Thursday, May 26, 2011

Off to Croatia

Off to Croatia today to cycle along the Danube. See you in Belgrade!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Lake Garda to Budapest

 30 miles (1891 miles total)

Today was eventful. I slept in today, but was soon ready to head off as the tent really heats up from the passive heat. I took my time putting supplies away as I was surrounded bz two families playing. I sincerely believe the Italians are more friendly than they have acted over the past 3 days. I believe it is the language barrier. I have seen numerous people cycling, so it is not the infamliarity.

I feel bad because I do not even know the basic of Italian besides Thank You and Hello/Goodbye. I know my Eastern European language phrase book will come into good use.

I cycled the short distance back to Verona to determine how to get to Romania. Unfortuntely, the ticket to Innsbruck Austria from Verona was already sold out. After much confusion and time, I am going to go to Breenero to go to Innsbruck. From there I went to Budapest. After 18 hours, three trains, I am in Hungary. Sadly, I will not be able to meet Heather in Eastern Europe. But we are hoping to meet up in France and travel North to Belgium and Holland instead. Fingers crossed!








To Verona and Lake Garda

5/23 - 50 miles (1861 miles total)

Countryside North Bologna to Lake Garda.

Today was a relaxing and very rewarding day on the bike. The sun rises at 5 PM so I awake bright and early to begin cycling around 6 AM. Cycling North, the plains soo brake to snow capped mountains. I entered Verona to enjoy the city sites briefly before going to the train station. I am a little anxious about getting to Bucharest before Heather. The info agent told me it may take 6 or more trains to get there.

I have decided to take the 1 AM train on May 25th. This will get me to Budapest by 4 PM on May 25th, from there I will figure out how to get to Bucharest with my bike. Although it would have been enjoyable to cycle Italy for two more days, I think it is safe getting to bucharest early. If I get there a few days early, I might take a train north to Transylvania.

From Verona, I cycled Northwest to Lake Garda and am camping along the lakeside. It will be great taking a shower and taking advantage of the full accomodatiosn. The sunset across the Alps was well worth the ride.


Bologna to Italian Countryside

5/22 - 75 miles (1811 miles total)

After making my tentative plan, I headed out on my bike once more. The traffic was a bit heavier than Greece, but the drivers have given me plentz of room on the small shoulder. I ran into a small problem as well. Very quickly, I realiyed that none of the grocery stores are open. However, the pizza places were. I stopped by a pizza place at the border of the city limits and bought one for lunch and one for the road. The  long day allowed me to ride for about 7 hours in the afternoon. I passed through the larger town of Modena and Montava. I noticed that the countryside is very different from Australia and New Zealand. First, the med climbate does have varied plants. The landscape seems to be sculpted more bz man as well. There are telephone poles scattered throughout the countryside, canals are interspersed everywhere, rarely will you glimpse across an open field without a peering at a small county house. Nevertheless, it has been enjoyable seeing Italy from the lens of a cyclist. Normally, I would never see these towns. It is also apparent as the locals do not speak English. I ended my day camping in a small field, next to a small (very small) forest.

After travelling with my friends and girlfriend for 10 days, I felt very lonely tonight. I am afraid I may have to get used to this until I meet with Heather in a week. 
















Budapest

Hey everyone,

Just traveled for 18 hours, on 3 different trains to get to Budapest. Heather read your email and get back to me ASAP! It is next to impossible to take a bike on the trains in Romania...might have a change of plans. Off to see budapest...

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Venice to Bologna

5/21

Holly and I slept in a little today , planning on catching a train around 12. We prepared to meet my family before then left at 11, but just missed getting there in time. The train ride was enjoyable as we were able to enjoy the countryside. We spent the afternoon strolling through the city, enjoyed pizza, gelato, and caffe. We enjoyed walking through the major town squares, seeing the university, and venturing around the shopping areas. Tonight we had our last dinner together, eating some traditional bolognese foods.

5/22
I cannot describe how wonderful it has been sharing my trip with my friends, family, and spectacular girlfriend. Today I said goobye to Holly as she is headed back home. Although I feel quite sad to see everyone go, my legs are ready to go and after cycling a little in Greece I am excited to see a little of Italy before going to Romania.

