Only a week into the journey and i've had to have hospital treatment already! More on that later, lets start from the beginning. It's a good feeling to be on the road again, to be free, not a worry in the world....just me, my bike and whichever road i choose. Living life how i want and doing the things i love. Lets give you a tour of my new mobile home :-)
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The idea for this trip started a long time ago. I'd always dreamed of travelling for as long as i can remember. Initially i wanted to go backpacking in New Zealand as it looks stunningly beautiful and full of exciting places to visit. I bought the Rough Guides guide book and read it cover to cover and planned where i wanted to go. Anyway, it said of the different types of transport to get around, from buses and trains, to campervan and hitchhiking. It also said about Bicycles and that people cycle the length of New Zealand. This idea immediately attracted my attention! So i decided this is what i'm going to do. So again, i started planning where in the country i would cycle, zig zagging across to all the sites. Then it got me thinking....if i could cycle across New Zealand, then maybe i could cycle across Australia. If i could cycle across Australia, then i could cycle all over the world :-)
The seed had been planted! and there was no controlling it. My mind was racing with ideas of what i could do. On a practical side, i knew nothing of cycling long distances! Before jumping in the deep end, maybe i should try a smaller trip and see how it all works.
I'd always wanted to visit a place called Cappadocia in central Turkey, and i also had an Aunt who lived in Cyprus at the time. So that was it, i flew to Cyprus to start my first bike trip. But it was no small trip at all as i first thought. It turned into an epic journey that changed my life in many ways. It was an incedible trip that opened my eyes to the possibilities the world has to offer.
And that brings me to now, as i am writing this from Epinal in the North East of France. I have finally started my dream trip!!
Weeks leading upto the departure date, i was raring to go and so excited to get started. Then a week to go, and it finally dawned on me! I was leaving home and i had no idea when, or if i would return. My mind was full of thoughts and emotions and it was driving me crazy. I was going through all my gear and making sure i had all the essentials for the long road ahead. One night i couldn't even sleep and i was up all night packing and repacking my panniers trying to cram everything in.
The day finally came, 8th September 2014 and it was time to leave. I'd already said goodbye to most of my family and friends over the weekend and now it was just my Dad and Brother here to wave me off. I was going to start from London, as i wasn't really interested in cycling down from Sheffield. I have a Cousin who lives in Gillingham, which is just outside London. She had just finished work in London as my train arrived, so we met at the station and took the train to her home. I don't see Nikki very often so it was very nice to catch up with her before i left the country.
When i was in Cappadocia, i came upon two Slovenians who were camping in a cave! Marko and Rok had cycled from Slovenia and were making their way around the world. We kept in touch and i followed their journey Eastwards. Marko fell in love with a girl in Georgia, and eventually cycled on through Iran, while Rok carried on towards India. As it happens, Marko is working on a farm right now in Kent. So of course i had to pop in and say hello! It was really great to catch up and hear about his adventures over a couple of beers :-)
The seed had been planted! and there was no controlling it. My mind was racing with ideas of what i could do. On a practical side, i knew nothing of cycling long distances! Before jumping in the deep end, maybe i should try a smaller trip and see how it all works.
I'd always wanted to visit a place called Cappadocia in central Turkey, and i also had an Aunt who lived in Cyprus at the time. So that was it, i flew to Cyprus to start my first bike trip. But it was no small trip at all as i first thought. It turned into an epic journey that changed my life in many ways. It was an incedible trip that opened my eyes to the possibilities the world has to offer.
And that brings me to now, as i am writing this from Epinal in the North East of France. I have finally started my dream trip!!
Weeks leading upto the departure date, i was raring to go and so excited to get started. Then a week to go, and it finally dawned on me! I was leaving home and i had no idea when, or if i would return. My mind was full of thoughts and emotions and it was driving me crazy. I was going through all my gear and making sure i had all the essentials for the long road ahead. One night i couldn't even sleep and i was up all night packing and repacking my panniers trying to cram everything in.
The day finally came, 8th September 2014 and it was time to leave. I'd already said goodbye to most of my family and friends over the weekend and now it was just my Dad and Brother here to wave me off. I was going to start from London, as i wasn't really interested in cycling down from Sheffield. I have a Cousin who lives in Gillingham, which is just outside London. She had just finished work in London as my train arrived, so we met at the station and took the train to her home. I don't see Nikki very often so it was very nice to catch up with her before i left the country.
When i was in Cappadocia, i came upon two Slovenians who were camping in a cave! Marko and Rok had cycled from Slovenia and were making their way around the world. We kept in touch and i followed their journey Eastwards. Marko fell in love with a girl in Georgia, and eventually cycled on through Iran, while Rok carried on towards India. As it happens, Marko is working on a farm right now in Kent. So of course i had to pop in and say hello! It was really great to catch up and hear about his adventures over a couple of beers :-)
The following day i cycled the very last part of England to Dover. It was a beautiful ride along the coast from Folkstone and into Dover.
