noel's blog

Riding through most of Bavaria is kind of like riding on a Disney World ride. The terrain is flat so pedaling doesn’t require much exertion, and as you round each bend of the valley, a picturesque Bavarian village pops up with it’s onion-domed church, stripe blue-white pole, a Gasthaus and a bunch of farm buildings—it’s all very quaint. And then you approach the River Inn, the border of Austria. On the other side is the brick wall. It’s almost unnatural how on the other side of the river, the mountains instantaneous jut up thousands of feet towards the sky.

Germany is a cycling haven.  The infrastructure is highly developed: aside from bike paths/trails, there is an extensive network of side roads which are all marked and sign-posted.  Essentially, it is possible to navigate (on good cycling roads) from city to city just by following signpost markings.  Much of southern Germany is agricultural and next to most roads is a parallel 'frontage' road that tractors, cyclists, runners, etc can use without having to deal with car traffic-it's truly cool.  And it is heartening to see so many people using this route network; I've pro

Update:  I am now near the Croatian/Bosnian border and have been without internet access for quite a while to upload photos, etc.  When I get to Sarajevo in a few days get ready for a ton of new stuff!

Who knew the Balkans were had so many mountains; it`s crazy!!  Not a stretch of more than a mile has been flat!

The ride from Paris to Strasbourg has been simply a pleasure. I've been able to camp everyday and peacefully decompress from three weeks in London/Paris. I've spent 24 hours of each day outside breathing in the fresh air...I feel cleansed. I feel healthy. I feel strong.

I know I'm not a timely blogger.  I manage to upload photos pretty quickly, but getting the words on the screen takes a little longer...

I'm about a month behind, sorry!  This week I will make a concerted effort to bring the blog current.

Stay tuned!

On a day much like any other, I was crossing over the ancient hills of Brittany making my way north towards the English Channel.  As I like to do, I find a place to sit, often near the village church, to take my lunch.  I nibble on an assortment of nuts, some cheese and bread, a banana washed down with some water.  I watch as the town people stroll to the post office and chat to each other passing on the road.  I take my time, there is no great rush today.

So far, the theme in France is rain and chilly Atlantic winds.  Although the roads have been fantastic, it is sometimes hard to appreciate them in the face of 30 mph winds which when not in my face are kind enough to clip me from the side. It's a shame because southwest France has some nice scenery: particularly a vast pine forest nestled next to the ocean. Just to mix it up, I guess I was due to have my first technical mishap.

Riding into Burgos, Spain I anaged to spend a good part of the day on El Camino de Santiago. This famous pilgrammage path I think is at least 1000 years old and I really pick up on the sipritual gravity this path has for so many people over the centuries. It is a humbling thought to think that I am taking a break enjoying an apple under the same rock that someone else may have done six hundred years ago. It is amazing to think that hundreds of thousans of people have walked the same dirt that I am and in an era without the benefit of our modern gear and comforts.

And thankfully no rain!

It's the kind of 15-20mph wind right in your face the whole day that you just have to put your head down and push. It's the kind of day that would be a lot of fun cruising over the flat plains around Salamanca if you didn't have to pedal to go downhill. I guess the reward is Salamanca, a jewel of a city that bustles with energy and charm. The magnificent Plaza Mayor is simply awesome and for the first time I'm seeing some real Eurobabes...sweet.