2011, chorizo and pecorino with rice cakes proved superb & quickly became our lunchtime default.
Think it's time for a snack...hope this helps,
J.
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Think it's time for a snack...hope this helps
Goodness, yes!
It's about all I can think about, now. ;D
Ohhh, "goodness" is exactly what awaits me! Thanks so much for the food suggestions, John.
All the best,
Dan.
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To my waistlines horror I have just found out that Lidl stock Ritter sport chocolate bars in the UK. This is bad.
The last few times I've been over to the states I got a money card from the currency exchange people. Its like a visa credit card but isn't credit, it only has the amount of money you put on it. Its a better way to carry cash than travellers cheques. I'm pretty sure you should be able to get one that works in Europe. You can also log on and top it up if you want and has the massive advantage that you can use it as a card in shops as well as just drawing out money. Plus I believe it gets round the whole charges for using your credit card in foreign countries con.
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Lidl stock Ritter sport chocolate bars in the UK. This is bad.
Or...good! If nothing else, I could live on those. ;D
Thanks so much, Honesty, for the suggestion of this sort of travel-debit card. Brilliant! I'm investigating now. The following seem to be cards of this type:
http://www.cashpassport.com/1/global-landing-page/
https://www.commbank.com.au/personal/travel/travel-money-card.html
http://www.travelex.com/US/Products/Cash-Passport/
Ruminations on same with some good general cautions for currency and prepaid/debit cards: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/15/travel-money-prepaid-currency-cards-which-best
Customized Google search on the topic here: http://tinyurl.com/nn7seef
With preview to verify authenticity of my TinyURL link: http://preview.tinyurl.com/nn7seef
I just applied for and received my Turkish e-visa, all in the space of perhaps ten minutes. "Sticker visas" are required at port of entry for Americans entering Turkey as tourists for up to 90 days ( http://turkey.usembassy.gov/visa_requirements.html ). I figured things would go more smoothly with one in hand rather than trying to get it at the airport as others seem to have done. Cost was only USD$20 and I bring the PDF printout with me. The application website was a model of efficiency and easy use; I wish the Turks had designed America's new insurance-application websites!
Best,
Dan.
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Yep, we had a cash passport, and there are a few hidden traps (as with most things). The one we had charged for withdrawing cash, but card payments were free. So we just loaded up the card with the amount we had budgeted for the holiday and paid for pretty much everything on the card. As most places nowadays takes card this wasn't a problem.
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the food suggestions
'Twas Berthold Brecht who said, if memory serves, that before bringing the revolution to its final consummation, one must first eat breakfast.
Having treated myself to several grosser frühstücken while cycling, I can appreciate his advice.
On Ritter Sport: I had known (vaguely) about these wonderful creations, but only started to pay close attention in the last couple of years. Our daughter, Meg, now living in Berlin for three-plus years, said she treats herself to a Ritter Sport now & again when she needs a wee boost of self-administered TLC. I trust her advice in this (as in most matters), so on a visit a while back, we sampled several (not all at once...) When I learned on my Rhine/Danube trek in 2012 that I couldn't easily find the Pro-Bar energy bars I normally eat in Canada when cycling, skiing, etc., I was only too happy to resort to Ritter Sport. They're now part of my standard touring equipment.
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i never spotted these in our aldi.maybe it's as well i'm fat enough.
jags.
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If you find them, jags, take one for your turnaround pause on your next ride on your Audax -- long enuf ride = no net gain, and they really are good!
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They're the 150g bars in Lidl as well, which is just to big to be considered a snack. Even so I reckon with a thermos flash of tea you could count it as lunch ;)
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They have even been seen reduced in our local Lidls before and after Christmas ;)
Luckily my weight is recovering now...
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Thanks so much, Honesty, for the suggestion of this sort of travel-debit card. Brilliant! I'm investigating now.
Hi Dan,
What a trip! You've managed to make us all jealous, and you haven't even left yet!
On the matter of the travel cards, just a small word of warning. For our September trip, I purchased a Commonwealth Bank card (Australia) months before and stored what I expected to be sufficient £ and € for the trip (mostly as a hedge for the expected drop in the A$ exchange rate).
Almost my very first opportunity to use it however, was in a flash hotel I'd booked for our arrival in London, as a treat for my wife. I used my travel card to check in, and they asked could they take a swipe for security (in case I did a runner, I guess)? This is usually a charge that gets reversed off your credit card before it gets processed, and you don't see it. But because I was using the debit card, the charge (in the ridiculous amount of £600!) actually came off the card, and took two weeks to restore! I was furious because I ran out of £ and had to resort to using a credit card during that period anyway!
I realise this will probably not apply to your plans, but a word to the wise - beware the warmshowers host who asks could he "just take a swipe of your card for security"! ;D
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Re the Turkish visa; I think it applies to everyone.
Even us Brits.
And best done in advance; as Dan had done.
Out if interest, is the entry period for a set time?
I mean, how long can you wait before you use it, rather than how long you can stay in Turkey?
Matt
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Hi Sammy!
Yes, I've been caught-out a few times by those huge "hold" charges on lodging. They sure were a surprise the first time! Not a big deal with credit cards (although it can take a surprisingly long time to get them reversed if the proprietor actually runs them as a matter of course -- yikes! *That* was the surprise to me...registered, and the whole lot was actually charged and not just as a "hold-in-case"), but they can lockup a debit card for awhile. A good thing to keep in mind for any card. By the way, I am in full sympathy for the reasons behind this. As I have related elsewhere on this Forum, on an early tour I left the hotel briefly to buy groceries and came back to find my partner had decided to clean his bike. In the room. Using *all* the hotel linen including the white towels, the bedspread, and some of the curtains. Oh, yeah I made sure he paid. Never in my life have I been so embarrassed to be associated with someone.
Matt, yes...What you do is select your arrival date and then the visa is good for 90 days from that. I set my start date for 20May, since that's when I plan to enter Turkey. I'll leave 25May, but that doesn't matter, since it is within the 90-day limit. By the way, this e-visa is for multiple entry during that 90-day window so you can come and go as you wish within that timeframe.
I am *most* impressed by the efficiency of the Turkish website, and they actually read and respond to feedback. I complimented them yesterday on how nicely the whole process worked and received a personalized email this morning thanking me and wishing me a pleasant visit. As jags would say, "Class".
Here's their landing page, Matt: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ You can see the process required by clicking on the 1, 2, 3 buttons. To actually initiate an application, you just click on the word "Application" and you'll be done in 10 minutes, tops. You'll need your passport handy to enter the requested data and your credit card as well (it is a secure site). After this, there's a 2-hour window to reply to their confirmation email else you have to start again; it is for security purposes. I think the USD$20 cost was very reasonable and a great way to avoid delays getting this done at port of entry.
Checking every other country on my route, it appears my passport alone will do, no visa required except for Turkey.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi All!
Has anyone heard any long-term forecasts predicting the European summer this year?
When I did my 2008 tour of The Netherlands, Belgium, and Bretagne, it was the coldest summer in 10 years. My friends didn't have their first barbecue until my arrival in August. It was cold and rained. A lot.
I'm hoping for good weather, not too hot, not too cold, not too wet...juuuuuust right. Looks more like it'll be hot, based on UK prognostications: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/weather-summer-2014-to-be-hottest-on-record-9122575.html
Best,
Dan. (...who is hoping for Goldilocks weather)
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Oh Dan
We have a great history in the UK of being terrible at predicting weather so I would not put too much weight on this.
Having said that it has certainly been a very strange winter across many parts of Europe so no telling what it is going to be like.
Andy
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Has anyone heard any long-term forecasts predicting the European summer this year?
I can predict that the first part of August in Ireland will be terrible.
I know this because I'll be there, and I do not have good luck with weather. When I was in Oregon last Spring, it was the 3rd wettest May on record. When I did the Cabot Trail in 2010, the temps went from 75º the week before I arrived to 100º while I was there, and then back to 75º after I left.
Although I won't be on my bike in Ireland, so the curse may not apply.
-George
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Andy!
I suspect you're right. My 96 year-old father's favorite phrase is "Only fools and new-comers predict the weather in Oregon" and I have the feeling this might apply universally.
George! As a lifelong Oregon resident, I'd like to offer my apologies for the terrible weather you encountered. It *should* have been better then, but, well...these things happen. A bit like San Francisco, some of our coldest winters have been summers on the Oregon Coast. :(
All the best,
Dan. (...who remembers the phrase, "We'll have weather, whether or not!")
