Let’s start with the stats; Cycling time: 6 hrs 14 mins 34 secs Distance: 103.41 kms Average speed: 16.4 kms/hr Maximum speed: 51.6 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 total: 1,426.6 kms Just a note on the statistics; they are a reflection of where the bike goes between setting off in […]
I am, finally in Switzerland. In the centre of Basle in the square outside the train station. The general consensus of opinion at the campsite last night was to watch the fireworks in Basel to celebrate the Swiss national day from the bridge in the picture. The campsite […]
A big thank you to the many people who have been posting comments on this blog. It is a real delight when I send my own posts to the blog to receive the messages that you have been sending either via the blog itself using the “comments” button […]
These pictures of campsites with tents and trees and the sun are becoming a bit repetitive aren’t they? Sorry, I’ll try be more imaginative tomorrow night. Here are today’s statistics; Cycling time: 4 hrs 39 mins 9 secs Distance: 99.07 kms Average speed: 21.3 kms/hr Maximum speed: 32.5 […]
Well it does say “stop” on the sign, do I did, bought some lunch and ate it by this bell. Couldn’t understand the inscription but I’m thinking they (there is another one of the other side of the road) are from a long destroyed church. Lots of religious […]
I feel like a meercat (correct spelling?) when I wake up on a campsite; I desperately search out a bit of sun and bask in it for a while to heat up my body. Today was a classic example but I was assisted in my efforts by my […]
I learnt so much tonight about Alsatian wine from these two guys…. But don’t remember much of the details. Enough said.
Firstly today’s statistics (which are all a bit affected by me pushing the bike from the campsite into the town, slowly….); Cycling time: 5 hrs 43 mins 20 secs Distance: 105.36 kms Average speed: 18.4 kms/hr Maximum speed: error!!! It says 129.5 kms/hr which is clearly nonsense. Probably […]
..on Camping des Trois Chateaux in Eguisheim; scrawny muddy pitch. The small town looks more promising and it’s only 200 metres away. Shower, change and explore that before I get too depressed. If it rains, it will not be fun in the morning.
Bill Bryson would love this place! It’s the kind of museum he writes about so well in his travelogues. I’ll try to emulate his style… I mentioned the Maginot Line a few days ago when I was on the Franco-Belgian border. Maginot was the French minister of war […]
As I type the local church is ringing out that it is 12 o’clock and Reggie & myself have paused (he has no choice on the matter of course) in the village of Marckolsheim some 60 kilometres south of Strasbourg. About three quarters of this morning’s cycle has […]
I’m tempting fate by saying this but if you split my route into three parts, part 1 being from Reading to Strasbourg, part 2 from Strasbourg to the Swiss-Italian border and part 3 being the entire length of Italy, part 2 is the “easy” bit when it comes […]
I came down from the cathedral and went off to meet up with Claus, my friend from Stuttgart. I had thought that it might be difficult trying to find him in a city that I certainly didn’t know well and that he had visited only fairly sporadically but […]
Sorry, that was a blatant fib. It’s the view from the top of the cathedral tower. And guess what? It’s raining again! Please tell me the weather is better south of Strasbourg… Simone? Claudio? Massimo? Basil?
