“It has been months since I finished this book and Iโm only now getting round to blogging about it. This is the second book that Iโve read by Andrew; the first was all about crossing Europe (read itย here). This book he also crosses Europe, but from the southernmost point in Spain to the most northerly point in Norway, a distance of 8,000km.
“One of the things that I like most about the author is that he doesnโt confess to being a โcyclistโ, heโs just someone who happens to go on long touring adventures on a bike. He also doesnโt know a thing about bicycle maintenance, which is very refreshing. As Alastair Humphreys says in one of his books, if youโre bike breaks down, either youโll repair it or someone else will. Andrew opts for the latter.
“As with all travel books, itโs the places he visits and the people he meets that make the story. The big difference is that on a bike youโre travelling at a much slower pace, so youโre far more likely to meet people interested in where youโre going, especially if youโre on your own. Andrew cycles through eight different countries, starting at 36 degrees north and finishing way above the Arctic Circle at 70 degrees north.
“A couple of the tunnels in the far north of Norway do sound particularly scary, but on the whole this is a very gentle meandering book full of insights into the local areas, along with his own witty observations. As always, a judge of how good a book is, is would you look out for more by the same author. This is the second book of his that Iโve read, and I will be looking out for his other book, Cycling along the Med.“

But I’m pretty sure Andrew knows a lot about cycle maintenance by now!
I wouldnโt bet on it…