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Dan. (...who is hoping for Goldilocks weather)
You're going bare on your bike?
Yikes
:o
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You're going bare on your bike?
Yikes
:o
Lol :D
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Hi All!
A little update...
Luggage and packing
Since I can't go truly bare on my bike (I always love a pun, Matt), I have to take stuff with me. Luggage requirements for international air travel are now for "less", smaller and lighter than I flew with in 2008, so I've downsized accordingly. I had thought about simply lashing my filled Ortliebs together, but as a unit they were too large to meet requirements and individually, they were too many to avoid incurring a hefty overage charge. The solution was a polycarbonate suitcase from the big-box membership-discount warehouse store, Costco.
All my cycle-touring gear for the trip including SPD shoes and pedals fits in the suitcase to stow in the cargo hold. All my clothing -- cycling and off-bike casual -- fits in the wee wheeled backpack as carry-on luggage. My handlebar bag holds all electronics and is my allowable "man-bag"/personal item to fit under my seat. I'll buy a stove on arrival, but except for food, I'm good to go for four months on what I'm taking.
For those wanting details, I've attached photos below: There's space left over, but things are looking good for what's left to fit. The car-wash towel will be cut down and hemmed to serve as towels and washcloths to be stored in zip-top bags. These are just as effective and *much* less expensive than backpacking-specific versions and made from the same material.
I have learned to use little tissue packets as packing 'cos it is perfect toilet paper when I start a tour and something that is not always available in restrooms or when wild camping.
(Clockwise on right suitcase-half): Sub-kilo down sleeping bag at top (good to freezing temps alone or a bit lower by adding clothing), 1-person tent at top-right, pad at lower-right. 10l MSR Dromedary, Ortlieb underseat bag, cookpots (will buy stove on arrival), miscellaneous including riding/eye glasses and towel and pedals beneath.
I'll add disposable contact lenses when they arrive. No cleaning/storage supplies needed and a fresh pair everyday. They're a true monovision setup (left eye=near, right eye=far) instead of my usual modified-monovision multifocal contacts that last 1mo/each. For backup, I'll be taking my regular multifocal eyeglasses and the eyeglass insert for my cycling glasses; it has a near-distance stick-on bifocal on the left.
There's more vertical space (thickness) available in the suitcase than it appears, so I can still add a layer of stuff.
On the left, it is mostly just the four panniers and the cycling shoes.
Stuff is tucked everywhere -- there's my pillow and silk liner inside the shoes, for example.
On the flight, I'll be wearing my helmet and flight clothing -- underpants, 3/4 cycling tights, cargo pants with zip-off legs, air-weave t-shirt, longsleeve cycling sun jersey, wind jacket, \quarter-socks and Merrell nylon-mesh clogs. This saves space and I can "shed" clothes once I'm seated.
I bought my helmet in San Diego and wore it on the flight home so it wouldn't get crushed/cracked in cargo. I grew a bit weary of people pointing at the helmet and asking if I knew something they didn't, but it worked out. I did the same going to Amsterdam in 2008 and will wear it again on the plane. Andy will be able to spot me easily enough -- how many passengers will be wearing red helmets? ;D
AAA: Unexpected Ally for travel credit and debit
CREDIT:
As an American, I'm finding an unexpected ally in the AAA (American Automobile Association) in terms of needed travel items (each outlet has a small store of reasonably priced goodies, discounted further for members) and services that make a year's basic single membership well worth it at ~USD$55.
I then signed up for their AAA travel VISA credit card with chip-and-signature and 2% conversion fee. It is issued by Bank of America and has no annual fee, but looks to be valid only with an AAA membership so that could be considered the fee. On activating the card, BofA advised I would also qualify for their own travel VISA credit card with no annual fee and 0% overseas transaction fee and chip-and sig, so I signed on for that as well. This gives me two cards that are not tied to any of my others and I will use them exclusively for travel, the one with 2% fee as a backup. This is important because I have some of my other cards tied to autopay of utilities services and such so I can "invisibly" earn rewards each month. My favorites are for air miles (BofA AlaskaAir VISA) and camping equipment (US Bank REI VISA). Both of these travel cards are issued by BofA. BofA's fraud protection covers all three and I can manage the cards at one bank. My home autopay cards will stay home so I won't have a hassle with unpaid utilities/garbage service, etc. if a travel card is cancelled for loss, fraud, or me changing my itinerary without notice.
At present, chip-equipped credit cards are hard to come by here in the States, and often command a premium price when available. They are not expected to be common until required by law in 2020, and neither my bank or credit union have any to issue. Unfortunately, the chip-equipped cards available here are only the chip-and-signature kind, *not* the far more secure chip-and-PIN. The only chip-and-PIN credit cards I have found to date is issued by the United Nations Credit Union in New York City and requires membership. Reading up on the matter in financial and banking forums, it appears unlikely the PIN versions will ever become widely available here. Despite recent massive security breaches, there's not much of a push toward greater security in financial sectors Stateside.
DEBIT:
AAA also is providing my VISA Travel Money debit cards. At time of purchase, I chose to pay another small fee (USD$3.50 as I recall) for a companion card. This draws on the same pool of money, but has its own PIN and ID number. It can be canceled separately and serves as an instant backup in case the other card is stolen (I'll store them separately from each other). There is a transaction fee but it isn't too bad, and I can reload the debit cards by a variety of means. I will reload mine from either of the two BofA credit cards, so no separate bank account is needed here; transloading will take care of it all and still limit my liability if the debit cards are compromised. I will setup each debit card with its own pin, and -- though labeled "Debit" as required by US law -- each can be used as a "check", "credit" or "debit" card as needed to get money from an ATM, from a teller, or to purchase things.Total for the two cards was about USD$16. These cards are available from AAA and from the Safeway grocery store chain in the gift card section of each store.
The International Driver's Permit: Belt 'n' braces backup
AAA also provided me with an International Driver's Permit for ~USD$21 complete with two passport-sized photos, and it is valid only outside the US for one year and only when used with my state-issued driver's license; I can always drive if needed. Apart from driving, the IDP serves a number of backup purposes, all of which could be very handy. First, it is another ready form of identification. Second, it allows vehicle rental more quickly with less hassle -- or at all -- than with only a US state-issued D/L. This includes one-way rentals, which are *much* more difficult if not impossible without. This provides another means to make a return to Andy with the bike if I get caught short for some reason -- illness, overstaying my itinerary, whatever, if I'm in an area without ready access to train service. Third, there's more than one use for a rental car. I've made short rentals before as a means for a) portable on-street lodging when no other is available due to festivals and conventions, b) portable secure storage -- a Citröen Berlingo-class minivan with tinted windows is a lockable bicycle storage facility, and c) a means to quickly move to another area for touring, independent of trains. I found a rental car to be an ideal means for sleeping in the rest areas (aires, see: http://www.abelard.org/france/motorway-aires1.php ) of French toll roads while transiting parts of Upper and Lower Normandy on my way to Bretagne. The aires typically include a petrol filling station, toilets, the occasional shower, and frequent nighttime security patrols that don't bother sleeping drivers so long as they're not tenting. If you don't mind sleeping in the vehicle (harder but still possible if it is a Seat Leon), it can add a lot of versatility to a time-limited tour. It can also be surprisingly inexpensive. A round-trip week's rental of a Rotterdam-based diesel Leon in 2008 cost me only ~USD$300 when booked in advance and worked well in every respect.
Other matters...
Still putting in distance on the bike. Between work and Life obligations, I managed a 435mi week-before-last, tempered only by some posterior tibial tendonitis, caused when I stepped backward into a hole while taking a photo. I rode the rest of the 200km on the rando bike to get home and found it badly bruised, then did a couple more 200km rides on the Nomad, since it didn't bother on the bike. Though the doctor agreed it wasn't cycling-related, I backed off last week and instead did the exercises he prescribed. They're doing their job and it feels much better now.
I got the first of my Hepatitis A/B Twinrix jabs, and will soon be due for my second of three, conferring ~90+% immunity after a month. I'll complete the series when I return for full immunity. A good idea, as water-borne hepatitis is present in the Calapooya Mountains watershed where I mountain-tour SE of here. Pre-bite rabies vaccines aren't available in the US, nor is the vaccine for tick-borne encephalitis, but I've done everything I can otherwise in terms of making sure my immunizations are up to date. I'm only going to Eastern and Western Europe, but these are worthwhile when touring anywhere and the Hepatitis vaccines fill a gap in my record, so all's good.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi All!
