tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170374562024-03-20T09:27:31.370+01:00Marieke and AnthonyMarieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-85593832428609760852013-01-27T18:17:00.000+01:002013-01-27T18:17:12.904+01:00Reflections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxojU139QpkaqW2j1uMSQiW5SSrqO1ZWIlEqsFYrilVXxs_5GyqXtrI1Iw2_RPZIQyBALYnNBf2XbAIPaM5x_q3HoU-xHpkBYyH1tYPD7dB9u1Z7cIQI3PhgpYRKgEpBkllc9y/s1600/Infographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxojU139QpkaqW2j1uMSQiW5SSrqO1ZWIlEqsFYrilVXxs_5GyqXtrI1Iw2_RPZIQyBALYnNBf2XbAIPaM5x_q3HoU-xHpkBYyH1tYPD7dB9u1Z7cIQI3PhgpYRKgEpBkllc9y/s640/Infographic.png" width="321" /></a></div>
More than three months have passed since we rode the last
few kilometres into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Quebec City</st1:city></st1:place>,
officially ending our five-month bike trip. Surprisingly, readjusting to our
regular lives has been easier than we’d pictured. We returned home to
a familiar country, apartment, jobs and our group of friends. Within a
week of being back, we were already essentially back into the swing of things. It feels great to be mentally
active (at work) and to be part of a society again.<br />
<br />
Looking back at our trip fills us with great memories, and we occasionally wonder out loud where we'd be if we'd just kept biking.<br />
<br />
What we miss most is being outside most of the time,
the sense of adventure of always being somewhere new and the continual
curiosity of what tomorrow will bring. Like ‘regular’ life, bike touring also
has a semblance of a daily routine, but with the absolute freedom of being able
to turn it on its head everyday. You choose when you want to get up, when and
where you stop to admire the landscapes around you and how fast you feel like
biking or whether you want to bike that day at all. Without a set plan,
spontaneity is a way of life.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Life on the bike is the epitome of simplicity. Despite
carrying a seemingly endless list of things, what you’re carrying is
essentially all you use on the road. What you wear, how you cook and what you
use, is limited to what you’re carrying and what you can acquire along the way.
</div>
<br />
Although we’ve enjoyed other ways of travelling and
backpacking, we found that bike touring allowed us to experience more of where we were. You end up in
places that you would never see otherwise. Places where few other tourists go,
allowing for unique experiences with the local culture and people. Being on a bike also makes you more approachable
to locals, leading to incredible exchanges and a deeper feeling of the place.<br />
<br />
There are definitely frustrating moments when it’s late and you
haven’t been able to find food or a place to sleep. But
those moments are overshadowed by the elation felt by whizzing past gorgeous
landscapes, reaching the top of a mountain pass or engaging in meaningful
exchanges with people along the way. It’s those moments of elation, moments of
freedom and the anticipation of tomorrow that still make us long for road.<br />
<br />
<i>For anyone inspired to consider a bike trip of their own, we've created a second blog with more details about our exact route, equipment list and favourite campsites. It's part a larger community of blogs that can really inspire you or help with recommendations from other bike tourists. <a href="http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/mariekeandanthony2012" title="Use this URL when linking to this journal">http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/mariekeandanthony2012</a></i>
</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05158637191067986358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-67308427241454984912012-10-22T16:45:00.000+02:002012-10-28T13:53:31.984+01:00Bike Trip Videos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's now been three weeks since we rolled into Quebec City, finishing our five-month trip on the road. Since then, we've been visiting with our families in Hamilton.<br />
<br />
We've put together two videos that showcase life on the road (in under 10 minutes). The first video gives you the "bike's eye view" of the whole 7500 km, from our handle-bar-mounted camera.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/52225714?badge=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
And the second one is montage of our trip photos.
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/52229677?badge=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
Enjoy!
</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-78794544566170551052012-10-06T15:03:00.000+02:002012-10-06T15:03:52.613+02:00Is Canada the perfect country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We may seem a little biased on this subject, but we feel it's only fair
to give a shout-out to our favourite parts of cycling in Canada.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_iU3nCq60c/UGxdRA-OzUI/AAAAAAAAY0A/lKDN5V6TU_Y/s1600/151+Neuville+to+Qu%25C3%25A9bec+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_iU3nCq60c/UGxdRA-OzUI/AAAAAAAAY0A/lKDN5V6TU_Y/s320/151+Neuville+to+Qu%25C3%25A9bec+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting sap for maple syrup at a sugar shack near Quebec Cit<i>y</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The bike paths.</i><br />We were pleasantly surprised by the amazing
infrastructure for cyclists, mostly in Quebec, which is home to a
"Route Verte" network of bike lanes and paths. There were often rest
areas along the way, which provided picnic tables for lunch as well as a
convenient place to camp.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-on4BlFElHGc/UFyNsasygWI/AAAAAAAAYjo/H8nrUySBaq8/s1600/136+Mont-Laurier+to+Riviere-Rouge+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-on4BlFElHGc/UFyNsasygWI/AAAAAAAAYjo/H8nrUySBaq8/s320/136+Mont-Laurier+to+Riviere-Rouge+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 200km "linear park" is a well-maintained bike path north of Montréal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The food.</i><br />
Restaurants were once again beyond our budget, but the grocery stores
overflow with possibilities. Fresh fruit and veg was abundant at
roadside stalls and farmers market (it's also conveniently harvest time
for tasty peaches, apples, corn, berries, etc). And pretty much everywhere we
could pick up the necessary ingredients for whatever meal we could
imagine.<br /><i> </i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQ2ZPF4qUZ4/UGX_A-G09XI/AAAAAAAAYrs/g0KJgQSTvtc/s1600/142+Montr%25C3%25A9al+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQ2ZPF4qUZ4/UGX_A-G09XI/AAAAAAAAYrs/g0KJgQSTvtc/s320/142+Montr%25C3%25A9al+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit stall at Atwater Market in Montréal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Nature!</i><br />Maybe a bit obvious, but we biked through some amazing wilderness. We purposely chose a very indirect route from Ottawa to Quebec City, preferring to cycle through less-populated areas. We got to see lots of forests in their beautiful fall colours. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we didn't see any bears. But we saw plenty of migrating birds, deer and assorted small mammals.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AohKq7T6EHE/UGX_0Kla8qI/AAAAAAAAYtw/v2j1nVdZPPA/s1600/145+Cowansville+to+Magog+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AohKq7T6EHE/UGX_0Kla8qI/AAAAAAAAYtw/v2j1nVdZPPA/s320/145+Cowansville+to+Magog+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Mont-Orford National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-74281574904344409472012-09-30T17:09:00.000+02:002012-10-01T17:11:17.750+02:00Déja-vu?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the past few weeks we've been following well-marked bike routes, often on separate paved paths. The terrain has been mostly flat, following rivers and canals. We've watched freighters and cruise ships slowly sail past us on the wide river. Every town has a dominating Catholic church and a cafe serving local beer. The weather has been a bit wetter and chillier than we'd like, but overall pretty pleasant for cycling. <br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95F6MiSn_80P58kDvOX2Qzt4rjJDaX500n8-1Aznhg1TcemY1-Mb4Umg-4AdChB5rZBfYkJdjmYEPAa2s96O8GJHW8YAXeFJIARXD54AQFLfgpJ8BwH2GoxI0vK4cANKdVZLd/s1600/P1150225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95F6MiSn_80P58kDvOX2Qzt4rjJDaX500n8-1Aznhg1TcemY1-Mb4Umg-4AdChB5rZBfYkJdjmYEPAa2s96O8GJHW8YAXeFJIARXD54AQFLfgpJ8BwH2GoxI0vK4cANKdVZLd/s320/P1150225.