I was originally going to go to Slovenia, but there does not seem to be a train that goes directly to Bucharest from Slovenia. Sooo I am just going to have to cycle in Italy! I know...poor me. Heres my plan:

5/22 - Bologna to Mondena to Mantova
5/23 - Mantova to Verona
5/24 - Verona to Lake Garda
5/25 - Lake Garda to Milan, Night train to Bucharest

It looks like my train ride to Bucharest will be as epic as the ferry ride, totalling 30 hours. I am not staying with an couchsurfers or warm shower hosts and will be camping for the next three nights. Thanks for checking in!






Arrival in Venice

5/20

Our ship has arrived! We had a busy day starting it off with finding out way to the Hotel Venice. Actually, a half hour outside venice proper, I rode my bike to the hostel while Holly took a bus. After I arrived, Holly soon showed up exhausted from the bus trip. But, we soon regrouped and set off to find my dad and sister. We first stopped for pizza fungi along the canals. The views were more incredible than either of us remembered as we visited after high school.

We bought a 12 hour pass and enjoyed a few ferry rides around the city. Determined to track my family, we spent a few hours meandering the area by my Dads hotel, buying gelato and more pizza. Holly bought sandals as well. My Dad and sisters soon arrived. It was fantastic seenig them again! After talking about my beard, we set off for San Marco and enjoyed a quiet dinner outside the square. I enjoyed some spagetti carbonnara and Fanta. We said our goodbyes after and Holly and I rushed off to catch the last bus to the hotel.

A little cruise...

5/19

We awoke to the quiet hum of the ship. We had a great night sleep in the private cabin we upgraded too. The ship was surprisingly luxious as we explored. The top deck had a discotech. two pools, and a poolside bar. There were also several places to eat, however, Holly and I brought our own food. We spent the day relaxing, looking out over the water, reading, and playing scrabble (Holly won). We switched to Monopoly as the sun set over the sea. We finished all the tasty greek wine we had.






Galaxidi to Patras

We had the most wonderful and extravagant breakfast provided by Hotel Ganimede. There were several homemade jams, hummus, olive past with an egg made to order. This was washed down with fresh squeezed OJ and delicious coffee. We wandered to a pier and said farewell to the Gulf of Corinth. We then jumpbed on the bus and headed to Nafpalico since there were no early direct buses to Patras. We played scrabble on the bus to pass the time. Nafpatrito was a quick stop and soon we crossed the Gulf into Patra. It was so great travelling with Laura, I was bvery sad to see her leave to catch another bus to continue her adventure in Greece. Holly and I bought our ferry ride for Italy and had 8 hours to explore Patra. First we got some delicious slouvaki from a greatc little authentic place called Snoopys. Then with our bellies full we walked to the largest cathedral in greece. It was drizzling so we realzed in a cafe and I beat Holly at checkers. At the top of Patra sits an old medieval castle. Although it was closed, the view was worth the trek. Patras is great as it had very little touristy feel. The rest of the evening we walked around the town and had dinner at Snoopys once more. At 11 pm we boarded teh Eurpa Palace for our 30 hr Minoan cruise ship. My bike was shipped for free too!

Delphi to Galaxidi

5/17

25 miles (1736 miles total)

We started the day off with a big breakfast, a bit more than the toast and coffee from the past few nights. I stocked up on plenty of crouissants, coffee, juice, kiwis, apples, oranges, and other snacks. Holly, Laura and I spent the morning walking through the archaelogical ruins of Delphi. While not as intact as the Acropolis, the theater and Olympic stadium were very impressive. We also spent some time in the museum, where the findings of recent archeological digs were displayed. It is incredible how the archaeologists and other scientists have successfully recreated teh ancient buildings using ancient texts.

Since Galaxidi was our next stop and visible from Delphi, I decided to cycle there. Ony 32 km, I rode from delphi while Laura and Holly took the bus. The ride was one of my best coastal rides yet. Since Delphi is situated in the moutnains, I rode pretty much downhill the first 14 km. I rode through Crissos, a nice little scenic town. I ran into a few guys on a smoke break and they directed me to Galaxidi.