'Nother little update in terms of equipment: The Wal-Mart discount store chain has come up with some useful things in their sporting-good section. One is a little Ortlieblike roll-top bag to keep the phone dry on rainy days, the other is a small backpack with two zippered compartments that secures itself into a lump the size of a tennis ball. Each cost ~USD$8 and seem worthwhile. The backpack would be handy while grocery shopping and ensures my hands remain free, which is nice. It could also be used to separate and store my dirty laundry on the way to washing.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Dan,
You must be getting excited now that the time is nearly here. One week to go is it?. Is all the prep done now so that you can ease off a bit or are you still putting in miles, and getting kit sorted ? I'm sure that in the next few days a lot of well wishers will be on to give you encouragement and their support, so thought I would get in early. Happy trails, stay safe an keep in touch with us on the forum.
Best Wishes, Alfie
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yip getting closer Dan stop buying and take it easy on the bike your as fit as a flea,you'll have plenty of time for big miles when you fly the big aeroplane ;)
jags.
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Hi Alfie and All!
Thanks so much for all your kind words of interest and support. I regret I haven't had time to reply to everyone, but please know your well-wishes are much appreciated and most welcome!
Yes, I am looking forward to all ahead with such great and eager anticipation. This is a tour I've long dreamed of taking -- since high school years -- and there is so much to intrigue and interest me now it is coming true. I am very much looking forward to my time with Andy and his wife, whose kindness and generosity have made this possible. I'm pouring over atlases and glued to Google, absorbing as much as I can about the sights ahead. In truth, it is about all I'm thinking of and my enthusiasm is running at peak levels.
Of course, there's always last-minute things to clear up and resolve before leaving, but all is being made ready for my absence and is going well.
I have all I need to take, largely packed and ready. I've been riding, so should be in good shape to start the tour. My vaccine series is coming along nicely. The money/card situation is solved. Comms are in place and doing well.
All is not Peace and Relaxation here, however, so I'm still going full-tilt: My primary home credit card I use to auto-pay utilities and such to earn travel rewards was compromised this week when thieves installed card-skimming software in an online vendor's server, I've been driving back and forth to the Coast to resolve a labor dispute and cut the grass myself, re-plumbed both bathrooms here to fix a drain problem, removed two trees yesterday that threatened to crack the house foundation and just last evening, one of my primary work computers failed so I'm running on three hours' sleep at the moment to get things transferred and running again. Whew! The list is endless but somehow expected; such things always seem to arise before any departure and make a tour seem relaxing by comparison.
I'll still administer the Forum but won't participate so actively as a member while I tour. I'll surely post the occasional update as comms and circumstances allow and will keep a daily journal, but the full story will come after I return in the form of a website with photos, video, and daily accounts -- I'll spend the bulk of my time on-tour...touring!
So looking forward to the time ahead! Sometimes when touring, it feels like I'm sitting still atop the bike and the world is a movie unreeling beneath my wheels. Right now, the theater lights are dimming and the opening credits are about to roll. Pretty soon, I'll be deep in the plot with plenty of action, some nicely directed scenery, and the romance of Adventure as the story unfolds with me in it, rather than watching from the sticky seats. I can't wait!
All the best,
Dan.
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Have a brilliant time. The great thing about touring is that experience is so much longer than the duration of the trip; a feeling I rarely get with other typed of vacation.
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Have a fantastic time and enjoy every minute. We will all be looking forward to the photographs and ride report when you return.
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Dan make a Film documentary of the tour ;).
you know wee armchair geeks like me will never get to do a tour like that.
anto.
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Thanks so much, All!
Yes, Anto, I'll be filming a lot of video, and will interleave that with pan-and-scans of the still photos to make my little documentary to go with the website. At least, that's the plan and all the equipment works well here at home. :D We'll see if that's the case once I'm off and running!
All the best,
Dan.
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sure look forward to that dan ;)
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Enjoy the tour Dan! Just read through the post and it sound like a fantastic voyage of discovery round Europe!
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Hi All!
Two more sleeps till departure. Neither Horizon (commuter/regional) nor AlaskaAir (US) will feed me, but AirFrance promises lavish feasts and a buffet. Really! I read it on their website and that's on the Internet, so of course it must be true. ;)
I'm taking no chances, however. While I had the acrylic paint pen out to label things with my name, I went to work on my new sleep mask/eye shade....
Best,
Dan. (...who you can call anything except "Late for Dinner")
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I love the sleep mask! But since it is Air France, shouldn't it be written in French, just to be on the safe side? :) When it comes to food, you don't want to risk missing out.
Have a great trip. A lot of us will be imagining ourselves riding with you, so give us updates when you have the chance.
- Dave
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But shouldn't it be written in French, just to be on the safe side?
Darn! :-[
Knew I'd overlooked something.... ::)
All the best,
Dan.
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Maybe you should have a second mask stating: " Just Eaten" & " Do not Disturb" ?
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Maybe you should have a second mask stating: " Just Eaten" & " Do not Disturb" ?
;D I like that one even better, Brummie!
'Should've asked first; you guys have the *best* ideas! :)
Interesting design, that mask. The dome leaves room for eyelashes and blinking eyes and feels like looking 'round in a darkened room, but I wasn't prepared for all the "Eye Bra" jokes. :D
All the best,
Dan.
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;D ;D ;D you'll be fine dan just dont ware it beside an irishman.
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Yikes! :o
Just discovered I had the micro-SDXC card for *domestic* journeys mounted in the GPS instead of the one with my Euro maps.
Wouldn't do to fire it up in Croatia only to find directions to Vya, Nevada, human population ~3-9 depending on how many are visiting at the time, sage grouse population 501,247, and home to the Old Yella Dog Ranch: http://www.oldyelladogranch.com/index.html ...and... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vya,_Nevada
Checking everything one last time to make sure I didn't pull a similar stunt elsewhere in my packing. I remembered the phone-charging cord and transformer/plug adapter, so things are looking good!
Best,
Dan. (...who thinks it would be easier to check now than fix later)
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Best of luck Buddy i'll be there in spirit along side ya.
Anto ;)
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Maybe you should have a second mask stating: " Just Eaten" & " Do not Disturb" ?
Na, it should say "Cyclist - keep feeding" :D
Have a great trip, Dan - look forward to hearing all about it sometime.
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Safe trip Dan,
I am excited for you, I'll be eagerly awaiting the trip reports. All the hard work and planning are done now all that's left is to enjoy the experience.
Iain. 8)
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Safe travels, Dan! Take the time to smell the roses!
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We're with you in spirit, Dan. (We know you don't drink. We'll be taking the toasts on your behalf.) Have fun. It is permitted, even in Germany.
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+1 for our best wishes to you Dan for a safe journey and Godspeed! Wish I could ride "wing man" with you on this one!
Take care, and stay in touch.
Sam
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Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone! :)
Flight leaves at 8AM local time (PDST) tomorrow (Friday), lands 16:15PM Saturday in Sofia, so it is getting close now! Exciting! ;D My airlines app says to see a counterperson for personal check-in, but that has happened to me before when checking in for international flights at my small local airport. They want to see the bags and screen them on behalf of their partner carriers. Fingers crossed this won't be a snag. Just a bit left to do on the packing -- I've left my summer-season down bag out to fluff as long as possible before stuffing it, for example. Lots of sticky note reminders to check so I won't leave things like that behind. ::)
Take the time to smell the roses!
Sage advice, Jim, and I thank you and the others who have kindly offered it and plan to take it to heart. Yes, the whole point of the trip is to see things. The itinerary is a framework to lend structure to the time, but isn't set in stone. If I choose to see something or some place along the way in greater depth at the expense of total distance...it will all be good.
Now, I need to remember that. Going alone in remote areas as I often do, there's not a lot else to do except ride, so I've acquired the habit. On those tours, the journey is the primary focus due in part to necessity; delays could force me past my carried stores of foodstuffs and water. Here, it will be different. There'll be stores for reprovisioning, people to meet along the way, sights to explore in greater depth, and the chance to *experience* it as well as ride through new places. Luxury! I keep reminding myself this will be Europe and not the trackless forests of the Cascades, Calapooyas, and Coast Range or the deserts of the Great Basin. There's even whole rivers (the Danube, for example!) to navigate by. What a treat! The GPS and compass may relax a bit on this tour.
I'll do my best to check in beyond basic administration with occasional periodic brief reports. I'll be using my smartphone exclusively for all comms; it is proving a superb alternative to my usual compact laptop/netbook. I'll miss participating so much as a member, but I'll still monitor the Forum and will drop in for the occasional quick skim-read as well.
