Benevento
It is now past 1am and I am so glad that later today I have a day off! The last two days cycling have been two of the most tiring so far; long, long days in the saddle towards the end of a long, long journey… In retrospect […]
Molinara: Taranta Power
I’ll explain later, but I have arrived safe and sound in Benevento and now at a concert in this village 30 kilometres east of the town.
En Route To Benevento
My energy is fading… I’ve paused at this ESSO service station and just consumed one of those hypercritically ironic food-drink combinations: a Magnum ice-cream and a Diet Coke. I am content for a few moments to just stare at those mountains; aren’t they magnificent? Sorry about the awning; […]
Valrano Scala
This is yet another town built around a long straight road; it seems to be the way to do it in this area. I’ve never been to South America but a lot of the places have the feel of towns you imagine exist down there. The long straight […]
Cassino
I think the building up there is the Abbey of Montecassino but I’m not really up for the climb so will never find out for sure. The Rough Guide doesn’t sing the praises of the place so I’ll content myself with the town of Cassino itself here at […]
Life On The Farm
Another new experience tonight; spending an evening on a working farm. Obviously my involvement in the farm is fleeting to say the least; the most I contributed was helping with the washing up. The place is run by guy called Antonello who has lived here all his life. […]
Sora: Farm Stay
Massimo’s friend Tomasso arrived within minutes of me sending the previous message and escorted me to the farm just outside the town itself. Here is a picture of the main house Here are the statistics for Rome to Sora – another long day! Cycling time: 8 hrs 7 […]
Sora
Waiting at the railway station in Sora for Tomasso…. No sign of him yet. Due to meet at 6pm and it’s now nearly 6.30pm. I went for a beer in the bar in the picture and there was a punch up! Tables turned over, glasses smashed on the […]
Fiuggi
Fiuggi is a nice find. Even nicer when it’s the place you manage to get your iPhone working again. It also thinks big; I have just had a couple of sandwiches (they were sandwiches, not panini, complete with the crusts removed!) in the Gran Caffรจ Martini and just […]
The Best View Yet!
Cesareo, East Of Rome
I left Rome early today; it made sense to do so as Marcello was off to work and with some hot weather finally being promised, I need to maximise the amount of time spent cycling when it is a little bit cooler. And it was certainly nice and […]
Eurovelo 5: The Final Week
I set off exactly four weeks ago today and with any luck, I should be in Brindisi this time next Sunday meaning I will have completed the entire route from Reading to Brindisi about two days ahead of schedule. The plan for the coming week is as follows; […]
Rome: Il Vittoriano
The view from the very top of the Vittorio Emanuele monument is amazing; here is the Coliseum and the hills beyond… which turn my thoughts to cycling south on the morning. I’ll start making my way back to Marcello’s flat soon to plan. Vittorio is a good name […]
Rome: Piazza Navona
If you can remember that far back, when I was in Luxembourg a few weeks ago, I visited an excellent museum all about the history of the city itself. It was well-presented, informative, interesting and told a complete picture that enabled me later, when wandering around the town, […]
Rome: The Trevi Fountain
It’s easier to get a better picture of the crowd than it is the fountain itself. So that’s what you’ve got I’m afraid. I walked from Marcello’s flat which is in the area behind the main railway station into the centre. It took me about half an hour; […]
Buongiorno Roma!
9am. Need to go off and explore!
Rome: Marcello’s Flat
Here is Marcello. Great guy. He lives in this flat just to the east of the centre of Rome with his girlfriend and dog, Ambra. His girlfriend is away this weekend so it was Marcello, myself and the dog who had “hot” chicken curry tonight. Well, the dog […]
The Vatican City
You know that I’m not on a pilgrimage but it was the first thing I bumped into… The statistics; Cycling time: 7 hrs 17 mins 44 secs Distance: 134.5 kms Average speed: 18.4 kms/hr Maximum speed: 50.6 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 2,601.9 kms Now off along the cobbles […]
Bracciano
As you can see it has a big castle! It’s a bit similar to Bolsena in that it sits next to and gives its name to a lake. Apart from that, can’t really tell you that much about it. I probably never will as it is mere curiosity […]
No Fun On The Road To Rome
It is cold. There is constant drizzle. The wind is hell. All I am doing is putting my head down and watching tarmac to make sure I avoid the holes in the road. No fun whatsoever. Not one bit.
Viterbo
This picture sums up the glamour of this morning’s ride so far. I re-oiled the chain after yesterday’s drenching but still had a very annoying squeak on the back wheel. I put it down to the lubrication in the wheel itself being washed away along with the chain […]
Correction!