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland? Québec?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I7Ia51gq2tM/UFyOJpeKcSI/AAAAAAAAYm4/WBasUChR04g/s1600/140+Montr%25C3%25A9al+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I7Ia51gq2tM/UFyOJpeKcSI/AAAAAAAAYm4/WBasUChR04g/s320/140+Montr%25C3%25A9al+%25285%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike lane in Köln? Or in Montréal?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bya7eKWWLVA/UFyNtOc1J-I/AAAAAAAAYjw/WU0BH85qNpY/s1600/136+Mont-Laurier+to+Riviere-Rouge+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bya7eKWWLVA/UFyNtOc1J-I/AAAAAAAAYjw/WU0BH85qNpY/s320/136+Mont-Laurier+to+Riviere-Rouge+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurovelo 6? Route Verte 2?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This description of our time in Quebec could just as easily have been of our first month riding through Germany. The 'Route Verte' system of bike routes is impressive and as easy to follow as any we found in Europe. Cycling along the St-Laurence river into Quebec City seems a very fitting end to our bike adventure.</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-28340205362704427412012-09-24T17:07:00.000+02:002012-09-25T17:11:50.541+02:00A Day on the Road: Camping<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the past five months, we have spent almost every day outdoors, and most nights too. Wherever we set up out tent, it feels like home.<br />
<br />
Often, there have been so many campsites that we don't have to plan
much in advance. In the early afternoon, we just check the map or GPS
and pick a suitable distance.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UeFv63HP_V8/UAPg_SDJ21I/AAAAAAAAXF8/meHe4YgnKZU/s1600/P1080676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UeFv63HP_V8/UAPg_SDJ21I/AAAAAAAAXF8/meHe4YgnKZU/s320/P1080676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penned in between RVs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of these sites are little more than RV parking lots, so we would sometimes go out of our way if we knew that a particular campground would be of the small, family-run variety. These sites are more fun as we usually hang out with the owners and other campers.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFF9KgNTXSg/UAPhHIme-ZI/AAAAAAAAXGU/2JTsBIUplzY/s1600/P1090060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFF9KgNTXSg/UAPhHIme-ZI/AAAAAAAAXGU/2JTsBIUplzY/s320/P1090060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great little family-run campsite in Montenegro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If the only options are 9000-site bohemoths with no character, or if there's no other option at all, or if we just feel like it, we also "wild" camp. This means finding a spot for our tent, anywhere that's not officially a campsite.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6RQhu3-JULs/T-lRD-24bOI/AAAAAAAAWnE/p4FJWno6w1o/s1600/P1040053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6RQhu3-JULs/T-lRD-24bOI/AAAAAAAAWnE/p4FJWno6w1o/s320/P1040053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first wild camp, along the Danube</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yKwdfticl10/T-8Ie0GC62I/AAAAAAAAXFw/gWEKPIz89Io/s1600/P1080341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yKwdfticl10/T-8Ie0GC62I/AAAAAAAAXFw/gWEKPIz89Io/s320/P1080341.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a vineyard overlooking the Adriatic Sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've slept in fields and orchards, on beaches and riversides, beside
rest areas and monasteries, and recently at campsites that are already
closed for the winter. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2T84mEiZu8M/T-lT_DG6_bI/AAAAAAAAWoY/nXUsNQH-_GY/s1600/P1070220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2T84mEiZu8M/T-lT_DG6_bI/AAAAAAAAWoY/nXUsNQH-_GY/s320/P1070220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In an olive grove / Behind a fish-processing plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BosjL6pl2Vk/UBzFk0F7zZI/AAAAAAAAXnk/d_72ChwKjzs/s1600/P1100868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BosjL6pl2Vk/UBzFk0F7zZI/AAAAAAAAXnk/d_72ChwKjzs/s320/P1100868.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach of a Greek island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Typically, we keep an eye out for small paths that leave the road, so
that we're hidden from view, but sometimes we've also asked for
permission first. After some initial worries that someone will find us
and make us move on, we've found that wild camping is actually more pleasant than most
paid campsites. We have the views and experience all to ourselves.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-33DqOO6-KpU/UCyvd_hw0XI/AAAAAAAAYCY/N2cmAvqFGhk/s1600/P1120094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-33DqOO6-KpU/UCyvd_hw0XI/AAAAAAAAYCY/N2cmAvqFGhk/s320/P1120094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild camping beside a small village, with other cyclists</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cE_BojAzljE/UFyK1G1iF6I/AAAAAAAAYnk/TYzPBmJS8eA/s1600/P1130438.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cE_BojAzljE/UFyK1G1iF6I/AAAAAAAAYnk/TYzPBmJS8eA/s320/P1130438.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild camping spots in Canada even have toilets and picnic tables (at a rest area)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With less than a week to go before we reach our final destination of Quebec City, there are only a few nights of camping left and we'll soon be packing away our little home for the year.</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-74354116312337087402012-09-15T20:50:00.000+02:002012-09-17T20:51:05.021+02:00Fall is here...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a seemingly endless summer of blue skies and hot days, autumn is finally upon us. The leaves are turning many shades of yellow, orange and red. Flocks of birds fly south overhead. And the lakes and villages are calm as most tourists and cottagers have returned home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYibGbcvg_70sVORwRzyu9eoHkwgHF9M2IF4Ti_9ZN6f22yeUa59CMNVe8pVbjR8B3AckgN3u2nmy68FbsrM4SOjztMb33m7jpPQPH4Hj7SCP7_XcM7RB_AzKnDu1HboNHByP-/s1600/P1130740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYibGbcvg_70sVORwRzyu9eoHkwgHF9M2IF4Ti_9ZN6f22yeUa59CMNVe8pVbjR8B3AckgN3u2nmy68FbsrM4SOjztMb33m7jpPQPH4Hj7SCP7_XcM7RB_AzKnDu1HboNHByP-/s320/P1130740.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Of course there are the less-romantic elements of fall too... We have
biked through cold rain, found some campsites are closed for the season
and woken up to frost on the tent.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0umvqoD4zRA2siG8a8L0myKrzBwmojJ0cqSTPAPqJ-GpD-Oi4lXjXbeXAUVRuqzPpUK7rLzfYlAeSUgm22yJThe8B2pJQkvDYJ8UXN1ry8PYb7kcYDSkzm3uy5UBI60FtPu5/s1600/P1130728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0umvqoD4zRA2siG8a8L0myKrzBwmojJ0cqSTPAPqJ-GpD-Oi4lXjXbeXAUVRuqzPpUK7rLzfYlAeSUgm22yJThe8B2pJQkvDYJ8UXN1ry8PYb7kcYDSkzm3uy5UBI60FtPu5/s320/P1130728.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But, all in all, we're looking forward to cycling through beautiful crimson forests for the next few weeks.</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-459134858813134682012-09-11T05:52:00.000+02:002012-09-11T05:52:16.089+02:00A new side of Ontario<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have spent much of the past three weeks seeing friends and family around Ontario. While we have been visiting familiar towns and cities, it has been surprisingly different to travel between them by bicycle. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9FjkglVBc55Y72dEGHqY-Oyd_1JvLlgIK6q1yCh5Akj55LbANJycd1c7ZPT3iSFMvda16TV4GFXHwAyUFSFWiTq-DX-cLx61gv6HLAH2CKFY9-NF99KYd_fprwzmhvyrOUrh/s1600/P1120798.