---

Troyes to Colmar

Stage 3 - August 2
Troyes to Chaumont 98km
Today I biked with Joy. We stopped at this very nice lake called Lac D'Orient....how appropriate. It was such a beautiful lake and a beautiful morning we decided to rent a pedal boat. What we're we thinking!!!!! A pedal boat. We have another 3500 km to pedal our bikes, we probably should have rented a canoe. The boat ride was great and we decided to go for a swim afterward. The first part of the route was fairly flat the second half had some fairly long rolling hills. Poor Joy was not a happy camper when we arrived in camp that night. She doesn't like the hills. Joy is a triathlete as well. She's done both IM Canada and Lake Placid and she didn't like the hills there either. Tomorrow is a day off so I get to stay in a hotel tonight and tomorrow night. No tent to put up and a real towel to shower with. On days off we get to do laundry. Most of us paid to get our laundry done. I think my Mom could make lots of money on this tour just by doing everyone's laundry.

Stage 4 - August 3
Day off in Chaumont
Very nice town. I spent the day touring the town on a quest for chocolate. (Check Sheila and Groups leisure activity)

Stage 5 - August 4
Chaumont to Vittel - 78km
I'm really liking my GPS. It not only tells me the distance we've gone, it gives us our km/hr, which is usually slow but more importantly it tells me how many calories I've burned. Which translates into how many french pastries I can consume in the day. I biked with Joy, Lincoln and Walter today. The route was the best so far. Lots of back roads with no traffic and lots of nice rolling farmland hills. After we hit the lunch truck Joy and Lincoln went on and Walter and I stopped at different neat places on the route. Walter carries a video camera and is taping his whole experience. We stopped at this one house in a village that had such beautiful flowers planted. We had to take a picture. The family was sitting outside and invited us in to look at their rabbits. I held a baby rabbit in the palm of my hand. The family was so excited that Walter was filming them. We also stopped in this quaint little village to taste the local brew. The proprietor took great pleasure in explaining the history of the town and area.

Stage 6 - August 5
Vittel to Saulxurs - 95km
We were suppose to stop Remiremont but at the last minute they changed the destination. Was a great ride at first then lots of climbs. At 15km I kinda burnt out. It might have been the beverage stop we made prior. Our campsite had a lake so I went for a swim when we got in to sooth my aching muscles. Man the water was very cold. We had a bit of rain around supper and it rained quite a bit during the night. After dinner went to the Park Bar (I love this Country) and watched a French Elvis sing and dance.

Stage 7 - August 6
Saulxurs to Colmar - 70km

OH MY GOD...We're actually cycling part of the Tour De France route and man
what a climb. I think it was probably 20km long. The only thing that saved
me was repeating to myself "what goes up must come down" and down it did. At
the top of the hill there was a sign that said 5% grade for 13km. The
scenery was amazing as we we're cycling down the mountain. Tiny villages
nestled on the side of the mountain. I'm in a hotel tonight as tomorrow is
a day off. We went out in the evening to a bar in the middle of the old
town. Did a little dancing and had a great time.

Stage 8 -

DAY OFF in Colmar
Days off so far have consisted of sleeping in past 6:30am, having a nice
breakfast at the hotel and doing laundry. This time I had to actually do it
myself. We toured the town had a great meal for dinner and got to bed
around 11:00 pm.
Stage 9 Coming Up - Colmar to Freiburg, Germany

---

Colmar France to Kelheim Germany

Stage 9
August 8/05
Colmar to Freiburg, Germany (Click Here for her Latest Cycling Pics)
Short 50km ride
First day in Germany and what an easy ride it was to get here. A short 50km
fast ride on mostly flat bike paths. The ride was made more enjoyable as 8
of us rode together. We arrived at our campsite at noon, set up the tent,
showered and headed into town. We toured a beautiful church and walked the
streets of Freiburg looking for pastries. Never a shortage of pastries or
breads in any of these towns.

Today we lost Elaine, the lady from Switzerland, who had to return to real
life and go back to work. Work??? What's that? Jennie made us our first
German meal of bratwurst and potatoes. Have I told you what a great cook
she is. Lunches have been amazing, usually sandwiches made with fresh baked
buns, cheese and fruits. The suppers have even been better. We've had Thai
food, Italian food and these wonderful stir fries.

Stage 10
August 9/05
Freiburg to Donaueshingen
66kms
Today we climbed. Left camp around 8:30 which means get up at 6:30, pack up
bags, take tent down and have breakfast. I don't think I'm getting any
faster at it. The 8 of us rode together again. Joy, Lincoln, Walter, Randy
and the American Boys, Chuck, Brian and Phil. At first we rode mostly bike
paths. We then had a choice to either take a short route of 9km basically
straight up or a longer route of 22km of not so straight up. Naturally we
chose the shorter route. Mistake....I thought I was going to throw up at
one point. I wasn't sure if it was sweat running down my face or tears.
The ride down though made the ride up worth it. Remember what goes up must
come down. The lunch truck was strategically placed at the top of the hill,
which was a good thing. Sometimes it's at the bottom of a hill and you have
to ride up on a full stomach. Jenny taught me a new card game tonight and
we played until 11:00pm.

Stage 11
Donaueshingen to Sigmaringen (Still Germany)
89kms
Today we lost 2 more people, Tim and Rhonda from Vancouver. They will,
however, be re-joining us sometime in September. We started on the Danube
River Cycle path, the remaining riders of 8. We have 1,400km on this cycle
path. The first half to the lunch truck was a very flat easy ride. I don't
think anyone of us rode hard enough to get hungry but we all ate lots
anyway. We ride, we eat, we ride some more and we eat even more. The
second half of the day was very challenging. Thankfully we did eat. Very
steep ups and steep downs. We rode on gravel, pavement and very uneven
terrain. Sigmaringen is famous for this historic castle which we toured in
the afternoon.

Stage 12
August 11, 2005
Sigmaringen to Ulm
102.5 km
Left camp today around 8:15. The route was fairly flat with a few very
steep inclines. Not sure what I like better...the long slow climbs or the
straight up ones that burn all the way up. I think it would be compared to
running a 5km race or a marathon. The group rode together again at a fairly
fast pace and on mostly bike paths. The scenery once again was breathtaking
as we zoomed by it. Tomorrow is a day off and I get to sleep in a hotel
again. Yippie. I´m totally guilt free about sleeping in the hotel now.
Actually these next two nights are a treat for everyone. The Adventure Tour
group will sleep in a Youth Hostel in Ulm.

Stage 13
August 12, 2005
Day off in Ulm, Germany

Last night I went out with Randy and Jennie and didn´t get back to the hotel
until 1:30am then I got phone calls from home which lasted until after
2:30am. It was sure nice to hear from everyone

Today we started our Ulm adventures with another substantial breakfast at
the hotel buffet at 7am. It seems like we eat the same amount whether riding
or not. The next adventure is at the laundromat trying to figure out the
washing machines with Chuck, Phil and Brian the other members of the team on
the Comfort Tour.

After the laundry was done we headed to the centre of town to accomplish our
2nd major goal - Joy, Phil and I walked up 768 steps to the 469 ft level
(high as we could go) of a 528 ft steeple (highest in the world) know as the
Munster. It was a clear day and the scenery from the top was amazing. I´m
sure I could see my house in Canada from there. The afternoon I spent by
myself walking the streets and contemplating life. Had dinner with the
group and went to bed waiting for more phone calls. I usually call my Mom
with the number of the hotel where I´m staying at and she passes it on to
people. It was a great day off.

Stage 14
August 13, 2005
Ulm to Donauworth
113km

Started the day with the other hoteliers by a warmup ride of 3.5K to the
youth hostel to meet the others and have our morning ride meeting, of course
after another huge breakfast. I´m going to have to start running soon or
I´ll weigh too much to run the New York Marathon in November.