All the best and many thanks,
Dan. (...who used to lead tour groups professionally and would take you all along on this one if he could)
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Enjoy Dan ;)
anto.
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I'll be looking up for your plane Saturday afternoon.
If you want to share your flight number I can track it on an app and give you a wave?
Matt
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Have a great time Dan, wishing you lots of sunshine, tail winds, good food, and interesting / friendly people.
Jim
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If you want to share your flight number I can track it
That sounds fun, Matt; maybe I can get the pilot to blink the lights or something.
Here's the schedule. Dates and times are local to the departing/arriving airports:
OUTBOUND
Friday, 9May-Saturday, 10May:
• Eugene, OR (EUG) to Portland, OR (PDX) via Alaska/HorizonAir Flt. 2036, 8AM-8:40AM
• Portland, OR (PDX) to Atlanta, GA (ATL) via AlaskaAir Flt. 752, 10:05AM-5:50PM
• Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) via AirFrance Flt. 689, 8:45PM-11:10AM
• Paris-Charles de gaulle (CDG) to Sofia, Bulgaria (SOF) via AirFrance Flt. 1788, 12:35PM-4:15PM
RETURN
Thursday, 11Sept-Friday, 12 Sept:
• Bucharest, Romania (OTP) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) via AirFrance Flt. 1889, 3:10PM-5:20PM
• Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) via AirFrance Flt. 76, 7:10PM-9:40PM
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Portland, OR (PDX) via AlaskaAir Flt. 563, 8:35AM-10:54AM <-- 14-hour nighttime layover @ LAX before leaving for Portland next morning. Everything else is pretty reasonable or borderline tight wrt layovers/transfers. Not bad for the USD$149 round-trip ticket cost.
• Portland, OR (PDX) to Eugene, OR (EUG) via Alaska/HorizonAir Flt. 2643, 2:50PM-3:30PM
All this can be entered into various online flight trackers and some show an animation (a really, really s-l-o-w animation) of the plane in flight over a map to show progress. A similar graphic will show as a choice on the screen in the seatback ahead or me or on the bulkhead, depending on how the overseas planes are configured.
Last flight I took to the NL six years ago, the plane was stuck at the Portland departure gate with mechanical problems. 13.5 hours in the boiling 36°C sun without A/C didn't help tempers, and the port authorities were called to bar the exit doors after people tried to leave when the toilets overflowed. Lots of Adventure there. The Linux-based onboard entertainment system kept rebooting in flight and with it, the animated plane would jump or reset on the map. Despite this, the view looked okay out the window but I saw Ironman (or parts of it) four times. It wasn't that good. I itched to get out of my seat, open the service panel and *fix* it, but I don't think my assistance would have been welcomed mid-flight. Just glad the problem wasn't tied into the actual navigation systems and we arrived safely.
Oh! Last time, I (everybody else, as well) spent what seemed a lot of time in-flight filling out little green customs forms and doing brain exercises to see if we could remember details and values of what we'd stored in the cargo hold. The purpose was to match against a similar form filled out on the return flight for customs. I still remember the elderly gentleman sitting next to me, writing, "I dunno, a bunch of stuff. I'll sort it out when I return". I'll bet he did! Either that, or no one looks at the forms and they were intended to keep us quiet and occupied for awhile. :D
All the best,
Dan. (...who will indeed be looking for some waving hands or messages spelled out below)
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Have a great time Dan, wishing you lots of sunshine, tail winds, good food, and interesting / friendly people.
Jim
+1
Julian.
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Have a safe journey Dan and looking forward to seeing you soon
Andy
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well on his way by now wonder which is the longest the flight or the bike tour. 8)
should be well and truly knackered either way. ;)
jags.
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We are hoping atleast that by the time he get here / has some food it will be 10pmish so should help with being able to get to sleep and deal with the jetlag/time change
Andy
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is dan with you until monday andy.
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Wonder is the Governer is munching his way through Andys food store or is he tucked up in bed fast asleep with a big hugh grin on his face. ;) good luck Dan with the tour gonna be a good one.
don't forget to post the odd photo. ;)
anto.
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I think he's in transit at the Atlanta airport right now. It's 7:20pm in Atlanta, and his flight to Paris leaves at 8:45pm.
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=8639.msg62715#msg62715
I hope his luggage makes all the connections.
- Dave
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I'm in Atlanta on time and will board my flight to Paris in a few minutes. Bad weather forced a re-route but actually arrived early so all good.
Paris next, then Sofia!
Best,
Dan.
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Don and I met Dan on the flight from Portland to Atlanta. Great personality and we enjoyed chatting with him, since we also ride bikes. Cheering you on - Jan
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Hi Jan! Thanks for the sighting report! We do like to keep track of folks here!
I hope your own traveling has some fun involved too, and maybe even some bike riding!
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2 down and 2 to go.
Setting off in about 4 hours to meet up with Dan at the airport. Should be back here by about 18:30 GMT so will make sure we let you know he has got here.
Andy
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He should be here by 1830GMT
The pantry is well stocked
Andy
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jeez andy any chance i could pop over there for a month or so i'll clean all your bikes for ya. 8)
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fair play to you andy your a good one.
jags.
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Take your turn Jags.
When I bought my Raven from Andy he said I could ride it back one day.
If my Scottish summer tour goes well, Mrs. Matt may release me next year for a spin further a field.
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Great stuff - looking forward to the updates (and pics) ;D
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one thing for sure matt you wont go hungry. ;)
jags.
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Hi Jan and Don! I enjoyed our chat on the plane as well. Welcome to the Thorn forum. I'll set to work on my blog and website upon my return.
Best,
Dan.
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You are more than welcome to come over. I am sure Dan will give you a good review of the cycling over here over the next week as he puts some training miles in (not that he needs them) and gets the bike dialled in to his needs.
He arrived on time and the journey back went well. Hopfully he has had a good nights sleep and made a good step towards resetting his clock.
Andy
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That sounds just grand, really, just to stay in one interesting place and take day rides out exploring the local area. That's one of my grand schemes for Asia somewhere or other. Maybe Nangchen in Qinghai province, China. Or maybe Himachal Pradesh in India? Or???
Right now it is Kingston, NY!
I hope you will be able to get out riding with Dan, Andy! Though it is always tricky, trying to find a mutually agreeable pace! I can hardly keep up with anybody, but I sure wouldn't expect to have any better luck with Dan!
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Hi All!
Real quick update: Not over my jet lag yet but very close. The seatpost, chainring, and short stem with Andy's B.17 have the bike fitting me perfectly. A lovely machine indeed.
Andy and I took a ride together yesterday... About 45km in beautiful varied hilly terrain. I can surely see why Andy and his wife choose this place as the natural beauty of the folded Hills is exquisite.
Don't let Andy kid you: He is a very good rider with superb form. I'm struggling with my new asthma diagnosis and using my inhaler. I think i will do fine if i adjust my Hill climbing pace sharply downward till I adjust to the meds.
Next up is to install new brake pads on both bikes and interrupter levers all from SJS Cycles.
Eating well indeed as Andy's wife is a terrific cook.
All the best,
Dan.
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Hi Jan and Don! I enjoyed our chat on the plane as well. Welcome to the Thorn forum. I'll set to work on my blog and website upon my return.
Best,
Dan.
Dan,
Where are you now?
John
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never doubted for a minute andy was a good rider.
great all is going well Dan and your getting fed really well, make the most of it couple weeks time you will be eating grass ::) ;D i'm joking of course.
anto.
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Hi John!
I'm in Andy's village in NE Bulgaria near the town of Popovo. Small villages, little traffic, and a nice mix of lush farmlands and forested hills. Very beautiful and so far the weather is cooperating, with either sun and blue skies or high clouds. The hills fold high above deep valleys with many good-tasting mineral springs at roadside. What a contrast to my usual desert or mountain touring.
I much better understand Andy's cycling and touring needs. The roads can be steep but they also have very broken surfaces with puddles deep enough for frogs to live in. Saw a fox yesterday and there are many birds. Andy's derailleur equipped Nomad and his Raven tour are pretty much ideal for this place and the wide tires are most welcome.
All the best,
Dan.
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Hi All!
Quick update: Andy's Raven Tour is now all ready for me to go except for rigging a little mount to accept the headlight. We took a hilly 45km ride to Popovo and back yesterday, meeting Andy's wife with the van midway so we could get some shopping done.
