Back in Spain. Oh Seville you shouldn’t have
It was always my intention to cycle onto the very south of Portugal from Evora in order to see a friend whom I had worked with whilst in Amsterdam but also because I was utterly desperate and felt compelled to get to the coast. The promise of fresh sea air and a beautifully sandy beach […]
Evora and my quest to find a room for the night
I found a bench in a quiet square just off the centre where I found time to have a check on the hostel situation. Knowing that the information I had was published in 2008 and thus, probably useful only to historians, I decided to venture to the tourist office and inquire there instead. They handed […]
Country number six. Portugal. Mountains, dogs and reckless drivers
It was the hottest part of the day thus I thought I could use the old border house to sit under the shade, relax, eat something and, hopefully have another go at fixing the other tube that had refused my earlier attempts. Imagine my delight when, having pulled it back out of my bag and […]
Salamanca to Portugal. Yet more tyres issues but help is on hand
Having spent four days enjoying my time as a backpacker in Salamanca and relinquishing from my bank account more euros than I care to mention, I felt it was time to get back to what I had been doing for the past two months, namely, cycling. Wheeling my bicycle out of the hostel garage, I […]
The Spanish Heartland. Castilla Y Leon and the high plateau
Yesterday was a tough one, what with the heat and all. No doubt about it. Opening my eyes today, I prayed for a little cloud, maybe some wind perhaps. Dare I say, I would have been happy with some rain, anything but that stifling heat that sucked the life out of me the last few […]
Basque Country and entering the Spanish interior. Coastal roads and intense heat
Setting off today meant a continuation of the climb I had started when I arrived in San Sebastian. I’m really not sure if this part makes the whole ordeal worth it but it’s always good fun either way. This, including large dual carriageways and the like are really the only times I feel the need […]
Entering Spain. Religious communes and Basque Country
I ended up only staying for one day in Bordeaux. As beautiful a city as it is, I do get immensely frustrated sometimes when I’m unable to find my way. This is usually always the case in big cities. It’s when I arrive in a large city that I have certain things to accomplish as […]
Cycling The Atlantic coast to Bordeaux
With some much needed rest in Nantes and having now seen a giant mechanical walking elephant, I set off two days later, and made my way south in the direction of St John-de-Monts. I first however wanted to see the island of Noirmoutier just off the coast as my friend Anais had advised me to […]
Cycling the Loire. Paris to Nantes. How many Pain au chocolat can you eat in one morning?
What with the difficulty and sheer frustration in reaching Paris a few days ago, I was determined not to make the same mistakes on my departure. Rose had told me about a route that led 15 km’s into the leafy suburbs in the south called La coulee verte (the green route) and with my own […]
Parlez vous Anglais? A few days in Paris
It felt good to be in a city again, a little crowded and hurried perhaps and completely different from the countryside, but that’s what gives a city its vibe or at least part of it. I still had to find my hotel that Rose had booked for me and this also turned out to be […]