We started off riding as a group again but once we got on the cycleway
heading east along the Danube River, Chuck and Brian (part of Team Psycho)
left us. They arrived at the destination camp 1:45 hours ahead of anyone
else. That left Walter, Lincoln, Phil, Joy and myself riding together,
thankfully not quite as fast as the previous days. About 2 hours into the
ride Joy and Phil collided. Both got scraped up and their bikes were
slightly damaged. I helped clean them up and Randy fixed up their bikes
when they arrived in camp that afternoon. After lunch Walter, Lincoln and I
decided to do more touring and left Phil and Joy. Left on our own to
navigate the route was a challenge. Each morning at the riders meeting we
have to write down on paper the set of instructions/directions of where to
go that day. We don´t have a map. It´s like participating in the amazing
race. Every day is a new adventure. Today we kind of took a wrong turn and
did 10 more kms then we had to but still reached the camp in time for a swim
before a huge dinner of fish and vegetables. After dinner six of us walked
over to a nearby park to listen to some local bands. All the announcing is
in German, but all the singing is in English.

Stage 15
August 14, 2005
Donauworth to Eichstatt
67km

Could have slept for another 2 hours this morning but up again at 6:30 to
pack up and have another huge breakfast. Left with the group again but the
fast ones quickly left Walter, Lincoln and I behind. Our goal is to enjoy
the scenery, stop if we see something that interests us and relax. The
lunch truck met us after only cycling for 26km, wasn´t even hungry but of
course we ate.

Our route today took us along the Danube for about 30km then we headed north
on another cycleway called Reatica. This path was not as well marked as the
Danube cyclepath and once again we did more kms then we were suppose to. We
are now know as the 10% more group. We tend to do 10% more than we have to
each day. Not sure where we took the wrong turn today but we still made it
to camp. It seems that each group comes in on a different route. I guess
we each read the directions differently. It´s starts to rain about 10km out
of Eichstatt and we try to find a cafe to wait it out but to no avail. We
miss the sign for the bike path and end up going into town via the highway.
At the 6km mark it´s downhill all the way which reminds me of the first time
Leslie and I went down the Keen Hill in Lake Placid in the rain. Found a
cafe in Eichstatt as we were looking for the campground. The people at the
cafe were great they directed us to the campground and lent us a cell phone
to call the support crew to tell them that we were not lost, just getting
warm. Yesterday we didn´t check in when we were late and they sent someone
out looking for us not realizing that we were taking a different route in.
Rain finally stopped, arrived at our campsite, set up our tents, showered
ate another huge dinner and sat by a fire talking to this German group that
canoed down the river with their children.

Stage 16
August 15, 2005
Eichstatt to Kelhiem

This has turned into a great day. It started out really cold and
threatening rain. We started as a group and remained until the lunch truck
where Joy decided to bail for the day and ride with Jenny in the Van to the
campsite. Once again the directions were vague but with the group all
together navigating is easier. 6 heads are better than one. We abandoned
the plans probably 5kms from the campsite and took the road and knocked off
almost 20kms off the planned route. So much for the 10% group. We´re now
in a deficit. The day gets even better

After lunch we continued on the Via Raetica bike path which alternated
between roads and gravel and wet dirt. It wasn't all that great with rain
threatening even more. Today is some Bavarian holiday. Few shops are open and no one is
home - so we had trouble finding someone to ask directions. We ended up taking a
cable ferry across the Danube which is now fast flowing and wide. On the
other side of the river there was a holiday party going on with biergarten
under tents, a polka band and loads of great food. What could we do? We
had to stop and check it out. We started out with a round of mugs of beer,
huge salted pretzels dipped in dijon mustard and an order of cheese. While
devouring the pretzels we began noticing all the other food. There was
stuffed grilled fish, big wursts with sauerkraut,
little sausages with sauerkraut, and desserts. So we had try that too with
another round of beer. For dessert we had this amazing black forest cake.

Soon after finishing off that everything the rain stopped and we headed on
down the gravel/dirt wet path. Eventually we got to pavement and continued
along the river. In a few hundred meters the path ended at a ticket booth - we
thought we had messed up again. The 10% group is still in tact. It turned out to be
the river ferry to Kelheim running on the half hour. Of course we had to
take the ferry. We sat on the upper deck having another beverage of sort
and enjoyed the amazing scenery. As tomorrow is another day off we´re in a
hotel again and as it turns out the hotel is basically across the street
from the ferry. The gods have shone on us today even though it rained quite
a bit and the clouds have been gray.

Stage 17
August 16, 2005
Day off in Kelhiem

So far today I´ve ran, yes ran Vince, 5 miles. It felt great. Not fast
since I haven´t run in almost 3 weeks and I´m sitting in this internet cafe
doing my email. The hotel is kindly doing our laundry, not sure what that
will cost. Not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but the sun is now
shining, life is good. I miss everyone and think of you often which usually
brings tears to my eyes. I wish you could all be here with me. I haven´t
been able to connect to my SRWC email address so if you´ve emailed me there
recently I don´t have access to it. If you want you can email me at my
hotmail address. nss_2004@hotmail.com.

---

Kelheim Germany to Vienna Austria

Stage 18
August 17, 2005                               Click here for Germany Pics
Kelhiem to Straubing
89km
Day started out by Chuck, Phil and I having to bike 10km to meet the
campers. Everyone rode together today. We stopped in this beautiful little
town called Regensburg which had a gelato shop boasting 32 different
flavours. Naturally we had to try some. All 7 riders tried a different
flavour and we shared. Did I mention that this was only at 10:30 in the
morning? Other than the gelato Regensburg has a big twin-spired church that
was very impressive. The ride was great. Mostly on paved bike paths.
After an early dinner most of us headed into the town of Straubing to check
out Volksfest which is a festival second only to their Octoberfest. Craig,
Lincoln, Jenny and I rode the roller coaster before heading to the beer
tents for music and dance.

Stage 19
August 18, 2005
Straubing to Irring about 10kms outside of Passau
Have to check my GPS for the distance
Today was an easy ride day. The group stayed together until 15km before
camp where Walter, Lincoln, Randy and myself stopped in as small town for
smoothies and apple strudel. What a treat. Like I said all we do is ride,
eat and sleep. The route was mostly on paved bike trails along the Danube
River. Tonight I cleaned my bike. It had rained the past couple of days,
for the most part not while we were riding and the mud was caked on. My
bike is much lighter now. Tonight is our last night in Germany, tomorrow we
ride into another country.

Stage 20
August 19, 2005
Irring to Linz, Austria
95 cheater kms (see below)
Plan was to get up at regular time, ride into Passau, tour a bit as it is a
beautiful town and stay to listen to the daily organ concert at 12 noon put
on by this very impressive church. The organ is actually 5 organs, 3 in the
back and 2 in the front played by one keyboard. The concert was very
moving. The best way to hear all the sounds was to close your eyes and
listen.

Note: The organ is one of the largest in the world

Program:

Georg Muffat - Toccata septima
(1654-1704)

Joh. Seh Bach - Choralbearbeitung iiber "von Gott will ich nicht lassen"
(1685-1750)

Joh Gottfr. Walther - Choralbearbeitung "Allein Gott in der hoh sie Hhr"
(1684-1748)

Louis Vierne - Cathedrales
(1870-1937)

Otto Dunkelberg - Choralbearbeitung iiber "Ein Haus Voll Glorie Schauet"
(1900-1964)

Walther R. Schuster - Carillon
(1930-1992)

We arrived in town around 9am and had time to visit the local
market in the square. Guess what??? More food. The fruits, vegetables and
of course pastries were out of this world. After the concert we had another
95km to ride to get to the hotel for me and the American boys and camp for
the others. Concert and lunch didn't finish until 1:30 and some of us were
not up to the 95km ride so Walter, Lincoln, Randy and I took a "cruise ship"
to Linz, Chuck and Phil rode real fast arriving in camp at around 6:30 and
Joy opted to ride in the Van with Jenny as she was having ankle problems.
Our ship took us along the Danube where the sights were breath taking.
Arrived in Linz around 7:30pm. Had enough time to shower and check out some
of the night life. Tomorrow is a day off.