Wonderful news: By pre-dosing with the asthma meds and watching my breathing and pacing I didn't have to stop once and maintaining a steady if slow to me pace and no problems. It looks as if I'll actually hit the road by bike on the 27th after my return from Turkey.
Eating like a king thanks to wonderful cooking.
Best,
Dan.
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CLASSSSSSSSSSSSS. 8)
anto
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Great company here, as well :)
All the best,
Dan.
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Dan i was thinking of getting about 10 lads from the forum for a weeks touring over to Andys place ,do you reckon he would put us up for the week ;)
no harm asking.
anto.
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anto,
I am not sure if Andy has 10 spare bikes ;D ;D
Julian.
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its the food and the craic i'm thinking about julian.i'de say Dan will set up camp there he's been to well looked after. ;D
anto
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Hi All!
I'm in Sofia, Bulgaria tonight and will fly to Bodrum, Turkey in the morning and will spend a week there before returning to Andy's in Northeast Bulgaria for a couple days before heading for EuroVelo6.
All's well. Headed to bed and sleep as it is an early flight tomorrow.
Best,
Dan.
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have a good one dan.
;)
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By coincidence I've just read the chapter in Tom Fords book Every Inch of the Way where he's just entered Turkey via Bulgaria, sounds amazing Dan. Hope you enjoy your trip, safe travels,
Neil.
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Many thanks for the good wishes, Neil. I'm sitting in the airport terminal. I always get pulled for security screening. This is what happens when you smile for your passport photo. ;)
Sofia now, then Istanbul followed by Bodrum. Should pull in the about dinnertime.
Best,
Dan.
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Take care with the flooding, Dan. Best as I can determine from the Beeb website, the most serious flooding is SW of Belgrade, away from the Danube Valley. This is the second year running that Central Europe has had such severe floods, though the rains last year were further N and W. Trust that you and Andy will be able to figure out where you can & cannot go. - John
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Thanks, John. The video and stories on European news outlets are very concerning, but I'm hoping the floodwaters will have receded by the time I set off. I'm just there for a bike ride but I really feel for those who have lost their homes and loved ones and now must live amidst the devastation.
All the best,
Dan.
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We have just returned from a Passau-to-Vienna cycle trip cycling down the Danube 11-May-2014 to 16-May-2014.
It was a very wet trip (but waterproofs worked mostly ok)
We were due to return from Vienna to Passau on a boat/ship/cruise from 16-May-2014 to 18-May-2014
But first the boat was delayed because of the water height further down the Danube causing bridge clearance problems
Then the down-stream (towards Vienna) current (+ water-borne debris) meant we made slow progress upstream such that we ended up being transported by coach rather than by boat between Linz and Passau.
However as we reached Linz (by boat) and then Passau (by coach) the Danube had calmed-down and reduced in water level.
So the environmental conditions / hazards may be easing up.
And on the further plus side the cycle paths between Vienna and Passau are very good quality and are well sign-posted.
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Most encouraging, Ian! Sounds like you've just completed a dream of a trip yourself, full of adventure and magnificent sights. I'm encouraged the river levels seem to be dropping a bit... All good news going forward for many. Fingers crossed things dry out a bit soon for the displaced residents. I wouldn't mind it either!
All the best,
Dan.
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Dan - So enjoy following you on your cycle tour. Trip of a lifetime for sure. Cheering you on - Don and Jan (Delta flight to Atlanta)
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Hi Don and Jan!
So very pleased to hear from you both. I surely enjoyed our conversations en flight.
I'll soon be embarking on my bike tour proper. Tomorrow I fly back from beautiful Bodrum, Turkey through Istanbul then on to Sofia to start my trek from NE Bulgaria. I've been closely following the news of the severe flooding along my route through Croatia and Slovenia and things don't yet look good.
Last night's European television news coverage indicated many of those displaced remain lodged in emergency shelters and the bloated bodies of many dead animals are now presenting a real risk to any remaining freshwater reservoirs. I'll be depending on my SteriPen and whatever immunity has been conferred by my two of three hepatitis A and B vaccines. Those are supposed to confer near-complete immunity after 1 month. Bottled water is no longer available in the most affected areas.
I'm not really sure what progress I will make each day but
I do know I'll embrace each day as an adventure and if Turkey is any indication, I'll continue to meet warm, generous and genuinely nice people wherever I go. I do know that when I leave, a part of my heart will remain in Turkey. What a beautiful country, people, and culture! I have a wallet full of email addresses and Facebook friends after just 10 days' here. This bodes well for the path ahead.
I'll post as I can along the way but with limited comms, Forum admin and notes to family at home will have to come first. When I return home, I'll post my daily journal and photographs to a self-hosted website.
By the way, my smart phone is proving to be the best bicycle travel computer and camera I've owned. I couldn't be more pleased with the results and it is in use constantly.
Take care! I surely enjoyed hearing about your own journeys with bicycles and without. May adventures of the best kind continue to find you.
Best,
Dan.
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good stuff dan keep us posted. ;)
anto
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Hi all!
Rolled back into northeast Bulgaria about 1 AM this morning. It is now 9:30 AM and I'm laying out my touring supplies and getting packed. I'd like to take off tomorrow but might have to wait an additional day to recover from the long workdays in Turkey and the flight/travel connections. My time there was very worthwhile and I enjoyed it greatly by just need a day or two to recover before starting out so I'm making the most of it to pack and do final prep on the bicycle.
The first day in Turkey I was bitten on the knuckle by some sort of insect. It raised a pair of huge blisters that then merged and cratered. I've been putting antibiotic ointment on it and after 10 days it has flattened but is still purply red and about 1.5cm across. Dunno what caused it but I'm keeping an eye on it.
In terms of equipment, my Shimano MO88 clipless cycling shoes worked fantastically well as everyday and work shoes and for all the walking and lifting I did in them, they're still as new.
Best,
Dan.
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Danneaux set of this morning at 7 am GMT (9 am local). His first leg takes him West and North along the Danube along the Northern border of Bulgaria and then crossing the Danube and following the Southern border of Romania.
Best of luck to him from this end and we hope to see him in around 3 months on his safe return.
Andy
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ah great stuff lets hope its a cracking tour.
fair play to you and your good wife Andy you sure pulled out all the stops. 8) 8)
anto.
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A couple of pics of Dan just as he is ready to leave
Andy
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Our man Dan is certainly in great shape.
best of irish luck Dan boy have a blast.
anto.
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It seems strange seeing Dan with a red bike!! You never know he may start to like the red. ;D
Jags, I think if we did the amount of miles that Dan does, then we would also be in the same great shape. I must get out on my bike tomorrow for a run. Was hoping to do a couple of back to back rides this week, but work and weather has got in the way. I can't get the bike dirty yet coz I spent ages cleaning it the other day. Now I have to help my brother to move on Saturday. Bother.
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well it rained here and i was only after polishing my bike so wasn't getting it dirty, i know i'm sad ah i had to mind the grandkids this afternoon as well. but tomorrow defo going to get a good spin in.
i used to cycle 6 to 7 thousant miles a year hail rain or snow when i done the camino
http://travellingwheelburys.blogspot.ie/2007/11/camino-cycle-september-2006.html.i was in great shape flying that year,but the auld body has gone down hill since then ;D ;D
anto.
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Thanks, Andy, for your help & support for Dan. Nice bike, nicely kitted out! Dan, love the colour-coordinated red lid!! Gotta get the details right, eh?
Safe journeys,
John
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Photobombed by a feline too!
Now that looks like a chap about to set off on a proper jolliday!
Enjoy! :)
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Looking good, andy's done him proud. Good luck Dan!
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Referring to the most recent pics of Dan and Andy's bike, years of practice and thought went into going on a major, major tour with bags packed so compactly and tidily. It's almost unbelieveble that there's nothing loose strapped on.
(According to your remarks in another thread, Jim, you'll never make it. The piano won't fit!)
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Hi All!
After 105.5F/40C temperatures on some of my sun drenched summits, the weather changed to nearly 36 hours of rain and now heavy fog and rain this morning. The temperature dropped to just 39F/3.8C and I began to chill.
I spent last night with my tent pitched in the shell of a roofless abandoned farmhouse and was on the road riding just before 6am. After 7, I noticed there was more life about, so I stopped at the town store in Vabel. Except for a few raw meats in the butcher case there was nothing but junk foods available --cookies, candies, cakes, and biscuits. I bought a Coke and a little pack of 6 chocolate covered shortbreads and that was breakfast. In other towns, store after store was closed, often with photos of the dead owners on the doors. Here in Bulgaria, obituaries are posted on the house, door, or town meeting place instead of in a newspaper.A quick check with the locals confirmed the owners had passed away or were unable to remain in business due to financial setbacks. I asked what the townsfolk would do without a store and was told there are gardens and animals instead. Very few people speak English here, so the offline translator on my smartphone is a huge help. Getting confirmation of directions can be a bit confusing because most -- but not all - Bulgarians nod for "no" and shake their heads for "yes".