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9FjkglVBc55Y72dEGHqY-Oyd_1JvLlgIK6q1yCh5Akj55LbANJycd1c7ZPT3iSFMvda16TV4GFXHwAyUFSFWiTq-DX-cLx61gv6HLAH2CKFY9-NF99KYd_fprwzmhvyrOUrh/s320/P1120798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />For four years, we studied in Kingston and our frequent travels to/from Toronto were usually a three-hour slog along the 401 expressway. This time, by bicycle, the trip took us three days, but our route took us through some beautiful landscapes. Prince Edward County (south of Belleville) is especially nice, and perfect for cycling - flat with strong tailwinds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFe8A4-24FMTY-rwbSj9SzrqVI2yDF9EUhnpb7kAmuAvx9ncWVSoQU91iTOktWtQY2LD4su4O21kwU0QAxm-gKBtm_5F7vBKTboSX_eUs9iBWqQrRfyfWTAdus4tZzhx4XtF7/s1600/P1130111.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFe8A4-24FMTY-rwbSj9SzrqVI2yDF9EUhnpb7kAmuAvx9ncWVSoQU91iTOktWtQY2LD4su4O21kwU0QAxm-gKBtm_5F7vBKTboSX_eUs9iBWqQrRfyfWTAdus4tZzhx4XtF7/s320/P1130111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Similarly, we discovered some great Rail Trails (former train routes, now converted into gravel bike paths) from Kingston to Ottawa.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-23Cyfdd53Qw/UE5_Y-wH3gI/AAAAAAAAYbE/gx3KdSPq2Cc/s1600/122+Kingston+to+Narrows+Lock+%25283%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-23Cyfdd53Qw/UE5_Y-wH3gI/AAAAAAAAYbE/gx3KdSPq2Cc/s320/122+Kingston+to+Narrows+Lock+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are now going to head further off the beaten track, taking a very circuitous route from Ottawa to Montreal.</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-23416944641863268652012-08-28T21:05:00.000+02:002012-09-11T05:55:40.333+02:00Great expectations...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Part of a cross-continental bike trip is crossing into new regions and
countries. Each new country can mean a new language, currency and customs. In
addition, a new country comes with a set of expectations, both from our own
impressions, but also from what we read and from what neighbouring countries
and the locals have to say. In many cases our preconceived expectations about a
country overprepared us and we often found that traffic, road conditions, people
etc. were nowhere near what we thought they would be.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zJ7yxi97vwI/T9mQpa9no3I/AAAAAAAAWPA/x_70oU7wrOI/s1600/036+Fehring+to+Ptuj+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zJ7yxi97vwI/T9mQpa9no3I/AAAAAAAAWPA/x_70oU7wrOI/s320/036+Fehring+to+Ptuj+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Slovenia...</td></tr>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Germany had quaint little villages, a world away from continous
industrial areas that we had expected there to be. Albania had way better roads
and better drivers than we'd read about. And Turkey was nowhere near as
expensive as we were warned it would be. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8k3RJkdnwBg/UBzL5dJ1d7I/AAAAAAAAXuI/_kmy27jL2mw/s1600/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8k3RJkdnwBg/UBzL5dJ1d7I/AAAAAAAAXuI/_kmy27jL2mw/s320/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25288%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Turkey...</td></tr>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Even now that we're cycling in Canada, we've had some of our
preconceptions dispelled... We were expecting busy roads with fast drivers and
we didn't think that we'd interact with as many people as in southeast Europe.
Happily both of these fears were dispelled on our first day of
cycling. In the first five kilometres, we were invited by a passing
driver to stop for a drink and we were later invited to camp on the lawn of some
local cyclists that we met at a roadside vegetable stand. And sticking to
small country roads, we've had a pretty calm ride!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd4GwgGjaaw/UE5_B6DjRRI/AAAAAAAAYZQ/wlLK3LEYByw/s1600/117+Cavan+to+Brighton+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd4GwgGjaaw/UE5_B6DjRRI/AAAAAAAAYZQ/wlLK3LEYByw/s320/117+Cavan+to+Brighton+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping for beers after only 5km on the road...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-70808653638168942032012-08-20T20:57:00.000+02:002012-08-29T20:57:50.094+02:00Is Turkey the perfect country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Turkish people are so hospitable.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We really can't exaggerate just how friendly and hospitable everyone was.
Almost every time we stopped, we would be approached by someone with gifts of
fruit, tea, water, etc, etc. Strangers offered to show us around town or to
give us a place to stay overnight - twice we were even given the master
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PlPNbuT5gGA/UCyyex8McQI/AAAAAAAAYEw/afeBxQFA0Uc/s1600/099+Yenicekent+to+Ulubey+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PlPNbuT5gGA/UCyyex8McQI/AAAAAAAAYEw/afeBxQFA0Uc/s320/099+Yenicekent+to+Ulubey+%252815%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing a Ramazan dinner outside a local mosque</td></tr>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><i><span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Turkey has lots of ancient ruins</span></i><span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">From an earlier trip to Turkey, we knew about some impressive Roman
ruins like Ephesus. But getting off the tourist trail, we stumbled across many
more ruins still being excavated. Since we had them pretty much to ourselves,
we could sit in the stadiums or amphitheatres and imagine what they were like
in their glory days.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JTuOAvW61o/UCyzLiXboDI/AAAAAAAAYHI/ASLw4IR8_cg/s1600/101+Abide+to+Yagdigin+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JTuOAvW61o/UCyzLiXboDI/AAAAAAAAYHI/ASLw4IR8_cg/s320/101+Abide+to+Yagdigin+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Baths at Aizanoi</td></tr>
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<i><span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tasty Turkish snacks!</span></i></div>
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<span lang="nl" style="mso-ansi-language: #0013; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We biked through orchards of ripe figs, peaches, grapes, apricots,
plums... You could buy this amazing fresh fruit pretty much anywhere as well as
dried fruits and nuts. And in every town, there are street-corner vendors
selling <i>simit</i> (a bagel-like Turkish snack) and the bakeries also
prepared all sorts of special breads for the Ramazan period. That's right - all
this food was available to us to feed our raging cyclist appetites, while most
Turkish people were fasting for Ramazan. Thankfully, as travellers and
non-Muslims, we never made to feel bad about eating during the fast (even receiving
regular gifts of food).</span></div>
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Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-11774646559408157272012-08-18T16:47:00.000+02:002012-08-22T16:49:33.444+02:00Istanbul!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGaagXv6TSQ/UDTvxfi9icI/AAAAAAAAYUc/m7-bQlHPoQ4/s1600/108+Istanbul+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGaagXv6TSQ/UDTvxfi9icI/AAAAAAAAYUc/m7-bQlHPoQ4/s320/108+Istanbul+%252830%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After an amazing 4 months and 5800 km, we have arrived in Istanbul - the end of the European leg of our bike trip. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEqdOZGhcNo/UDTvRu4kG3I/AAAAAAAAYQA/AFXeIIyj-Qw/s1600/106+Istanbul+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEqdOZGhcNo/UDTvRu4kG3I/AAAAAAAAYQA/AFXeIIyj-Qw/s320/106+Istanbul+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The mosques and palaces are beautiful and the city is bustling. Although it calmed down a lot as Ramazan ended and everyone set off home to the villages for a holiday.<br /><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RuMzzLf4oE4/UDTvixRvoWI/AAAAAAAAYSY/YVbMLEzCsmI/s1600/108+Istanbul+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RuMzzLf4oE4/UDTvixRvoWI/AAAAAAAAYSY/YVbMLEzCsmI/s320/108+Istanbul+%252816%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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From Istanbul, we now fly to Canada. After a few days with family and a friend's wedding, we will start the next chapter of our cycle journey - roughly Toronto to Quebec City.