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An unexpected opportunity to update my blog...and a new distance record (which means I'm now less than a day away from Belgrade!)

Posted by Loz at 8:22 pm Bike related, Camping, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »

Aug 282011

Well this is almost certainly going to be the most unusual place from which I update my blog! I’m currently camped next to the E-74 motorway … about 95km from Belgrade – and have somehow managed to get free wifi from a phantom motel!
Anyways…a little bit about my day. When I left my hillside camping spot this morning, my speedo read 5990km. It now reads 6190.6km. That’s a new distance record for me of 200.6km; one which I am going to struggle to beat on this trip – with the days getting shorter, and the weather in Western Europe sounding rather inclement.
Still, I’m pretty happy with how the day has gone; and as with all the other Balkan countries, the Serbians I have met at the various service stations have been incredibly polite and friendly. The country is also pretty stunning; both sides of the motorway being flanked by mountains and farmland with what look like wattle and daub storehouses. So yes, all in all, I’m glad I ponied up and shelled out on a new wheel…for if I hadn’t, I’d have blazed past all of these experiences in a train carriage!
Right…I’ve rambled on for far too long already. But I’ll leave you all with a bit of food for thought;
My food intake to cover the 200km…
-2 bananas
-500grams of pasta
-6 stock cubes
-200grams of Choc spread
-1 bottle of coke
-12 liters of water
It’s fair to say that bikes are a pretty efficient form of transport! If you haven’t done so for a while, dust off your bike and go and surprise yourself. Cars are over-rated anyway

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The wheel is fixed...the ride is back on!! (Thanks to some very, very kind Bulgarians!)

Posted by Loz at 8:42 am Bike related, Challenges, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Technical Stuff, Travel, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 5 Responses »

Aug 272011

Well what a crazy, crazy few days! I think it was Tuesday when I left Istanbul, turning back towards England courtesy of various visa issues. Since that day, I have covered about 500km, crossed the Turkish border (I am finally a legal migrant – rather than the illegal immigrant that Turkey had pegged me as being!). I have set a new personal best distance record of 175km in a day…have slept on the ridges of a ploughed field and in the entrance of a cemetry. I’ve been mauled by mosquitoes, and chased by snarling dogs (I now stop my bike, park it, get off of it…and chase the dogs! Those plucky fellows need to be taught a lesson or two!). But perhaps most significantly of all; and the subject of this post…I managed to break my rear wheel!

The broken wheel…

With 2,500km of riding still to go, and plenty of fire still in the belly, I was feeling pretty good about the prospect of covering such a distance in under 20 days. I figured that with new chains on my bike, plenty of spare spokes, new chains a nice new Schwalbe front tire, and no stoker (Kez flew home to England on Wednesday of last week), there was very little to stop me in achieving this goal. However, whilst laying my bike down two nights ago, I noticed what seemed to be some stickers peeling off the rim of my rear wheel. Those ‘stickers’ turned out to be the metal fracturing away from the rest of the rim. Given that this is a 48 spoke reinforced tandem rim, I knew I was in trouble!

Now it’s fair to say that tandems are pretty rare in the UK. In Eastern Europe though, you’re more likely to see dragons and unicorns! & so it was that I began a very tentative 3km ride into Pazardzhik yesterday morning. It’s fair to say that I had a heavy heart. Pushing myself from surnrise to sunset every day really has given me such a buzz; a feeling no doubt amplified by the amazing hospitality I have received since leaving Istanbul. With such a rim failure, I was staring down the barrel of a 2,400km train trip…racing through countries that I had hoped to experience at a rather more sedate pace.

I needed friends, & friends I got!

Firstly, there was Itzor. He was just any other pensioner…enjoying a cup of coffee before getting on with the rest of his day. But upon seeing me in my predicament, Itzor took it upon himself to walk me around every bike shop in Pazardzhik in the ultimately fruitless quest to find a wheel rim! He didn’t speak a word of English, but nevertheless walked with me for a good hour and a half…before handing me over to my next set of saviours (pictured above)!

I was either just very fortunate, or Bulgarians are just inherently and unswervingly helpful people. For this next assortment of good natured souls were from the other end of the spectrum. They were schoolchildren, with one – Christina – an excellent English speaker. Upon hearing of my adventure, and of my problems, they cancelled their plans, and proceeded to walk with me the three kilometres to the train station. They then waited with me, entertaining me with break dancing and stories about what they get up to and what they are looking forward to doing in the future (the professions that they aspire to be range from dentists & journalists to forestry stewards and snipers!!). They even waited for an hour for the train to arrive, with Rambo and Arnold (the two guys) helping me to lift the behemoth of a bike onto the raised carriage of the train. A simply fantastic bunch of young adults that I couldn’t hope to do justice to in this little paragraph! (Thank you to you all though…)

& the eventual bike fix…

So I took the train the 80km from Pazardzhik to Sofia, fully expecting to have to continue riding all the way through to Austria and beyond. However, after negotiating the catacombs of Sofia’s railway station (I had to use the service tunnels rather than the stairs – for as per usual, my bike was too big!), I popped out into the main railway terminal…

…and soon had my next good soul helping me out! His name is Kiril, a man fluent in six languages, and a long-term resident of Sofia. He has a fleet of five bikes, and knew exactly the man to get mine sorted. The long and the short of it – I am getting a new 36 spoke rear wheel built, with a downhill mountain bike rim, reinforced DT Swiss spokes and a new hub – for the princely sum of 80 pounds. The mechanic assures me it will be good to get me to the UK and far beyond too…so I can now recommence my ride at my leisurely 21km/h, rather than the unengaging 100km/h of a train (or god forbid, a bus!!).

