Conclusion

Hello everyone, It has been two weeks since I arrived home. I wanted to share some last thoughts...Here is a list of things I looked forward too and things that I missed that I wrote down right before I arrived home.

7/13

Things I look forward too:

A refrigerator – no more shopping 2x a day

My bed – no more looking for a place to sleep/wondering where I will sleep tonight

My girlfriend - Thanks for supporting me Holly!

My family – Thanks guys for everything! 

My friends – Thanks for listening to my rants the past two years

English – No more struggling to find someone who knows English

Routine – A comfort we all take for granted

Dentistry – My career, lets go

Baltimore – Ready to live in a new city

Chesapeake – Crabs! Seafood! Sailing!

Henry and Milo – my cats!

Jamis – my road bike

My trip – Looking back on it

Showering - This one does not need an explanation 

What I will miss:

Couchsurfing – Meeting new people in their homes

New places everyday

Cycling for 4+ hours daily

The mountains, valleys, hills, meadows, streams, rivers, glaciers, ancient volcanic ruins, pine forests

The animals – the praying mantus, kakapos, wekas, red tailed deer, opossum

The cherry trees

Waking up to the sun rise

Falling asleep after the sun set

Being in a new nation every 4 days

Being in a dozen cities/towns everyday

Being in the country side daily

Being under the sun for over 10 hours a day

Frozen caffee lattes

Lydle, Coop, Aldi

Going as far as my legs can take me 

I went for a ride for the first time since the end of my trip yesterday, cycling the commute that was the true beginning of my trip. It is indescribable how fulfilling it is to be home, knowing that I completed this dream of mine. I want to thank you all for following me. I could not have completed this trip without the support of everyone out there. 

I was very shocked and saddened by the incident in Oslo this past week. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Norway. There are many terrible things going on out in the world, but I have also learned there is much good. My safe journey home is proof of how kind, generous, and gracious man can be. Cycling touring is the very best way to travel and experience the world. I will never forget this time in my life and the people who helped me along the way. I know I will complete many more tours in the future and hope to help other cycling tourists and travelers. See you on the road! 

If you want to learn more about cycling touring, let me know! My email is pkrumbhaar@gmail.com. 

Now for the numbers: 

6554 kilometers

4073 miles

74 days of cycling

55 miles/day

47 beds

38 families

33 camp spots

30 ice cream cones

20 train trips

20 countries

11 capitals

10 meat pies

9 currencies

8 ferry rides (1 train ride on a ferry)

7 flights

6 pizzas

5 kakapoos

4 continents

3 oceans

2 legs

1 world

0 regrets

Home sweet home...

Down on the Jershey Shore

I have been back in the US for a week now. Now I am spending a few days with my family down on the beach in New Jersey. After almost 4 months of travel it feels good to lay on the beach and eat lots and lots of food. Little has changed back home, making the transition that much easier. I do miss riding, but am thinking ahead.

I have decided that one day I will sail around the world, hopefully with a bike on board. I have no idea when this will be, but it is in the distant future. I am reading a book called "My Old Man and the Sea," an account of a boy and his father's travel from New London, New England to Easter Island, around Cape Horn, back to the United States. As I begin living domestic life again, the fire inside me for the road, for the ocean, will grow only stronger.

I have many people to thank for my safe journey in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. First, I would like to thank all of my hosts! My couchsurfing hosts, warmshower hosts, hosts that I have met on the road (the Koop family and Hungarian Motorcycle Club), thank you for everything! I seriously could not have completed this trip without your company, support, and help. Traveling alone is draining, cycling alone can be devastating. Every person I met, every host I talked too provided me with the energy to continue, the motivation to make it to Amsterdam. I hope to see all of you in the future, on the road or in my home. Secondly, I would like to thank my family, friends, and my girlfriend. Without the support from the people I love back home, I could not have even started my trip. The hardest part of a tour is the first 10 meters, preparing to leave your home, your friends, your family. Thank you everyone for your support! It was a comfort knowing so many people were thinking about me back home...my thoughts were with you every pedal stroke.

Updates from Scandanavia

Hello everyone

Thanks for following my blog! After completing my cycle trip, I spent the past week traveling by train to Berlin and Stockholm. I will not be blogging about my travels by train, but will have a few posts about my conclusion and reflections. Until then, look out for the photos of the trip!

Bodegraven to Amsterdam

6.28

40 miles (4073 miles)

Here we go, last day.

