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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

A difficult decision…

  Well it’s been 2 days since I visited the British Consulate in Istanbul. That visit was informative and concerning. Informative in the sense that I now know I am not alone in having such visa issues. Disturbing in that to legalise my status, I am going to have to pay a fine of £45 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

A very unexpected (and big!) hiccup…visa issues – in TURKEY!

  This definitely wasn’t part of the plan! Well, much as I like the peace and serenity of the British Consulates that I’ve experienced around the world, I certainly didn’t plan to visit the one in Istanbul. However, a rather concerning text message from my previous stoker gave me good reason to come here… When [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

Our latest photos – from Croatia to Greece

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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

We’ve reached the Aegean!

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

The next phase of the ride – from Petrcane to Istanbul !!

  Much as I am loving Croatia, it’s time both Kez and I saddled up old faithful, and took to the road again. Our route will continue down this beautiful coastal road … via Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania. At this point, we turn more directly towards Istanbul; shooting for Lake Ohrid – which has [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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!!   Thoughts about this post…? Join the conversation by leaving a comment in the Livefyre comments box below… Never used Livefyre before: Just add a [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

    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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

Wednesday 6th July – just a little look around my campsite and my morning routine…

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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 [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]

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

  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…   Thoughts about this post…? Join the conversation by leaving a comment in the Livefyre [read more and perhaps add a Comment...]