Where now?

This update has been written from Kiril’s laptop at his apartment in Sofia – where I have had a most wonderful and informative stay. Next stop, hopefully Passau in Germany (where I will hopefully be meeting Anna Reiderer – a German student whom I met at Sinbad’s Hostel in Istanbul).

There’s going to be lots of cycling between here and there though…and I probably won’t get many internet opportunities. But rest assured, I am reading and greatly appreciating all of the messages that I have been receiving.

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Route update. Istanbul to China - the Marco Polo way...(all 5,200km of it)

Posted by Loz at 4:25 pm Camping, Challenges, Culture & History, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos 1 Response »

Aug 132011

As I contemplate the next phase of my ride from our hostel in Istanbul, I can’t help but think back to those mentally shattering days at the very start of my journey. Crossing the English Channel was daunting. But picking up a knee injury the very next day was absolutely crushing. All of my dreams of seeing the vast open landscapes of Central Asia and China, & immersing myself in their cultures…seemingly gone.

The next phase of my ride;

I’ve come a long way since those troubling days – both in terms of distance covered, as well as mindset. My speedo currently reads 5,290km. Within 65 days or so – with good luck and beurocracy on my side – I will have added another 5,000 km to that total.

View my route from Istanbul to China on a larger map

My journey really will be taking me into the unknown; Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgysztan…China! All of these places have long captivated me – both in terms of their historical legacy of being the lands over which Marco Polo trod, as well as the sheer grandeur of the landscapes in which they encompass.

I have given myself more than a month of contingency to cover mechanical problems, inclement weather (for if it gets really gnarly!) & also to cover the ever-present issue of governmental beurocracy!!! If all goes to plan, I’ll be in China before Christmas — and then it’ll be a headlong rush to the eastern coast so I can escape before my visa runs out (I am very much hoping i’ll be able to extend my visa though as I’m sure China is going to be a magical place).

Keep a track of my progress;

If you would like to keep a track of how I am progressing as winter closes in, check my where am I page, and also sign up for my blog post notification service (every time I post an article on my website, you get an email with details about it…)

Donate;

& as much as this is a personal adventure/endeavour, I really hope it’ll also be a catalyst for generating funding for the charities I am supporting. I’m going to be cycling/sleeping in temperatures of -20 and possibly beyond…it’s going to be tough, tiring and lonely. Your donations to my chosen charities mean a huge amount to me…because I know just how much of an impact they’ll make.

I will also be updating my Twitter account whenever I get mobile phone reception. To follow me, click here

Finally, thanks for following my progress to this point,
Laurence

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Our latest photos - from Croatia to Greece

Posted by Loz at 4:00 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, Visual Stuff 1 Response »

Aug 072011

To see all of our latest photos from Croatia to Greece, click on the following link; photos

(I would have taken more, but the manual control wheel on my camera broke during an evening of torrential rain in Croatia…so it’s difficult to take good photos)

Thanks to all of you that have left comments on the other blog posts. I’ll have a good chunk of time in which to reply once I get to Istanbul in the next 10 days or so…(though I may well get in a reply or two before then)

Thanks for following…

Laurence

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We've reached the Aegean!

Posted by Loz at 4:21 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Latest news, People & Places, Why tour? 2 Responses »

Aug 062011

Sorry for the lack of updates-our route through eastern Europe has taken us very far from the tourist trail (as well as the internet).

How’s it all gone? Well, we’ve had lots of broken spokes, long old days in the saddle…and at times (particularly in the Albanian mountains) we’ve even had to do some off-road riding. The riding has been so rewarding though – particularly as we’ve been able to see a side of Europe I never really knew existed (subsistence farmers living in dilapidated farmhouses…two of which gave us the most amazing hospitality-pictured above!).

I’ll have to keep this post brief as we’re trying to push out of Thessalonika before it gets dark…but suffice to say, this part of the adventure has been more than I could have hoped for. Now we’ve just got the Aegean coast to navigate before Kez and I reach Istanbul (I’ll do some proper updates when I get there). In the meantime, I’m sending daily twitter updates…so check back often to see what we’ve been up to.

Thanks to all of you that have messaged me by various means…really is appreciated (I’ll reply as soon as I have a chunk of time to spare)

Bye for now

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For those that have donated to my chosen charities...thank you, thank you, thank you!

Posted by Loz at 8:37 am Diary Articles with Photos, People & Places, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »

Jul 272011

As I’m sure you can all imagine, it’s very difficult to keep track of all the emails/facebook messages/website comments/donations…

However, for those of you that have donated – this page is dedicated to you. You have done that most amazing of things – given out of choice rather than obligation in order to assist people in need whom you may never meet. I know it’s an oft used phrase – but your donation really is going to make a difference. I know, because I’ve been fortunate enough to see it happen…read about my experiences at Bansang Hospital by clicking here or, as it’s a quite a long read, 35 pages in PDF form, download the file to your computer by clicking here

To all those people listed below, thank you for having the compassion to help people like the boy in the picture above.

