European Excursions

BULGARIA – BANGING WINE AND BUMPY ROADS

BULGARIA – BANGING WINE AND BUMPY ROADS

Or, where COVID caught up with us. We had been hearing for the last couple of months that Europe was experiencing a second wave of COVID infections and that various countries were locking down again on the arrival of winter. Thus far, however, we had…

KOSOVO – COMPLICATED, COMPACT, COOL

KOSOVO – COMPLICATED, COMPACT, COOL

We decided to head to Kosovo for a couple of reasons: (i) it had always interested us given that the NATO operations here had been one of the major news events of our high school years; and (ii) it was the shortest (and flattest) route…

SERBIA – ENTERING THE EAST

SERBIA – ENTERING THE EAST

On entering Serbia, it certainly felt like we were leaving Europe behind. However, on reflection, this was really a case of a gradual move away from the West and towards the East. While we had been travelling through ex-Yugoslav countries for a while (probably 3…

MONTENEGRO – WINTER IS COMING

MONTENEGRO – WINTER IS COMING

Towards the end of our tour in Croatia we spent a fair bit of time considering what we would do next – the days were starting to get shorter and the temperatures suspiciously more brisk (to quote Thomas: “Well, it’s certainly not tropical!”). Suffice to…

CROATIA – THE DALMATIAN COAST

CROATIA – THE DALMATIAN COAST

Or, a back injury, backpacking, three Belgians, a boat and some bicycles. As a foreword on this section of the trip, our activities were largely influenced by the fact that Tom had suffered a back injury at the end of the last leg while swimming…

CROATIA – OLIVE GROVES, ISLANDS AND SUNSHINE

CROATIA – OLIVE GROVES, ISLANDS AND SUNSHINE

Or… Heat, hills and an in depth analysis of Croatian road planning. Our entrance into Croatia was somewhat comical. After enjoying the privilege of entering Europe and travelling freely for three months, on entering Croatia and leaving the Schengen zone, we once again needed to…

SLOVENIA – CRYSTAL WATERS, CRAGGY PEAKS AND CREAM CAKES

SLOVENIA – CRYSTAL WATERS, CRAGGY PEAKS AND CREAM CAKES

As we were getting pretty close to the end of my 90 days in the Schengen zone, we spent a bit of time considering whether we really should go to Slovenia or if we should just cycle through on the fastest route (translation: we got…

ITALY – MOSTLY JUST NEGRONIS

ITALY – MOSTLY JUST NEGRONIS

It is difficult to pick only a few things that summarize our time in Italy – but, if I had to choose something, “Mostly Just Negronis” probably sums it up relatively effectively. While obviously not an accurate summation of this incredible country at all, it…

SWITZERLAND – THIGHS OF STEEL

SWITZERLAND – THIGHS OF STEEL

A few general thoughts on Switzerland: Switzerland really was a stunner. While we both kind of knew this, Switzerland has never really been on either of our lists – so, I guess, it was a nice unanticipated treat. That said, notwithstanding the promise of stunning…

FRANCE – PRETTY TOWNS AND AROMATIC WINE

FRANCE – PRETTY TOWNS AND AROMATIC WINE

Our time in France consisted of a quick journey to Strasbourg followed by a very leisurely meander through Alsace.  So, as one may expect, our wine consumption increased significantly, the scenery became quite lovely, our waistlines expanded exponentially and our cycling pace slowed to glacial. …