Europe 2022

Kosovo Dog Rescue
Europe 2022

Legend

Motorbike
Driving
Walking
Hiking

Day 154 ‐ Nov 3, 2022
Day 147, United Kingdom ‐ Oct 27, 2022

458.8 km

Finally home!!
Day 146 ‐ Oct 26, 2022

235 km
Dusseldorf, Germany ‐ Oct 25, 2022

5 km

A day off the bike, exploring the city of Dusseldorf with Mary and getting some good food - falafels and delicious Lebanese food for lunch and then Schnitzels in the evening with some drinks joined by Mary's boyfriend Lucas and her housemate Abi

+3
Day 144 ‐ Oct 24, 2022

198.5 km

Chatting away with Mary from Switzerland in my Luxembourg hostel room I was late leaving and missed the breakfast which ended at 9am! 9am! Rawdish is a vegan cafe with takeaway options in the centre so I had a chocolate croissant, milkshake and chocolate brownie, sugar rush! I spoke to Nye a little on one of my breaks but he was busy doing the big service on his Triumph Sprint GT so we didn't talk long. I rode to Dusseldorf but was going to arrive too early so stopped for some autumn photos alo [...]
ng the way, tonight's stay is with another Mary, this Mary I met in Istanbul and spent a few days with her, we went to get massages at the hammam too! We had a fun evening shopping at Lidl then making some chips, vegan steaks and peas which is apparently very English then went up to her housemate's room where we watched Get Hard, a great comedy, on his projector. I ate even more sugary treats of mini doughnuts and Ben and Jerry's 😂 Mary's boyfriend, Lucas, joined us half way through and afterwards we had some vodka as it was the birthday of our room host (not sure how to spell his name).

Autumn in Germany

Dusseldorf
Day 143 ‐ Oct 23, 2022

179.6 km
Day 142 ‐ Oct 22, 2022

207.2 km

B500 Black Forest
Day 141, Switzerland ‐ Oct 21, 2022

298.1 km

What an insane day, I ended up leaving Stefano's flat far too late to get into Switzerland and needed to avoid the motorways/tolls because I don't have a vignette, meaning the ride was going to be pretty long! The sun was shining and it wasn't too cool but I wrapped up as the rain was forecast in the afternoon. I made it to Lago di Como which was insanely stunning but completely covered in clouds so I couldn't see far, then the rain came down, slowly at first but before I knew it I was soaking a [...]
nd starting to get pretty cold. I realised riding the Simplon Pass in this weather was a silly idea so tried to change my route, unfortunately that wasn't possible without the motorways though but there was a car train at the base of the mountain, I stopped under the shelter looking at the train information but nobody was around and the toilets were locked so I couldn't even use the hand dryer to get a little warmer, then a Scottish lady appeared in a big Swiss plated Range Rover and asked if I was okay, I explained how cold and wet I was and asked about the train but it was over an hour wait!

The nightmare of Switzerland!

Not wanting to just sit and wait in the rain for an unknown train I cracked on up the mountain, getting colder and wetting each metre we went. The clouds were so grey but the autumn leaves were a brig...
Milan, Italy ‐ Oct 20, 2022

+29
Milan ‐ Oct 19, 2022

19 km

I was supposed to leave for Switzerland today but after a very late night I decided to stay and Stefano was kind enough to let me! We had a lazy morning then went shopping in the local Aldi where I was in heaven finding so many vegan goodies and we made some lunch at the apartment. The afternoon was a tourist dream exploring the various landmarks Milan has to offer as you'll see from the photos! We walked a whopping 17km through China Town, the cathedral, the humongous cemetery and park with d [...]
og areas, very cute! We had a Chinese in China Town to break up the pizza then went back to watch Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging as I wanted to watch this for some reason, another late night by the time we finished the film though! I have to leave tomorrow as I've booked a hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland so 10am start!
Day 138 ‐ Oct 18, 2022