Donations online – through my Virgin Money Giving donate page

Anonymous £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
02.09.11

Marian Rose £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
24.08.11 What an awesome effort, good luck Laurence Mazza (friend of Grant, Matt and Alexia)

Judy Povey £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
14.08.11 Watching your progress with interest, admiring your spirit and wishing you well

GLENN & SALLY ARMER £100.00
11.08.11 BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR ADVENTURE. WE THINK ITS FANTASTIC. MET YOUR MUM AT A GARDEN PARTY RAISING FUNDS FOR CYCLE RIDE LE to JOG – ASHLEY ARMER & CO WELLINGBOROUGH SCHOOL. HOPE YOU HAVE SOME GOOD PADDING!! ENJOY

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
07.08.11 Keep up the good work Laurence, and keep smiling!!

Andrea Lowe £25.00 (+ £6.25 giftaid)
02.08.11 Laurence – can’t believe the pictures didn’t turn out! We shall have to recreate the moment when you’re back in the UK. Hope all is still well, I shall get onto to books issue… take care… Andrea xxx

Pat Maxwell £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
02.08.11 May the wind always blow you forward, may you find hot food and hot showers at the end of the day and may good luck lead you to your final destination.

Glenis Haynes £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
29.07.11 Hi Laurence. Glad to see just how much progress you are making and what a difference you are going to make to the 3 causes. Keep it up, You know who is with you!!

Alexia (sister sledge) £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
29.07.11 Laurence this is just for starters! Will of course donate more along the way! Well done old boy.. your doing grand!!

Nicola Dent £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
26.07.11 Hi Laurence, best of luck with everything, it was a real pleasure to meet you in Croatia and i was very happy you escaped the storm! Look after Suzy Q love the broken girl who had the the worst hang over ever! Nikki xxx

Anita Smith (the other one!!!!) £20.00
19.07.11 Love reading about your trip and seeing the photos – sending all good wishes for continued success!!

Richard Robins £50.00
18.07.11 A great venture. Good luck and have fun!

Loake Shoemakers £200.00
16.07.11 An amazing undertaking – good luck Laurence.

Anonymous £10.00
14.07.11

Barbara £100.00 (+ £25.00 giftaid)
14.07.11 what a wonderful experience for you and a wonderful gift from you for people in need!

Jon Loake shoes £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
11.07.11

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
08.07.11 I will give more when i have it spare! best of luck mate. x

Andy Dennis £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
04.07.11 Keep going my friend, It was great to meet you. Andy

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
03.07.11

Sara Donnison £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
02.07.11 Andy (Dennis) told me all about your amazing adventure and the charities you are riding for. Inspiring! Best of luck and I’ll be following you along the way.

Grant and Matt £40.00 (+ £10.00 giftaid)
24.06.11 Following your every move, keep pedalling!

Pat and Alan Waller £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
24.06.11 Best wishes, have a good trip.

Laura Mullens £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
01.06.11 best of luck x

Stewart £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
25.05.11 good luck see you when you get back

Andy Boath £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
22.05.11

Dr Andy Leyden £40.00 (+ £10.00 giftaid)
22.05.11

Anonymous £309.00
22.05.11 Proceeds from Laurence’s farewell do at Wellingborough school. Thanks to all who attended and supported.

Donations offline – by way of cash, cheques and standing orders

Miss Joanne Sowerby £10.00 (+£2.50 gift aid)
July 22.07.11 Good luck and well done !!

Simon Scarrow £500.00
July 11.07.11

Kathy Job £10.00 (+ £2.50 gift aid)
July 11.07.11

Dr B Noel £50.00 (+ £10.00 gift aid)
Ju;y 8.07.11

Simon Jacques £100.00
July 2.07.11

Anonymous £100.00
June 25.07.11

Make a difference too…

Click on the link below to go to my donations page. Here you can find out the various ways to make a donation…

Go to the Come Ride With Me Donate page

Donating to my chosen charities is not only going to make a huge difference, it is also extremely cost-effective (I hate the thought of donations being squandered in administration costs).

On a personal level, finding out about such donations – and knowing the good they’ll do – is a great incentive and boost for me to keep turning those pedals…so please do give generously.

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Our last night at the Soundwave Festival - and what a night it was too !!

Posted by Loz at 9:27 am Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why tour? 3 Responses »

Jul 252011

Well, what a special end to a really memorable festival…(an ending we literally did not expect).

For days on end, the weather had been pretty much perfect as Kez and I meandered our way down the Croatian coastline. However as soon as we got to Petrcane, the weather became rather more changeable! Unbelievably powerful electrical storms were interspersed with beautiful sunny days…the weather literally turns on a dime around here.

So it was, with bated breath, that we looked forward to the last big night at the festival. With a headline act of Roots Manuva, it’s fair to say that we were all pretty excited about the whole thing. But then, many thousands of kilometres from home, some typically dreary English weather rolled in. A constant drizzle of rain and high winds meant the main stage at the festival was closed down and shrouded in tarpaulin. The only alternative venue was ‘Barbarella’s Discotheque’ – a quaint but crowded ‘nightclub’ that inhabits part of the festival site.