Amsterdam, how sweet it is to be here at last! The elation I felt when I rode past the sign, welcoming me and my bicycle into the city, was indescribable. This is the culmination of 5 physically challenging, mentally exhausting, glorious, everlasting weeks. I will never ever forget this day, those few moments for the rest of my life.

Amsterdam certainly lived up to its reputation. The cycle lanes are spectacular in the city as well as in the countryside. The sheer number of cyclist is equally impressive. Men and women in business attire, children, even people on dates are riding their bikes. This was also my observation last night in the smaller cities, where saw large crowds of kids at night on bikes, spending time together, laughing and gossiping. The bicycle is an accepted replacement for a car. This morning I saw dozens of middle aged women on the cycle ways. This is something rarely seen in the U.S.

Back to today's ride, I began cycling in the park in a northernly direction. Without a map or GPS (the battery died), I simply used the sun for direction....Somehow, I managed to get back on the course of the lf2B; the Brussels to Amsterdam cycle route.

The cycle ways were a brilliant way to end the ride. I followed several canals into and out of towns. I just want to emphasize how surreal this was. The town seemed to follow the along side the canals, not the other way around. Each town is a single street, with a house on each side, and a canal next to each house on the inside and outside of the street. There are also an innumerable number of canals in the farm fields. There are no traditional city centers, like all of the other cities I visited. This was even the case in some larger towns. So I cycled along the canals, alongside the small boats, the tractors, and the Dutch people getting ready for their work day.

Reaching the suburbs, I read a sign that indicates Amsterdam...24 km!  I can "see the light at the end of the tunnel".  So I move on, cycling closer and closer to the city.  Passing larger suburban towns, I anticipate the city, but do not know what to expect. Finally, I see the Amsterdam sign!

I celebrate with a burger, fries, and a chocolate milk shake. After my victory meal, I head to the city center to begin my capital tour:  Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen. I spent the day ride around the city center...seeing famous Cathedrals, the botantical garden, and parks. I ate plenty of ice cream and meandered around different parks and meeting places to find the perfect place to relax.

I met two interesting guys today as well. First, an American kid from Michigan saw my panniers and asked me where I was going. He told me his brother is cycling from China to Portugal and he is meeting him in Uzbekistan. Just the smallest bit jealous, I was mostly happy for his adventure because I know what he has to look forward too. I wished him the best of luck and a safe journey. Another man, a Dutch man, talked with me while riding as well. He told me about his trip from NY to Miami to D.C. by bike. He offered me a few words of advice of where to go in the city which I happily followed.

I later met Mirijn, my cs host. Just graduating from university, he opned his home to me for the night. We talked over a cup of tea, discussing the end of my trip. He also told me about his travels in Brazil, which sounded nothing short of incredible. I soon fell fast asleep on his Brazilian flag ladden couch, the end of this adventure...the beginning of my next!

 Typical holland cycle way

 Amsterdam!!!!!!!

 My final feast!

And my dessert

Holland Border to Bodegraven

6.27

95 miles (4033 miles total)

I am not sure if I am in the Netherlands or Neverland. Yes, that sounds very corny, but it is very true. This place is unlike any place I have seen. I cycled for a good 13 hours today along the coastal inlets, dikes, canals, and countryside of Holland. There are many many cycling lanes, the problem is once you do cycle on a major road there is no relief from the cars who honk at you. I will not complain about this fact, just stating the facts.

From the border, I traveled North towards Rotterdam. Instead, I cycled along a number of cycling paths that crawl along the dikes. I passed through another fortress city later in the morning, this one build in the shape of a star. Finding it difficult to get to Rotterdam, I found a routes sign that goes from Brussels to Amsterdam! Just perfect, so I continued along the route, meandering along the countryside, until reaching the city of Dordrecht. I stopped in the old city center to talk to some local people who took a photo of me. It is strange saying outloud that I have one more day.... I continued through the city getting a delicious Holland hamburger and a soft serve ice cream. I temporarily lost the route, but found it as I crossed a bridge over a canal.

The countryside basically consists of a million islands. There are inland oceans, and thousands of canals of every size you can think. Many homes even have moats surrounding them. Continuing North, it was a neverending array of towns. The farmers live in these enormous rural villages. Sheep are kept in pastures in vacant lots in between the towns. People appear to have sheep eat away their grass, possibly replacing their lawn mowers.

