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
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
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
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!
It’s time for another adventure! I have been looking forward to a few of the Dykxhoorns travelling around France and decided the best way to pop up in Paris was on two wheels. Unfortunately, it meant that I saddled the blue babe down with a really heavy load. In addition to my usual cycling and … More London to Newhaven on my blue bicycle
Here are a few last gems from my trip to Bavaria, which was saturated with moments of breathtaking beauty that were irresistible to my camera lens. From towering forests: Sweeping scenes: Sparkling mountain lakes: And the smallest little details that added sweetness (wild strawberries that I snacked on on my hike) and marvel (giant snails!), and pleasing aromas … More Bits of Bavarian beauty
This region of Bavaria is known for Neuschwanstein, however, as mentioned in my last post, Neuschwanstein is actually a modern castle, which was built in the medieval style. It never played a defensive or strategic role. In contrast, the Hohenfreyberg and Eisenberg Castles were ACTUAL medieval castles which had tremendous militaristic significance in the 14th through 19th … More Hohenfreyberg & Eisenberg castle ruins: Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle It is practically required to head up to see the Disney-inspiring castle when you are in Bavaria.Not only is its physical structure articist, and beautiful, striking in contrast to the harsh rock cliffs, its name is musical – meaning “New Swan Stone” which was taken from one of Wagner’s operas. Built by King Ludwig … More Fairytale castles and magical mornings
Lovely Outliers 