Stage 21
August 20, 2005
Day off in Linz
Started the day off at 7:15am with a 5 mile run. It wasn't easy. Went
shopping and sight seeing with Joy for the rest of the day. Linz does not
have a laundromat so we had to wash our clothes in the sink and hang them on
the window railings to dry. Not sure what the people on the streets, or the
hotel owners thought of this but what could we do. Had dinner with the rest
of the gang and toured some more in the evening. Today there is a music
festival going on with 7 different stages throught out the city and the main
street closed off. As I am doing this email the Village People are playing
on one of the stages. I'm sorry I had to miss them....but the update must
get done :( Actually I'm very tired after 2 days of very little activity.
I can't wait to ride in the morning.

Stage 22
August 21, 2005
Linz, Austria to Grein
65km
Very easy ride today on paved bike paths until we decided to go a different
route to sightsee. More later about that. Our Tour Director, Randy is now
referring to the Danube Cycle Path as the Psychopath since it's been very
flat and straight lately and we all go a bit wacko riding it. Talk about
needing money for singing lessons. Left the campsite at 9am as yesterday
was a day off and we (the hotel people) had to make our way to the campsite
to meet the other riders. The ride was supposed to be 75km long according
to the calculations on the maps but as we were cycling we determined that
Grein was only 57km away from Linz. Hence the side trip to sightsee. The
side trip consisted of a route that took us straight up a hill that seemed
to take forever to reach the top. So much for the flat and straight bike
paths. On the top of the hill was a castle that was built in 1149. The
castle, named Clam Castle is still inhabited by the Clam family whom have
owned it since the 1400's. We were given a great tour of the castle by a
young lady. There are actually 3 generations of the Clam family that
currently live in this castle. It was well worth the climb up the hill.

As you know we are in Austria, as you may not know Austria is known for the
amount of rain they get each year. It has rained everyday so far. Today we
were lucky it didn't start to rain until we reached camp pitched our tents.
We walked into town to get out of the rain but since it was Sunday nothing
was opened. We have found that the only thing opened on Sundays or Mondays
are restaurants and bars. What are we to do?

Stage 23
August 22, 2005
Grein to Krems
78km
Today we were instructed to sleep in as the fresh baked bread for breakfast
would not be ready until 8am. As it turned out it was not a great day to
sleep in. First of all our campsite was situated right beside a busy
highway, the traffic started around 5am and it rained most of the night and
into the morning. Did I tell you that Austria is know for the amount of
rain it gets? It started to rain again about 30 minutes into our ride and
didn't stop until we hit the lunch truck. Once again the ride was flat and
straight but with the rain it wasn't so bad to go flat and straight. The
guys weren't singing anymore. In fact the (affectionately known as) Psycho
Americans rode ahead at break neck speed. After lunch it was Randy,
Walter, Lincoln and I singing because it had stopped raining. The route
also got a lot more interesting and scenic. We rode through a number of
quaint little towns situated on the hillside amongst rows upon rows of
grapevines. Each town had their own little winery. We stopped in one town
to sample the local fare of apricot brandy and liquor. We arrived at the
campsite at 2:30 the rest of the troops were there at 12:30. We had to
wait for Craig with our gear before we could set up our tents. Apparently
the whole lot of us navigated ourselves to the wrong campsite. Craig was
waiting for us in the right one. Another part of the adventure. He found
us at about 5:30, we pitched our very wet tents and had a late dinner. The
camp ground that we were suppose to stay in actually owned a vineyard and
made wine which they sold to the local bars in Krems. They invited us back
to taste their wine. Four of us took advantage of the invitation.

Stage 24
August 23, 2005
Krems to Vienna
88km
Rained again last night so we woke up to wet tents....again. Left the
campsite around 8:30am. I decided to ride with the big boys this morning.
What a mistake. At one point I looked at my bike computer and we were
doing 36km per hour. We made it to the lunch truck just after 10am. No
wonder these guys get to the campsite so early and then have to take a nap.
After lunch I decided to stay back with Walter, LIncoln and Randy. We had
a great ride into Vienna. Stopped at a beer stand on the side of Danube and
sampled local beer and curry-wurst. It's only 1pm and we've already had a
big breakfast, lunch and a snack. We arrive at the campsite in Vienna
around 2pm. We get the next two days off to tour Vienna and I get to sleep
in a hotel. First I have to dry out my tent before I get driven to the
hotel. The big boys have already made it to the hotel. Vienna is a
beautiful historic town with a population of 1.7 million. It's the biggest
city in Austria. There's a really neat mix of old and new buildings. Went
out for a walk in the evening with some of the camping crew that came into
town claiming the campsite was too boring. Tomorrow 5 new riders join us.

---

Vienna Austria to Budapest Hungary

Stages 25 and 26
August 24 and 25
Two Days off in Vienna, Austria

Got up at 7:00am hoping to get in a nice quite run in the old part of the
city this morning. Not so. There was so much car and people traffic on the
route I chose that the run was not very enjoyable however I did manage
to get 5 miles in. Tomorrow I'll have go a different way. The rest of the
people on the Tour think I'm crazy for even wanting to run on our days off.
Spent the rest of the day touring with Phil and Lincoln. Toured the town
hall, Leopold Museum and St. Stephens church. What a beautiful city. Our
hotel was located within walking distance to the old part of the city which
has a mixture of very old and very new modern buildings combined and lots of
great shops if one was inclined to shop. Vince, you'll be happy to know
that I haven't spent my time partaking in that exercise. There's way too
much to see and do. The next day I did another 5 mile run this time running
back to the Danube River and along side of it for a distance. Much more
enjoyable. Spent the rest of the day with Randy. We toured another museum
which feature an exhibit of Picasso paintings. Not sure what people see in a
Picasso. That night Í had dinner with Chuck at the Sacher Hotel. This
hotel features the famous sacher torte which is an amazing chocolate
dessert. We had planned, almost from the beginning of the tour, that once
we reached Vienna we would have a chocolate dinner together. What a meal.
We walked around the old part of the city beforehand and even though I've
walked it quite a bit there were still some amazing sights that I missed.
Two days is not enough to do Vienna justice. After that I joined the rest
of the group at a Jazz Bar.

Stage 27
August 26
Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia
88km
Country number 4. 6 new riders joined us today. Joe and Edwina, Brian, Vic
and Jim all from Montreal and Sandy from PEI. I jumped in the truck with
Craig to get my bike at the campground and join the others. Started off
later today because of the new riders. Todays ride was exciting. Not sure
if you've heard about the flooding they're experiencing here but it hasn't
affected us until today. The group started off together on the "psychopath"
only to get stuck at a chemical plant. The directions were not very clear
on any of the maps. After getting out of that mess we were turned around
once again because the path was completely flooded over. We had to find our
way through dirt roads not clearly marked on any map. At one point the road
was so flooded that only two attempted to ride through it the rest of us
took our socks and shoes off and walked. The water was half way up our
calves. The total ride from Vienna to Bratislava was only supposed to be
60km but with all the detouring we had to do because of the flooding it added
another 28km to our day. By the time we reached Jenny and the lunch truck
at the Slovakian border we were starving. For once we actually worked for
our food. What a difference a country makes. Once we hit Solvakia the bike
path deteriorated. Getting to our hotel, yes another two nights in a hotel
for me and the boys because tomorrow is another day off in Bratislava, was a
challenge. The traffic was fast and the roads were awful. We think the pot
holes in Sudbury are bad.