I rode on through idia, while watching the scenic snow capped mountains and the glistening Meditterean sea. By the end of the ride, I was certainly ready for more but excited to explore the town with the girls. Fortuntely, Holly and Laura got off the bus just as I arrived in the town!

We spent the afternoon at the beach, even jumped into the ocean with my cycling clothes. We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel and eating dinner. I went for a walk with Laura, which was especially enjoyable.



Monday, May 16, 2011

Athens to Delphi

5/16

Today we woke bright and early to see the rest of the ancient ruins. After our simple, but satisfactory breakfast of coffee and toast, we enjoyed walking through Zeus temple and Hadrian's library. I find that Athens has many of the same archaeological difficulties as Rome, A modern city, built upon the ancient city remains, there were a number of recent building built upon parts of the ruin. I imagine this is the case for a number of other buildings as well. It has been especially interesting comparing Athens to the cities in Australia and New Zealand. Really a small village that has exploded in every direction. Athen lacks the features of a structured city, so it is very easy to lose yourself in the winding and narrow street. I find the people and the little neighborhoods very welcoming, although it times it is congested since the metropolitan area has around 5 million people. I was very happy to have the chance to meet the local people and venture off the beaten path. The tourist areas are a bit draining and frankly, just so very touristy.

We headed to Delphi in the afternoon and are enjoying some locally produced dark red wine now. The bus ride was gorgeous, complete with rolling countryside, snow capped mountains, and coastline. Our hotel is very well kept, right in the middle of Delphi. We can see our next destination from Delphia, Galaxidi!




Laura comes to Athens!

5/15

Laura arrived late last night, but after a few extra hours of sleep we were off to the Acropolis! For just 12 euros we got a chance to see many of the historic ruins of the city: Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Library. We started at the ancient agora, taking our time seeing the pantheon, theater, and various other ruins. A bit crowded, it was well worth our time and money. The views from the top of the acropolis were breathtaking as it is the center of the city.

We continued the day by going out to lunch at one of the nearby restraunts. I know we could all get used to the greek cuisine, especially all of this cheese. Since the sites closed at 2:30, we spent the rest of the afternoon going to the famous flea market, going back to the parliament building, and walking much of the rest of the city. Laura and Holly enjoyed some tasty deserts at one of desert shops in the city. By the end of the day we were pretty exhausted and spent our evening drinking wine, eating olives (well just me) and feasting on pita and cheese. The evening was so nice, I slept under the stars of our balcony!






Sunday, May 15, 2011

Holly comes to Athens!

5/14


After getting a bit of sleep at Yannis' place, I went back to the airport (this time by train), to pick up Holly from the airport. Getting to the airport late, I was anxious about her leaving. But she didn't! We started off our day by going back to meet Yannis. Although I saved his location on my GPS, I did not recall his exact front door. So we spent an hour roaming the neighborhood until I reached him by phone. I introduced Holly to Yannis and we also met his mother, who was very friendly! Thank you for the accomodation Yannis! It was wonderful getting to know a Greek and staying his family home, hopefully this will not be the last time. Holly and I went to lunch in New Philadelphia, ate some delicious authentic greek food. We then checked into the hostel and walked around Athens.

The city is gorgeous. It was cool seeing the city after being in places that are relatively young. Their are orange trees growing along the city streets. The days have been almost perfect, 70 degrees and sunny. We walked through the national garden and took our time watching the national guards in front of the parliment. At night we saw the parthenon and the rest of the acropolis lit up. We went out to dinner as well and I feasted on another gyro!



 My host Yannis and me at lunch
 Philadelphia Travel!
 Posing in front of the parliament building














Airport to Athens

30 miles (1711 miles total)

I had a wild day today. Over the past 24 hours, I traveled on 3 continents (connecting in Abu Dabi)! The flights were long, but I found ways to keep myself busy. Ethiad is very impressive with their service, accomodations on their airline, and their airline food! I sat next to a girl who is travelling to Germany to see her boyfriend for the first time in 6 months. She was a great flight companion, thanks Ash!