232.5 km

Last night was lovely walking around Bologna and seeing the tourist sights by night, the lovely couple I stayed with took me for vegan gelato which was delicious but the cone unfortunately had milk in so I carried it around with me looking for a dog to take it out of my hands, forgetting it's civilisation over here so street dogs don't just appear! Skip to this morning and I had a bit of a lie-in before riding to Milano, to stay with Stefano the cyclist I met in Croatia and saw again in Albania [...]
! Vegan cafés are everywhere here in Italy so I picked one in Modena and had an absolute feast, chatting away with the wonderful owner of the place the entire time. I hope to be back one day, although the couple want to move to Spain so maybe I'll visit them in a different location! The road to Milan was very stop-start with roundabouts everywhere as I didn't want to take the toll roads, at 5.30pm I arrived and waited for Stefano to find me and show me the underground garage for Wilmer to stay for the night. There's no better hospitality than the Italians. In the evening we went to a vegan place called Veganfruttariano, what a mouthful! I had a tasty pizza (but it was more like a garlic bread with a broccoli type leaf - I actually really liked it) and then a strawberry cheesecake for dessert with the best Pina Colada, oh my, how I love Pina Colada 😂 We went back to the flat before hiring a scary electric scooter (aka death trap) scooting to Bar Bah, Stefano's "local" and had a couple of drinks each, unfortunately the gelato store was closed so we'll have to come back tomorrow!

+6

Arriving in Milan
Day 137 ‐ Oct 17, 2022

616.7 km

On to the ferry with lots of other bikers I had met at the ferry port, I made my way to the reclining seat room which I'd booked a chair for the night, I couldn't afford a cabin, along with a handful of other passengers it seemed, but took my camping cot so I would at least be able to lie down for the journey. We were supposed to sail at 7pm but we had to start boarding by 5.30 and didn't set sail until after 7.30, maybe closer to 8pm! This morning I found out the reason for the delays were due [...]
to them checking every single car for drugs with a big scanner, doing 10 cars at a time... They really don't trust the Albanians 😅 In the evening I went to the self service restaurant as I didn't have time to eat during the day and was absolutely scammed out of 16 euros, for some awful pasta, dry and cold chips and a can of Fanta, 16 euros!! Whilst eating I looked around a noticed a distinct lack of women, in fact there wasn't another in sight on the whole ferry! I went back to my recliner and spoke a little to some Albanian truckers who weren't interested in me when they asked if I have a boyfriend and I said yes, so the conversation didn't last long 😂 Finally setting sail one of the bikers from the port came to find me and asked if I wanted to go to the games room and hang out so after a bit of admin on my phone I went downstairs to find at least 200 rowdy truckers playing blackjack, poker, various card games and drinking beer, it was quite intimidating! They looked at me like bears seeing food for the first time in days but I held my head high and walked past like I do this regularly. I sat with the bikers and ignored as best I could the intense stares from around the lobby, trying to do anything but make eye contact with any of them. They were like vultures. A guy on a KTM 990 offered his spare bed in his cabin but I declined as I didn't fully trust his intentions were good and he offered his shower if nothing else but thankfully some of the other bikers who were more trustworthy I felt also offered theirs so I grabbed my towel and PJs and took the key for their cabin for a quick freshen up. I went back to see the bikes in my PJ shorts and jumper and the truckers looked like they had never seen a girls legs before so that was interesting, I didn't want them to stop me wearing what I want though so I went back to sit with the group and we shared a pomegranate, leaving juice everywhere and seeds flying around the place. At 10ish I went up to make my bed between the rows of recliners, cleaned my teeth and got some Netflix downloaded shows on, making myself a little privacy curtain with my towel to block the lights and so nobody could stare at me whilst I slept 🤣 it works a treat and I only work up a couple of times as well as a toilet break in the morning. I woke up at midday panicking I had not only slept through the ferry arriving at Ancona but thought I was on my way back to Durres, luckily (or not) our 11am arrival time was more like a 2pm arrival which then got pushed to 3pm... I spent a good hour or two chatting with an Albanian guy who spoke perfect English as well as Italian and we had a laugh, chatting about his life, my trip, the UK, politics, history and everything in between, up until it was time to get off the boat. We all queued up with our stuff on the staircase and I found a few of the biker group, we went down to get the bikes and the lorries made it impossible to reach them, I tried to squeeze between the gaps but ended up panicking and freaking out, having to quickly abandon the idea and get my stuff back to the waiting area at the front of the lorries. A biker came and helped me to try again but again, I panicked and had to retreat and then all of a sudden I couldn't breathe. I was shaking and thought I was about to collapse, I found a port hole and scurried out of it leaving all my things by the wall and I crouched down as I began to have a panic attack. I grabbed my phone, tears streaming down my face with one hand clutching my chest, I felt my heart beating so fast I thought it was about to explode but managed to call Nye, I tried over and over again but no answer. Scared I was alone and going to pass out with a panic attack I look next to me to one of the ferry workers and he smiles awkwardly as I gasp for air and tell him I'm okay weakly. I pulled myself together just enough to go back into the ferry to see if I could get my bike and the man who helped me earlier on saw I was struggling and walked me to the bike, pulled it out from next to the lorry it was squeezed at the side of and turned it around for me, checking I was alright. I was so grateful but could barely put words together still so just nodded and said a quiet "thank you". Off the ferry Wilmer and I went and headed to the exit through tonnes of traffic. Out of nowhere the biker who knew the guy who rescued me in Italy in July came and waved showing me the way and we avoided all traffic and for straight to passport control where it was quick and painless. After this we all said goodbye and good luck and I continued to Bologna, it was 4pm at this point, 5 hours after the ferry was supposed to arrive! Bologna's vegan eats were all, but one, shut by the time I got here at 7pm but I got to a place, had whatever was in the fridge leftover as the kitchen was closed and then arranged my stay for the night. I thought I would camp outside the city as hostels and hotels are extortionate and I'm out of money but I met someone in Plovdiv, Bulgaria the first time I went through and he lives just outside the city so I sent him a message and I'm currently waiting for him and his girlfriend to meet me in the centre for a drink before I stay at theirs! The power of travel!