</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-36823442413140294152012-08-13T20:25:00.000+02:002012-08-14T20:27:35.688+02:00Acts of Kindness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Not to mention the countless unsolicited gifts of fresh fruit or invitations for tea, here are some of our favourite moments from the last weeks:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMCg163bX2E/UCJNyB2_aFI/AAAAAAAAX1g/-SByqNIAzaA/s1600/095+Yaylak%25C3%25B6y+to+Atca+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMCg163bX2E/UCJNyB2_aFI/AAAAAAAAX1g/-SByqNIAzaA/s320/095+Yaylak%25C3%25B6y+to+Atca+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Translate on two laptops made for easy communication</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Stopping in a small town in the evening, we soon had two competing offers for a place to stay the night. A Dutch man visiting his uncle offered us a room, and a local shopkeeper suggested other options for camping, sleeping on his roof terrace or even a bed. After a quick tour of our options, we chose to stay with the grocer. The discussion then turned to who would treat us to dinner! Our evening continued with pizzas, then iced drinks and a late-night fruit feast. The next morning, we were even taken to see some nearby Byzantine ruins before a home-cooked breakfast!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpCG0YG0xpVj1Vp214Rqc-XMk5SP9ahX5L7S3k22x500giic5iDZcylqW7lj1VO5Plk4SiPJodCs9BxKbUnrs-fsfacsu66X2y8VTB3bme_zvEc_gEKJUmbslihAWGzdHOJcg/s1600/P1110864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpCG0YG0xpVj1Vp214Rqc-XMk5SP9ahX5L7S3k22x500giic5iDZcylqW7lj1VO5Plk4SiPJodCs9BxKbUnrs-fsfacsu66X2y8VTB3bme_zvEc_gEKJUmbslihAWGzdHOJcg/s320/P1110864.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
A watermelon salesman passed us on his tractor, then stopped. He offered us a gift of a small melon which we managed to fit into one of our bags. When he tried to offer a second (larger) watermelon, we thanked him but indicated that there was no more room on the bikes. Undeterred, he pulled out a knife and cut the melon into slices which we devoured on the spot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkpVwvyxRCStN35mFhU1c3qpDdqMJBTadbgSVCiYm1iiSwSU0GTF970-mD8D_p2E-HE4XUaBXB8nbk8OOFn9CWhmAoKJ85e5EeXmYxu0Vb-Cu3BJyUOp3drZ-sFnt-e2T8myg/s1600/P1110888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkpVwvyxRCStN35mFhU1c3qpDdqMJBTadbgSVCiYm1iiSwSU0GTF970-mD8D_p2E-HE4XUaBXB8nbk8OOFn9CWhmAoKJ85e5EeXmYxu0Vb-Cu3BJyUOp3drZ-sFnt-e2T8myg/s320/P1110888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Shopping for groceries in the late afternoon, a 14-year old boy invited us to come see his mosque. He then offered to show us the town canyon (which was spectacular and we would have completely missed it otherwise). Walking back through town, we were invited to share in the Ramazan dinner outside a small mosque. Our young guide then invited us to stay at his house for the night, even offering us his own bed (we insisted on taking the mattress on the floor instead). Despite little common language, his enthusiasm was infectious and we had a great time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03IzOfiCrxMiiUP9Oi6Na-vwsTPBCDGQJYf00puBtpKchIBn2n718jvIskX9aZ_BRTg0XE17p2UrRqi6wfgu8FdjWhaoLTUAPA7xoWsw1bjn5REGYtL76qWLiu6Qi6g1vwMSX/s1600/P1120291+-+kopie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03IzOfiCrxMiiUP9Oi6Na-vwsTPBCDGQJYf00puBtpKchIBn2n718jvIskX9aZ_BRTg0XE17p2UrRqi6wfgu8FdjWhaoLTUAPA7xoWsw1bjn5REGYtL76qWLiu6Qi6g1vwMSX/s320/P1120291+-+kopie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
An oil tanker truck passed us as we were going up a steep hill. It stopped a short distance ahead and the 50-year-old driver started jogging back towards us. Completely to our surprise, he grabbed onto Marieke's bike and started pushing her up the hill! As we passed his truck, he stopped pushing and got back in. He only drove about 200m, before he was jogging back and pushing Marieke again! He told us that this was good training for his marathons. We had reached the top of the hill, so we thanked him and he drove off. But there he was again at the next hill - this time with a gift of Cokes and cookies!</div>
Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-30287164033735526532012-08-08T14:31:00.001+02:002012-08-08T14:31:18.883+02:00A week of ruins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've visited some of the wealth of archaeological sites in Turkey - seeing Ephesus, Nysa, Aphrodisias and Hierapolis in the past week. These are all ruins of ancient Roman or Byzantine towns. The excavations of the ruins have focused on the town centres, and each site had several well-preserved buildings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nR8QFh4y9tU/UCJNc1hQzmI/AAAAAAAAXzU/14iAM0vWnL8/s1600/093+Pamucak+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nR8QFh4y9tU/UCJNc1hQzmI/AAAAAAAAXzU/14iAM0vWnL8/s320/093+Pamucak+%25287%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library (Ephesus)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv1pur7kRYk/UCJN4CAfS4I/AAAAAAAAX2E/3Qv7v5_bEnM/s1600/096+Atca+to+Geyre+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv1pur7kRYk/UCJN4CAfS4I/AAAAAAAAX2E/3Qv7v5_bEnM/s320/096+Atca+to+Geyre+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theatre (Nysa)</td></tr>
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Visiting the four towns in quick succession has meant that we can see
the similarities and imagine something of life 2000 years ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgu4KhRhCRw/UCJStmugWFI/AAAAAAAAX40/_H5JH4H7CxU/s1600/097+Geyre+to+Pamukkale+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgu4KhRhCRw/UCJStmugWFI/AAAAAAAAX40/_H5JH4H7CxU/s320/097+Geyre+to+Pamukkale+%25285%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Council House (Aphrodisias)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9qsaMWNYng/UCJaTso1jXI/AAAAAAAAX9I/tdKc1k4ndW4/s1600/098+Pamukkale+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9qsaMWNYng/UCJaTso1jXI/AAAAAAAAX9I/tdKc1k4ndW4/s320/098+Pamukkale+%252816%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latrines (Hierapolis)</td></tr>
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</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-75777575092783302862012-08-07T14:57:00.000+02:002012-08-08T14:59:54.645+02:00A Day on the Road: Where does the time go?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've been biking for over three months. Looking at a map of our route, it's easy to see where the days and weeks have gone. But where does the time really go? We're typically on the road for about 8 hours a day, but obviously we aren't cycling all that time. <br />
<br />The distances and the pace at which we ride each day vary according to the scenery, the people we encounter and the stops along the way. A long climb or a strong headwind can really slow us down, but we can usually make up for it by going downhill or turning a corner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mrhCHwcN0iU/UCJWyd69n2I/AAAAAAAAX5w/2W_57mCNToc/s1600/097+Geyre+to+Pamukkale+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mrhCHwcN0iU/UCJWyd69n2I/AAAAAAAAX5w/2W_57mCNToc/s320/097+Geyre+to+Pamukkale+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding uphill into a headwind</td></tr>
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We like to bike for about an hour at a time, then stop for a break and a snack. The lunch break can stretch out to an hour as we make sandwiches, and enjoy the shade.<br /><br />
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Even the simple task of grocery shopping takes up about an hour each day. In larger supermarkets, it takes us this much time to just locate everything since every store is laid out quite differently. It's not as complicated at smaller stores, but we may need to visit several to get all the ingredients for a single meal.</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-13381326645797831882012-08-02T00:31:00.000+02:002012-08-04T10:30:36.115+02:005000 km!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today we passed the giant 5000 km milestone! Looking back...<br />