It’s Marcello in Rome! Not Claudio…. Mi scusi. Another error on my part; today is Saturday; I’ve been a day behind all this week. This cycling lark is making me befuddled ๐
All Roads Lead To Rome
Clearly not true; I could turn back and head to the UK but the one that I will be continuing on today – the SS2 – certainly does. And an important milestone en route to Brindisi. Most people stop their walk or cycle in the Italian capital so, […]
12 Hour Eating At Il Ristorante Toscane
We are no longer in Tuscany but I shan’t quibble about the name; there is Peking Palace in Reading and dozens of Aberdeen Steakhouses in London. I only have half a clock to analyse tonight as from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock there is a wall. So, apart […]
Statistics: Siena to Bolsena
Nearly forgot! Cycling time: 6 hrs 23 mins 6 secs Distance: 121.69 kms Average speed: 19.0 kms/hr Maximum speed: 51.2 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 2,466.6 kms
Beautiful!
What an amazing little place! The storm clouds have disappeared and the view from here on the terrace of the castle – the last thing I was expecting – is stunning. After the 2,50โฌ beverage, I crossed over to the tourist office and enquired about budget accommodation. They […]
Bolsena; The Best & Worst Of Italy
You are looking at one of the best that I have found so far on my Italian odyssey; a large (40cl) beer for 2,50โฌ. Bloody amazing. They clearly saw me coming, drenched and identified me as a potential customer who needed cheering up with a cheap drink. I […]
Acquapendente
The name of the town is very appropriate. When I left San Quirico d’Orcia the rain had almost stopped. It seemed the passing storm had indeed passed. Storms move faster than cyclists so although it was heading in the same direction as me, I thought we were in […]
San Quirico D’Orcia
90 degrees to the left there is a biblical storm the likes of which I have only ever seen in films with Charlton Heston; black sky, thunder, lightening, frogs and errr… a nun just walking past with an umbrella. I timed my arrival in San Quirico d’Orcia well […]
Buonconvento
Mid morning coffee in this beautiful out-of-way (well not really as it’s on the main road to Rome) village 25 kilometres south of Siena. Nice & quiet however; a world away from Siena and the excitement of the Palio. And the two 85 cent coffees certainly hit the […]
Following Advice
As per your combined recommendations, I am now the proud owner of two cans of Autan and a packet of antihistamine tablets! Thank you. As for my travels, well, Siena wasn’t working for me which is a pity as I would have loved to have had a proper […]
Gracie
Thanks for all the comments to the previous post; Autan it is; I shall stop st the first pharmacy I see. Off to Siena for a bit and then south to the Lago di Bolsena and beyond….
Downtown Siena
For the first time tonight Iโm feeling bit depressed. ๐ Well, not really depressed, just a mixture of feeling sorry for myself; all the bites that I have suffered and which are making me feel uncomfortable for much of the time, especially when I am not cycling and […]
Statistics: Pisa To Siena
Cycling time: 5 hrs 57 mins 19 secs Distance: 116.88 kms Average speed: 19.6 kms/hr Maximum speed: 47.3 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 2,344.8 kms
From The North Sea To The Adriatic
Another cycle traveller, Tricia Graham, you may want to follow at the following website; http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ambertrail
How Far To Siena?
In the last five kilometres, the distance to Siena following the SR2 has been; firstly 18.5 kms, then 24 kms, then 19 kms and look! It’s back up to 25 kms!! Is there a game I’m missing out on here? The picture was taken in Castellina Scalo by […]
Castelfiorentino
I arrived in Castelfiorentino at precisely 12 noon; the clock was striking as I cycled into what appeared to be a fairly modern place. With a name like Castelfiorentino, I suppose I could have imagined something similar to what I imagined for Montopoli in Val d’Arno earlier. I […]
Montopoli In Val d’Arno
When I plugged Pisa and Siena into Via Michelin (bike option) at the campsite last night – there was a desktop computer available for campers – it came up with the route I’m now following. Montopoli In Val d’Arno immediately stood out as an potentially interesting place simply […]
Mosquitoes, Manholes & Miracles
When I look at the map, Pisa sits in a lowland area with lots of blue lines indicating both natural and man-made waterways. The tower is / was sinking into the swamp / bog upon which Pisa is built. I can only hope that this means that as […]
Long-Distance Cyclists Just Setting Off
There are three people (that I know of) who have just or are about to start cycling kind of the same route as me. Bill is cycling from Orkney to Rome, Chris is cycling from Brussels to Kephalonia, and Sue is cycling from the Austrian Tyrol to Christchurch […]
The View From The Torre Guinigi
Good phone reception up here. I can’t get out of my mind the tower in Pavia that collapsed without warning…
Lucca
My guide books says that this is a place you could just spend hours wandering around, and that’s exactly what I have spent the morning doing. The picture here is actually a very untypical view of the city; most streets are long, thin and windy interrupted with the […]
My New Bike
Just bought this bike for next year’s trip. Need three people to join me. Any takers?