+11

Ferry day
Day 136, Albania ‐ Oct 16, 2022

425.9 km

After taking too long to get ready this morning I left Moon Hostel to get some lunch items and some cash out for Max(i) and Lucky, setting off towards Lulzim's place just 20 minutes from the centre of Pristina. I got to Lulzim's and we had some cuddles and play time (the dogs and I that is!) before my swift departure to get to Albania for my 16+ hour ferry to Ancona, Italy - fun! It was today I realised just how little money I have left, I went over my limit on the credit card, into my overdr [...]
aft on 2 other accounts and can't access my savings on a weekend so buying petrol was interesting and involved frantically calling Nye multiple times to ask him to send me money as my banking apps were being temperamental! Nevertheless I managed to get a card to give me money and made it with plenty of time (an hour) spare to board the ferry. When I got to the port I saw a KTM 990 so went and parked next to it, seeing it's from Italy (makes sense) and the owner was very happy to see me and in true Italian style didn't want to leave me alone. Then some more Italian bikers arrived, mostly on big KTMs and a Tenere 700 was in the mix. Another group arrived, guess where from? Italy of course! That's when I heard someone about "jade?" And looked up to be welcomed by Marco, a biker who runs the "6% club" that basically rescued me back in July when I got stuck on a mountain in the Abruzzo region! Who'd have thought it, such crazy stuff bumping into people like this! I boarded the ferry eventually and avoided the first Italian I met as best I could after he invited me to sleep with him in his cabin - my budget doesn't stretch to a bed so I have a seat and my camping cot for the night 🤣 See you in Italy!

+18

Lucky and Max reunion
Day 135, Kosovo ‐ Oct 15, 2022

111.8 km

A short day in the afternoon riding from Doretea's to Pristina in Kosovo, so excited to see my puppies but I need to try and find a bike shop to look at my electrics as I'm having a bit of an issue with my usb sockets and heated grips, Nye thinks a wire could be melting from the power needed for the heated grips as I started using them recently and have had them almost on full heat for quite a few hours at a time! Unfortunately I couldn't find the entrance to a bike shop in Skopje so continued t [...]
o Kosovo with cold hands and a dying phone... I booked Moon Hostel near the centre of Pristina and got there first then made my way over to Lulzim, where Lucky and Max are staying. He's only about 20 minutes away from the hostel so not bad. At 4.15 I set off to get some treats for the dogs and some food for dinner but the shops didn't have anything for dogs and I wasn't sure what to make for myself so I left it and got to Lucky and Max. They were nervous to come out of the pen and Max was extra careful so Lucky got out and ran around with the other, loose, dogs rolling in the mud and falling over lots as a clumsy puppy. We took her to the gated garden away from the chaos of the shelters and Lulzim went to grab Max too. I cuddled both between them running around like lunatics and after some time I realised Max is not a Max... Max is a girl! I tell Lulzim about how the translation lost the fact that she's also a girl and I was wondering where her balls were and we laughed a lot about it. Now to think of another name maybe..? After a couple of hours I made my way back to the city to my hostel, got changed and made my way out to an eatery, I was waiting for my food when a German vegan walks in (I know he's vegan because he asked what vegan options there are) and we ended up chatting and eating for over an hour. He was only there for a few days with a non vegan friend who wanted pasta somewhere else so I ended up walking with him to meet this meaty friend 😅 Back to the hostel and spent a few hours connecting with a very kind soul, we talked a lot about our journeys, our beliefs and he showed me the amazing collection he has of porcupine spikes, feathers, crystals from the mountains and just an incredibly beautiful box of things. I will take a crystal back to my Mum and some Jay Bird feathers for strength and power. It's times like this I'm grateful for all the connections I make with people along the road I meet.