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1000km of flat German roads...<br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuBmI7wlkkQ/T7k9TGRoh9I/AAAAAAAAVZ4/g_jL188sM_s/s1600/14+Riedlingen+to+Ersingen+%252815%2529+-+1000+km%2521.JPG" target="_blank" title="Road"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuBmI7wlkkQ/T7k9TGRoh9I/AAAAAAAAVZ4/g_jL188sM_s/s1600/14+Riedlingen+to+Ersingen+%252815%2529+-+1000+km%2521.JPG" /></a></span></td>
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2000km just after we turned off the Donau river route...</div>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5MzUlSU1LA/T9eEBl0_f3I/AAAAAAAAWHw/nEEw5GTfKRM/s1600/032+Purbach+to+Bad+Sauerbrunn+%25281%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Road"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5MzUlSU1LA/T9eEBl0_f3I/AAAAAAAAWHw/nEEw5GTfKRM/s1600/032+Purbach+to+Bad+Sauerbrunn+%25281%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
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<span lang="EN-CA">3000km on deserted island roads in Croatia...</span></div>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-no86r5cqI3o/T-8I_xakyyI/AAAAAAAAWqg/dkvVX5EB388/s1600/051+Kali+to+Skradin+%25283%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Milestone"><img alt="pic name" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-no86r5cqI3o/T-8I_xakyyI/AAAAAAAAWqg/dkvVX5EB388/s1600/051+Kali+to+Skradin+%25283%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfk32FTDLhM/T-8JCj1U2QI/AAAAAAAAWqo/UWGh6qe83g8/s1600/051+Kali+to+Skradin+%25284%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Road"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfk32FTDLhM/T-8JCj1U2QI/AAAAAAAAWqo/UWGh6qe83g8/s1600/051+Kali+to+Skradin+%25284%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
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4000km entering Albania...<br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkLuON7BneY/UBzD31jEIzI/AAAAAAAAXgI/v3KV9WqIzUY/s1600/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25281%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Milestone"><img alt="pic name" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkLuON7BneY/UBzD31jEIzI/AAAAAAAAXgI/v3KV9WqIzUY/s1600/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25281%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_erFldeNddM/UBzD6RI0azI/AAAAAAAAXgQ/XKQchuvM3lg/s1600/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25282%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Road"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_erFldeNddM/UBzD6RI0azI/AAAAAAAAXgQ/XKQchuvM3lg/s1600/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
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<span lang="EN-CA">5000km along the coastal highway in Turkey!</span></div>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHC6kkr7YYk0Hvs-bQ0ACaIP0QKqkj4c1cWtOFDByQD3WM-az7mdPyDTp1q7wwhto9-f412IVm39fBf5TIqPCm59qmFNmVAh6NI81n4iLdZGmmNxl0PAX0FycWfKEfd9NJOm0/s1600/092+G%C3%BCzelbah%C3%A7e+to+Pamucak+%283%29.JPG" target="_blank" title="Milestone"><img alt="pic name" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHC6kkr7YYk0Hvs-bQ0ACaIP0QKqkj4c1cWtOFDByQD3WM-az7mdPyDTp1q7wwhto9-f412IVm39fBf5TIqPCm59qmFNmVAh6NI81n4iLdZGmmNxl0PAX0FycWfKEfd9NJOm0/s1600/092+G%C3%BCzelbah%C3%A7e+to+Pamucak+%283%29.JPG" /></a></span></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXMBWqvoyi6g-TGxmx879KLG9xa4sovyFkX-ZPFYhkZnPv4WxNZcrmWyR8QY6XauObzfPDIMSClu48RsSh9_nO8i8q1TMs8YvuRrtju9iMmBNSa8TS3_sVMp9VJWHdI34HpcY/s1600/092+G%C3%BCzelbah%C3%A7e+to+Pamucak+%282%29.JPG" target="_blank" title="Road"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXMBWqvoyi6g-TGxmx879KLG9xa4sovyFkX-ZPFYhkZnPv4WxNZcrmWyR8QY6XauObzfPDIMSClu48RsSh9_nO8i8q1TMs8YvuRrtju9iMmBNSa8TS3_sVMp9VJWHdI34HpcY/s1600/092+G%C3%BCzelbah%C3%A7e+to+Pamucak+%282%29.JPG" /></a></span></td>
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<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-54573578401139739802012-07-31T10:29:00.000+02:002012-08-04T10:30:10.718+02:00Is Greece the perfect country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Greece has iced coffee available in every cafe...</i><br />
Known as frappés, iced coffee is most offen served in a tall glass with a straw. Unlike their similarly-named franchised counterparts, frappes are simple: just coffee with sugar and a ton of froth at the top. After cycling in the hot sun, a frappe is a delightfully cold treat!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9MCic48A9I/UBzLw02FhMI/AAAAAAAAXtQ/7Dzn-Ic4ww4/s1600/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9MCic48A9I/UBzLw02FhMI/AAAAAAAAXtQ/7Dzn-Ic4ww4/s320/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Greece has amazing beaches...</i><br />
Over the course of the last month or two, our route has skirted off and on along the coast. While it's always a treat to go to a beach, we've become somewhat choosier about our beaches as of late. The Greek beaches that we visited were sandy, the water warm and there were free beach chairs available (provided that you bought a frappé...).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bG1-epbJrA/UBzLrkN5OGI/AAAAAAAAXsw/0-divm_10T4/s1600/089+Chios+to+Komi+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bG1-epbJrA/UBzLrkN5OGI/AAAAAAAAXsw/0-divm_10T4/s320/089+Chios+to+Komi+%252815%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<i> </i><br />
<i>Greece has delicious convenience foods...</i><br />
After months of sandwiches for lunch, we were pleased to find tasty canned side dishes avaialable in all supermarkets. We particularly liked the stuffed grape leaves, stuffed peppers and giant beans in tomato sauce. Yum! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys1Fq-ah3-k/UBzLyh-fJFI/AAAAAAAAXtc/UEVuaM3UUMU/s1600/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys1Fq-ah3-k/UBzLyh-fJFI/AAAAAAAAXtc/UEVuaM3UUMU/s320/090+Komi+to+Ciftlikkoy+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-89323433858240467922012-07-28T17:39:00.000+02:002012-08-03T17:40:16.638+02:00Familiar faces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We realised that it has been over two months since we've seen anyone that we know, so it was a real treat to meet up again with the Papalexandrou brothers in Thessaloniki. We had a great time - going to the beach, seeing the sights and generally enjoying a few days off the saddle in the company of good friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NkzFs2sJSaMSb7qJTKfmc1q4OSstH_9HbnneiWLyU0-ioTRha7h8qBP9YhyphenhyphenRQvyPxHjBpRNIetMxdCinluPO6as_XUwsxlrDbfryPszjQMA9qqh7e_gHZ2bpYTf8IZXfMORt/s1600/085+Thessaloniki+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NkzFs2sJSaMSb7qJTKfmc1q4OSstH_9HbnneiWLyU0-ioTRha7h8qBP9YhyphenhyphenRQvyPxHjBpRNIetMxdCinluPO6as_XUwsxlrDbfryPszjQMA9qqh7e_gHZ2bpYTf8IZXfMORt/s320/085+Thessaloniki+%283%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach rackets (Paris and Tryphon)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk97MBO7IIqqwkOjDi7qfGh76sWlNyj5mxvE7-XAaVq5ZV5pNt2VRr8ckF3gcNOB-8z3yy0EBX15s0QvdmuwxHRXuAX07f8ToQ6S4Umh3pBBIDSAOhwtkTzRiz_Iu2XmJMBkC/s1600/086+Thessaloniki+%288%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk97MBO7IIqqwkOjDi7qfGh76sWlNyj5mxvE7-XAaVq5ZV5pNt2VRr8ckF3gcNOB-8z3yy0EBX15s0QvdmuwxHRXuAX07f8ToQ6S4Umh3pBBIDSAOhwtkTzRiz_Iu2XmJMBkC/s320/086+Thessaloniki+%288%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner, fresh from Filippos's farm</td></tr>
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</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-58976228469218194992012-07-24T17:28:00.000+02:002012-08-07T20:29:49.896+02:00Is Macedonia* the perfect country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Macedonia has tasty, fresh, local fruit and vegetables</i><br />
We had envisaged that southern Europe would be full of roadside farmer's stands selling the bounty of the Mediterranean harvest, but until now the selection of fresh fruit and veg was pretty limited. In Macedonia, we finally had the full choice of summer produce: juicy peaches, strange-shaped tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, zucchinis, plums, eggplants, etc, etc. Absolutely delicious!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXvULJixwzo/UBzFASb6MxI/AAAAAAAAXlg/-A4mBuz1JMY/s1600/076+Debar+to+Elesec+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXvULJixwzo/UBzFASb6MxI/AAAAAAAAXlg/-A4mBuz1JMY/s320/076+Debar+to+Elesec+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohrid farmers market</td></tr>
