All in Transportation

Constanta, Romania to Istanbul, Turkey: Refurbishing our Bikes where East Meets West

Constanta, Romania to Istanbul, Turkey: Refurbishing our Bikes where East Meets West

Pedals and Puffins
Mosques, Culture, Equipment, Journal, Transportation, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling, Istanbul

In late October 2019, we made our way from the shores of the Black Sea to Istanbul, Turkey - our staging area to prepare for cycling across Africa. We dove into the challenge of refurbishing most of the major components on our Surly touring bikes. It was’t easy, and we wouldn’t have been able to get it all done without the help of a really great bike shop run by an expert cyclist. We even found some time to visit Istanbul’s historic center, with it’s unique mix of Byzantine, Ottoman and modern influences.

Cycling Oltenita to Constanta, Romania: Arriving at the Black Sea

Cycling Oltenita to Constanta, Romania: Arriving at the Black Sea

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Danube River, EuroVelo 6, Equipment, Churches, Transportation, Planning, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling

We‘ve reached the conclusion of our European bicycle journey, with our arrival on the shores of the Black Sea. The cobalt-blue waters were a welcome sight, as we celebrated over 9,300 km (5,800 mi) in the saddle. During the final days, we cycled over hills blanketed with mature vineyards, and valleys dotted with monasteries that marked the borderlands between Christian and Ottoman empires.

Belgrade, Serbia to Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania: Cycling Through the Iron Gates

Belgrade, Serbia to Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania: Cycling Through the Iron Gates

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, EuroVelo 6, Castles, Churches, Wildlife, Danube River, Natural Park, Transportation, Balkans, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling, Belgrade

We took a few wrong turns, but eventually made it out of Belgrade, and back onto the rough-surfaced, but peaceful Danube levees. Before long, we had crossed the river, and were entering the stunningly beautiful Iron Gates. Through a series of tunnels and cliff-side roads, we cycled past the gorges that slice through the Carpathian Mountains, finally landing in Romania.

Cycling Regensburg, Germany to Feldkirchen, Austria: Three Ferries and a Recumbent

Cycling Regensburg, Germany to Feldkirchen, Austria: Three Ferries and a Recumbent

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Churches, Danube River, EuroVelo 6, Food, Transportation, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling

We’ve left Germany via the beautiful, baroque city of Passau. Our arrival in Austria brings our country-tally to seven for the trip. But Austria threw us a curve-ball, with three ferry crossings of the Danube River in one day. The route from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria is one of the most popular cycling trails in Europe, giving us lots of opportunities to meet other cyclists. One new friend from Holland let us try out his recumbent bicycle.

Cycling Ulm to Regensburg, Germany: Beer and Cake for Breakfast

Cycling Ulm to Regensburg, Germany: Beer and Cake for Breakfast

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Culture, Castles, Churches, Danube River, EuroVelo 6, Food, Transportation, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling

Out on a cycling tour, you eat whatever the villages along your way offer. Watermelons sold along the side of the road? Of course. An Italian cafe dinner in the heart of Bavarian Germany? Why not? Beer and cake for breakfast, in an ancient Benedictine monastery? Absolutely. It all tastes great when you’re traveling the world by bike.

Portsmouth, UK to Nantes, France: Bikes on the Ferry and French Trains

Portsmouth, UK to Nantes, France: Bikes on the Ferry and French Trains

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Culture, Transportation, Bike Art, Castles, Loire River, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling, Brittany

A ferry ride across the English Channel will bring us back to France. But before we can leave, we’ll have to wait in the ferry terminal until our overnight voyage is ready to board. Once we’ve landed in France, two trains will whisk us across Brittany to Nantes. There we’ll finally get to revisit the giant, mechanical elephant, and his equally astonishing, fellow animal machines. There’s nothing quite like it.

Middlesbrough to Amble, UK: Cycling the Rivers and Coast of Northumbria

Middlesbrough to Amble, UK: Cycling the Rivers and Coast of Northumbria

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Castles, EuroVelo 12, Food, Natural Park, Wildlife, Transportation, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling

Along the Northumbrian coast, we passed through dozens of coastal hamlets, as well as the industrial cities that line the banks of its major rivers: the Tees, the Wear, the Tyne and the Blyth. The trail rolled across a series of unique and iconic bridges, over grassy sand dunes, and past rocky shores. And every once in a while, just to make sure we don’t lose our climbing legs, the route would launch up a steep cliff face, for a panoramic ride along the bluffs overlooking the sea.

Roscoff (France) to Lydford (UK): Cycling the Land of Ships and Sheep

Roscoff (France) to Lydford (UK): Cycling the Land of Ships and Sheep

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Camino de Santiago, Churches, EuroVelo 1, Natural Park, Transportation, Bike Art, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Brittany, Cycling

On a blustery, rainy day we bundled up our cycling gear and boarded the ferry for England. We lingered in Plymouth for a day, visiting famous sights like Hoe Park and the Barbican neighborhood and soaking up the maritime ambiance. But the Tors of Dartmoor beckoned us. So we rode our bikes northward, up the Plym River and into the rugged, granite hills.

Cycling Soulac-sur-Mer to La Rochelle, France: Marshes and Medieval Towers

Cycling Soulac-sur-Mer to La Rochelle, France: Marshes and Medieval Towers

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, Culture, Castles, EuroVelo 1, Food, Natural Park, Transportation, Wildlife, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling

After a week of biking through the pine forests of Landes, France, we emerged onto the marshlands of northern Aquitaine. Alternating between cycling on coastal roads and the levees between drainage canals in the marshes, we enjoyed the change of scenery. It ended with the awe-inspiring views of the medieval towers guarding the harbor entrance, as we cycled into the ancient city of La Rochelle. A rest day in the old part of the city included a chance to celebrate life with our third Carnival parade for the year.

Cycling Lisbon to Sagres, Portugal: Expect the Unexpected

Cycling Lisbon to Sagres, Portugal: Expect the Unexpected

Pedals and Puffins
Journal, EuroVelo 1, Wildlife, Natural Park, Transportation, Murals, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Cycling, Lisbon, Sagres

The five days of biking from Lisbon to Portugal’s southwestern corner was not expected to be too challenging. With the exception of one mountain park, with a climb through a pass that is only 625 ft high, the terrain would be fairly manageable with low, rolling hills. But nothing was exactly as it seemed, and Portugal threw us a few curve balls.