London to Istanbul

Day 10: 13th May ’05

Distance: 64.33 miles
Total Distance: 587.3 miles
Route: Niederbronn Les Bains » Rhinau

Weird day. Not entirely sure why, but it just was. Got lost coming out of Strasbourg, and ended up doing about 15 miles on a dirt-track following the Rhine river. Some stretches of the river were very beautiful indeed. Starting to worry slightly about the impending climb through the Alps, although if bike and rider make it to Italy in one piece then it will be worth it.

More camping again tonight, which has become increasingly good fun (not to mention cheap) when it’s not too cold. However, it’s difficult to find a campsite that is more geared to the individual traveller with a one-man tent – as opposed to the sprawling sites littered with giant motor-homes and big-top sized tents.

Day 11: 14th May ’05

Distance: 52.35 miles
Total Distance: 639.7 miles
Route: Rhinau » St Margen » Titisee (Oooh err Missus)

Woke to very heavy rain, which made packing the tent and getting started a real pain. Slow start to brain in the morning also, as a bit tired from lack of sleep. Some middle-aged German dudes were eating sausages, drinking steins and slapping their leather-clad thighs well into the wee hours. Still, sounds like they were having fun and there was no real point in complaining about the noise.

Took the small ferry across the Rhine into Germany and started on some quite nasty climbs in the foothills of the Alps. However, I felt very strong all day – I must be getting a lot fitter now. The town where I’m staying reminds me very much of Lake Windermere! Hotel tonight as the rain didn’t abate the whole day, and I could do with a good nights sleep. I dry the tent and all my clothes on the radiator in my room. The bed has a duvet and feather pillows; absolute unbridled ecstacy. Life is surely about simple pleasures…

Day 12: 15th May ’05

Distance: 81.47 miles
Total Distance: 721.2 miles
Route: Titisee » Friedrichshafen

A great day – distance wise. Other than that I felt pretty p*ssed off about a lot of things today. The cycle paths were the first thing to ‘do my head in’ today. OK – If you’re going to have a cycle path, then at least try and maintain some continuity along the route. I decided that for large parts of the ride today, it was much, much safer for me to cycle on the road, as the cycle path was either being used by walkers, dogs, pedestrians, dog-walking pedestrians – or was lurching across junctions and flipping between the road and path every 50 metres or so.

If you want to cycle on the road however, you get beeped by morons waving at you to get onto the cycle path! As far as I was aware, use of cycle paths is not compulsory. Am I wrong? Later on, I got beeped and then flagged down by some old codger who said I wasn’t allowed to cycle on a dual carriageway. Wouldn’t have objected if there had been a nice quiet road to get to my destination but there wasn’t. Silly frikin fool me for not wanting to detour 300 miles around, or for not investing in one of those flying bicycles.

‘Lake Constance’ was next on the list of annoyances (can you see a pattern for today emerging dear reader?); teeming with ‘tea-cake tourists’ and fair-weather cyclists. Yes, I know that cyclists, in any shape and form, should be applauded – but these lot were just getting in the way. Maybe I’m tired from being on the bike for 12 straight days, or maybe it’s just that time of the month? Will try to convert todays frustrations into aggression in the mountains tomorrow.

Day 13: 16th May ’05

Distance: 74.18 miles
Total Distance: 795.4 miles
Route: Friedrichshafen » Bad Ragaz

Four countries in one day! Started in Germany, passed through Austria and Liechtenstein and ended up in Switzerland. It was really flat all day, and then a big climb right at the end. Followed the Rhine river on an absolutely fantastic bike path. Quite possibly the best cycle path ever; smooth as silk, totally seperate from any roads, passing up the centre of a beautiful valley with views of the mountains all around.

Made up tenfold for the frustrations of yesterdays ride. I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to work out how many Swiss Francs there are to the GBP. I’m not sure if I got 500 quid or 50p out of the ATM, and have no idea what I’ll get charged for a beer tonight!

Day 14: 17th May ’05

Distance: 51.01 miles
Total Distance: 846.5 miles
Route: Bad Ragaz » Splugen

Awesome scenery today. Woke up to clear blue skies after heavy rain overnight. Flat for the most part, but then some hardcore ‘you know the score’ climbs later on. No real problems physically; I must be getting quite fit by now.

Very nearly laid a chocolate egg in my cycling shorts on the road coming out of ‘Thusis’. I went through 3 tunnels, which I’m fairly sure I wasn’t supposed to as a cyclist. But I couldn’t find any suitable alternative routes. Eventually I reached the final tunnel of the series, which was a hefty 680 metres long. I tried manhandling the bike and panniers along the walking path that skirted around the mountain, but it was ridiculous with 100 metre drops into the river gorge below. No choice but to pan it through the tunnel when there was a break in traffic. Only problem was that the tunnel was not lit, my flashing LED lights weren’t making any headway into the inky blackness – and to top it off, the sunglasses that had been perched safely on top of my head somehow managed to drop back into position and dull my vision even further.

I was way too busy pedalling like a madman and clutching the bars for dear life to have time to remove the shades. Things worked out though, when a Juggernaut with a lighting rig the size of a Iron Maiden stage set came tanning up behind me; deafening and scaring the absolute shiz out of me.

Splashed out on an expensive hotel tonight as I’m celebrating being alive. My room has a view of the pass I will ride up tomorrow (Splugenpass). It’s the last day in the high mountains tomorrow.