Stuttgart Claus offered to come to Strasbourg today rather than tomorrow which is good news as I can now “bank” the extra rest day for future use and head off down the Rhine tomorrow morning. It just means that I have to do Strasbourg in 24 rather than […]
There are two amazing things about this picture of the cathedral in Strasbourg. Firstly the church itself; amazing colour, amazing size, amazingly intricate detail – I’ll come back and explore tomorrow. Secondly the sky; it is blue. After the rain that I have endured today, both when cycling […]
Cycling down from the “Porte des Vosges” could have been the most enjoyable ride so far; the long decent through deeply forested hills, opening out onto a plane full of colour, both from the crops in the fields and in the pretty villages with their brightly painted houses […]
It is so nice to meet people en route who are interested in what I am doing. This morning it was the guy at the entrance to Metz campsite, tonight it is my neighbours on the site here in Dabo. They were heading back to southern Germany (near […]
What a fabulous day! The question mark in the title is merely because I have now been doing this for so many days that I am beginning to forget all of the great days I have had. This afternoon’s cycle from Morhange to Sarrebourg continued in the same […]
An important psychological achievement today; my first 1,000 kilometres. Here is the rest of the information: Cycling time: 6 hrs 8 mins 28 secs Distance: 120.05 kms Average speed: 19.5 kms/hr Maximum speed: 49.9 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 1,051.8 kms
This is Morange, 50 kilometres from Metz and just under half way I reckon to Sarrebourg, my destination. This morning’s ride was nice; rolling countryside, the odd little climb to keep me awake, a mixture of sun and cloud to heat me up but then cool me down […]
And the new Pompidou Centre is impressive as well. It’s a bit like the O2’s inbred half brother.
This coffee tastes as good as it looks. The weather is looking up; blue sky without any threatening clouds. Fingers crossed. I was changing the dressing on my foot at the campsite entrance this morning when a French chap struck up conversation. He had watched me pack my […]
Think of a right-angle triangle with the right angle (the one that is 90 degrees for those of you who struggled in the CSE maths class) in the bottom left. The triangle is wider than it is tall (like a widescreen TV – this is differentiated blogging!). Hopefully […]
Reggie, Henry (that’s the tent by the way; Henry Helium 100) & I arrived about an hour ago in Metz and it was very wet. Horrible, boring rain that depresses you, not the Wagnerian stuff that I so much enjoyed the other day in Meuse country. There was […]
Does 3,20€ seem a lot for a bottle of Diet Coke? Just paused for lunch (which they can’t serve me in this bar…) at Thionville. Not a pretty place so I won’t be stopping long. This is very different country from the Meuse of last week. The vineyards […]
Having picked my way south east across the corn fields of Luxembourg, a task made a little more difficult by the stiff, cold wind trying to push me back to the capital, it was a relief to arrive at the Moselle valley. Immediately below me, apart from the […]
Hotels are all very good but they don’t half spoil you! I’ve just had another slap up breakfast after another extremely good night’s sleep. But I’m desperate to get back on the road again!! Cooped up in a little box is no fun once the novelty has worn […]
Probably asking too much but I can dream… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-england-berkshire-10755178?SThisEM
I’m facing 12 on the terrace of Pizza Hut in central Luxembourg city. Behind me at 7 are three Americans in their 20s, full of tall stories and tales of their European adventures. They speak English to the waitress without hesitation. True to type, everyone can hear them […]
See my cycle down the Meuse in a short video on Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/apsykes
I have loved the last six days of cycling but it has been equally good to have a very relaxing day off in a laid back place like Luxembourg. After a full English breakfast (!) at the hotel I strolled the 200 metres or so into the city […]
….before my eyes shut while typing the previous post last night. Much of yesterday’s route was dotted with remnants from the Second World War; lots of pillar boxes and a couple of monuments. The number of names of American soldiers who were either killed or lost in action […]
What a domestic scene this is… But it is well-rewarded after the longest day so far. I was woken this morning by Michael Jackson. Fear not, he had not come back to life to visit a campsite in the Ardennes at 5.30am; his music was being played at […]
A bloody long way, especially the last 20 kilometres of predominantly up hill climbs; Cycling time: 7 hrs 45 mins Distance: 150.21 kilometres Average speed: 19.3 kms/hr Maximum speed: 63.5 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 833.0 kms
After 148.79 kms….. I have arrived!