Stage 28
August 27
Day off in Bratislava

Went for another 5 mile run this time with Phil and Chuck. Chuck ran for 15
minutes then turned back. Phil and I continued on to the old part of the
city and actually did a hill repeat to the top of a hill that awarded us
with an amazing view of the city. The "new part" of the city was not very
picturesque. Hundreds of box like apartment buildings, same height, mostly
the same colour. Spent the day mostly by myself touring the old part of the
city. The old part is a maze of pedestrain only streets with shops and
outdoor cafes and restaurants. Met up with Lincoln and Walter at around
3:30 and walked up the hill that Phil and I ran up to tour a castle. As it
was Saturday there were weddings taking place in a number of the old
churches. Met up with Brian and Craig had dinner and an early night for a
change.

Stage 29
August 28
Bratislava to Gyor, Hungary
83 km

Off to country number 5
Today we awoke to rain. I felt real sorry for the people at the campground
getting soaked as we were eating our nice breakfast of real eggs at the
hotel. We didn't leave Bratislava until 11am because of the rain. 2 new
riders joined us today as well, Jenny's Mom and Dad, Karey and Casey. They
are on a trip around the world and met up with us in Krems to visit Jenny for a
couple of days, decided what we were doing looked like fun and came back.
What a convoy out of town. Thankfully it was Sunday morning and the traffic
wasn't bad. Walter and I rode with the big boys today struggling all the
way to keep up. Started out on the bike path beside the now raging Danube
River but had to hit the roads at an electrical plant. Once again no
warning on the maps. Crossed the border into Hungary and once again what a
difference a country makes. The whole atmosphere seemed to have changed.
The camp ground was not the best but thankfully the showers were hot. After
dinner most of us made our way to the public baths. How do you fit 13
people in a van made for 9....

Stage 30
August 29
Gyor to Esztergom
111km (longest ride to date)

Each morning, as I think I've mentioned before, we leave we have a riders
meeting where Randy gives us instructions/directions to our next
destination. This morning he started off by saying he was 80% sure that 50%
of what he was telling us was wrong, that's how bad the maps/translations
are. Isn't part of the adventure getting there and in our case that's all
of the adventure. Started riding with the big boys today but decided that a)
hydro poles started to look like picket fences b) didn't want to admit it,
but my legs were sore from yesterday's ride and c) I missed Walter and
Lincoln. They quickly rode off into the distance with Chuck staying behind
to ride the last 25km with me to the lunch truck. Rule number one on this
tour is that no one rides alone. I tried to tell him I would be okay,
directions were fairly clear, or so we thought so go on but he stayed which
was nice. Arrived at the lunch truck with having to ask for directions only
once, the big boys left and I waited for my trusty mates. Thankfully I did
stay back in the morning because the afternoon ride was grueling. Some
pretty nasty climbs. My opinion of Hungary has changed considerably. The
weather was perfect and the country side was breath taking. I was
definitely in a happy place. The hills were not even that hard to climb.
Am I getting stronger???? Our campsite tonight was great. Right along side
the Danube, beautiful outdoor pool and an amazing view of the Esztergom
Basilica, the largest church in Hungary (thanks for that info Vince). Went
for a swim before supper and walked into town with Joy and Jenny after
dinner. I left them to get a closer look at the church. I'm getting much
braver and venturing out on my own after dark.

Stage 31
August 30
Esztergom to Budapest
57km
Short day today. We started off in a convoy again of 19 riders heading out
of town. About 6kms on the bike path we ran into our first obstacle...A
plastic barrier. Of course it doesn't stop us and we go through it. As you
know those things are put there for a reason and we soon found out what it
was. The Danube had once again flooded over the bike path but we could see
the other side so we ventured through. It was mostly mud and water only up
to ankles this time but one bad move and you get your first Hungarian Mud
Bath. After that the bike path became non-existent and we took to the
highway. Was a great ride. Walter, Lincole, Randy, Jim and I stayed
together. Stopped for a couple of hours in a little town about 10km outside
of Budapest where the lunch truck was stationed, had a couple of beverages
and did the touristy thing. I rode to the camp ground with the rest of them
and was driven into Budapest with my new roommate Sandy after dinner. The
next two days are days off in Budapest so, darn I get to stay in another
hotel. First thing on the agenda in Budapest will be to find a thermal
bath. Life is good. I do miss everyone and think of you often. Bye for
now.

---

Budapest Hungary to Timisoara Romania

August 31 and Sept 1
Two Days off in Budapest

If you want to watch a million cars driving with no regard to pedestrians,
other cars and signal lights Budapest is the place to be. They actually
have underground crossings for pedestrians at most of the major
intersections. Apart from the amount of traffic and the noise Budapest was
a really interesting place. Budapest is actually two cities separated by
the Danube River. Buda on one side and Pest on the other. Again a mixture
of old and new buildings. Our hotel was located on the Pest side on a very
noisy street. The first day Walter, Lincoln and I toured an indoor market
where they sold everything from fresh produce, meat and souvenirs and
we walked the streets for miles. The weather was wonderful, lots of sunshine
so we didn't want to go indoors. The next day was spent walking the streets
again and just taking in the sights. As we were walking along we found a
Wine Festival. Should we be spend the 1000 huf and go in???? No question,
of course we had to sample the local wines. Walter, who claims to not be a
wine drinker had 4 glasses, Ruth and I spent over two hours eating and
drinking in the sunshine. Language has been a bigger barrier in Hungary.
My experience found not many English speaking people but we were still able
to communicate with hand signals. Our last night in Budapest was spent
having dinner with the entire group and saying good bye to our Tour
Director, Randy. He had to go back to Toronto to attend a wedding and to
work. What is work? Randy has been replaced by Shanny Hill, new Tour
Director and Sean, new Bike Mechanic. Randy used to do both jobs. Have I
told you that my bike has a heart beat? It talks to me with each peddle
stroke. Sean apparently has brought tools that may fix the problem. After
dinner Randy, Jenny and I went out and met up with this Hungarian fellow
that Jenny met the other night. Another late night.

Sept 2, 2005
Budapest to Kecskemet
Over 106kms

The instructions in the morning said the route was to be 130kms
thankfully that wasn't the case. Steve T, the training you had me do (you
know the one) really paid off today, thanks.

What a ride out of Budapest. Craig delivered mine and Sandy's bike (my
roommate) and we had to ride from the hotel with the Big Boys to meet up
with the campers. It was crazy with lots of traffic. After meeting the
campers the big boys went ahead with Sean and Shanny stayed with the rest of
us stopping traffic at intersections for the group to go through. Once out
of Budapest it was a nice ride. The sun was still shining and the road was
flat. I then rode with Walter, Lincoln and Jim. The instructions were
pretty clear so we made it to camp without getting lost. We stopped at one
point for ice cream and red bull. I really needed a pick me up. For the
first time of the tour I had to take a nap after my tent was pitched. I
didn't even shower, just crawled in and relaxed. I think it was the result
of way too many late nights in a row. My batteries were charged and I
definitely felt much better after the nap. In fact Craig, Jim and I
ventured into town to see the sights after dinner. Not much going on in the
town of Kecskemet on a Friday night. Maybe we just weren't in the right
spot.

Sept 3, 2005
Kecskemet to Szeged
111 kms

Left camp riding with Walter, Lincoln, Jim and Sean. Thankfully Sean stayed
with us today because the directions/instructions were a bit confusing. The
night before Sean, Shanny and Henry were using 5 maps to try to figure out
the best way to get us to Szeged. Again the ride was very flat with only a
slight headwind. We stopped at about 20km out of town to sample the local
beverages. When we arrived in Szeged we were greeted with...guess what????
another festival. This time the town was celebrating paprika and fish. A
weird combination but I guess anything for a party. We quickly found the
campground, pitched our tent, showered and ventured out to get some fish
goulash. After all we were in Hungary, home of the goulash. Right next to
our campsite a band was playing and people were dancing. Walter hid behind
a building and took a video of them. We now call him Agent Walter. He
looked like a spy from the FBI. Walter has been recording the entire
journey with his video camera and promises to make copies for everyone.
Movie night at Vince and Lise's house on their big screen TV when I get my
copy. I'll bring the popcorn. After dinner we went into town to take part
in the rest of the festival.