On The Tourist Trail
“Greg, do you wanna go up this thing?” someone just shouted. It’s not even 9 o’clock and the Campo dei Miracoli is already heaving. It is a beautiful open area; I just dread to think what it will be like later in the day. Lots of people are […]
The Jazz Band…
..which I am enjoying from the Wi-Fi zone next to the reception. Any requests?
To Pisa: The Details
I have to say, this is one of the best equipped campsites so far on the Eurovelo 5. You can see in the picture that there are nets above the tents to keep things cool in the sun (not sure how they would cope with the rain; hope […]
Statistics For The Day To Pisa
Cycling time: 7 hrs 3 mins 47 secs Distance: 150.57 kms (Is that a record? How many did I do en route to Luxembourg?) Average: 21.3 kms/hr Maximum speed: 49.4 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 2,227.8 kms If those figures don’t deserve this cheese, I don’t know what does. […]
Pisa
Today certainly put the ‘cycling’ into ‘cycling holiday’. 7 hours in the saddle! But I have arrived at my intended destination and am looking forward to a day off tomorrow in Lucca and Pisa itself. I may even try and use the train to give me a real […]
La Spezia
Three hours predominantly downhill and 70 kilometres after leaving the Hobbits in their village, we arrive with all our spokes in tact at the sea. My aspiration yesterday of being able to spot the Mediterranean by the end of the day was on the assumption that you might […]
Passo Della Cisa II
You’ll never believe what that woman is selling…
Passo Della Cisa
Only half the height of the St. Gotthard but still a cracking view. And nobody selling sausages or stuffed animals!
Al Mare!
To the sea! If all goes well I should see the sea today and poke my toes into it. This is Bercato by the way; quite a large place when you consider where it is. Just had foccacia for breakfast (have you set fire to that yet David? […]
Responses To Comments
Just spent a few minutes replying to people via http://www.eurovelo5.com and Facebook; check as I may have replied to you. Thanks for everyone’s continued supportive messages and useful advice and guidance!
Salsomaggiore To Berceto
Here are the statistics for the day; Cycling time: 5 hrs 20 mins 52 secs Distance: 99.75 kms Average speed: 18.6 kms/hr Maximum speed: 40.9 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 2,076.9 kms When I got to 2,000 kilometres I was hoping to take a picture similar to when I […]
Hobbit Village In The Hills
Who needs an expensive film set in New Zealand when you could come to make your film at Camping Pianelli, just outside Berceto? I half expect Bilbo Baggins to pop his head round the corner of the reception or for Gandalf to summon me to his cottage. Probably […]
Del Sante To The Rescue
In sending me off down the road to Parma, Angelo told me to find a bike shop called Del Sante first; they were the best in town. 20 odd kilometres later after battling the heavy traffic on the road to the home of Italian ham and hard cheese, […]
Help From An Angel
On leaving the campsite I was chatting to the old guy who ran the place and his son; I explained that I had a problem with the bike and they said that I would actually be much better going to the nearby town of Fidenza. Their logical argument […]
Camping Arizona to ?
In fact lots of question marks today but the old guy who runs this place could cheer anyone up; I didn’t need the bottle of Montpulciano alone! So here is the plan; cycle back into Salsomaggiore Terme and see if either of the two bike shops that have […]
Reasons To Be Cheerful, Uno, Due, Tre…
1. I have a place to sleep tonight in a very busy but very friendly site somewhere that I can’t spell without looking at the map (and that would mean standing up and I can’t be bothered) but about 30 kilometres south of Parma 2. I have just […]
Pavia
Before I start, a big than-you to recent donations to the charity fund; it now stands at 87% of the total! This afternoon’s cycle was mainly along a very straight canal than leads from the southern suburbs of Milan to Pavia and we arrived in Pavia a few […]
Como
Not a bad view if you are having an afternoon drink like me or indeed if you are waiting for a bus (green pole on the left). The statistics for the day are as follows; Cycling time: 4 hrs 27 mins 17 secs Distance: 75.00 kms Average speed: […]
I Spoke Too Soon
Only the other day I was saying on here how well the bike was performing… Claus Zimmerman, teacher from southern Germany told me not to take the old cobbled road down the other side of the Gotthard Pass. Claus (different Claus by the way from Stuttgart Claus who […]
The Statistics to Andermatt
Cycling time: 7 hrs 8 mins 20 secs Distance: 112.09 kms Average speed: 15.6 kms/hr Maximum speed: 47.7 kms/hr Eurovelo 5 distance: 1,573.5 kms
British Weather, British Pint
I have sold my soul to the tourist trail devil and have sat down for a pint of beer in an British-styled pub; Mr Pickwick Pub. I did make a point of choosing a Swiss beer rather than Fosters. You would not believe how it is continuing to […]
Stress En Suisse
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 […]
Huningue, France (Not Switzerland)
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 […]
Coffee In Colmar
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 […]
Eguisheim; The Good, The Bad, The Miserable
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 […]
Mouillรฉ, Mouillรฉ, Mouillรฉ
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 […]
The Best Day So Far?