A bit of indecision this morning as to which direction to head in. Verdun was a possibility but it doesn’t seem to have much to offer other than a battlefield. So Luxembourg it still is; quite a distance but if the weather stays like this and the towns […]
These are a bit skewed by the long, flat ride along the Meuse river at the end of the day but hey! Cycling is cycling! Cycling time: 7 hrs 2 mins 10 secs Distance: 137.84 kms Average speed: 19.5 kms/hr Maximum speed: 57.1 kms/hr Eurovelo distance: 680.8 kms
When I woke up this morning, I would have been hard pressed to tell you that the Meuse was in France let alone in the area I was travelling in. It has, however, transformed what was becoming a bit of a pedestrian cycle (can I say that?) ride […]
Just coming back into France after another, much more rewarding (and well surfaced) excursion into Belgium. This border post is still standing; today empty and the benefits to all are clear. But there is something adventurous about border crossings, the fact perhaps that you may not be let […]
Rain set in about an hour ago – hail at the start! – and it looks as if it will continue. The countryside initially was just like West Yorkshire. Very strange and I really feel that I have yet to escape the north of France.
But not mine… 🙁
Cycling time: 5 hrs 49 mins 3 secs Distance: 114.86 kms Average speed: 19.7 kms/hr Max speed: 45.2kms/hr Eurovelo 5 total: 542.9 kms
Just look at how blue it is and how fluffy the clouds are…. The town itself is less beautiful although my hotel – the building on the photo – has the same interior designer as the boudoirs at the Moulin Rouge. The story of the day? Here goes… […]
I’ve just received this email from Mark Rowland which contains lots of useful tips and hints; Good luck on the route – you may recall we exchanged emails some time ago. A friend and I set off on our own Italian adventure at the start of June and […]
..are cousins; Anais lives just outside the centre of Lille and tonight I am sleeping on an inflatable mattress on her floor. It is very comfortable! The story of today is as follows; I woke up early courtesy of Alain’s braying donkeys. Alain himself was already up and […]
Moderately interesting fact of the day about northern France: Lille is called Lille because it used to be an island. I’m sure a geography teacher would argue the toss with me over that – it’s something to do with the canal / river… I’ll post later about the […]
I have just spent one of the most French nights of my life! The day’s stats to begin with; Time in saddle: 3 hrs 2 mins 38 secs Distance: 56.53 kms Average speed: 18.5 kms/hour Maximum speed: 49.7 kms/hour Eurovelo 5 total: 313.8 kms Alain was waiting for […]
My first border crossing awaits me at the bottom of the cliff. You get a very different view of Dover from this side. The castle behind me holds a stunning position in deeply wooded land. Beats the M20 entrance into the town hands down! Posting from continent may […]
Iain Harper and I exchanged messages as I was sitting in the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral and arranged to meet. We had coffee and he persuaded me that a comfortable bed in his house was a better option than scamp-site and I eventually agreed (I am worried about […]
Now let’s get this straight; I’m not cycling the Via Francigena. I’m not starting in Canterbury and finishing in Rome and unless I experience some sort of revelation in the next few weeks, I remain an unbeliever. However the Eurovelo 5 is inspired by the VF and they […]
One of Kent’s less picturesque spots but when you have to eat you have to eat. The A2 is relentless; one long straight road between Gillingham and eventually Canterbury. It’s now 2.30pm so I should be in Canterbury by 4.30pm. Will that give me enough time to sort […]
London didn’t seem to want to end but after two hours cycling and approaching Rochester, the Kent countryside has kicked in big time. What a view!
I think I need to be more careful when pitching the tent. As I type this message, the blood is rushing to my head as the ground is clearly not flat. Perhaps I will dream better… Sorry to bang I’m about the campsite but it really is amazing. […]
What an amazing place. Tucked into a corner of south east London, not far from Woolwich, lots of trading estates and Belmarsh Prison, you could quite easily be in the Dordogne. And at £11.90, a bargain to boot. Great days cycling – here are the stats; total kilometres: […]
Don’t worry,I’m not going to number all of them but this first one means I have escaped Reading! You may get fed up with pictures of Reggie – the bike – next to famous things; the next one will probably be Nelson’s Column.