Sept 4, 2005
Szeged to Timisoara, Romania....6th Country
126 kms

We left as a group today as 4kms into our journey we had to cross a river on
a ferry and Shanny wanted us all together. After that I basically rode with
the big boys. Walter, Jim and Daniel stayed with us until the lunch truck
but opted to not join us after that. The big boys promised to not push it
harder than 28km an hour and I let them know when they did. The ride was
very flat with a strong headwind. It really reminded me of going through
the Prairies. We even saw a couple of oil drills in the distance. Crossing
the border into Romania was uneventful although it did take a long time. We
went through a number of little towns where livestock were allowed to run
freely. Chickens and geese were actually on the side of the road along with
cows, goats and horses. Most of the larger animals were tied to trees to
keep them from going into the traffic. As we were cycling through the
little towns, the towns people were shouting hello to us and looking at us
with interest. Walter stopped to take a few shots of the locals and was
told he had to pay by one little girl. A Business Woman at such an early
age. He forked over whatever change he had in his pocket which made the
young girl very happy. We arrived in Timisoara around 2:30 (early, cause
remember, I was riding with the big boys) found our hotel since tomorrow is
a day off, and realized we passed into another time zone. It was actually
3:30 their time. We are now 7 hours ahead of you. We all showered, went
across the street to eat some local food, had a beverage and headed into
town to see the sights and have dinner. We opted not to join the campers at
the campsite for dinner. Tomorrow I will tour the town more leisurely.
There's not much to see so it should be an easy day off. Most of our off
days are spent walking for miles and not resting.

---

Timisoara Romania to Bucharest

Sept 5, 2005                                          Click here for Austria and Romania Pics
Rest day in Timisoara

Spent all of the morning and the first part of the afternoon on the
internet. I finally found a computer that has Windows XP and was able to
connect to my office network. Yes I am crazy. After reading 50 or so
emails and doing the last update I headed out to find lunch. Met up with
Joy, Phil and Daniel and went for lunch with them. It's funny how you can
roam the streets of Sudbury for hours and not find a single person you know
but thousands of miles away from home you can always find people from the
tour. I guess we have the same agenda. Anyway, we were told before we
reached Timisoara that we would be able to rest as there was not much to do
in the town. I walked around town for the rest of the afternoon, visited a
Romanian Church which was very interesting. No pews to sit on. There was a
pedestrian only shopping area with a number of cafes and shops. Tomorrow we
are to spend our first night in a bush camp, no showers or washrooms. Good
thing I'm a runner and have no problem going behind a tree. Should be fun.

Sept 6, 2005
Timisoara to Resita
97kms
Started off this morning by being told that we all get to stay in a hotel
because the bush camp that we were suppose to stay at was not good.
Everyone was very happy. The ride for the first 30km was fairly flat and
uneventful. We continually fight for room on the roads with horse/ox drawn
buggies and cars and trucks. The drivers have no regard for either. Henry
had told us before we reached Romania that cars are a new thing to most of
the people in Romania. They have no regard for other cars, traffic signals
and road signs. They will pass on a double line and pull out in front of
another car if they think they can make it. We had another rider accident
today. As we started to hit a hilly section the pavement really
deteriorated. The potholes were bigger than the ones in Sudbury if you can
believe it. We were riding back country roads where the traffic wasn't so
bad but the pavement was terrible. As Joy was smokin down a hill she hit a
pothole and because there were so many to avoid she was unable to get
control of her bike and ended up over the handle bars. She had to be taken
to the hospital but thankfully had no broken bones just lots of cuts and
bruises. After that we were very careful going down the hills. The ride
today was also very disturbing. We went through a number of very poor
communities and one in particular where I actually didn't feel safe in.
Resita apparently is a communist community and not very affluent. The hotel
we stayed in probably had the same furniture and carpet from the day it
opened in the 50s and was not very clean. The bush camp maybe would have
been better. We were continually approached by young children and older
ladies asking for money in the courtyard outside. Jenny was going to make
our supper in that courtyard but we decided against it and went out for
pizza instead.

Sept 7, 2005
Resita to Baile Herculane
130kms

Longest ride to date. We had to get up in the dark and have everything
loaded onto the truck by 7am as Henry wanted breakfast done and us the road
by 8am. It was a great ride. The first 30km was up hill and we seemed to
go up and down all day long. We stopped in this little town called Anina to
have pastries after the initial climb cause we all felt we earned it. Again
we shared the road with horse/ox drawn buggies and cars/trucks. Today we
had two food stops from Jennie and a snack stop from Craig and Joy because
of the long ride. No wonder I'm not loosing weight. The pavement did not
improve much from yesterday but the little communities we rode through
seemed much more friendly. We stopped at one point to take a picture of a
young man leading an ox drawn cart. There were two young girls, probably
his sisters, as well as vegetables in the cart. The boy was bare foot.
Arrived in Baile Herculane around 4pm because we stopped many times for
photo opportunities and food. Baile Herculane is situated along the
Carpathian Mountains. What a view. I thought I was in Canmore for a minute
when I looked out the window at 5am this morning. And guess what???? We
arrived in town just in time for another festival. Not sure what they're
celebrating here but as I walked to the internet there were a number of
young people dressed in traditional Romanian dress headed for the centre of
town. I will check it out on the day off. Sandy, my roommate, has arranged
for us to get a message on our day off. Life is good.

Sept 8, 2005
Day off in Baile Herculane

Baile Herculane is a little town situated in the midst of the Carpathian
Mountains. It's basically a one street town that goes on for probably 5
kms. Not much do see or do but the scenery is beautiful. I think I did
mention though that we happened to arrive just in time for another festival.
I didn't find out what they were actually celebrating but I was told that
there was a parade, which I missed cause I was at the internet doing the
last update, that had maybe 20 younger people walking down the street in
costumes and of course there was lots of food to sample. I basically had a
very relaxing day. My roommate Sandy and I got a 40 minute massage in the
afternoon which was very interesting. They basically slapped and rubbed
very hard and fast our entire body for the whole 40 minutes.

Sept 9, 2005
Baile Herculane to Targu Jui
102 kms

I haven't talked about the weather in awhile but it's been one great sunny
day after another. It's been chilly in the mornings but by 10am we're
taking off layers. The campers met us at the hotel this morning so we had a
later start. I did mention that Baile Herculane was situated in the
Carpathian Mountains so guess what we did first thing....Climb...for 45kms
we climbed. It was great. I rode with the usual crew of Walter, Lincoln,
Phil etc. The lunch truck was strategically placed at the top of the
biggest climb so it was downhill for a good part of the afternoon. We
arrived at camp tired and looking forward to hot showers. Not happening
this day. The camp was situated on the side of the Sisutia River just
outside of Targu Jui so our hot shower became a cold wash in a quite fast
flowing river. We were a bit concerned about getting in the water to bath
as to date we have not found Romania to be clean or environmentally friendly
but we chanced it anyway. The washrooms were, well let's just say it was
better to go outside that in the one room washroom. After dinner 15 of us
piled into the van which only had 6 seats, a new record and made our way
into town. The famous Romanian sculptor Brancusi was born not far from
Tarju Jui and we were able to visit some of his works.