+14

Leaving Skopje going to Pristina
Day 133, Macedonia ‐ Oct 13, 2022

312.4 km

Okay so last night was brilliant, I was out on the rooftop bar at the hostel until the early hours and drinking as many vodka fantas, tequila and rakije as I wanted - free! I barely even spoke to the birthday boy (hostel owner) but I hope he had a good time too!

+7

Plovdiv to Skopje
Day 132 ‐ Oct 12, 2022

271.9 km
Day 131 ‐ Oct 11, 2022

316.3 km
Day 130, Turkey ‐ Oct 10, 2022

371.8 km

A longgggg day but a nice break at Omm Inn cafe in Eskisehir which was INCREDIBLE! In fact quite possibly the best food I've had so it's definitely made today better! I had doggie cuddles in the cafe too so even more fun! Unfortunately the arrival to my Airbnb wasn't so brilliant 😅 in typical Airbnb style addresses are often mixed up or wrong and it took a while to find the place...
Day 129 ‐ Oct 9, 2022

0.9 km
Day 128, Turkey ‐ Oct 8, 2022

278.4 km

I set off from the most amazing hostel in Cappadocia, after chatting with so many people there all morning, I actually didn't want to leave but I knew I needed to get going. Ankara was going to be my little vegan food heaven until I get to Plovdiv again in Bulgaria. The ride was long, really cold and very boring and I had planned to visit the underground city and the salt lake but it would have added so much time on to the day and I was just not feeling it. I booked a hostel private room as th [...]
at was all that was left whilst I was on my way and just as I was 8 minutes away according to the satnav the motorway was closed off! I had to take an early exit and ended up following the road signs for the diversion until they disappeared - helpful! Then just has to wing it and hope the rough direction mixed with what I could see on the satnav would work and I made it eventually! It made the 8 minutes, 26 minutes and heavy rain started as I got closer to the city centre, on top of being frozen and wearing all my layers! The hostel is alright, not that social feeling and my private room is small and cold with no working heater, I ended up getting my sleeping bag off the bike so I would be alright! In the evening I thought I'd try a fully vegan pub called TünelVeganPub and has the "cheeseburger" then a soufflé with ice-cream for dessert. The lady working their is so lovely she made the experience! It was getting late so I walked back to the hostel, sat in the hallway area where it was a little warmer than my room, stuck my headphones in and watched some Love Island USA, only two episodes to go until the finale! That's when a lovely girl came over and we started chatting, about 3 hours flew by as we told our life stories and travel adventures and it was amazing to just connect with someone to well, she gave me some nail varnish and other belongings she was throwing out too 😂 eventually we both said goodnight (after a quick showing off of our tattoos - I've been thinking of my next so I was intrigued by hers) and off to bed I went.
Göreme ‐ Oct 7, 2022

3 km

+2

Cappadocia
Day 126 ‐ Oct 6, 2022

2 km

Okay so I may not have woken up in time to see the balloons... Woopsies! I was very tired though so needed the lie-in. I ended up spending the day with friends I'd made at the hostel (which was recommended by Charlotte the French cyclist I hung around with in Tbilisi) and I'm so glad I went, what truly lovely people owner/ran and stayed there! In the afternoon I decided to actually go to a campsite and stay overnight so I would wake up this time to balloons, silly me didn't check how cold it w [...]
as up on the hill though... In the evening I came back down to the town to eat with Vincent and Qlim who I'd been chatting to in the morning at Diadem Hostel, we went to Fat Boys Restaurant as they had vegan options and honestly it was one of the best meals I've had in Turkey! After the meal we went to find some vegan baklava following a HappyCow recommendation, only to find nowhere seemed to make it without eggs! Gutted! We went for some warm drinks instead before I departed to my campsite.
Day 125 ‐ Oct 5, 2022