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 […]
Stats: Metz to Dabo
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
Metz
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 […]
Back On The Eurovelo 5
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 […]
Stats for Charleville-Mรฉziรจres to Luxembourg
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
Stats for Lille – Maubeuge
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
L’Ile de Lille
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 […]
La France Profonde
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 […]
Dover & Out
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 […]
The Official Start!
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 […]
Abbey Wood Campsite
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 ยฃ11.90, a bargain to boot. Great days cycling – here are the stats; total kilometres: […]
The Send Off Party!
La Via Romeo Francigena / Eurovelo 5
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 […]
Map Art Installation
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 […]
News From The ECF
The European Cyclists’ Federation have given me their seal of approval! Dorettaย Vincini, one of the organisation’s Vice Presidents has written the following email; ย Dear Andrew, I congratulate you on your wonderful initiative and I envy you for this wonderful trip. I shall follow your efforts and your […]
Classy!
The Rough Guide to the Eurovelo 5; not sure it will sell….
The Rough Guide to the Eurovelo 5…
…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 ifย it is possible […]
The First Photo From The iPhone
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 centreย and far too much alcohol, I have managed to start to get to grips with the […]
Laura Birchenough in Figures
Laura Birchenoughย 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 […]
Spotted in Rural Oxfordshire
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” trackedย between me setting off and arriving. I only have […]
Eurovelo 5+8
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 […]
Gary Walters; Rotterdam to Milan
Gary Walters, a PE teacher from Nottingham contacted me back in April. Here is his original email; ย 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 […]
Eurovelo 5 Colleagues
Watching Germany v England with Basil (he of Puglia fame) and Alain (he of Warmshowers fame). And Germany have just scored. ๐ 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 […]
Sun Day & Sunday
We are currently going through a mini heat-wave here in south-east England (confirmed by the fact that earlier this week the first hose-pipe ban was announced…). Temperatures are predicted to soar to around 30 degrees today (in the shade). I cast my mind back to a similar sun-drenched […]
The Charity!
I’ve decided that, as an extra motivation to keep cycling (especially when I get to The Alps!) that it makes sense for my efforts to help support a charity. Over the last month I have been avidly watching Springwatch on the TV and then caught the BBC “Wild […]
Playing The Long Game
Guess what I’ve been doing since I arrived home from work? Which is a pity because I have a few pieces of news to report and now have to write about them while falling asleep… The first should really deserve a whole post to itself as it is […]
Austria (I Think) Calling
Susan Hausberger emails from Austria. Hi Andrew! Hope you don’t mind me writing to you (otherwise I don’t suppose you’d publish your email address!). I am very interested in your tour as I am planning to go from my home in the Tyrol to Christchurch/Bournemouth in August – […]
Calais v Dunkirk & Sensible Pricing Policy
Marks & Spencer stands out in the high street as a shop that sells things at sensible prices. I don’t mean low prices (it’s a long time since I gave up any pretence of being able to do my weekly food shop in their high-class supermarket), I mean […]
Breaking News!
Bill Vrabel has got his own site up and running. Called “Orkney To Rome โ A Cycling Journey” with the subtitle “A librarian’s autumnal journey southbound through Europe on a bicycle” it does what it says on the tin! I love the clean style that he has chosen; […]
Orkney to Rome
As I have said before, I love the fact that people all over the World read my blog and contribute either through the comments or by taking time to email me. It is no doubt the nearest I will ever come to receiving fan mail (teenage school kids […]
Flavio the Florentine; Inventor of Grandride
Flavio has commented on my post of the 1st June (below in blue) and also on the CTC Eurovelo 5 forum (below in red) with the following messages; Hi Andrew, Great project! I found it only today.. two years later For the question posted in August, 6thโฆ 2008, […]
