The Big Blog

IMGP1208

Buried treasure, and back on the left

Site of our penultimate continental coffee somewhere in France.Since my last post we have been to Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Today we returned to the UK from Calais via the excellent Euro-Tunnel train, in a whole carriage full of bikes....


10 June 2013
IMGP8296 - Burgos

City life

Since my last blog we have traveled from Croatia, through Slovenia to Ljubljana, on to Austria (Vienna and Salzburg) and now, just near Stuttgart (Germany). So far we’ve visited quite a few cities and this has made me think about how cities are different,...


31 May 2013
IMGP0085

Croatia

The coast of Croatia, and indeed the whole Adriatic is quite beautiful, with mountains coming down to the clear turquoise sea. The road snakes its way along the coast for breathtaking views, and as the traffic was light, it made for fun riding. After two nights...


21 May 2013
IMGP0037

Albania and Montenegro (Mr Business, Multiple Entry)

The route from Igoumenitsa in Greece to the border crossing at Karispol is only a few km but I am glad Aaron is there with his SatNav as the path is ill defined and the road often no more than a driveway between or behind buildings. About 20 minutes later...


16 May 2013
Reading the news, Matera

Expresso Italiano, Perfecto!

We’ve only a few hours to get from Spain to Italy, then across Italy to catch the next ferry to Greece. We arrive in Italy well before we left Barcelona, courtesy of the ferry company being Italian and not one for tight organisation. There is organisation,...


14 May 2013
IMGP9329

More Fun than John Howard with a Hat Full of Worms

When it was time to leave Ronda she gave us the cold shoulder, but nevertheless we togged up and headed for the snow capped Sierra Nevada to the south. We rode the southern flank, enjoying fabulous views of high mountains up to 3500m, and fabulous road to...


6 May 2013
IMGP9271

Oh Sweet Ronda, Enchantress of Andalucia!

One glimpse of her narrow valley and one night in her bosom and we knew we were going to stay for a few more days. Just one of Andalucia’s Peublos Blanco’s (white villages), medieval towns typically situated on a precipitous cliff or hilltop designed to stop...


27 April 2013
DSC_0049

New Rubber and Cork

Thanks to Manuel and the team at Triumph Lisboa (on their first day of trading!), the bike got a new set of tyres and we were out of Lisbon only a day later than planned. We didn’t leave Lisbon until almost 3.00 o’clock but very soon were crossing the phenomenal...


19 April 2013
IMGP8525 - Porto

Portugal

It’s all happening so fast it is hard to keep up! We had a great ride out from Madrid across to the wonderful University City of Salamanca over a high plateau and some quiet roads with great sweeping bends. It was a little cool but it was dry so we were able...


15 April 2013
IMGP8256 - Wimbledon

100% Waterproof

Enjoying a chilly London over EasterWaiting to unload at Santander, we were virtuallly last off, and then into the rainWe had a few days to kill over Easter while we waited on tenterhooks, it gave us a couple of days to spend with family before our uncertain...


7 April 2013