Sept 10, 2005
Targu Jui to Ramicu Valcea
130kms

Probably the toughest ride to date. The plan of Shanny, Sean and Henry is
always to try to keep us off the main roads because of the traffic and the
routes they send us out on are not exactly mapped well. They use 4 or 5
different maps to try to give us the best instructions but sometimes it just
doesn't work. The first 55kms of today were basically up and down through
little towns on very rough pavement. You couldn't climb well or get any
speed on the declines for fear of hitting a pothole. I will never, ever
complain about the streets of Sudbury again. Also the risk of stray dogs
running out at you is very dangerous so we had to be very careful. The ride
was so tough that at the 30km mark I was considering hitching a ride on the
truck. I rode with Walter and Lincoln for most of the day and the worst
part was not knowing if we were on the right route or if we were lost in
some remote Romanian town. We were the first to hit the lunch truck as most
people either took a different route or basically gave up. 8 riders opted
for a ride to the campsite before the day was out. It took us over 4 hours
to find the lunch truck which was at the 66km mark. We didn't reach camp
until after 4pm that day. Camp is another story. Outdoor, cold running
water showers, squatters for toilets, Gypsy music playing from fellow
campers until 2:30 in the morning, stray dogs barking all night long and gun
shots at 5:30am. Just another part of the adventure. Romania is famous for
the number of stray dogs. Each campsite has had it's allotted 5 or 6 of
them.

Sept 11, 2005
Ramicu Valcea to Gaesti
110 kms

Was an easier ride today although we did have some pretty good climbs. Good
thing because most of us got very little sleep last night. Rode with
Lincoln, Walter, Sean and Jim most of the day. Basically an uneventful
ride. Jim got a flat and Walter's tire was punctured. Sean fixed it with a
piece of plastic. Our campsite for the evening was on the lawn of a motel.
Sandy and I, as well as a few other riders opted to share the cost of a
room. Hot showers and a toilet to sit on. Had dinner in the parking lot of
the hotel, walked through the town and had an early night.

Sept 12, 2005
Gaesti to Bucharest
70kms

Had a great night sleep and didn't have to worry about taking down my wet
tent this morning since we opted to stay in the motel last night. The plan
today was to ride 60kms to a small town outside of Bucharest where we were
all to meet at noon. A police escort was arranged to take us to the
campsite due to the amount of traffic in the city. Cyclists are not common
in Romania and you're more apt to see horse and buggy than someone riding
a bike. The ride to the campsite was not bad as the campsite is basically
on the outskirts of Bucharest. The ride out of the city will be much more
challenging. We arrived at the campsite with no problems. Craig then drove
us to our hotel. We walked the city in the evening looking for a place to
eat. We had actually read about this restaurant called The Dracula Club
which sounded interesting so we tried to find it. Not an easy task. After
walking for over an hour we decided on a restaurant that served very good
Romanian food. After arriving back at the hotel I learnt that one of our
female riders got mugged by a number of young gypsy kids that swarmed her.
They broke her neck chain and ran away with it before her husband had time
to get to her. I don't think I'll venture out on my own.

---

Bucharest Romania to Malko Turnova Bulgaria

Sept 13, 2005
Bucharest to Russe, Bulgaria..Country #7
93km
Woke up to a major downpour this morning. The campers had to cycle 15kms in to meet us at the hotel with the help of the Security escort and we joined them to convoy out of town. What a zoo. Rain, major traffic and 21 cyclists on the streets of Bucharest. It stopped raining outside of Bucharest but the skies still looked threatening. There's been a virus that's been going through our group and it was my unfortunate luck to have it catch me this morning after breakfast. I basically rode all day fighting this virus We crossed into Bulgaria with no problem, crossed the Danube River for the last time and headed for our campsite. All I wanted to do was get there, pitch my tent and sleep. We made a few bad turns and did a couple of extra kms for the day but finally made it to camp. Chuck helped me set my tent up, I crawled in and didn't resurface until the morning. It started to rain again and continued on through the night and was still raining the next morning. My first impression of Bulgaria is not a good one as I wasn't feeling well. We are staying in the border town of Russe and as with all border towns it's not very pleasant. At least not the area we were in. Think of the worst area in Toronto and multiply it by 10. Apparently the centre of town was much more pleasant. I'm sure Russe has lots to see and do and I'm not doing it justice.

Sept 14, 2005
Russe to Madara
130kms but I only did 60 of them
Woke up to rain again this morning, my tent is soaked both inside and out and I'm still not feeling very well so I decided to ride the lunch truck and try to ride after lunch. Left with Genni and her Mom (Karey) in the lunch truck. Did I mention that's it pouring rain. I felt very sorry for the riders and part of me wanted to join them in their misery of cycling in the rain but the smart part of me said stay dry, get healthy. As we were driving my impression of Bulgaria changed. It's actually very beautiful, nice rolling hills and scenery even through the wipers of the truck. We picked up Sandy about 5kms outside of camp. She hit a huge pothole, lost her front pack on her bike and decided it wasn't worth risking her life to cycle in the rain. Made it to the designated lunch stop feeling a bit better. The rain had finally stopped but the clouds were still black. Craig brought in more riders that decided cycling in the rain on a busy highway was not for them that day. Sandy, Karey and I decided to chance the probability of more rain and headed out. We took it very slow as Karey is a very new rider. She also can't hear or speak so we have to motion to her when big trucks are coming behind us so she can prepare herself. It was quite an enjoyable ride. We made it to the campsite but not before the skies opened up and dumped violently on us with thunder. The campsite was up in the mountains and yes we had to climb it. I felt real sorry for the ones that did the whole ride and had to finish their day with this major climb. Everyone decided to rent a very bad cabin instead of setting up their very wet tent which was okay with me although I did put my thermarest mattress and sleeping bag on the bed. Oh yeah...we were again treated to Gypsy music, by the owners of the establishment this time, until the wee hours of the night.

Sept 15, 2005
Madara to somewhere on the shores of the Black Sea
110kms
Woke up to almost sunny skies this morning and no rain...hooray...and I felt okay to ride the full day. I still didn't feel 100% but that's okay I just took it slow. Tonight we're actually staying at another very bad campground about 25kms outside of Varna, Bulgaria. Tomorrow is a day off so the big question will be do I take a cab into town to actually check out Varna or do I stay and have fun in the Black Sea. The sun will give me my answer in the morning. Anyway, I rode most of the day with Walter. Mostly rolling hills and again beautiful scenery. We arrived in Varna around 1pm and decided to stay for a few hours to check out the town. There's a huge pedestrian shopping and eating area. We had ice cream and did some banking. Left Varna around 5pm and made it to camp just in time for dinner. The moon is full and beautiful over the Black Sea. We've actually made plans to collect firewood tomorrow and plan to have a fire on the beach tomorrow night with the gang. Should be great. Not sure when I'll get another chance to update. Maybe not until Istanbul. The places we're staying at are getting more remote with fewer facilities. I'm getting real good at using squatter toilets. More information than you needed to hear. Missing everyone.

Sept 17, 2005
Day off on the Shores of the Black Sea

Not sure where I left off last update. We are currently on a day off about
25kms outside of Varna, Bulgaria on the shores of the Black Sea. We headed
into town in the morning to pick up food and do the internet thing. Headed
back to camp about noon. After doing laundry and various other chores I
headed for the beach. The surf was up. Genni and I spent the rest of the
afternoon lying on a blanket soaking up the sun. I had to work on my sock
tan. After wearing socks and shoes for the last 2 months I have beautiful
white feet. We also gathered wood for a full moon bon fire that night.
Picture this....laying on a blanket on the beach with the surf breaking on
my left side and the sun setting on my right.

Sept 18, 2005
Black Sea to Pomorie, Bulgaria
93kms
Three more riders have fallen to the virus. One bad enough that he rode in
the truck all day and the other two have decided to ride but take it very
slow. It was another beautiful day. Our instructions/directions said that
we will have some climbs to do after the lunch truck and that the total kms
for the day was only 80. Wrong on both counts. We had some major climbs
before and after the lunch truck and our total day ended up to be 93kms.
Not sure how I feel about Bulgaria. Cars are not honking their horns at us
as they pass by and the pavement has been great. However it seems that
every community we go through is in the state of stopped construction.
There are dozens of buildings that seem to have been started but never
finished. Walter commented on the fact that they probably were started
during the communist era and never finished. Anyway the ride was tough but
very enjoyable. The climbs were long and slow and the descents were great.
I'm still taking it easy on the way down because of what happened to Joy.
Arrived at camp just outside of the town of Pomorie which turned out be a
hotel with very little camping which was a great end to a great day. We
could either pitch our tent or pay 4 euros for a room. No brainer. Genni,
Lincoln and I went for swim in the Black Sea before dinner. I ate dinner
while watching the sun set over the sea with Chuck. Didn't get into the
town of Pomorie.