The public roadside springs Andy advised of ended at the Popovo county line and have not reappeared. I'm carrying three 1.5l bottles in the MonkeyCages, which don't seem to be working too well at retaining or releasing the bottles. They do allow capacity and are a very clever idea that works somewhat less well on execution than I'd hoped but I may be able to improve their retention along the way.
The CatEye Adventure computer is evil, plain and simple, and changes onto Set Mode when I hit big bumps. This means I have no reliable way to check distances.
The rest of the bike is working like a champ apart from a dragging right front brake. I'll take a look at it when it stops raining but for now it seems to be working fine if I open the release on the lever. The Purple Extreme chain lube is working fine in the rain and seems to be much longer lived on the Rohloff than on my derailleur rando bike.
Mosquitoes are fierce and seemingly impervious to my Picaridan spray in the concentration I'm carrying (7.5% and all I could manage to send via post). I slept with a hand near the tent wall and awakened to find it had been drilled in a line where it rested against the fabric.
Climbing, climbing, and more climbing brought me to Nikopol, where I saw a sign for the Hotel Gold through the pouring train. Even better, I saw a Swiss cyclotourist on his Veloutraum out front. He said the hotel was clean and nice and he paid in Swiss francs. He is on his way to Istanbul and then Thailand. By the time I finished locking the bike, A French couple arrived to collect their bikes from the downstairs locked storage. They are on their way to Bucharest and will then fly home. They said Internet was available via and access code from the desk agent, but not reliable in its connection.
I went inside and paid the price of 50 Bulgarian Leva (about €25) for the room, then relocked the bike in storsge and walked upstairs. It is clean and nice and quiet as well. There seems to be a restaurant attached so I'll see if that is available later, as I have an appetite. There is even a shower sharing space with the toilet and hand basin and my choice of two single beds.
I decided to stay on the Bulgarian side of the Danube for now as I have a supply of Leva and may as well use it. Unfortunately, I'm finding as many closed banks as stores. Several had chains through the door handles and signs up saying they are closed, please visit another branch.
I was able to pick up some food supplies at the Penny Market in Svishtov, but decided not to catch the ferry to Romania there as I learned of some severe road problems as a result of recent flooding on that side.
I tried to get a train in Svishtov and then a ride with a trucker, but no luck. Toilets were scarce as well, but I spotted a most unusual substitute when I stopped at an abandoned bus stop to heat sone sausage and beans on my little stove. It turns out those who had waited overly long for their buses had made use of what appeared to be a Cold War era abandoned blast/bomb shelter with meter thick concrete walls. I wish I could have taken s photo but it was both too dark and too vast for my flash to illuminate.
I have yet to come across a single Eurovelo sign, so am winging it as I go along. For now, I'm sticking to the two-lane Bulgarian highway 52, which has very light traffic on it but still has some tremendous, long grades.
My current plan is to cross into Romania a bit west of here, then hit Belgrade.
This brings things up to date for now. Things are going well, but I'm eager to leave Bulgaria' s long steep hills for flatter lands so I can make some time on the road. I will, however miss it's stunning beauty and gorgeous vistas and extremely nice, friendly people. It really is lovely country for touring, but I'm very grateful for my 36 X 17 Rohloff combo.
All the best,
Dan]
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Hi All!
Still alive and doing well, living the touring life and loving every moment.
I loved touring in Bulgaria, with its scenic vistas and friendly people.
I am now in northwest Romania and about to enter Serbia on my way to Belgrade. Romania now has a little piece of my heart thanks to its warm and welcoming people.
I've met some other tourists along the way and except for one group all have been stellar, though most have been more confused than I wrt routing. This portion of the Eurovelo6 has no signs and their paper maps lack the enlargement and detail of the ones on my phone. If you're reading this now, a special greeting to Helmut, Wojtek, and Rudolf, from Vienna, Poland, and Slovakia respectively.
The Raven Tour is working brilliantly and the Marathon Deluxe tires are handling the poor road conditions well with 45/40 psi for me and this load. The Rohloff has never missed a shift and the 36 X 17 gearing as I have at home proved it's worth here in the hilly country of Bulgaria and now northwestern Romania. Still happy with drop handlebars and have had no issues with handling or control or shifting using the T-bar mounted shifter. I'm spending 12-14 hours on the road each day and found I could connect some roads by going cross - country with GPS or using farm access tracks. The bike did all well at a touring pace and with the same high care I'd use with my own Nomad.
I do think the Raven Tour is a better all 'round tourer than my Nomad because it is not biased so heavily toward maximum cargo capacity. However, I need the extra expedition grade carriage of Seymour to carry my water and food stores in the desert. For all other more ordinary touring where similar versatility but lesser capacity is needed, then the Raven Tour would be a better choice in my opinion.
Comms are uneven in their cost, quality, and availability. My Verizon international calling plan would sometimes be > USD $3/minute if I used it (it jumps local carriers, Vodaphone Rom is most expensive so far). SMS messages on my home plan are USD $0.50 each. I use wifi whenever it is available...sometimes on the sidewalk outside restaurants I cannot afford. Today in Or?ova, I composed on the sidewalk below the window and raised the phone like a little periscope to window level whenever I needed to reconnect and send. Must've been an interesting effect from inside the restaurant if anyone noticed.
Sleeping mostly and happily in my little green tent in farmer's fields, shielded from the road and passersby by small trees or brush. For me, the compact size of a 1 - person tent is proving it's worth once again in terms of stealth and versatility. I'm in it only to sleep. If I were to spend more time in it, then I might wish for larger but this is fine. It is nice to awaken in my tent or in the open under the stars because both are familiar to me no matter where I go, so I don't have the dislocating feeling of awakening in strange surroundings and my bed is always good.
Though it weighs 1 kg, my Nemo Tuo dual chamber cross - cored pad continues to be a great match for me. It feels like my bed at home...which it nearly is! Several years ago, I gave up on conventional beds and now sleep on the Nemo camp version atop a sheet of plywood, making the bed up as if it had a mattress. No more back troubles and I sleep as well on tour as I do at home. I'm no iron man, just found something that helps me sleep well.
I'm still monitoring the Forum and staying up to date on topics. I miss participating as much, but there's some good discussions.
Best,
Dan.
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Splendid report, Dan -- sounds like a wonderful trip! Safe riding, John
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Thanks for the update. Got the map out to see how these countries intersect!
Really looking forward to a RT v Nomad comparison when you return. Your initial comments confirm my initial views when I opted for a RT, but I've never had the pleasure of riding a nomad.
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Good to hear your news Dan! I am following the route with interest. I would second the Raven Tour as a more general expedition touring bike but would have chosen the Nomad if I was specifically heading for more remote or desert touring. My Raven Tour has carried up to 38 kg or gear using front and back panniers and a Ortlieb Rack Pack. It handles that fine but would reduce that weight on rougher terrain or adding several days of water.
Keep us posted when you can! Have fun!
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Wonderful reports, Dan. I love the images of you as the stealth traveller, under the radar and under the windowsill!
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I am the whisper in the wind, the shadow in the night, Andre.
I'm not even here.
;)
All the best,
Dan. (...who might be camping three meters away -- Ssh! ;D )
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Ah, its the point at which your training kicks in eh Dan. Operating on a need to know basis, smoke and mirrors, 'you might think that, I couldn't possibly comment' etc. This just outlines the crying need for a stealth raven model; free from footprint, no heat signature and when ridden at warp factor Dan1 invisible to the naked eye! Enjoy yourself Dan but hey, be careful out there! :) ;)
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Hi All!
Having spent yesterday traversing the steep goat tracks of an extremely rural portion of Romania in 40°C+ heat, I crossed into Serbia yesterday only to discover the entire country has now been restricted by the US Treasury, so no US - issued debit or credit cards will work at ATMs or POS (point of sale) machines. Since this is the weekend, I will go to the bank for a direct teller withdrawal tomorrow. All should be fine thereafter, but the level of inflation here is staggering. I spent 400 dinar yesterday on a can of Coke and another of Nestea. There's a lot of really nice people here caught in an economic nightmare not of their making. Like so many people I've met in Bulgaria and Romania, many of the people here have little of their own, yet give what the have freely. Their gifts of the heart are limitless and I feel I've seen the best of human nature in them.