Maths alone dictated that there would be many disappointed people. 3,000 festival goers in a club with a capacity of just 500. We were already queuing on a one in one out basis by the time the very first acts were getting on stage. What’s more, Barbarella’s doesn’t do air conditioning. It was fusty and sweaty with all of the accumulated heat of 500 weary revelers. It reminded me of grimy university nights at Fifth Ave in Manchester. It wasn’t what the doctor ordered!

Our little clutch of friends decided to give up our hard earned spot in the club…deciding instead to hope for better weather back at the campsite. It took a long time to arrive…a very, very long time.

But fortunately;

Waiting at the campsite was a pretty frustrating affair…particularly as everyone expected the weather to scupper our final night at the festival. We were resigned to a fairly sedate final night – that was until Boom138 pulled out their Saxaphone and egg maraca from the tent three doors down. & so it was that our night turned on a dime. Right outside the door to my tent, we were treated to the magic that these two guys laid down. Song after song conjured up from the dark recesses of our collective minds.

It reminded me of the musicians that performed at my going away event at Wellingborough School – unbelievable talents, and yet so unassuming. It’s fair to say that our random assortment of friends were equally blown away. Celeste, Andy and Estelle – our Ozzie neighbours – were clamoring just as much as me for the music that they were delivering. & as for our Nottingham friends – well they were totally blown away by it too. In fact, Ash (a burly rugby playing lad) and I both said it was the absolute highlight of our festivals.

& what was even better was that they started playing when the rain was falling…and a couple of hours later, finished with the sun setting over an almost clear sky. Thanks to George and Dom, we had the most amazing of final nights…one which continued up at the festival to the sounds of Roots Manuva.

You can see George and Dom (Boom138) on Youtube

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Thank you Suzy, Nicola, Andrea and Lucy...(a most unexpected evening spent with a few good souls)

Posted by Loz at 4:03 pm Camping, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »

Jul 222011

Having spent our previous two nights on the roof of the local cemetry, Kez and I decided it was high-time we joined normal society. We therefore had every intention of going to our festival campsite a day early. This would also save us from having to get up at 5:30am as was now necessary given our rooftop camping spot (such campsites – though beautiful at night – are very exposed during the daytime). & so it was that we made our way down to our usual beach side location…

I guess we should have expected it to be an unusually good day. Leaving from our rooftop campsite at the unholy hour of 5:30am ensured we had the beach all to ourselves. Rather than take advantage of a private beach, both Kez and I fell into deep sleeps. When we awoke a fair while later, there was a trail of ants between us both, leading all the way to yet another food parcel (yes, our old Croatian friend had passed through yet again!).

But this wasn’t a day of food parcel deliveries alone. By early afternoon, we had a clutch of English women sunbathing/recovering in front of us. They were clearly women of means, for they had splashed out on renting sun loungers (I can’t remember the last time we treated ourselves to anything other than extra food!). & to our good fortune, they were also interested in finding out more about the waifs and strays that were sharing their part of the beach!

As it turned out, Suzanne (second from right in the picture) has not only been a Guatemalan cycle tour guide; she’s also completed an ironwoman. When I heard this, I was already thinking of her being potential tandem partner material! & amazingly, she is now looking to come and join me in India. (Hauling a tandem on my own through France often seemed like a fruitless endeavour…but having the opportunity to share the travel experience with absolute strangers makes it all worth while)

Now at this point, I’d have been more than happy with having just met a group of people that were interested in the ride. But as was quite clearly the case, these were no ordinary girls. Before the afternoon was out, Kez and I were on our way back to their apartment block – tandem in tow – looking forward to the prospect of an evening spent in good company, and two spare beds for the night.

At their apartment block, the landlady allowed us to use the washing machine (such a welcome treat!!) – where we then got chatting to an English guy working for Visa. In many ways, he was an older version of me. Like me, he has done away with as many possessions as possible (they only ever seem to add worry anyway, and they stop us being footloose!). But he has gone a few stages further than me. He made up what sounded like a rather ambitious wish-list of things to do before he gets to 40. Unlike most people that make up such lists, he is actually making them happen. At number 3 and 2 on his list were to write a book, and to climb to basecamp of Everest. He has done both of those.

& number one on his list – to visit space! Now of course, his astronaut opportunities are never going to materialise…but he is going to do the next best thing. He will be visiting a Russian airbase near Moscow, where a Mig 31 will take him to 65,000 feet – the very edge of space. Pretty incredible – and a reminder for me that pretty much anything is possible, just as long as the desire and self-belief are there.

One last bit of good fortune…

The rest of our welcome evening away from wild camping was spent having dinner and drinks with Suzy, Lucy, Nikki & Andrea – along with a DJ from the Electric Elephant music festival. Unfortunately, the photos from that evening didn’t save properly on my camera (for whatever reason) – but the memories will certainly persist. & how glad we were to have a bed for the night…not only for the comfort, but also because a crashing electrical storm came rolling through in the early hours; one so wild and foul that we’d probably have spent the night hiding in the campite toilets or such like.

So yes, in short – thank you girls. A most unexpected treat. I shall definitely look forward to catching up with you all back in the UK – and of course cycling with Suzy in India. & they’ve also promised me some inspiring/captivating books, which is truly music to my ears given that I am scraping the very bottom of my library barrel!

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Monday 18th July - yet more unexpected generosity. Thank you Croatia!