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<i>Macedonia has beautiful lakes</i><br />
Anyone looking for a beach holiday would love the crystal clear waters of Lake Ohrid. If (like us) you'd prefer less resort-filled shores, then Lake Prespa is just over the hill (actually a 1400 m mountain pass). The lake is beautiful, the perfect temperature for a swim and the local communities are unspoilt. We'd particularly recommend the small town of Brajcino, where we stayed at Benito's perfect little campsite and hiked up Mt. Pellister. For us, this was the perfect tourist experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-93n5hHBQZXo/UBzFHT3muwI/AAAAAAAAXmI/_zoP1JZApUc/s1600/077+Elesec+to+Trpejca+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-93n5hHBQZXo/UBzFHT3muwI/AAAAAAAAXmI/_zoP1JZApUc/s320/077+Elesec+to+Trpejca+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Ohrid (a remote beach once you got past the resorts)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i> Macedonia has bicycle-only highways (almost)</i><br />
As the highways were upgraded, new roads were built beside the existing ones. Now, all heavy traffic uses the newer roads, leaving parallel roads almost deserted. The road surface may not be ideal for smooth cycling, but it was pleasant to be away from the cars and trucks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8a1O8bOo7U/UBzE-6aPzVI/AAAAAAAAXlY/qZ43ARGqAU8/s1600/076+Debar+to+Elesec+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8a1O8bOo7U/UBzE-6aPzVI/AAAAAAAAXlY/qZ43ARGqAU8/s320/076+Debar+to+Elesec+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our road (left) running alongside main road (right)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* our Greek friends should read this as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)"</span></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-50054017255202870772012-07-19T13:39:00.000+02:002012-07-26T13:39:38.579+02:00Roads in the Balkans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Anyone who has seen the Pixar movie Cars may remember this scene where Lightning McQueen finds out how a new super highway has meant that no one travels along the old Route 66 anymore. <br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wZBVWLNtVlA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /> </div>
This is portrayed as a tragic story for the residents (cars) of the small town on the old road. But they failed to point out the upside: that back road is now perfect for bicycle tourists!<br /><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Wgt_kUWA0w/UAPco7ZvccI/AAAAAAAAXB8/LWc1UrPedxI/s1600/068+Zabljak+to+Biogradska+Gora+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Wgt_kUWA0w/UAPco7ZvccI/AAAAAAAAXB8/LWc1UrPedxI/s320/068+Zabljak+to+Biogradska+Gora+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little helmet-mounted rearview mirrors show no traffic...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have been biking along deserted roads like this across most of the Balkans. The roads are ideal not only because they are so safe for bikes, but also because - as explained to Lightning McQueen - the road moves with the land, rising, falling, curving:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"<strike>Cars</strike> [Bikes] don't drive on it to make great time. They drive on it to have a great time" </i></blockquote>
</div>
</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-27336025589351565602012-07-16T13:18:00.000+02:002012-07-26T13:27:50.284+02:00Is Albania the perfect country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Anyone looking for an exotic getaway from Europe should look no further than Albania. The look and feel of the country is decidedly different than any countries we've passed through. It feels a bit like stepping back in time, but perhaps more like being in India. The roads are busy with people, not just cars - people walking or biking, or just waiting or socialing on the side of the road. And there is an almost complete lack of multinational brands - no Coke, McDonalds or Shell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAuL3Ou1uVsphgr4rHtsBumV09dl_eQge9wxmOdSYdzUQrkaiSUWhs_uiEJ451Z47boDiEYXqihVKmIGwyW1E0RDkumdaLIJylFy_3sDAolSSf8RH8sXqAWQ6229YYXZRcSmD/s1600/Lots+of+cyclists+in+Shkodra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAuL3Ou1uVsphgr4rHtsBumV09dl_eQge9wxmOdSYdzUQrkaiSUWhs_uiEJ451Z47boDiEYXqihVKmIGwyW1E0RDkumdaLIJylFy_3sDAolSSf8RH8sXqAWQ6229YYXZRcSmD/s320/Lots+of+cyclists+in+Shkodra.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
But the really striking thing in Albania is the <i>overwhelming friendliness </i>of everyone we met.<br />
<br />
As we bike, we wave and say hello (or the local <i>Dobar Dan</i>, <i>Zdravo</i>, etc) to anyone who makes eye contact. In northern Europe, we rarely got a response, but at least made people smile. As we moved further south, people were more responsive. By Albania, people were smiling, waving and shouting hello as soon as they saw us. Cars that passed would honk excitedly and passengers would stick their heads out the windows or give us a thumbs up.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh8ebEczJjg/UBESBoPIleI/AAAAAAAAXOE/iWygPi0nxbY/s1600/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh8ebEczJjg/UBESBoPIleI/AAAAAAAAXOE/iWygPi0nxbY/s320/071+Omar%25C3%25AB+to+Puk%25C3%25AB+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Whenever we stopped, people would approach us to chat, find out where we were going, see if we needed help and generally make sure we were enjoying our time in Albania.</div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-47319704181180281242012-07-15T13:12:00.000+02:002012-07-26T13:41:05.772+02:00A Day on the Road: Lots to Think About<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the best parts of travelling by bicycle is that we get to experience so much of the countries that we’re visiting – interacting with locals along the road, noticing the slow changes in landscape, seeing how people live outside the big cities… And travelling by bicycle also gives you lots of time to think about what you’re experiencing.<br />
<br />
On quiet sections of road, we are able to ride close together and chat. We try to explain the differences we see (“Why is it so lush here, when it was dry just over there?”[1], “Do you notice the differences in communism in Yugoslavia vs. the USSR?”[2]), or make plans for the rest of the day (“Let’s stop for cookies at the top of the next hill”, “How much further do you want to go today?”) or generally work on the question of life, the universe and everything.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-es5g8SFFv_U/UAPb8Mm68lI/AAAAAAAAW_Q/QBaBD7RDYVM/s1600/065+Cevo+to+Gvozd+%25289%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-es5g8SFFv_U/UAPb8Mm68lI/AAAAAAAAW_Q/QBaBD7RDYVM/s320/065+Cevo+to+Gvozd+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Often we can’t communicate easily, but our internal thoughts run along the same lines – exploring what’s going on around us, or working on the world’s problems. To keep our mind off a particularly tough climb or head wind, we also sometimes listen to audiobooks or podcasts on our iPods. And we often play The Licence Plate Game ("I wonder which German city DD stands for?"[3], "How can their be so many New York licence plates in Macedonia?"[4], "Why is Austria represented by the letter A, when it should be Ö for Österreich?"[5]).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] We've noticed that a lot more rain falls a short distance inland from the coast, especially in the mountains - so the coast is arid while there can be lush crops inland.<br />[2] It seems to us that Soviet communism involved much more industrial development, while small-scale agriculture continued to dominate in Yugoslavia . Since the collapse of communism, the former Soviet countries have more abandoned factories and deteriorating infrastructure, while their is less sign of 'boom and bust' in the former Yugoslav republics. <br />[3] The licence plates in most Eastern European countries begin with a code for the city. DD stands for Dresden.<br />[4] When Macedonians living in the USA return home in the summers, they ship back their cars as status symbols.<br />[5] No idea.</span></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-11564306117958956992012-07-14T22:42:00.000+02:002012-07-21T22:43:15.327+02:00A lot to say about Albania<br />