I soon got through the first 14 hour flight through a combination of watching episodes of How I met your mother and recent (often terrible) movies. Landing in Abu Dabi was interesting, seeing all of the arabic travellors in their traditional dress. The four hour flight went by like a breeze. I took many cat naps over the past few hours, hoping that I would have enough energy to 1)put my bike together 2) ride to athens from the airport 3) track down my host.

I put my bike together in record time, since I have had more than enough practice. Riding along the highway, I managed to make my to the coastline. Surprised, I found a coastal path! I ran into a young student who was having trouble with his bike. Happy to help, we talked for a half an hour in English. He told me about his life, his country, and my story as well. The ocean is beautiful and am pleased with how my journey is commencing.

No sooner than an hour, two men approach me on their bicycles and we talk chatting about my bike and my trip. Everyone is very impressed with my travels in Australia and New Zealand. The two men lead me along the coastal paths, they start and stop along the coast. One of the men, Anis, is fluent in English. I really enjoyed getting to know both of the men and they buy me a beer along the waterfront. The views of the Olympic stadiums are incredible, especially with the backdrop of the city buildings. We ride by a few old war ships, one which used to be the fastest steam ship in the Med sea. My two new friends helped me contact my cs host for the night since the telephone number I wrote done was not working. Yannis told me to meet him at the train station in Perissos. Exhausted, I hopped on the train and made the three connections to Perissos to wait for him. After meeting up with Yannis, we rode to New Philadephia and I had a delicious Greek dinner...a gyro! Later, I met Yannis extended family in one of their family homes and he set me up in one of his basement rooms. I passed out as soon as I turned the lights out.

 Abu Dabi


 Almost ready to go!
 Off on the road, Welcome to Greece
 Avoiding being hit by traffic
 Ahh, cycling trails

 My friend Aris


 My two new friends
Athens public transport 

So long Australia...

Cycling sydney

5/11
21 miles (1681 miles total)

I was wrong about yesterday, today was my last day cycling in Australia. I began my morning preparing for Europe by hunting down a bike box, getting a phrase book of all of Eastern Europe languages, contacting hosts in the major cities of Europe. By noon I managed to take care of everything. I also decided to purchase a cycling computer for my trip in Europe. The German Edge 605 has been terrific. I rely on it certainly to get around cities, find groceries, etc. The only downside is it must continually be charged. So to keep track my mileage per day so as not toburn myself out, I bought a cycling computer. Just $50, it is conviently wireless and calculates distance, speend, among other things. The brand is a RAVX, TACTIX 2. I spent my afternoon cycling Northern Sydney and Manly. The city is unique in the number of coves and bays it has. I know I mentioned it before, but I actually got a chance to see it today. There couldn't have been a better way to end the trip in this part of the world.

I want to spend this last part of the entry thanking all of my hosts and all of the people who helped along the way. I began this trip in Australia with a strained quad, slighly apprehensive about my condition and the rest of the trip. By the end I feel stronger than ever and cannot wait to see the European culture, the way of life, the landscape, the arts, and most importantly the cycling. I may even get to see the Tour De France in the very end!

Australia, you have treated me well. I wish I could spend another 6 months cycling here, but I have a feeling I will be back again some day.


















15 miles 

Hello everyone,

I'm an hour away from my departure to Greece. I'm using Ethiad Airways through Olympic Airline. Ethiad surprised me by charging nothing for the bike! This will be a trip to rival all of my past trips...14 hour flight to Abu Dahbi, 5 hour lay over, 4 hour flight to Athens! I hope they give us a meal....if not, its bread, an apple and chocolate for the next day! Since I broke my netbook in New Zealand, I am not sure when I will make my next entry.

In the Sydney airport now surrounded by many UAE residents. I already feel like I am in an other part of the world and in the next phase of my trip. I am very excited for this, have no real expecatations, but know it will be a completely new adventure. I could not be happier! 

 Australia shows the Phillies!

 Monorail

Two Penn alumni, Sue and I at the airport!

Dinner