Posted by Loz at 4:58 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, People & Places, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 4 Responses »

Jul 182011

I didn’t plan on posting another update today. However, I’ve found some free wifi, and we’ve also been treated to the most random acts of generosity!

A Croatian man, who doesn’t speak a word of English, keeps coming up to us throughout the day with ever nicer food parcels.

It started with a few apples. He then glided in a little later with chicken, pork and a slab of bread. Then there was a delivery of lava cake…and just now, we’ve had a delivery of donuts!!

Who this man is, we do not know (he literally floats in on the breeze, and is carried away with it just as quickly!). I can only imagine that he has guessed what it is we’ve been up to, and has taken pity upon us.

Either way, it’s a really nice thing for someone to do – and though he will almost certainly never read this, we are extremely grateful!!

Being treated to such generosity by absolute strangers – this is literally what the trip is all about. Thank you Croatia for churning out so many good spirited people!!

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Monday 18th July - we have only just arrived in Petrcane...and already we have some stories to tell!

Posted by Loz at 12:13 pm Camping, Challenges, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Expedition, Latest news, Visual Stuff No Responses »

Jul 182011

At 9pm last night, we were still saying goodbye to the Brzic family in Zadar. With the sun having already set, we knew the ride to Petrcane would be a little bit fraught (my Petzl headtorch also doubles as my bikes headlight. Given that I can barely light my way to the toilet at night, I wasn’t at all surprised by how useless it turned out to be on that night ride!)

We had already clocked our campsite earlier in the day when we first visited Petrcane in Zvone’s car. At night however, the camping proposition was far less alluring! Our campsite was predictable; a cemetry. However, the ground around the perimeter was gnarled and jagged…and there didn’t seem to be much of an option in the cemetry either. The only possibility was a rather weird and eerie shed on the northern perimeter. Filled with rat droppings, spare tyres, shoes and clothes – this was the kind of place where horror stories are born.

Despite all of the places I’ve slept thus far, even I didn’t fancy kipping in such a place. Kez certainly wasn’t game. With the pall of darkness shrouding the landscape, we had to get creative….
& so it was that we ended up sleeping on the roof of the shed. Take a look at the video below to see the rather nice view that we had this morning…

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Sunday 17th July - a big thank you to the Brzic family for showing us a little of the Zadarian magic!

Posted by Loz at 9:14 pm Culture & History, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, Why tour? No Responses »

Jul 172011

When Kez first joined me 900km ago in Turin, we had two options. One was to do a consistent daily distance so that we reached the Soundwave music festival in Petrcane on-time. The other alternative was to blaze a trail through the frenetic and industrial central belt of Italy so that we would then have plenty of time to soak up the beautiful coastline and culture of the Adriatic.

We chose the latter.

Despite very sore wrists and very saddle battered backsides, we are very much glad we did! We arrived in Zadar on Saturday evening – a full 7 days early for the Soundwave music festival. Our average distance per day was over 100km – with the vast majority of the distance being covered in just 4 testing days in Italy (this bodes very well for us as we contemplate the 1600km ride to Istanbul).

So having had so many days on the road, it was a great relief and privelege to be able to stay with Zvonco Brzic and his family in Zadar, Croatia. Zvonco is a safety officer on a Croatian merchant fleet that operates oil tankers and transporter ships. His son (our fantastic guide and fountain of historical knowledge) is currently studying to be a lawyer…and an impressive one I’m sure he’ll one day be!

Not only were we given a roof over our heads; we were also treated to some fantastic Croatian food (including the tastiest of peach sponge cake! – thanks to Mrs Brzic for that!!). We were taken on a historical tour of the old city of Zadar…which really is a magical place…and were taken to the Beach Handball Championships where Zvonco’s son was competing.

All in all, a fantastic and welcome break from our usual wild camping spots (not having to worry about midges/mosquitoes/cess pits really is unbelievably satisfying!!). & special thanks to Zvone – Zvonco’s son – for helping bring to life the city of Zadar. A truly spectacular place, which may otherwise have simply been just another city on my global odyssey.

So yes, a huge thank you to the whole Brzic family…it really was fantastic meeting you – and you are most definitely a credit to the Rotary organisation that you represent.

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Saturday 16th July - an early morning video update from our unintended campspot in the centre of Rovanjska, Croatia

Posted by Loz at 10:06 am Camping, Challenges, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, Visual Stuff No Responses »

Jul 162011

We spent much of yesterday enjoying the relaxed and sedate town of Rovanjska. Nothing much seemed to be happening, with just a few families and kids ambling to and from the quayside. On that basis, we expected the night to be pretty quiet too…

How wrong we were! The ‘Party Band Draganac’ were in town. Dressed in tight red trousers and white shirts, the ‘band’ certainly stood out. Much like their clothing, the music also stood out – though this was largely because it sounded like an unholy fusion of a student karaoke bar, and the ‘on hold’ music that unimaginative call centres seem to give us!

I guess they were playing in the right town. For this was a captive market. There were no other bars…but there were masses of people all dressed up and ready for a night out! Unfortunately, our ‘stealth camping’ spot – which had seemed ideal during the day – was basically at the confluence of the rivers of people descending upon the bar. So at 10pm, we upped sticks and went looking for a place to stay!

Take a look at the video below to see where we eventually ended up. It involved negotiating a wire fence, and waiting 15 minutes for a window of opportunity to present itself where we could literally spring up the hill to the seclusion of the shadows at the top.