301.1 km

Even windier than yesterday I had the most boring, soul destroying route. I picked the slightly longer one as it was meant to go through a town with waterfalls... I didn't see any water let alone pretty waterfalls! 60 miles extra for nothing but boring motorways and strong wind that almost knocked me off the road over and over again! Oh well... I was going to camp so I could wake up to the balloons that only go up at sunrise but I've been sneezing so badly all day long i feel rotten, hoping it' [...]
s just temporary and maybe from all the shit they're pumping into the air (I saw over 8 chemtrails yesterday above me) so an early night is needed for my 5am wake up for the damn balloons 🤣 I treated myself to an Indian restaurant for dinner though, some spice might, just might, help 🤞🏻
Day 124 ‐ Oct 4, 2022

375.2 km

A long day setting off in torrential rain and ending up with sunny spots and gorgeous mountain views. Some of the best views I've seen in Turkey actually! The wind made it exhausting though so arriving at my cheap hotel I was pretty much ready to just sleep, I ended up going out for some food and getting some engine oil for the bike service (which is now 1k miles overdue - woopsie) Tomorrow I'll ride to Cappadocia for the balloons!
Day 123 ‐ Oct 3, 2022

2.2 km
Day 122 ‐ Oct 2, 2022

191.3 km
Day 121, Turkey ‐ Oct 1, 2022

342.6 km

Glad to be leaving the creepy hostel man and the discusting room I made sure I was up early and got out of there, making my way to Erzurum. Unfortunately it was another day of seeing multiple dogs dead in the streets and I was just really feeling sick of riding here now, thinking a lot about home but I cracked on and made it to the £9 Airbnb I had booked. I arrived, parked my bike up outside and one of the two hosts popped his head out of the window about 3 stories above. The flat was a studen [...]
t house with 2 med students (hosts), 2 dentistry students and then 3 rooms of Airbnb. One of the hosts gave me a hand with my bags and as soon as I entered the flat I could smell delicious food cooking, I hoped someone else was vegan as I saw the vegetable dishes everywhere. (To be continued when I have time)
Day 120 ‐ Sep 30, 2022

177.5 km

Waking up to the warm sun and a very comfy bed almost made the day start well but I had an awful nightmare where I watched my mum die - not a great start to the day! I made the rest of the potato slices, veggie burgers and beans that I didn't manage to eat last night and then set off eventually to see Mount Ararat. I got to the junction to see the mountain and was greeted by the army, the said I need a permit to enter and no amount of sweet talking was working so I just asked if I could take a [...]
photo and then go about my day. They allowed me to enter and get photos near the big ass army vehicle and when I rocked up I disturbed two officials but one came over and offered me tea - I didn't want to be rude so of course I accepted! I told them I was going to take some photos and whipped my tripod out, after some awkward posing in front of them I asked if they wanted to join but their sargent? (I assume) came over and started getting a bit shouty so I thought I best leave. Turns out they all wanted to be in the photo! We got some pics and I burnt my mouth on the tea then said my goodbyes after exchanging Instagram's 😂 I went back to the hostel for my stuff and to pay which took ages as they had to figure out the card machine (the owner is away in Cappadocia giving a tour to some American tourists) and then I set off to a waterfall on the way to Van, I wanted to camp near the lake here but I arrived in the dark again (it's dark by 6pm! - 4pm in the UK) so frantically searched for a cheap hotel or hostel with a kitchen to cook in. I arrived to the most disgusting place with a very flirtatious (creepy) owner so didn't end up cooking and just ate pringles and salsa then bread with chocolate spread for dessert lol

+7

Mount Ararat
Day 119 ‐ Sep 29, 2022

216.7 km

I left Kars and the cute hotel room with it's very leaky shower (the whole bathroom was a literal bath 😂) on a mission to see some old ruins and castle in Ani, before going south to Mount Ararat