Meanwhile, it is tight rations cooked on the stove in the shower till I can get some local currency.
I immediately found some local expeditors who very kindly helped me with a money exchange and led me to the Vila Oazes, a lovely little hotel owned by his wife. Man! Things do work out and after a series of little adventures, I'm in the hands of lovely people and staying in a terrific place for cheap. The place really is impressive for just under USD $20 a night including breakfast, a great bed, pillow and bedding and an immaculate in-room bath. Some of the best music I've heard is quietly playing on the PA system. Their top - level room is a suite fit for Sybarites.
If all goes well, I'll ride to Pan?evo tomorrow, then on to and through Belgrade on my way to Novi Sad. Once I cross into Croatia, monetary restrictions will be lifted and it will be on to Budapest with greater ease.
I do have several recommendations for others who may be considering the same ride to this point:
1) I and others have found Eurovelo's claims of only quiet roads and slopes limited to 5% grade are not always true.
2) Signage/route designations are nonexistent in Bulgaria and Romania. Serbia has caught on to the economic advantages and have a huge sign and map posted by the border facility. Signage elsewhere should improve over the next 6 years, according to plan..Sygic has been *the* map app of choice for me. Those who are using paper maps and guide books seem to be in pretty poor shape when we compare and most meetings with other cyclists soon involve them taking route notes from my phone apps.
3) The Romanian side of the Danube is sun-exposed throughout and so is considered the "hot" side. It is that now with very high temperatures. I'd try the Serbian side next time, but there are 21 tunnels to contend with and it is busier.
4) Based on my observations so far and those of cycle tourists coming the other way, traveling is so much easier from west to east. Both slopes and wind will be with you and you'll fly. I, on the other hand, managed 100km in 10-12 solid hours of down on the drops riding, pedaling knees - within - elbows into 30 kph headwinds up some very steep sustained grades. When it was flat and windless briefly, I managed my usual 18mph/29 kph with no problem. One German I spoke with had to backtrack 60km and said he couldn't believe how much harder it was. I'm enjoying the trip immensely and very grateful to be taking it, but I could go farther, faster, and much more enjoyably if I didn't have to work so hard to make forward progress. Still, it is more than worth it for the fantastic scenery and incredibly nice people I've met. What a great ride!
5) The Romanian Frontier Police have been outstanding throughout -- quick to wave, smile, honk, or briefly blow the siren and always approachable, friendly, and professional when I've asked questions. Having once trained police officers for administrative positions, I feel good recommending them as a resource.
6) A person would really miss out if they avoided wild camping in Bulgaria and Romania. There are so many lovely places to stay if you have a tent with you. I spoke to a couple German fellows who mailed home all their camping gear when they found there were no more formal campgrounds. They regretted it bitterly after speaking with me and seeing photos of my camps. One German couple had a nice approach: Lodging on rainy nights and tent on dry ones. I didn't mind my snug little green home in the lightning and rain and very much enjoyed feeling the concussions of the thunder and the flashes of lightning.
Enjoying every moment,
Dan. (...who has had no further asthma problems after pre-dosing properly with his inhaler)
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Thanks for the reports, Dan! Sounds like a fabulous experience! Lots of valuable information for others who might follow.
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Hi All!
A quick note: Crossed Serbia without incident and Croatia as well. Entered Hungary with no problems yesterday. Waiting for the ferry in Mohacs now.
Tour going well. Temperatures have been unusually high, but rain yesterday helped. I think i found every mosquito in Croatia but the birder guard promises there are none in Hungary. Yeah.
Onward! Loving every moment.
All the best,
Dan.
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Great news, Dan. You're entering the land of A-grade goulash soup ... might be a bit warm for that, though.
Glad things are going so well. I'm going to take Osi on a short shakedown canter (2-3 days) down to Prince Edward County, SW of here at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. Will meet up with friends from NYC and we'll do a genteel 3 days or so of cheese factories, vineyards, bistros & backroads. Not quite cycling across MittelEurope, but I'm looking forward to it.
Safe journeys, enjoy Budapest & eventually Vienna!
Best, J.
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Thanks, John, and very best wishes to you and Osi on your upcoming tour...it sounds terrific! Can't wait for the ride report and new photos from the Panny.
I'm in Budapest now and plant to stay tonight and tomorrow night so I can see the Chain Bridge and other sights in Buda and Pest before heading for Prague. Lovely weather today and I missed the predicted rain both yesterday and today. Loving the more moderate temperatures.
All the best,
Dan.
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i sure hope your making a video diary of this tour gonna make for great viewing (no pressure) 8).
keep her lit Dan ride safe.
anto.
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Just back from Budapest make sure you visit St Stephen's Basilica. Also the food at Osbudavar Pizzeria in Buda is superb and very good value.
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Hi All!
On the return leg headed toward Bucharedt now and all is going well. Sewed up my split knee with a couple sutures from the sewing kit and it came out fine. Currently near Neu-Ulm in old Swabia in Bavaria waiting for the flooding in some areas to subside. Not bad yesterday after I poured the rain out of my shoes.
Life's good!
I should have a number of photos and my daily blog to post after I return.
All the best,
Dan.
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dan have you your blog up and running 8)
anto
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Nope, but I'll start immediately upon my return, Anto. Meanwhile, I'm creating it with every day's ride.
I have video as well!
All the best,
Dan.
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look forward to it dan if you fancy it you can post my photos of todays ride but if your busy no worries.
anto
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Enjoy the canter eastwards from Ulm, Dan. Have a look at Vohburg if you have the time, lovely spot ... and enjoy the boat in the Gorge, with a a stop for apfelküchen und kaffee at Weltenburg Abbey before you embark. Don't forget the check out the apfelküchen und kaffee at the pathside cafe/gasthof at Matting, just bef Regensburg -- look forward to hearing all your foodie reviews. And do say hi to Marcus Aurelius as you go by Tulln just west of Vienna. In austria it's apfelstrudl und kaffee, but I recall there's a café on the old square of Tulln that makes a good one, strudl not being quite so robust as apfelküchen, but still pretty good. Safe riding, & take care of your knees.
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Hi All!
I'm currently holed up in a hotel in Baja (pronounced "BUY-yah") Hungary, trying to dodge severe thunder and lightning storms. I'm on the return leg of the trip and know what lies ahead in the next stretch and it would not be pretty to be caught in the predicted flash floods down in the polders (areas protected by the dikes) or without any cover in heavy lightning atop a dike-top road. Some of the Eurovelo 6 ahead is just a dirt track when dry...and impassable mud with meter - deep flooding when wet. AccuWeather is usually spot on for this area, and they predict 6 heavy thunderstorms before11 pm tonight. We've already had 3, so they're right on the money.
Things have gone so wonderfully well overall, I don't want to even think of this ending. The extended tour fits me like a glove and it will be a terrible adjustment to come home to the everyday after this. I so wish I could figure how to fund future trips of this sort.
Let's see...the bike has churned along without incident. I check the bolts daily, air pressure once a week, clean and oil the chain twice weekly, and changed the Rohloff oil once and replaced brake pads twice. I had to put two stitches in my knee with the sewing kit after I sliced it open on a rock and I had a very near miss with a bus when he had to pull over to avoid a recklessly passing oncoming driver. I had the wallet stolen on the Prague subway (could have happened anywhere) but I was only inconvenienced and made poorer, not hurt in any way.
I had expected the trip to be about places, but instead it has been about people -- the hundreds of generous, kind, loving people who opened their hearts and even homes to me. Some of the places are beginning to fade in my memory, but each and every face remains fresh and clear. I have made many friends I expect to keep for life and hope very much to see in Oregon someday.
I cross to southern Hungary tomorrow, then once again to Croatia where I will have to deal with unmapped land mines left over from the Yugoslav war and washed pretty much everywhere by heavy flooding earlier this summer. I'll then go diagonally across more of Serbia than before, transiting 21 mountain tunnels. A quick dip into Bulgaria to catch a ferry to Romania and it will be off to Ruse before crossing once again into northeast Bulgaria to return the bike to Andy before leaving from the Bucharest airport on 11 September.
There's a lot of trip distance left. If I manage to average 100km each day I'll do fine; yesterday was intended to be a 200km day but I called it quits at 137 when I saw the realtime lightning-strike map on the phone and realized the weather would cause me to stay on the open ferry slip just after missing the last one for the day. Better to pull up short and wait for the morrow.