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Friday 15th July - another beautiful day on the Adriatic...a perfect opportunity to give my thoughts on my ride with Kez thus far

Posted by Loz at 9:36 am Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Expedition, Latest news, Travel No Responses »

Jul 152011

Kez is still sleeping in the tent…but for me, a torrent of ants over my sleeping bag mean I am up bright and early! With the Paklenica National Park hills behind me, and the Adriatic in front, this seems like the perfect place for an update on my ride with Kez thus far.

Take a look at the videos below to see my thoughts on my mates the ants, brief thoughts on Italy, as well as a little look around our latest campsite

The Ants….

From Italy to the Croatian hills…

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Thursday 14th July - our Adriatic odyssey continues. Here's a few pictures and videos from our time along the coast thus far...

Posted by Loz at 9:36 am Camping, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, Nature & the Environment, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, Why tour? No Responses »

Jul 142011

The road we are currently following is undoubtedly one of the best of my ride so far. The climbs are gradual, as are the descents…and the views are, without exception, amazing.

Take a look at the pictures above to see the places we’ve passed (and the dive boards we’ve jumped from!0…

& when you’re done looking at those, take a look at the video below. It was taken at ‘Marko’s Caffe Barr’ in Baric Draga, Croatia. As we covered Italy so quickly, we can now afford to spent lots of time in the nicest of places. This was just such a place, and we duly spent the afternoon diving off the platform, playing cards and just enjoying the opportunity to relax.

When it came to sleeping, we didn’t realise until we were settled in our camp spot that the nice concrete platform that formed our bed was in fact the top of the cess pit. Nevertheless, we had a fine nights sleep, with a picture postcard view…and when the sun broke through in the morning, we were able to walk just a few metres before hitting the azure blue of our Adriatic swimming pool…

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Wednesday 13th July - 6:30am video update from our unexpected campspot in the Croatian hills...

Posted by Loz at 8:36 pm Camping, Challenges, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, Nature & the Environment, Visual Stuff No Responses »

Jul 132011

As I’m sure is the case for many other cycle tourers…what looks to be a particular type of road on a 1:1,000,000 scale map is often very different from the reality! Having such low resolution maps has certainly added some spice to my journey thus far…and once again, the map threw up a curve ball!

We probably could have stayed in Senj last night – a nice little coastal town. But we thought we could do better! We had visions of a beach bar, azure blue sea and a nice breeze. By 7:30pm, we were happy for anything that resembled a coastline (the road south from Senj goes inland and climbs fairly consistently for a good 15km). By 8:30pm, we were happy with anywhere that wasn’t craggy and that had a breeze.

By 8:45pm, we were camped near to a mountain, had very little breeze, and were pretty sweaty to boot! Pretty though the location was…I was soon desperate for the sea – particularly because wave after wave of midges concertedly destroyed my effort to sleep under the stars!

Take a look at the video to see where we stayed (as usual, I’m only able to upload my mobile phone video – so you’ll probably have to turn up your volume to hear the audio)

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Monday 11th July - (video update) - Italy successfully negotiated! Now for the long push to Istanbul!!

Posted by Loz at 8:35 pm Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why tour? No Responses »

Jul 112011

What a frenetic, exhausting and ultimately satisfying few days!! With our 1:1,000,000 scale map, we were always going to have a few Italian challenges! In total, we probably clocked up an extra 80kms of cycling through various ‘detours’ (translation: we got lost at least once every day, invariably finding ourselves magnetically drawn towards the Autostrada motorways!!).

Our daily average was around 150km’s. It needn’t have been so high – but then again, escaping the crammed Italian roads wasn’t such a bad thing…and it does mean that we now have 5 days to cover 120km’s as we make our way to the Soundwave music festival near Zadar. Sun, sea and music…a fair trade off – particularly given the difficult riding that undoubtedly lays ahead.

So having raced across Italy in a fraction of the time I took to cross France, I guess I shouldn’t expect to take too much away from the experience. Despite this – and tiring though the riding may have been – the Italian people were interested in our ride, welcoming, and not at all concerned about our less than stellar command of the Italian language!

The only time we thought we were in trouble was when an old lady shrieked at us from her apartment window. As we were helping ourselves to an ill gotten gain from her outside tap, we weren’t too surprised…so scuttled off to a safe distance. Within moments, she was back at her window with a bottle of fresh water. A very surprising and welcome turn of events (and a fortunate save from a bad stomach!).

My ride through Italy also gave me those magic moments with the Leone family. As with the people that came to my aid in France, it’s unexpected moments of generosity and warmth such as this which really do make the ride worth while.

Riding with Kez has also been great fun…very much making up for the large amount of time I’ve spent hauling a tandem on my own! In our quest for games to play whilst on the road, we’ve flogged the ‘name game’ to death – somehow making it last a good 3 days! (It’s amazing how many obscure ‘celebrities’ can be conjured up in the course of such a game!). If you can think of a good game to play on a tandem, please do leave a comment (i-spy doesn’t count!!)

Alongside many close shaves with dangerous drivers, we’ve also had no end of courteous ones — flashing lights, waving and honking. A nice change from the reserve of France.

& of course, being the home of Catholicism, we’ve been treated to some truly exceptional cemetery accommodation! Flushing toilets, loo roll and running water…stealth camping just doesn’t get better than that.