<span lang="EN-CA">We’d heard
a lot of stories about Albania (positive and negative), but you can never
really know what it will be like until you see it for yourself…</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Assumption: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">The roads are in terrible condition. (One
Albanian blog post from other bicycle tourists was titled “Never Again” for a
60km stretch of steep gravel road). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Reality: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">Crossing the border from Montenegro, the road
went from smooth tarmac to rough gravel, and we mentally prepared for days of
tough riding. But it turned out that this small section of gravel was one of
the last sections of new road that was still under construction. We sailed
along into Shkodra on fresh tarmac wide enough for four lanes of traffic, and
we’ve continued across the country on similar newly-finished asphalt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGne6V30dYJ8PxVkMF-OBmT7id-YZdpVbjE5GRTclcVrZ0O8GYUY67IZI6SPAP8eTx4nvIJffFqCX1Zhlx5hi3TgqckzWhRQ_OUU9LmJNqYOiksBKjQIxqd2RhG0TMvz3NRfF/s1600/P1090747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGne6V30dYJ8PxVkMF-OBmT7id-YZdpVbjE5GRTclcVrZ0O8GYUY67IZI6SPAP8eTx4nvIJffFqCX1Zhlx5hi3TgqckzWhRQ_OUU9LmJNqYOiksBKjQIxqd2RhG0TMvz3NRfF/s320/P1090747.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious smooth tarmac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Assumption: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">Albanians are reckless drivers. (One
round-the-world cyclist described them as the worst in the world. A driver
actually got out of his car and punched the cyclist for being in the way).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Reality: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">We have never felt unsafe about the cars and
trucks passing us. We have stayed off the highways, so traffic has been pretty
light and everyone gives us wide clearance or slows down if necessary. We were
told that a recent law means that the car is at fault in any collision with a
bicycle, but whatever the reason, drivers are as courteous here as anywhere.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPECDUUbuLbVTYM0RsYRnMVqEP9-P8W8JHmHlJIsn63hku4owVUv1TbMMiooofOlwfWXllwP0__aw2h2G6njcQ7Bzdpmx-slktcvk3Sjk2OlEcKsx1zii4DIM4ycuDltBfzvz/s1600/P1090853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPECDUUbuLbVTYM0RsYRnMVqEP9-P8W8JHmHlJIsn63hku4owVUv1TbMMiooofOlwfWXllwP0__aw2h2G6njcQ7Bzdpmx-slktcvk3Sjk2OlEcKsx1zii4DIM4ycuDltBfzvz/s320/P1090853.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We don't have many photos of cars passing us(we actually weren't passed by many cars, since the back roads are so deserted).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Assumption: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">Albanians are all very friendly and hospitable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Reality: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">This was confirmed to us the moment we crossed
the border and struck up a long conversation with a friendly cab driver, who
offered lots of advice and told us to call him day-or-night if we had any
problems or questions. All along the way, we have met very friendly people, who
seem genuinely interested that we enjoy ourselves in Albania. Unfortunately, a
bad experience can overshadow all this. While stopped for a meal, a couple
teenagers approached us, smiling and checking out our bikes. They seemed
friendly, but when we turned our backs for a moment, they stole one of our panniers
and disappeared. This shook us up pretty badly, but we kept trying to tell ourselves that these were just some stupid kids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Assumption: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">We would never see our pannier again. (All the
Dude ever wanted was his bag back).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Reality: </span></i><span lang="EN-CA">Arriving at the next big city, we went to the
police station to report the theft. We had little expectation that they could
help, but we wanted to at least record the incident (“</span><span class="quote">Are you going to find these guys, or, you know, I mean, do you guys have any promising leads?</span><span lang="EN-CA">” we’d ask. The cops would laugh and sarcastically
say “Leads? Let me just call down to the crime lab. They got four more
detectives working the case. They got us working in shifts. Leads!”)</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJznVADf8a0vKreMHRxwJNa9WyhE5rsG14fvyrRN5mlA2szonQ2giwMYuQIurRPorubptq3xqQFsJLUuDIr0zXIW1mmvOAx9OzUCkybSTQaQq9OH9jAkum-nR2fdL1AcoHt8lY/s1600/P1090818.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJznVADf8a0vKreMHRxwJNa9WyhE5rsG14fvyrRN5mlA2szonQ2giwMYuQIurRPorubptq3xqQFsJLUuDIr0zXIW1mmvOAx9OzUCkybSTQaQq9OH9jAkum-nR2fdL1AcoHt8lY/s320/P1090818.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local police station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">To our
surprise, within one minute of explaining the situation to the desk clerk, via
a translator, the chief of police rushed out, jumped in his car and escorted us
at high speed back to the “crime scene.” We were eventually joined by 6 other
police officers and the local baker came along as translator. We re-enacted
what had happened, and several policemen headed out to investigate. We were
taken back to the city, where the police chief took us out for coffee and
bought us lunch. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKRQ8FJb78ygQrfqMbR_cWbn62F8bgq8UMgj3pYQAaMDNCmQVy7MVInxdpBzmD8HDh3CzGmUtdZOw0bRaqf7Cz6u7tVMrOFUdv4MdkP4QxPTRo5u34O4SBNG3fK5AvwX14Eg-/s1600/P1090808.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKRQ8FJb78ygQrfqMbR_cWbn62F8bgq8UMgj3pYQAaMDNCmQVy7MVInxdpBzmD8HDh3CzGmUtdZOw0bRaqf7Cz6u7tVMrOFUdv4MdkP4QxPTRo5u34O4SBNG3fK5AvwX14Eg-/s320/P1090808.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch inside the police station (courtesy of the police chief)<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span lang="EN-CA">Returning to the police station, we were informed that the
police had apprehended the two thieves and retrieved our missing bag! It took a
couple more hours to fill in the necessary paperwork and make an ID (they took
us into a small room with the boys and asked “is this them?”) but the cops went
out of their way to make sure we were having a good time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /> <span lang="EN-CA">We left the police station, with our pannier in hand, and a renewed appreciation for the kindness of Albanians! </span></div>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-11684319221798965322012-07-11T11:56:00.000+02:002012-07-16T11:57:51.677+02:00Is Montenegro the perfect country?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Montenegro has so much mountainy goodness…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">We biked
for three days away from the coast to reach the national park in the Durmitor
mountains, but the ride revealed that the whole country could practically be
designated as a national park. The mountain scenery is stunning and constantly changing.
</span><br />
<br />
<table border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5-7UDF57XMQ/UAPbS_wjj4I/AAAAAAAAW80/GWn8-kS4UYc/s1600/064+Kotor+to+Cevo+%25283%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Montenegro">
<img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5-7UDF57XMQ/UAPbS_wjj4I/AAAAAAAAW80/GWn8-kS4UYc/s320/064+Kotor+to+Cevo+%25283%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GU5SN7_ipSU/UAPcQOtBtjI/AAAAAAAAXAg/DVMDzZF5-CY/s1600/067+Zabljak+%25282%2529.JPG" target="_blank" title="Windradweg"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GU5SN7_ipSU/UAPcQOtBtjI/AAAAAAAAXAg/DVMDzZF5-CY/s1600/067+Zabljak+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Montenegro is designed for bicycle touring…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Leaving
aside the beautiful mountain vistas, there are many other reasons that
Montenegro was so much fun to bike around. Newly constructed highways across
the country have left little traffic on the older roads, which are still in
good condition. And despite crossing mountainous terrain, the roads are never steep.
