My sis Karen and I just spent the last 2.5 weeks cycling from the bottom of England (Land’s End) to the top of Scotland (John o’ Groats). I thought I would share a couple practical notes for anyone hoping to take on the epic and amazing trip. Train travel We started out in London, and … More Cycling Britain: A practical guide to the LEJOG
The last bit of my journey was the least picturesque. While it started the same, with the classic magical elixir: The rest of the day was a little bit grueling. I spent my last 90km along a pretty uneventful regional highway, passing by resort after golf resort, getting passed by RVs and transport trucks. Thankfully, there was … More Final taste of bike life: Portimau – Faro
Another perfectly sunny day. I saddled up my pony and glided to a nearby town to check out a stunning view and drink a pair of espressos. It turned out that caffeine and bag of chips became essential fuel for the mountain switchbacks that were to come. At this point in my journey, I had decided … More Mountainous switchbacks make powerful thighs: VN de Milfontes to Carrapateira
It was a real treat to get to my campsite early in the afternoon and having a few daylight hours to explore the charming town and beach of Vile Nova de Milfontes. This little town is nestled on the Alentejo coastline with rugged coastlines and perfect sandy beaches. I spent a bit of time exploring the … More An afternoon in the magical Vile Nova de Milfontes
Day 3 of my bike trip was not my longest day, but it had more than its share of adventure from the very beginning. My day got off to an awkward start. Basically, the A series highways are full-on motorways, upon which it is illegal (and inadvisable) to cycle on. My camping spot was close … More Avoiding highways, tiny dirt roads, spectacular beaches, and miles of sand: Santiago do Cacém and south
As you can see from the elevation map, my second day on the bike got off to a FAST start – going basically straight downhill, while swerving around tight mountainous corners. It was an exhillerating way to start the day, with epic scenery that I was going way too fast to take any pictures of. Once … More Giant pinecones, half-naked trees, and pretty beaches: Setúbal – Santiago do Cacém
The first day of my bike trip dawned bright and sunny. Extra bright, because it turns out I forgot my sunglasses. I walked the few blocks to Bike Iberia where the really friendly staff had my bike ready and waiting for me. The first real hiccup of the trip had already occurred – I planned … More Sunshine, hills, and second-guessing: Lisbon to Portinho da Arrábida
Well, this was unexpected. My sis and I have been concocting a plan to ride across the fine UK next august. from the southern tip (Lands End) to the northern tail (John O’Groats). Approx this… Which is gonna be a grand adventure and I am beyond excited for it. But then, this morning, as I … More Adventure planning: Coast to Coast 2017
A few years ago, my sister and I had the best day in Argentina, biking between wineries, sampling olive oil and wine. Those blissful moments are still some of the best – the combination of biking with someone you like on a hot, sunny day, stopping to sip some of the best wines of the … More Bikes & wine: Nice edition
Once I arrived in Newhaven, I was on the evening ferry to Dieppe. I passed the very pleasant 3-hour ferry ride swapping tales of adventure with two other cycle tourists I had met (shout out to John & Karen!). When we landed in Dieppe, it was around 11pm. My plan was to cycle for 10k … More Biking from Dieppe to Paris!
Lovely Outliers 