I rode and rode looking for somewhere to camp, but it appeared as if every piece of land was taken. I can see now for myself why this country is considered so dense. Besides Vatican City, it is the most dense country in Europe. There are an infinite number of row homes as well, found interestingly in the smaller towns. I continued through darkness, looking for a site, I headed North towards Amsterdam. Eventually, I found a lake side park where I could camp. Home sweet home.

 Pastry break

                                                                Hello dutch donkey

 Made it to the Atlantic Ocean!

                                                                      Just hanging out!!

LF2b, my route to the end

Brussels to Hollands Border

6.26

62 miles (3938 miles total)

I am a day away from the end of this cycle journey. It is surreal writing these words as I lay in my tent. Before this trip, I though about it everyday for almost two years. In reality, it has been a miracle, everything I hoped and dreamed...but as my good old mom would say, "all good things must come to an end." But what ends, begins...I hope this is just a new beginning. Riding everyday, seeing so many new people, hearing so many new languages, experiencing so many new things, I have never felt so alive. I will complete this dream of mine. That makes me happy now and it will for many years to come. I hope I can ride my bike until I am 110, maybe even 115...

If there is one less I hope others learn from my trip - it is to never take your body for granted. Find the activity, sport, hobby that makes you feel great. We live in a world where we sit at our desks for 8 hours a day and attempt to relax by sitting the rest of the day in front of the electronic device of our choice. Our bodies are miracles, our life is a miracle. Find your passion and pursue it!

Concerning the riding of the day...I got a mid afternoon start, exploring the city after breakfast with Nick and Agnes. I visited a number of churches, cathedrals, the market place, city hall, city center, grand place, and the Manequin. My favorite place was the Grand Place, a square of beautifully decorated buildings. I saw the Manequinn, a statue of a boy peeing while eating a Belgian waffle with banannas and whipped cream. I am surely in Brussels.

I headed North to Holland. There were cycle lanes on all of the roads so I had no trouble navigating. The ride was a giant suburb. Once in awhile there would be a cow pasture in the middle of what seemed like a town. The traffic was also continous and I seemed to ride along an innumberable amount of round abouts. Once in Holland, the towns quickly vanished and I entered a national forest. Picking up a Klein Frita, the Dutch fries, I headed into the forest after one of my last loing rides.

 New York City

 The American Dream

Night in the forest

Liege to Brussels

6.25

70 miles (3876 miles total)

I slept in today, feeling much better after a long nights rest. Ate some coco puffs and toast with Guilia and Simon. We had a great conversation about life in Belgium. I learned about the language difference between the Southern part, which speaks French, and the North, which speaks Dutch . It is also interesting because the South retains a monarchy (French eliminated their monarchy) and the North would join a country that also has a monarchy (Holland).

Back on the road I headed first to Tienen. I am using just my GPS now because the maps I purchased only include the Eastern part of Belgium and Holland. The GPS worked well though. I rode through the countryside. The hills were gentle, nothing like yesterday's climbs. Once I got close to Tienen a crazy change occured, cycling lanes appeared on ALL of the roads, even the busiest. So I coasted, more or less to Brussels.

Arriving a little past 9 PM, I met my CS hosts Nick and Anges, and their Italian friend. I had a great time chatting over an English Rissoli dinner and salad, which my hosts prepared for me. While not cyclists, Nick has a motorcycle. We talked about traveling, the existence of the monarchy worldwide, astronomy (the Italian guest was an astronomer), U.S. creationism, religion, and various other topics.

 Julia, Me, and Simon

 Downtown Liege

 Nick and Anges in Brussels

 My loft room

 Brussels

 Waffles and whip cream

 The mannequin boy



Luxembourg to Liege

6.24

130 miles (3806 miles total)

This was most strenuous day cycling in Europe. Luxembourg to Liege, Belgium...about 130 miles of riding, 13 hours on the bike was brutal. I passed through 3 countries, completely cycling across Luxembourg, passing through Germany, and ending in Belgium. And no, it was not completely flat...it was sickeningly hilly. At one point, I climbed to the highest point in Belgium 694 meters and came back almost to sea level. The ride was long, but the scenory was awesome, motivating me to continue and meet my CS host in Liege, Belgium.

An Italian couple, Simon and Guilia, have lived in Liege for about 2 years. They offered me a recovery pasta dish and took me to an underground concert in the city. I met a number of their friends and we drank a few beers, listened to music, and chatted with the locals. At the end of the day I was exhausted!

Downtown Luxembourg

 Me and the city of luxembourg

 Me, Adam, and Christian after a delicious dinner

 Luxembourg countryside

 Typical day of work

My terrain of the day