Today is Sunday 18th July 2010. The day has come for me to set off on my own road to Rome and beyond. Below is the first post written on this blog back in summer 2008; The ancient route from Canterbury to Rome, followed by archbishops travelling to […]
Almost two years ago I sat in front of the television watching the Olympics in Beijing. It was wet, very wet and the cyclists were suffering as they made their way around the course that led around the Great Wall. But it was such a striking image; fit […]
Just returned home after spending the afternoon with some good friends; (Puglian) Basil, Amanda, Zoe & Sue. All are teachers, all erudite, witty and thoroughly good company. Thanks to them I will set off tomorrow morning in good spirit. Twelve hours to go of which eight will be […]
…even for those who don’t do it! What better message for everyone as I continue my preparations. Picture courtesy of Massimo Mazzone in Italy who I will be meeting up with south of Rome. (Nice example of an object pronoun in French as well 🙂 )
This is not the best preparation for a continental cycle ride but it is a Friday night and the end of an academic year. I met my friend Sally earlier in town for a drink, came home and slumped in front of the TV with a pizza on […]
…for me, but not the rest of the school. It seemed strange to end the year without the usual fanfare and mass salutations. It was just another Friday afternoon for everyone else; a happier than usual one I imagine for most as they look forward to the real […]
“It’s a grim old day…” says the weatherman on Five Live and as I look through the window as I prepare for my second educational day visit of the week to France, I see the proof. Where has the summer gone? So it is with delight that I […]
My friends, Puglian Basil & Liz have written about my trip on their new blog; We are preparing for the beginning of a tremendous journey by our good friend Andrew Sykes, who is about to set off on the bike ride of a life time – cycling from […]
Alain from Boulogne points me in this web direction for some detailed information about the St Gotthard Pass. Time for you non-French speakers to get your dictionaries out! More spectacular pictures can be found on the original site; L’ascension de ce mois-ci nous emmène faire une petite incursion dans […]
….from a coach full of screaming kids; the tranquility of the scene is only visual.
Well, I have just arrived in France but not en route to Brindisi, simply en route to Boulogne-sur-mer with eighty children in tow. We are only here for a day to visit a boulangerie, a sweet factory and do some shopping in the town itself. It’s not the […]
Removing the excess parts of the eleven 1:200,000 maps that cover the entire length of the Eurovelo 5 route allows me to create a (temporary) addition to the living room…. There is a gap between the Saint Gotthard Pass and the Swiss-Italian border; not the place to get […]
The European Cyclists’ Federation have given me their seal of approval! Doretta Vincini, one of the organisation’s Vice Presidents has written the following email; Dear Andrew, I congratulate you on your wonderful initiative and I envy you for this wonderful trip. I shall follow your efforts and your […]
The Rough Guide to the Eurovelo 5; not sure it will sell….
…hasn’t been written yet. So it’s a good job that the Rough Guides to France, Switzerland and Italy were on sale at Waterstones today; three for the price of two. I am about to surgically remove the sections with the red circles. Not yet sure if it is possible […]
Is one of France’s best exports coming to Reading? And not only that; opposite the back of the block of flats where I live? I have long evangelised about the joys of the sports & outdoor shop and there are a few up and down the country here in the […]
The brackets are required as I don’t know whether this will be an explanation (“How Twitter Works”) or a question (“How Does Twitter Work?”). I am, as you are aware, on Twitter. Over there on the left. My most recent post being about Dierdre Barlow (ha! I spelt […]
Here’s a friendly email from a guy called Richard Bradley who is quite local to me; he lives in Basingstoke; Hi Andrew, I have been reading your blog with great interest over the last few weeks. Stumbled across it whilst searching for online reviews of the Ridgeback Panorama. […]
A couple of weeks ago I made a list…. Let’s see how I am doing with just over one week to go; 1. Finish planning the route – Nowhere near finished; I have got as far as Strasbourg with some stages only remarkable in their lack of detail 2. […]
As predicted, much stress was involved in sending this picture. The instructions from the teenage technophile were far too brief to be of use and after a call to an Indian call centre and far too much alcohol, I have managed to start to get to grips with the […]
Here we go! Hours of stress is in front of me as I try to figure out the writings of a technophile teenager who has written the manual….