Sept 19, 2005
Pomorie to Malko Turnovo
93 kms
Left the hotel this morning under black skies. Today was another climbing
day. It was great. I still love those long climbs. Three more riders have
fallen to the virus. It actually has now hit some people twice with the
second bout worse than the first. Rode with Walter, Jim and Chuck until the
lunch truck. Took it very slow as Walter was one of the ones that was not
well last night. The route took us through the city of Burgas and out into
the country side. In fact I think we hit only one smaller town before we
came into Malko Turnovo. While at the lunch truck Genni received a phone
call from Phil who was riding in Craig's Van because he was one of the ones
that fell sick last night telling her that the hotel/campground we were to
stay in tonight was closed, all the windows were smashed, there were no
camping facilities and they were at the hospital. Was something seriously
wrong???? Craig had all the sick people with him. As it turned out we are
staying in the hospital. It's an actual working hospital that
rents out rooms. Craig's instructions were....boys on one floor, girls on
the other and the boys were not allowed on the girls floor. I think this
tops the Convent we stayed in Sienna last year. Malko Turnovo is a very
small town but go figure it has internet service. We're in this very old
smelly building with water on the floor, a poker game of 15 year olds in the
middle of the room and kids yelling and playing on the computers. Things
are dirt cheap here. Chuck and I went shopping and bought dessert for the
entire gang for only 2 euros. It was actually good stuff too. We also lost
two riders today. Joy and Brian decided to take a train directly to
Istanbul. Joy because she really hasn't recovered from the fall she took a
few weeks back and Brian because he also fell heading into Bucharest last
week and hurt himself pretty badly and he was also one of the ones that fell
sick last night.
Only 4 more riding days and one more rest day before Istanbul. I miss
everyone but will be sad when the adventure ends.

---

Malko Turnova Bulgaria to Istanbul Turkey

Sept 20, 2005
Malko Turnovo to Kirklarlie, Turkey
8th and Final Country
50 short kms

Please excuse the typing errors. Weird keyboard and cyrillic alphabet.
Woke up this morning to black skies and threatening rain. Left our
hospital to guess what???? An 8km climb to the Turkish border. By that time the
skies opened up and we got very wet. The border crossing was interesting.
We had to show our passports at three different check points and had to pay
60 american dollars for a 3 month visa into Turkey. The rest of the ride
consisted of long climbs through rolling hills and great descents. Sean
actually reached speeds of over 70km per hour on the descents. Arrived at
Kirklarlie to Gennie in the parking lot of the hotel preparing lunch. This
is a relatively small town of 50,000 people and probably each one of them
walked past us wondering what the heck we were doing. We met up with a
couple of local guys that heard us speak English as we were walking through
the streets who offered to show us the sites. They were amazed at where we
had cycled from and where we were going. They said that we were the first
Canadian and American people to come through this town. People looked at
us as if we had two heads as we were walking around. I guess we really stood
out. Anyway, we covered all the interesting sites with our private
guides. They are to meet us at 8:30 tonight to show us the night life. I had my
first cup of Turkish coffee. Apparently it's better if you drink it like a
shooter so you don't get all the sludge half way down the one ounce coffee
cup. I guess it's an acquired taste. The Turkish tea is great. Tomorrow is a day off and we've
chartered a bus to the historic town of Adirne...recommended by our tour guide.

Hey they're playing Stairway to
Heaven on the music system in this internet cafe.

Sept 21, 2005 (I think)
Day off in Kýrkarelý,Turkey

What a day off we had. I think everyone in Kýrklarelý knew who we were and
what we were doing there. As I mentioned we met up with two local guys who
showed us around town. 14 of us plus our new friend Jim rented a bus to
take us to the town of Adirne 60kms west of Kýrklarelý. He was a wonderful
guide, showing us historical areas that we never would have found on our
own. We visited a very old train station that the Orient Express would have
actually stopped at and has now been converted into a working University of
Architect. As well, he took us to the top of the city, which at one time
was a military base, and on a clear day you can see Greece and Bulgaria
from that point. We visited a Mosque built in the 15th century. So far the
Turkish people have been wonderful to us.

Sept 22, 2005
Kýrklarelý to Saray
76kms

Woke up to more cloudy skies this morning and it started to rain just as we
were leaving the town of Kýrklarelý. Only 3 more cycling days left so
Walter and I decided to enjoy the time and go at an easy pace. We stopped
at a little town about 30kms out for tea. Tea is a very popular drink in
Turkey. I think even more popular than beer. Not like Bulgaria where the
men were outside drinking beer as we were cycling through at 8am in the
morning. As we were just about to sit down and order tea a police officer
came up to us, shook our hands and wanted to sit with us. He ordered our tea and
we communicated as best we could. We told him what we were doing and how
far we had come. Before we could finish our first glass of tea he had
ordered another one for us and handed us a piece of paper with his cell
phone number on it and said if we ran into any trouble on our journey to
call him. He left us and coffee appeared at our table. We decided it was
time to leave and tried to pay for our multiple beverages but the owner
wouldn't accept our money. As we were cycling through the towns on the way
to Saray young children and adults alike would yell greetings to us and ask
us where we were from. It was like being in a parade. Arrived in the
little town of Saray (pop 17600) quite early. Tonight was supposed to be a
bush camp night but because it threatened to rain all day we all opted to
stay in a motel in Saray instead of the designated bush camp 4kms out of the
town. For dinner we were shuttled to the cliffs of the Black Sea where
Genni made another one of her fabulous meals. What a beautiful setting for
dinner.
Tomorrow night was supposed to be another bush camp night but if all is in
agreement Henry will change the route so we can stay in another hotel.

Sept 23, 2005
Saray to somewhere in a beautiful field just outside of Tayakidin, Turkey
97 kms

Left Saray with instructions/directions of an 80km fairly easy day with some
climbs. Second last cycling day and still we don't get it right. The ride
was very hilly on a remote route meaning very few towns to stop for a
beverage or ice cream and the weather was great. Sunshine all day long.
Rode with Lincoln and Walter, my two best riding buddies for most of the day
until the climbs tuckered Lincoln out. After our last great lunch provided
by Geni our route took us closer to the Black Sea on a coastal type highway
with even more ups and downs. It was great. Near the end I had lots of
energy to do those climbs justice. Arrived at our bush camp feeling tired
and sad that tomorrow will be our last riding day together. I had to pitch
my tent for the first time since Russe, Bulgaria. Most of us were hoping
there was a motel close by so we wouldn't have to pitch our tents or deal
with a wet tent in Istanbul should it rain during the night but that was not
the case. Tayakidin is a very small town with one gas station and a few
corner type stores. I don't think it even had a restaurant. Anyway the
bush camp wasn't bad. It actually had a couple of clean squatty toilets,
which I'm getting very good a using and a sink with cold running water. We
had a great dinner and sat around a fire in the evening talking about the
ride into Istanbul and the memories we've collected to date. As luck would
have it, it rained during the night and everyone woke up to wet tents.