Drivers are not only courteous, but friendly to cyclists, honking and waving as
they pass. Also, there are excellent opportunities for camping – we stayed at family-run
site filled with outgoing hikers, at a quiet national park site beside a lake,
and several times “wild camping” in small fields close to the road, but unseen.
</span><br />
<br />
<table border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8Cw2yCsD5g/UAPhJ8hp2NI/AAAAAAAAXGc/oxkhcnsu0-U/s1600/P1090329.JPG" target="_blank" title="Montenegro">
<img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8Cw2yCsD5g/UAPhJ8hp2NI/AAAAAAAAXGc/oxkhcnsu0-U/s1600/P1090329.JPG" /></a></span></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E93f-uVq0NQ/UAPhCN7FUKI/AAAAAAAAXGE/V5KzmR4OBAI/s1600/P1080710.JPG" target="_blank" title="Windradweg"><img alt="pic name" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E93f-uVq0NQ/UAPhCN7FUKI/AAAAAAAAXGE/V5KzmR4OBAI/s1600/P1080710.JPG" /></a></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<i>Montenegro has the best juice…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Every store
in Montenegro offered as assortment of 100% pure fruit juices. This was a very
pleasant change from the sugary “minimum 10% fruit content” drinks that were
the norm for the past month. And there are so many delicious choices:
strawberry, peach, pear, mango, orange, pineapple… </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLo2T-VInyc/UAPdPI5StDI/AAAAAAAAXEM/zehFwMAASdk/s1600/070+Bioce+to+Omar%25C3%25AB+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLo2T-VInyc/UAPdPI5StDI/AAAAAAAAXEM/zehFwMAASdk/s320/070+Bioce+to+Omar%25C3%25AB+%25283%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of clever advertising obscures the fact that the drinks all contain some apple juice. Look closely and you'll see that "100% strawberry" actually reads "100% strawberry (and apple)"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-3682796093761945402012-07-10T11:40:00.000+02:002012-07-16T11:41:08.504+02:00Green is the New Black<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Montenegro
is its Italian-based name, meaning “Black Mountain,” but domestically it is
known as Crna Gora, which means “Black Forest.” But something must be lost in
translation, because while the entire country could be described as “mountain”
or “forest,” the dominant colour is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">green</i>…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IVAcludOt38/UAPcsjEsteI/AAAAAAAAXCM/lH7CaYeQ2YA/s1600/069+Biogradska+Gora+to+Bioce+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IVAcludOt38/UAPcsjEsteI/AAAAAAAAXCM/lH7CaYeQ2YA/s320/069+Biogradska+Gora+to+Bioce+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<span lang="EN-CA"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The coastal
mountains are covered in small shrubs dotting arid mountainsides. Away from the
coast, the mountains are blanketed in light green deciduous forest, with
patches of lush pastureland wherever it’s flat enough. At the peaks of many
mountains, we found alpine valleys filled with farmer’s fields. And even the
sheer cliffs of the deep Tara Canyon are covered in green forest.</span></div>
<span lang="EN-CA"> </span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ctfC6B2ISVU/UAPcbXwdBsI/AAAAAAAAXBM/zYMm6Ehjvr8/s1600/068+Zabljak+to+Biogradska+Gora+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ctfC6B2ISVU/UAPcbXwdBsI/AAAAAAAAXBM/zYMm6Ehjvr8/s320/068+Zabljak+to+Biogradska+Gora+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">So, instead
of Montenegro, we propose the name Monteverde…</span></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-34409493650941742042012-07-08T19:15:00.000+02:002012-07-08T19:15:50.927+02:00Pancakes on the road<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we
planned this bike trip, one of my main concerns was how we were going to last a
few months without our usual weekly ritual of pancakes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Luckily, we
have found an easy recipe that allows us to make pancakes on the go. Mix one
mug of flour (all quantities are approximate), with half a spoonful of baking
powder and two spoonfuls of sugar. Add one mashed banana, a small amount of oil
and a mug of water. Scoop a couple heaping spoonfuls of this batter into your
mini-travel-frying-pan and sprinkle in any extra fillings (e.g. walnuts or
blueberries). Flip. Serve immediately with jam, other spreads and fresh fruit
(unfortunately, we are not carrying maple syrup with us).</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ofNAjjUpo/T-YT25pwzRI/AAAAAAAAWWE/c-QVf1vq4ag/s1600/P1060418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ofNAjjUpo/T-YT25pwzRI/AAAAAAAAWWE/c-QVf1vq4ag/s320/P1060418.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The batter
can also be modified for dinner: omit banana and sugar; add some salt or soy sauce and
stir-fried veggies like carrots, cabbage and peppers.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIACVm9lwVE/T9dddMWXjmI/AAAAAAAAWEQ/Q6II7Yh1dyQ/s1600/P1050613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIACVm9lwVE/T9dddMWXjmI/AAAAAAAAWEQ/Q6II7Yh1dyQ/s320/P1050613.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The only
inconvenience is that flour is only sold in 1kg bags, enough for at least four
batches. But this just means we have to eat pancakes several times in a short
period…</span></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17037456.post-81970737836227798862012-07-03T18:54:00.000+02:002012-07-21T22:44:19.445+02:00Is Croatia the perfect country?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">It’s always sunny in Croatia…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">For over
two weeks, we didn’t see a cloud in the sky and it was baking hot. Sometimes it
was hazy, but the sun was relentless. We can only imagine it’s like this
year-round. Luckily, we could find some shade and put up our hammock for a
siesta in the hottest part of the day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-noDJcwvlpC0/T-8K4Z1vhBI/AAAAAAAAWuU/jtlZqGSa0cQ/s1600/053+Skradin+to+Primosten+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-noDJcwvlpC0/T-8K4Z1vhBI/AAAAAAAAWuU/jtlZqGSa0cQ/s320/053+Skradin+to+Primosten+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Croatia has an amazing coastline…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">We could
also easily cool off by taking a dip at the beach. The water is tantalizingly
blue and refreshing, and the views of the surrounding mountains and islands are
breath-taking. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_yhuXKYrQgA/T_Q_GrTeHxI/AAAAAAAAW18/Wq3TFvsX5XY/s1600/058+Podobuce+to+Zaton+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_yhuXKYrQgA/T_Q_GrTeHxI/AAAAAAAAW18/Wq3TFvsX5XY/s320/058+Podobuce+to+Zaton+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mOMJBjc1eu0/T-8LZB_-VlI/AAAAAAAAWvo/X-KYQs_5-F0/s1600/053+Skradin+to+Primosten+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mOMJBjc1eu0/T-8LZB_-VlI/AAAAAAAAWvo/X-KYQs_5-F0/s320/053+Skradin+to+Primosten+%252816%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A campsite sign explaining the many virtues of the Adriatic Sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Dubrovnik is the most beautiful city in the
world…</span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YqzsLIfQytM/T_RAbJIojGI/AAAAAAAAW4E/nX8bECXNVHI/s1600/059+Dubrovnik+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YqzsLIfQytM/T_RAbJIojGI/AAAAAAAAW4E/nX8bECXNVHI/s320/059+Dubrovnik+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>Marieke and Anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816948441851877442noreply@blogger.com1