Weather is supposed to still be wet but without the lightning that made today a real hazard. The fellow who managed the panzion I stayed at several nights ago was nearly struck when lightning hit his plum tree as he gathered a few for dinner. I took photos of the split tree. He was standing 3 meters away at the time and had not fully recovered his hearing after a couple days. A good object lesson for me to use caution. I had a near miss myself near Melk when a bolt struck the Danube about 10 meters from me. I spent the. I spent the next two hours squatting under an overturned fiberglas rowboat, watching lightning flashes project onto the ground through a hole in the bottom.
So, things are going well and slowly wrapping up. I've crossed the Rubicon and it is shorter to continue than return. When done, I'll have seen 15 countries without counting them twice and cycled many of the countries from Eastern Europe to Western Europe and back again. Let's see...when done, my travels this go 'round will have taken me to...
• Turkey (1x) - traveled there and back by air
• Bulgaria (3x)
• Romania (3x)
• Serbia (2x)
• Croatia (2x)
• Hungary (2x)
• Slovakia (2x)
• Czech Republic (2x)
• Germany (4x)
• Netherlands (1x)
• Switzerland (3x)
• Belgium (1x)
• Luxembourg (1x)
• France (1x)
• Austria (1x)
I had to take the train twice to make up the time lost waiting for replacement cards after the wallet was stolen.
I truly feel fortunate and view each day as if it were my last...I don't know is a trip like this will ever be possible for me again. As a result, I truly and deeply appreciate each moment of this opportunity.
First task on my return will be to make a website for my photos, videos, and daily trip journal. I'll post the link as soon as I've made a good start.
Off to bed early tonight as the alarm goes off at 0445 if i don't anticipate it and awaken on my own.
All the best,
Dan.
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Thanks for the report, Dan! What a fabulous trip! I hope the rest of trip goes smoothly!
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Super interrim report, Dan. Holding thumbs that the rest of trip goes smoothly.
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CLASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. ;)..
Dan at my place of employment today i met a friend of mine who toured across America ,he said it ws fantastic but some really tough days on the bike.one ofhe days 11 hours to cover 30 miles the wind was so strong,and of course lots of hills.
but like you the people he met along the way were so kind and helpfull.i was telling him about your tour he was impressed ;)
anyway stay safe and enjoy.
anto.
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Dan
it's good to hear your account and I'm looking forward to reading your journal.
Best wishes and safe journey.
ian
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Happy days Dan. Not only do you appreciate them, but you deserve them too. Nice to see.
Smile and (most of) the world smiles back ;D
Ian
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I keep following your travels from afar Dan and am awestruck!
Fingers crossed the rest goes well and really looking forward to the whole story and photos.
Best wishes
Steve
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Wow! Great trip in every sense, Dan. Do take care with the electric storms -- safety first, and if you begin to run out of time, there's always a train. - J.
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Nice, and something that will last long after its finished. I sometimes have to remind myself at the end of a tour that its an adventure/holiday not an endurance event. Found myself riding straight past a wonderful Dolmen tomb recently as I was rushing to the next place. Gave myself a good talking too and went back!
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Just catching up after a long gap, on time limited WI fi at present so brief.
Well done, Dan, with those distances and loads etc.
Enjoy the last few weeks of your trip.
Lewis, currently in Mura, France
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Thanks Dan, and safe travels.
All you fellows doing extended tours are making me more than a little envious. I've got a little 2 week jaunt up the NSW north coast planned for next month, but three months in Europe next year would be CLASSS!!! (Right, Anto?)
At the moment it's a dream, but Dan's Tour de Yerrup website will help bring it about.
Cheers!
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Thanks so much for the good wishes, fellows.
I am writing this from my hotel about 100 meters from the Black Sea, having arrived day before yesterday and concluding my original planned tour earlier than expected thanks to some high daily mileage despite hills posted as 9-10% grades.
It really is much easier/faster to ride Eurovelo6 west
-to-east with the prevailing winds and gradients than against, as I found from doing it both ways. The return east was so fast in comparison as to be a little disorienting at times.
I have now seen the Danube in its many moods and full length twice, from the source in Donauchingen to the end here in Constanta at the Black Sea and I have ridden both sides. It really took that for me to fully appreciate the role the river has played historically and commercially in the countries through which it passes. It is a border, a highway, a means for commerce and transport and a tremendously powerful force, as I witnessed firsthand during and after some massive storms that resulted in meter-deep flooding of the bike paths around Vienna. I have seen it at its narrowest (Iron Gates I and II) and at its widest, when it could have been mistaken for a huge lake or small inland sea.
Just as the river is dynamic, so is the EV6. It is such a tremendous project of such great scope and international cooperation it is remarkable it exists at all, and I am reluctant to criticize this tremendous resource for extended touring across Europe. However, it does vary widely in signage, development, and road conditions and large sections remain designated as temporary even now and can be expected to change. Some sections can be quite challenging in terms of navigation and conditions and lodging options can be up to the cyclist's own resourcefulness. I never regretted bringing my tent as it always provided a ready option and I generally prefer it over more formal lodging.
Austria has realized and fully grasped the implications of commerce and revenue related to cycle-tourists, and has the best developed infrastructure surrounding and supporting the EV6. It really is a cycle-touring paradise, with all lodging options and services imaginable provided frequently and in abundance -- even very good maps/route books are free, though the signage is so good they aren't required. There are even public and privately funded charging points provided along the way for electronics (phones, batteries, gps) and e-bikes.
Austria from just east of Passau to Bratislava Slovakia would be my recommendation for those wanting the smoothest and most pleasurable and stress free bicycle holiday, whether camping or going by B&B. I'd say this section is a model for fully developed cycle-touring for those of all abilities, but especially those new to the pursuit or less able physically or looking for a first-time experience almost guaranteed to be good except for the possibility of rain.
Serbia is coming on - board as well, though I found the route much less developed in other countries, with signage almost nonexistent in Romania and Bulgaria. Roads range from finely finished asphalt to gravel, dirt, grass, dike tops and sand roads and the shoulders of busy highways. Just as there are many moods to the Danube, there's many official Eurovelo6 routes -- it is not just one path. Usually there are two or three options for travel on both sides of the river, and conditions range from reasonable for a road bike to MTB-oriented.
I now plan to make a holiday of my remaining two weeks or so, riding through rural Romania on my way to return the bike to Andy in Bulgaria.
The bike has been brilliant and never missed a single shift. What I initially took for a worriesome failing bottom bracket was just snatch from the initial chain stretch and has been smooth and silent since I adjusted the eccentric. Everything meshes smoothly and quietly and with no hooking of the teeth on the cog or stainless Surly chainring. I replaced brake blocks twice and changed the Rohloff oil in Germany, allowing me to continue with my spare oil change kit intact. The chain now sports two quick links allowing for tool-free shortening in the future...a change I plan to implement on my own Nomad and would recommend to others. So far the only failure has been a single puncture of the rear tire, caused by a roofing staple. Rather than patch it, I just installed a new tube.
So, things are winding down and pleasantly so. I have found extended touring to be a good match and will miss it terribly until I go again. I wish I could make such travel a semi - permanent lifestyle. First task after returning home will be to create a website to share my travel journal and many photos. It has been quite a ride and I've enjoyed every moment.
All the best,
Dan.
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On behalf of Jags, take good of your camera, Dan. Better to have the photos on several widely distributed digital sources, hint, hint.
Heh-heh!
That Austrian sub-section sounds like my speed! Thanks for the detailed report, man, and foir thinking of the rest of us.
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Y'know this cyber bar has been rather quiet since His Royal Danness embarked upon The Grand Tour of Europe. With only the odd tincture it has indeed been a bit of metaphoric temperance bar. Unless he has been fortunate to perchance upon the delights of a European congress ;) I expect Mine Host to be behind the pumps before too long dispensing tails of derring-doo with his customary zeal. Meantime I'm sure he'll convey our collective regards to Ms Svetlana ;D
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Hello Danneaux,
I was wondering how your new Tour de Yerrup website is going?
It was brilliant that you enjoyed a wonderful trip and returned to Merka safely although the bit where you sewed up your knee sounded a bit scary!
You are an absolute inspiration with your knowledge and thorough planning ability and the help you so kindly and freely offer to Forum members.
I realise that creating your new website and collating a massive amount of data takes time and I expect you may not have had much free time since your return.
I cannot wait for it to become available and really appreciate you sharing it with the Forum.
Best wishes,
Barry.