Sorry, but I have to post this comment from Helen O’Shaunghnessy in New Zealand; she wrote it recently on Chris Hammersley’s blog; I have been following Andrew’s…. blog avidly…it’s informative and highly entertaining ! It’s the kind of quote that, if this blog were a book (come on you […]
Laura Birchenough has just returned home from a cycle ride that took in the last part of the Eurovelo 5 – she stayed with Massimo Mazzone in Benevento – and then most of eastern / central Europe back to the UK. It seems to be the done thing to […]
Here is my first track with the new SPOT device. Sending a message every ten minutes means that between home and work, a journey that normally takes me only about 25 minutes, I would expect to have two “waypoints” tracked between me setting off and arriving. I only have […]
So far so good…. Haven’t yet got to the tracking bit (I need to go somewhere to be tracked!), but it is working and I have activated the device. Hanging out of the window of my flat, I sent my first message to the satellite and “beep beep” […]
Facebook is great. It has brought me into contact with lots of people who are interested in cycling either the Eurovelo 5 or a route that involves passing through the same places as the Eurovelo 5. Hamish Pattison from New Zealand is one of them and he’s just […]
Following his check-up on Saturday morning at AW Cycles, Reggie appears to be in fine form. The vibration at the front is gone, the knocking gear when going uphill has disappeared and the vibrating rear mud guard a thing of the past! Just a squeaking saddle remains but […]
Gary Walters, a PE teacher from Nottingham contacted me back in April. Here is his original email; Hi, I recently stumbled along your website about the Eurovelo 5 as me and 4 friends are cycling from Rotterdam to Milan on August 2nd this summer. We are hoping […]
I need somewhere to put my map while cycling. I have a cheap plastic map cover thing from Decathlon that can be Velcroed to the handlbars but when I tested this out last week it flapped around everywhere and was very annoying. So, I put my thinking cap on and […]
And probably the final iron ever for some of my clothes; these trousers have holes where holds shouldn’t be… and the white shirts are slowly taking on the hue of the sun cream that I slap on liberally before setting off on my bike every morning. They will […]
I still have two weeks remaining of school, including two visits to France (to Boulogne-sur-Mer of all places!) but I am now getting to the point of being ready to cycle to southern Italy. Jim Rawnsley has suggested below that I start a thread of comments in response […]
There has been just as much action in Reading and Caversham today with me making great leaps forward in my preparations for July 18th as there has been in SW19, South Africa and Rotterdam combined (Wimbledon, The World Cup & the Tour de France respectively). So as Germany […]
Expect lots of activity on here over the next 48 hours; I need to get things planned!
When I met Alain Lenain last weekend (see below), he suggested a small but useful change to my route. He has sent an email which sets out his suggestion; Andrew Me voici rentré chez moi et un grand merci pour ta gentillesse l’autre jour. Je peux d’ores et déjà te confirmer être à la maison le […]
Todd Rygh writes (and I respond in red); Hello Andrew, I just finished watching England-Germany. Not the result I was hoping for. Me neither, but they deserve nothing better! I am preparing my own bicycle journey from Winchester to Brindisi in late August through September, and I have […]
Alain, my warmshowers.com visitor was very good company; within a few minutes of meeting him at the station I felt that I had known him for a long time. After the football (see previous post) and a follow-up post-match discussion over another beer, we retired to the flat and […]
Watching Germany v England with Basil (he of Puglia fame) and Alain (he of Warmshowers fame). And Germany have just scored. 🙁 Update: The final score was 4-1 to Germany (or was that 4-2?). England never deserved to get through to the next round so the defeat was […]