Sept 24, 2005
Tayakidin to ISTANBUL, TURKEY
68kms....I think

WE'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! It's hard to believe after 56 days we're actually in
Istanbul and what a final ride to get here. The morning started off with
all of us ceremoniously taking down our tents for the final time. As my
tent had a number of duck tape repairs on the poles I knew I didn't have to
worry about the fact that is was dirty and wet cause it definitely wasn't
coming home with me. Our instructions for the day was to ride 25km to a
little town called Gotturk and wait there for the group to get together as
we were to be met by a Police escort that was to take us the next 20km or so
into Istanbul. A 45km day at the most. We arrived in Gotturk around 10am
and were told the escort was to be there at 11:30. By 12:30 Henry decided
that we waited long enough and it was time to leave. Even at that distance
out of the City the traffic was heavy so we continued on the rural coastal
route in a convoy with Craig's van in the front and Genni's in the back.
More climbs. About 8kms into the ride the Police met up with us. Not sure
whether the meeting place was mixed up or they just happened to show up at
that time. Anyway, following a Police escort as safe as that sounds in my
opinion is not safe at all. Two problems....language barrier and them not
knowing that a convoy of 22 cyclists can't maintain a pace of 30km an hour
in a convoy climbing some pretty steep hills. Where was Vince when we
needed him. Shanny and Sean did a fantastic job of compensating for the
Police. We arrived on the outskirts of the city with an amazing view of the
Bosporus meeting the Black Sea. The traffic was horrendous. The Police
decided that we couldn't take the main road directly to our hotel due to the
amount of traffic. We took side streets where the climbs were so steep and
the streets so narrow and congested with traffic that on the first hill we
all actually got off our bikes and walked up part of it. As always what
goes up must come down. The descend was definitely worse than the climb up.
I had both hands on the brakes literally trying to keep my bike from picking
up speed as Shanny was yelling at everyone to keep their weight on the back
of their seats. At the bottom both my hands and legs were shaking. One
hill actually was cobbled stoned and very steep. Another walk up. By the
time we reached the Peras Palas Hotel it was 4:30 and we had ridden for
68kms. We had made it. Henry popped the cork off two bottles of champagne
and we all had a celebratory drink. What a sense of accomplishment we all
felt. Out of the 20 riders that day 6 of us actually rode from Paris to
Istanbul starting out on July 31, 2005. From what I've read about Istanbul,
it's a huge city with a population of 15 million people and tons of history.
I will spend the next three days enjoying it and trying not to get into
trouble. See you all when I get back.

---

Istanbul, Turkey

Sept 25 - 28, 2005
Last Days in Istanbul

How do I even explain what a city of 15 million people is like to tour and
get to know in just 2 and a half days. The day after we arrived in Istanbul,
the 25th of September, we had to move from the Pera Palas Hotel to our new
home for the next 3 nights in the Sultanahmet District which is considered
the old part of the city. By the time we got settled into our new quarters
it was after 2pm. Fortunately for us our new hotel, thanks to Chuck who had
done the research and booked in advance, was only a 5 minute walk from the
Aya Sofya which is one of the world's greatest architectural achievements
and more than 1,400 years old and the Blue Mosque one of the most famous
religious buildings in the world not to mention the many other historical
sites one needed to visit in Istanbul. We left our hotel, went out for a
late lunch and toured the Aya Sofya, the Cistern Basilica which is a vast
underground water cistern and the Blue Mosque in the afternoon. Sandy and I
went for a Turkish Bath in the evening. The Turkish Bath was out of this
world. I think I'll look at opening one in Sudbury. It consisted of a body
peel then a massage in Turkish fashion. First we were picked up at our
hotel and brought to the sight of the bath. Once there a woman showed us to
our room where we took off all of our clothing and wrapped ourselves in what
we would call a very large tea towel. We were then brought into a room
where we were to "soften up" for the next 1/2 hour. It wasn't as hot as a
Finish Sauna but just as nice, heated marble seating areas with running hot
and cold water to splash on when needed. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that
when we arrived the lady at the desk told us that they only had men masseurs
but they were all very professional. How nice is that.... Sandy and I
softened up for the next half hour then were brought into a little room for
the peel. Yikes....The very cute Turkish guy took out what looked like a
brillow pad and started to rub our entire body. It actually felt very nice
until he threw very cold water on us to bring us back to reality. Next we
had to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, I guess to get our heart rate down, before
we had the massage. They soaped up our entire body before they started to
massage it. It was wonderful. After the massage was finished we had to
move to a lower bench where they washed and rinsed our hair. Remember this
was all done by Young Professional Turkish Men....we definitely were in
heaven. Okay back to the sites. The next day we spent touring the Topkapi
Palace in the morning and the Grand Bazaar in the afternoon. For all you
shoppers the Grand Bazaar is the place to be. Over 400 stalls of things to
buy. We went out for a final dinner that evening with Sandy as she was
leaving the next day. The next day Abraham, the proprietor of our hotel,
took us to the Spice Bazaar and afterward his nephew drove Phil and I to the
leather manufacture district. It was almost as good as the Turkish Bath
cause as you may or may not know I love leather. In the afternoon we met up
with Lincoln and Walter and walked to the Galata Tower which had a 360
degree view of the city. Even from way up there you couldn't see the entire
city. As was the custom of all our days off we left note at the desk of
our hotel for a meeting time and place for dinner for the other people on
the Tour. That night it turned out that the only people that showed up for
this dinner were the actually ones that started the tour in Paris; Chuck,
Phil, Brian, Joy, Walter, Lincoln and myself. Also Glen, Joy's boyfriend
joined us but we thought what are the chances of that happening where it was
only the seven of us that would be together for the final night in Istanbul.
Phil, Walter, Lincoln and myself were leaving the next day, Chuck was
leaving the day after and Brian and Joy were leaving Friday. What a great
end to an even greater adventure. The bond that was formed between the
seven of us will, I think, always be a part of us.

---

Home and Reflections

On the flight home I reflected on what I had accomplished. One of the reasons I wanted to do
this adventure in the first place was to see if I could get along on my own.
For the past year or so I've had such a great support group that I needed to
find out if I could actually take care of myself by myself. Well I really
didn't get that opportunity on this tour because I went from the love and
caring of my family and friends to such a great group of people that I never
had the feeling of being alone or being lonely. My exact thoughts were -
it's a great big world out there just waiting for me to explore on my own
but realizing no matter where you are you're never alone - . Some amazing
person is always there to talk to you or look after you when you need it.
Each day I arrived in camp Chuck was there to take my bike, lock it up and
help me put up my tent. Genni was always there to make sure everyone ate
properly and Craig made sure our bags made it to the next destination. Also
not to forget Randy, Shanny and Sean who made sure we actually made it to
our next destination and Henry who was the master mind behind the whole
adventure. As Phil had said at the end the of the Tour the most memorable
thing about the whole tour were the people we were with. I think he was
absolutely right. I can't even begin to tell you what the most memorable
sites were as there were so many. I kept a journal each day and as I read
through I can remember the town, the sites and the people. France, Germany
and Austria were all great countries but you would expect that of them. The
country that impressed me the most was Turkey. Most people we came in
contact with spoke English and were more than happy to help us with whatever
we needed. From the two guys in Kirklarelie to Abraham in Istanbul.

I think I liked the smaller towns we visited much more than the larger
cities. Although Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul were
beautiful cities the smaller towns had a personality that seemed to be
buried in the larger cities. There was not a day that I did not want to
get on my bike and ride. The only regret I have of the entire adventure is
that my family and friends were not there to enjoy it with me. Vince, you
would have been in gastronomical heaven with the food. Not sure what I did
wrong, or right maybe, but I think I was the only one that actually gained
weight on this tour. Definitely the Tour D'Afrique which is the tour Martin
did last year is on my list of things to do as well as a new tour in the
works called The Silk Route which takes you from Istanbul to Beijing.

I want to thank everyone for reading my story. I do hope it sounded
exciting enough to make you want to get on your bike and ride. The only
thing stopping you from being adventurous, no matter the level, is you.
Anyone can do it, you only have to think you can. My new mantra is I CAN DO
THIS.

Sheila Yaw-MacLean

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 Photos