As i was waiting to board the ferry in the morning, a couple cycled up behind me. Eddy and Vera were from Belgium and had just spent the last couple of weeks cycling along the south of England and back again. An experienced couple in their 60's!! Yes, 60's! who have done many tours in Europe over the years. I can't find your email, so if you are reading this could you get in touch please :-) Incredible people!
As i was waiting to board the ferry in the morning, a couple cycled up behind me. Eddy and Vera were from Belgium and had just spent the last couple of weeks cycling along the south of England and back again. An experienced couple in their 60's!! Yes, 60's! who have done many tours in Europe over the years. I can't find your email, so if you are reading this could you get in touch please :-) Incredible people!
Goodbye England, hello France! The only map i had was a few pages torn from a big Europe road map. It was terrible as it only showed the main roads. It was horrible riding as there was tons of traffic and just town after town after town. I'll tell you now....i don't like towns, cities or busy roads. It was time to buy a decent map.
Now i've got a good map of the region, it's a real pleasure to be cruising along the quiet country roads :-)
The first few days in France were not that interesting if i have to be honest. I was avoiding the towns and inbetween was a sea of farmers fields as far as the eye can see. And fairly flat. It was great weather though, a pleasant 25C. So i wasn't really complaining.
When i came to camp one night, i noticed a lump on my backside. I thought i was just a little saddle sore and it would clear up after a few days. The next day was painful riding! I was struggling, but i perservered thinking it would go away eventually. Well, the following morning i tried to get on the bike. But it just didn't work! I literally could not sit on the saddle. It was agony. I was on the outskirts of a village and about 20kms from the previous town. What to do now?? My options were quite limited as there was no buses and i had a fully loaded bicycle. I could either walk the way back to town, or try and hitch a lift in a van or truck. As i walked into the village, i saw a van parked outside some sort of workshop. I walked in but i don't speak French and non of the blokes spoke English either. Hmmm.
I pulled out my medical kit from my pannier and said doctor, pointing to my ass and then looking at my saddle and shaking my head. It worked, and a young had helped me put the bike in the van. He dropped me off at the tiny hospital in the town of Rethel and i was soon seen by a doctor. He had me kneeling down on the bed with my shorts down. I asked if he spoke any English, and without a word he got up and left the room. With my ass hanging out and the door wide open. About twenty minutes later, an English speaking doctor arrived. (By this time i had pulled my shorts up and shut the door). He had a good old squeeze at the lump while i was almost screaming in agony!! He said you have two options. Either take antibiotics and see if it gets any better, or i can do an operation right now. As soon as i heard the word operation, i said no i'll take the antibiotics as i thought an operation would cost a fortune as i don't have any medical insurance.
Now i couldn't cycle for at least a few days and i was stuck in this small town. I need to figure out what i was going to do. I could stay in the town and get a hotel, but i would be bored to tears with not much to do or see. There is a hospitality website called WarmShowers which is specifically for touring cyclists. I came across this on my last trip and found it a great way to meet like minded and local people.
So i looked on the site and the nearest members were in a City called Reims, not so far away. A young lad called Elie replied near enough straight away saying i could come tonight!I I wasn't expecting such a quick reply, so i jumped on the train to Reims. Elie and his family hosted me for two nights and i really enjoyed their company! They did a great job of looking after me and feeding me well. They live in a beautiful house on the outskirts of the city. Elie is only 20 and has done several tours already. All on a single speed!! Unbelievable. Thank you so much, i really appreciated the help!
After the first night, i was still in a lot of pain and decided to get it looked at again. Straight away, the nurse said she would have to do an incision to get rid of all the bacteria. It was possibly the most painful experience of my life. But i was glad it was over and i could hopefully heal quicker. After leaving Elie's, i was walking around town with my bike looking for a nice spot to spent a couple more days to relax and get better. A guy pulled up next to me on his bike and started a conversation. He was interested in my trip as he's a keen cyclist himself. We exchanged details and he then invited me for a drink. After a couple of beers in local bars, Dio offered me a place to sleep for the night. Very kind indeed :-)
I found a good place to camp for a couple of nights before i felt upto cycling again. The swelling had gone down and it was time to make a move. A couple more days of riding and the scenery was starting to change from flat and boring, to gentle hills and lots of forest. This is more like it!
I'd arranged to stay with another WarmShowers host in a small village near to a town called Vittel. Alex and his family are all cyclists and have done much travelling between them. The kids have grown up with cycle touring and have done several tours as a family, even as young teenagers. They do lots of hiking and are all outdoorsy people. I loved to hear about all their trips, including a trip his parents took to Morocco a couple of years ago. Even Elliot, their 5 month old baby boy is ready for his first tour in his trailer next year! I can't wait to hear about it already. Alex is into just about every outdoor activity you can think of. He does plenty of hiking, biking, kayaking, clibming, mountainerring and i loved looking at all his photos. I had a very memorable night with an inspiring family. I wish you all the best and hope we meet again one day.