Day 15: 18th May ’05

Distance: 53.90 miles
Total Distance: 900.4 miles
Route: Splugen » Dervio

Climbed up the winding pass into Italy. Looking back down where I had come from, I was convinced that the many hairpin bends looked like a bowl of Spaghetti – or was I just getting hungrier as I got closer to Italy? Near the top of the pass, there was about 10ft of snow still present. I think that I was quite lucky as it seemed that the pass had only been opened fairly recently. A mental wind added to the excitement as I reached the summit. A Swiss border guard came out to see me, perhaps only out of curiosity at me biking it up – he didn’t want to see my passport.

Very glad to have crossed from Switzerland to Italy, and not the other way round. The climb up was 6 miles, but the descent was 25! Having a celebratory beer by the shores of Lake Como. Getting over the Alps is a big milestone on this trip. Physically I feel as strong as I’ve ever been, but I think that perhaps I’m eating too much food!

Day 16: 19th May ’05

Distance: 73.72 miles
Total Distance: 974.2 miles
Route: Dervio » Crema

Belgium… I take it all back. The roads in Italy are unbelievably bad. The worst thing, besides immense amounts of lorries even on the smallest of roads… and the most cracked, pot-holed roads ever… is the signage. Or lack of it. No joke: the cycle paths in Holland and Switzerland are much, much better signed than the roads here.

In Italy, all roads lead to Rome – it’s just that nearly all of them take a massive spazzy detour on the way, and don’t tell you how long or how spazzy it’s going to get.

I’m staying in a 4-star hotel tonight. Not out of choice, but it’s the only place I could find as there are no campsites anywhere! Still at 58 euros it’s not going to break the bank. Think that the hotels 4th star rating must be for the adult channels on the TV, as there’s no gym, sauna, restaurant, tennis court…

Day 17: 20th May ’05

Distance: 69.81 miles
Total Distance: 1044.0 miles
Route: Crema » Brescello

Boring, frustrating and not much fun. Unfortunately, that’s been my experience of cycling in Italy so far. Very disappointed as I’ve heard so many great things about Italy, and am sure that it’s got to get better. If the cycling carries on like this I will have to seriously consider taking the ferry over to Croatia and head down the coast from there.

The bad signage has me doing many unnecessary extra miles; even the tiniest roads have mental traffic and the long, straight, featureless and windswept roads are as exciting as a night out on the piss with the Mormons. I’m hoping that I’ve just made a bad route choice coming through this Northern agricultural / industrial region of Italy, and that the roads are going to improve from now on. I hope so.

I was supposed to have a day off on Sunday (today is Friday) but this looks unlikely now, as I don’t expect to reach to coast by then – and there’s not much around these parts worth stopping for. Another hotel tonight – there are still no campsites anywhere.

Day 18: 21st May ’05

Distance: 93.96 miles
Total Distance: 1138.0 miles
Route: Brescello » Campotto

A very long ride today which was hot, boring and mostly uneventful. My attitude to Italy is thawing considerably; mostly due to the kindness of people I’ve met on the road – and an appreciation of the magnificent architecture and beauty of the many towns. However, I have to say that I would never recommend that anyone come to this area of Italy with a bike; it’s just not suited to it at all.

The signage continues to be a real pain (each junction is like a Mensa test), and the road surfaces a joke. But I’m sure that it’s worth perservering with. I’m hoping that reaching the coast will help, and that it is more suitable for bike-touring there.

I’m staying at the YHA tonight. If ever ‘Royston Vasey’ had a hostel, it would surely not be too unlike this one. It’s weird, weird and thrice weird. I’m the only guest at the 100+ bed hostel. OK, so it’s a bonus not having to share a dorm with anyone – but this is a bit extreme. I’m expecting Jack Nicholson to pop his head through the splintered door-panel anytime now.

There are 3 guys on reception who let me in. I actually think that they are Janitors, and strongly suspect the place should be closed, but they decided to let me stay anyway. They’ve been very helpful and most kind despite a large language barrier. I’ve started to worry less about this now, and just wade into conversation with massive hand-gestures and incredibly bad Italian! I’m glad to be staying at the 12 euro-a-night YHA, after 2 expensive hotels in a row. Guess what? Still no campsites.

Day 19: 22nd May ’05

Distance: 37.89 miles
Total Distance: 1175.9 miles
Route: Campotto » Ravenna

Almost 40 miles on my ‘half-day’ rest day, and it felt like popping down to the shops. Didn’t feel like any exertion at all and that I hadn’t really got started on a proper ride! I think that I might be addicted to being on the bike now – or either I’m so used to being on it every day that I’m not entirely sure what to do with my downtime.

I rode with an Italian guy today for the last 20 miles. He came up behind into my (considerable pannier-sized) slipstream, and wasn’t in a hurry to take point into the headwind, claiming that he was knackered from doing a 100K’s that day. I told him that I’d done 150 yesterday – with bags on the bike. We ended up doing well over ‘evens’ (average of 20mph) for a 15 mile stretch into Ravenna, which was way faster than my usual progress; but it’s usual to pick up speed when cycling with company.

Arrived at the campsite early in the afternoon, and tried to wind-down a bit and just enjoy the scenery. However, I think I’ll still do some miles tomorrow, even though it’s supposed to be a day off. The campsite and beach here is difficult to describe. “Billy-Butlin’s-All-Inclusive-Nightmare-1960’s-Concrete-Shizhouse-On-Sea” comes close.