I certainly won’t miss the road network…but I shall look forward to visiting Italy in the future! (& I’m quite sure my mum and grandma will have a lovely time in Italy later this month).

For those among you with a keen sense of hearing; yes, my video does start with ‘it’s Monday the 11th of JUNE…I’m sure it isn’t the first mistake I’ve made, and it certainly won’t be the last

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Friday 8th July - very brief video prior to setting up camp in a....cemetery!! (Yet another big day!)

Posted by Loz at 7:41 pm Camping, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news No Responses »

Jul 082011

Just a v.quick update, as we are absolutely shattered after another 150km day in the saddle, prior to making off to the favourite camp site location – a cemetery!!

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Thursday 7th July - first day on the road with my new stoker...and 160km of Italy successfully tackled!

Posted by Loz at 5:20 pm Camping, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, Visual Stuff, Why tour? 1 Response »

Jul 072011

Fun as it is to have short-term stokers, it’s never really possible to find a good balance and rhythm. So it is with great relief that I have finally been able to welcome my first long-term stoker, Kez Traynor, and report that the match and balance has been brilliant. This isn’t the first time we’ve toured together, along with another good friend (Mike Davis), we rode John O’Groats to Lands End back in 2007.

However, given the distance we have to cover (2,000km to Turkey), and our mode of transport, I am quite sure this ride will be our most challenging ride yet.

So with all that said, how has our first day been? Well, we cycled more than 160km from our hostel in Alessandria, the biggest daily distance of my ride thus far. We’ve been treated to free food and drink courtesy of the kind staff at McDonald’s in Pavia…had many a close shave with numerous lorries…and thoroughly tested out the bike too.

It’s definitely been a shattering day…but we’ve managed to find a fairly nice campspot near to a shopping centre (see picture) and also taken a shower using our 5 gallon water container. I imagine the cctv operators at the shopping centre will have a few laughs when they see two Englishman – with patchwork tans – lathering up outside their shopping complex!

Anyways, mossie net is up, 1/2kg of pasta has been despatched…only one thing left – sleep!!

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Wednesday 6th July - just a little look around my campsite and my morning routine...

Posted by Loz at 5:20 pm Camping, Cooking, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Hints and tips No Responses »

Jul 062011

Since a good chunk of my day is spent cooking or camping…I thought I’d add a little video to give you an idea of the routine…

As usual, these video updates are being taken on my mobile phone – which has a pretty rubbish camera! I hope it’ll give you a fair idea of the camping / cooking side of things (oh, and you can also see my weird but effective tripod mount!)

(For anyone that’s interested – my stove is an MSR Whisperlite, and the tripod is a generic SLR Gorillapod that I got from EBay)

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Tuesday 5th July - Fossano to Alessandria...from a plush apartment to a campsite in a sweetcorn field! (video update)

Posted by Loz at 5:29 pm Camping, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, Visual Stuff, Why tour? No Responses »

Jul 052011

My time in Italy has been quite a refreshing one thus far. After a shattering day in The Alps, I had that most unexpected meal with the Leone family at the summit of the Col De Larche. The day after gave me a 30km downhill ride into southern Italy…where I again met up with the Leone family – and again had dinner at altitude (the top floor of their apartment block).

My time since leaving them has been interesting too – largely because of the frenetic pace at which Italians live their lives…but also because of my determination to stretch my oh-so meager budget!

Take a look at the videos below to see how my day unfolded!

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Tuesday 5th July - Video update from the road side, en route to Asti

Posted by Loz at 12:12 pm Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Video's, Expedition No Responses »

Jul 052011

Due to problamatic internet connections this Journal entry published by the team back at ‘Expedition HQ’ in the UK.

Laurence’s thoughts on his first couple of days in Italy… He mentions Monday but we reckon he meant Tuesday…

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July 5th - a morning update from the home of the wonderful Leone family (Fossano, Italy)

Posted by Loz at 7:10 am Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places 7 Responses »

Jul 052011

I certainly didn’t expect Italy to start quite like this! Literally as I crossed the border into Italy, the Leone family plucked me from the top of the Col de Larche mountain pass, and invited me to have dinner with them in their campervan. That was most unexpected, and very, very welcome!

Two days later, and I am still being entertained by the Leone family – this time in Fossano, Italy!!! They really have been the most wonderful of hosts…and are a real credit to Italy! I hope that everyone in Italy is this nice – if they are, I am in for a real treat!

Take a look at the video that I made this morning from the apartment of the Leone’s in Fossano, Italy;

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Sunday 3rd July - a big, big day...a new country...and new friends!

Posted by Loz at 9:07 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places, Why tour? No Responses »

Jul 032011

It’s 11pm, and I am well and truly shattered!

My objective today was to reach Italy. I must admit, that didn’t seem like a particularly realistic target at 7am this morning. Italy was still 125km away from my morning campspot…and a small matter of The Alps lay in the way, with the Col De Larche to conquer; just one of the highest passes that I could have selected…!

This video is just prior to the climb…once again dodgy recording but do stay with it to the end… Must figure out the problem with the phone and get it fixed.

Climb of the Col De Larche all done…Unlikely though it seemed at the time, I have actually made it! I’m currently camped at 2,000 metres on the Italian side of the border…such a thrill to reach this unlikely goal.