There are more photos i want to upload, but the computer i am using is very slow. I will edit the post whenever i get the chance.
I am in Epinal now and have my first real challenge ahead of me. The Ballons Des Vosges Nature Park is a very hilly region before the border to Switzerland. It's going to be pretty tough on my heavy bike! I'll let you know how it goes :-)
Now i've got a good map of the region, it's a real pleasure to be cruising along the quiet country roads :-)
The first few days in France were not that interesting if i have to be honest. I was avoiding the towns and inbetween was a sea of farmers fields as far as the eye can see. And fairly flat. It was great weather though, a pleasant 25C. So i wasn't really complaining.
When i came to camp one night, i noticed a lump on my backside. I thought i was just a little saddle sore and it would clear up after a few days. The next day was painful riding! I was struggling, but i perservered thinking it would go away eventually. Well, the following morning i tried to get on the bike. But it just didn't work! I literally could not sit on the saddle. It was agony. I was on the outskirts of a village and about 20kms from the previous town. What to do now?? My options were quite limited as there was no buses and i had a fully loaded bicycle. I could either walk the way back to town, or try and hitch a lift in a van or truck. As i walked into the village, i saw a van parked outside some sort of workshop. I walked in but i don't speak French and non of the blokes spoke English either. Hmmm.
I pulled out my medical kit from my pannier and said doctor, pointing to my ass and then looking at my saddle and shaking my head. It worked, and a young had helped me put the bike in the van. He dropped me off at the tiny hospital in the town of Rethel and i was soon seen by a doctor. He had me kneeling down on the bed with my shorts down. I asked if he spoke any English, and without a word he got up and left the room. With my ass hanging out and the door wide open. About twenty minutes later, an English speaking doctor arrived. (By this time i had pulled my shorts up and shut the door). He had a good old squeeze at the lump while i was almost screaming in agony!! He said you have two options. Either take antibiotics and see if it gets any better, or i can do an operation right now. As soon as i heard the word operation, i said no i'll take the antibiotics as i thought an operation would cost a fortune as i don't have any medical insurance.
Now i couldn't cycle for at least a few days and i was stuck in this small town. I need to figure out what i was going to do. I could stay in the town and get a hotel, but i would be bored to tears with not much to do or see. There is a hospitality website called WarmShowers which is specifically for touring cyclists. I came across this on my last trip and found it a great way to meet like minded and local people.
So i looked on the site and the nearest members were in a City called Reims, not so far away. A young lad called Elie replied near enough straight away saying i could come tonight!I I wasn't expecting such a quick reply, so i jumped on the train to Reims. Elie and his family hosted me for two nights and i really enjoyed their company! They did a great job of looking after me and feeding me well. They live in a beautiful house on the outskirts of the city. Elie is only 20 and has done several tours already. All on a single speed!! Unbelievable. Thank you so much, i really appreciated the help!
After the first night, i was still in a lot of pain and decided to get it looked at again. Straight away, the nurse said she would have to do an incision to get rid of all the bacteria. It was possibly the most painful experience of my life. But i was glad it was over and i could hopefully heal quicker. After leaving Elie's, i was walking around town with my bike looking for a nice spot to spent a couple more days to relax and get better. A guy pulled up next to me on his bike and started a conversation. He was interested in my trip as he's a keen cyclist himself. We exchanged details and he then invited me for a drink. After a couple of beers in local bars, Dio offered me a place to sleep for the night. Very kind indeed :-)
I found a good place to camp for a couple of nights before i felt upto cycling again. The swelling had gone down and it was time to make a move. A couple more days of riding and the scenery was starting to change from flat and boring, to gentle hills and lots of forest. This is more like it!
I'd arranged to stay with another WarmShowers host in a small village near to a town called Vittel. Alex and his family are all cyclists and have done much travelling between them. The kids have grown up with cycle touring and have done several tours as a family, even as young teenagers. They do lots of hiking and are all outdoorsy people. I loved to hear about all their trips, including a trip his parents took to Morocco a couple of years ago. Even Elliot, their 5 month old baby boy is ready for his first tour in his trailer next year! I can't wait to hear about it already. Alex is into just about every outdoor activity you can think of. He does plenty of hiking, biking, kayaking, clibming, mountainerring and i loved looking at all his photos. I had a very memorable night with an inspiring family. I wish you all the best and hope we meet again one day.
There are more photos i want to upload, but the computer i am using is very slow. I will edit the post whenever i get the chance.
I am in Epinal now and have my first real challenge ahead of me. The Ballons Des Vosges Nature Park is a very hilly region before the border to Switzerland. It's going to be pretty tough on my heavy bike! I'll let you know how it goes :-)