One Week, Four Countries: An Autumn Cycle Tour

This October we spent a few days in Austria on a long-planned family holiday. As this included crossing all of Switzerland, we thought we might as well continue the vacation a bit longer and do a short cycle tour from there. We had a week to spend, and we ended up cycling in four countries (Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland) and over four mountain passes (no, actually, five). We went from glorious autumn weather to the beginning of winter. The trip was short (too short!), but it gave us back a bit of the cycle touring feeling we had been missing since coming back home last June.

It was a tough week, but a very happy one.

Read on if you want to know more about it!

Continue reading “One Week, Four Countries: An Autumn Cycle Tour” →

The Other Side of the Atlantic: Diary of Last Year #3

8th of November 2016

We leave only our footprints in the sand.

Grey sky, warm air and high humidity. We’re going to cycle down the Uruguayan coast – Ruta 10, la Oceánica.

November is still low season, beachside villages are quiet, almost deserted. The few permanent inhabitants move around on horseback or on horse-drawn carts. Some are fixing holiday houses for the summer. Hand-painted signs are everywhere. Continue reading “The Other Side of the Atlantic: Diary of Last Year #3” →

Next Stop: Bojuru: Diary of Last Year #2

1st of November 2016

South of Brazil. Mostardas, a small friendly town with colorful houses. A long stretch of straight road lies before us. Neverending flat fields, marshes, pastures. Cows, horses, birds.

The weather forecast announces rain for this afternoon and tonight. Heavy rain even, and heavy winds. The next town is over 150 km away – São José do Norte. Between here and there, right in the middle, a small village on the map.

Bojuru. Continue reading “Next Stop: Bojuru: Diary of Last Year #2” →

Diary of Last Year #1: We’re going to South America – but wait, not right away

25th of October 2016

This is the big day. Today, we’re flying to South America – Brazil, to be precise. Our bicycles: packed in bubble wrap and lots of tape. Our panniers: packed in big plastic bags from the Chinese shop downstairs. Us: nervous.

But wait, what happened? This is not Brazil. How did we end up in front of a mosque? Continue reading “Diary of Last Year #1: We’re going to South America – but wait, not right away” →