Best of all, a wonderful Italian family (Donatella, Anna and Leo) saw me cycling to the top of the final mountain pass heading into Italy (the Col De Larche). I guess they must have pitied me, for they invited me to an evening meal in their campervan. What a bubbly, caring, thoughtful family! So a huge thank you to the Leone family for making my first moments on Italian soil such special ones!

What a day….tired but chuffed.

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Saturday July 2nd, video update

Posted by Loz at 8:50 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, Visual Stuff No Responses »

Jul 022011

Well, it’s been a pretty relaxed day in the saddle…though I hadn’t intended for it to be so! When I rose from my slumber this morning, I had all the fire and desire necessary to go and conquer the mountain pass that would take me into Italy. Yet I am still a good 120km’s away…

Take a look at the video below to see what I got up to instead; apologies for the poor quality towards the end, but do stay with it right to the end…

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Another cracking camp site... en route to meet Kez at Turin

Posted by Loz at 9:10 pm Camping, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places No Responses »

Jul 012011

Due to problamatic internet connections this Journal entry published by the team back at ‘Expedition HQ’ in the UK.

Laurence giving his observations and thoughts about yet another high class camp site. However, he is looking forward to meeting his mate, Kez, who will be ‘stoking’ for him as they head over to the music festival in Zadar, Croatia.

Laurence will be adding his more detailed comments when he gets a useable internet connection!

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Approaching the Alps...2,000kms done

Posted by Loz at 3:32 pm Challenges, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places No Responses »

Jul 012011

This Journal entry published by the team back at Tour HQ in the UK. Laurence giving his observations and thoughts prior to crossing the Alps. He has so far covered 2,000kms since his departure from the UK at the end of May 2011, well done!

Laurence will be adding his more detailed comments when he gets a useable internet connection!

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Meeting the Mayor while staying with the Nicholson family

Posted by Loz at 11:32 am Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places No Responses »

Jul 012011

This Journal entry published by the team back at Tour HQ in the UK. Laurence stayed with the Nicholson’s for two days on June 20th.

Laurence will be adding his more detailed comments when he gets a useable internet connection!

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Ruth & Jude, big thank you for your 10 days of hospitality...

Posted by Loz at 11:02 am Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places No Responses »

Jul 012011

This Journal entry published by the team back at Tour HQ in the UK. Laurence stayed with Ruth and Jude for 10 days in mid June.

Laurence will be adding his more detailed comments when he gets a useable internet connection!

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A mountain range, a new country, and a rendez-vous with an Englishman called Kez! Lots to look forward to...

Posted by Loz at 5:06 pm Challenges, Diary Articles with Photos 4 Responses »

Jun 282011

Just a quick post as I’ve got many miles to cover in order to meet my first cycling buddy in NE Italy.

I’m currently staying with a lovely French couple called Martine and Jaques Terrier in Millau, France. I didn’t know them at all when I arrived, and would not have known about them other than for Jaques being a member of the Rotary Club of Millau (I am very fortunate on this trip to have the support of Rotary Club of Wellingborough Hatton… which in turn gives me links to lovely people such as the Terriers). Despite being a stranger in their lives, they have been hugely welcoming and accomodating – so a very big thank you to them both for being so kind.

For those that have never heard of Millau – you will almost certainly know about it thanks to the amazing bridge that spans the valley (it was designed by Norman Foster and is the longest viaduct bridge in the world). I have been staying here owing to the searing heat that has descended on this part of France. It regularly touches 35 degrees; but it isn’t so much the heat, it is the desiccating dryness which leaves my mouth parched no matter how much water I drink (my water consumption is now up to around 16 litres during the day). Frustratingly, there haven’t been many cemetries with which to refill my bottles…and the villages are few and far beteen on the meandering backroads that I have been taking.

With this in mind, i’ve decided to evade the heat (somewhat) – and am now heading into the Alps…with the hope of spilling out into Italy in around 10 days time. It’ll then be a blast across the north of Italy to reach Kez, my first proper stoker of the journey! We’re then going to hug the coast towards Zadar in Croatia, where we hope to soak up some music and sun at the Soundwave Festival.

I don’t know whether I will get (free) internet access whilst in The Alps…but I will be updating my location regularly. I will also be recording lots of mini videos on my phone which i’ll be putting online whenever I get to a McDonald’s. So if you fancy seeing me STRUGGLE through the Alps (for I am sure it will be just that!), then be sure to check back regularly. Better still, get my journal/video updates sent straight to your email the moment I post them by clicking here.

To see the route I am taking over the next weeks, look below

A couple of videos from my first day on the road...

Posted by Loz at 6:21 pm Diary Articles with Video's, People & Places, Why tour? No Responses »

Jun 262011

I was just having a look through some of the first of my exped’ videos…and thought these little clips deserved an airing…

My best buddy (Jim Petrie), and my schooldays nemesis (Alan Ramsden). Good effort behind the camera Jim…

My first stoker of the journey;

A few thoughts from Alan & Jim;

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The broken wheel…

I needed friends, & friends I got!

& the eventual bike fix…

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The next phase of my ride;

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One last bit of good fortune…

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The Ants….

From Italy to the Croatian hills…

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Millau, France to Cuneo, Italy

Cunneo to Venice

Venice to Zadar, Croatia

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