+21

Ani Ruins - a day exploring and history
Day 118 ‐ Sep 28, 2022

258.5 km

After waking up a little later than I should have, I found myself to be stuck in the hotel room as the door handle was missing, panicking and trying 5he key to open it with no luck, I called the dog over and knocked and shouted. After an agonising 10 minutes the daughter in law (I think I took her room) came and grumpily had a go at me for being stuck - there is quite a knack to opening it using the key it seems! Woops Olivier was heading out for breakfast and I said I'd meet him when I've pack [...]
ed up to go to the Stalin museum so I got my stuff ready, bike gear on, cleaned and lubed the chain then headed off. The museum was pretty rubbish with a fast and uninspiring tour that left us more confused than informed and it missed out a lot of information about just how much Stalin did, I've since done my own research (ie talking to Nye who's degree is in history and he gave me the run down) After the museum, Olivier and I got some lunch and I said au reviour and departed from Gori to the national parks on route to Turkey. I have to say the the road I took was quite possibly the most beautiful road I've ridden as yet and I was stunned the entire time riding, the road followed a river for miles and miles and it was incredible! Unfortunately, the border crossing was not so incredible, it took over one hour to get through as the building was a couple of huts still being built and a dodgy electrician was doing the wiring whilst we were going through passport control, leaving us multiple times with no power, starting each process over and over again each power cut! The sun set whilst I was in the little border hut and the next two hours I spent freezing and riding in pitch black to get to Kars, I was very happy to arrive at my hotel (costing a whopping £8.50) and able to have a warm shower and a big bed all to myself.

+16

Gori to Kars
Day 117 ‐ Sep 27, 2022

247.9 km

+14

Georgia - Caucasus Mountain day
Day 116 ‐ Sep 26, 2022

2.8 km
Day 114, Georgia ‐ Sep 24, 2022

1.3 km

A rainy stormy day calls for one thing - food! Charlotte, Christien and I set off on a mission for vegan food the other side of the city and the cafe wasn't open after our long trek so we walked another 15 minutes to get to Vegan Place, starving at this point I was so excited for food but it was quite pricey and portions were disappointing. We came back to the hostel to chill out, after I took a detour to the shopping centre solo on the hunt for a small Bluetooth keyboard to make my blogging a [...]
nd job applications easier but had no luck! The evening came around and still pissing it down with bad storms, I didn't fancy our planned "night out" so Christien and I went to a fancy vegan wine bar and restaurant - spent most of my budget for the day on this meal 🤣 it was good though - un-chicken Kyiv with mashed potato and lead - delicious 👌🏻 Christien went to get a pack of playing cards and we spent the evening cosy in our room with a Russian refugee playing card games (russian games are difficult though just FYI)

+9

Tbilisi
Day 113 ‐ Sep 23, 2022

207.4 km

I left Kataisi after a long morning waiting for the storm to calm - it rained for soooo long all morning and night so by 1pm I was about ready to get going. I followed the "main" road until it become a dirt path full of potholes and flooded areas but eventually got to another main road that crept up the mountains and twisted around quarries, back to terrifying times with cars overtaking each other driving headfirst to other vehicles, including me at times, made the journey quite hellish! Rain w [...]
as on and off all day and whilst at high altitude I was starting to get so cold I figured it was best to pull over at the next services and put some more layers on. During the ride a big American truck let me past him and we would take it in turns being in front before the other would overtake, each time looking over at each other with occasional waves and thumbs up, it was a bit of entertainment at least! When I got to the point of being too cold my hands were starting to numb I went to pull into a service station, as did my American truck friend, which was a bit odd pulling in next to each other but he came out and greeted me, telling me how awesome I was and asking about my trip. He went back into his truck and pulled out a bottle of WD40 for me and then a packet of wet wipes - so random! After talking for a while he fed some of the dogs there with his leftover fries and then offered me to sit in the car to warm up with the heating on. I hesitated for a while but in the end figured if he kidnaps me I at least had a good run to here and made it to Georgia 😂 he obviously didn't steal me and was a lovely man from Greece of all places! He spends half his time in Greece and the other half here near Gori. I said my goodbyes and thank yous and continued to Tbilisi, wishing I hadn't when I finally got to the city because my god the driving is just the worst I've ever known. Think India but worse 😅 it took almost 1.5 hours to just get to my hostel and the hostel is on a steep cobblestone track, very slippery when wet, and with barriers at each end so I had to sneak around them! The hostel was busy and had a friendly russian owner who can't be any older than me, turns out he bought the hostel just 2 days ago! My friend from the UK who I met in Bosnia is also staying so we were reunited and in the same room by chance!
Day 112 ‐ Sep 22, 2022

112.8 km
Day 111, Turkey ‐ Sep 21, 2022

215.7 km
Day 110 ‐ Sep 20, 2022

323.8 km

Today is time to get to Trabzon but I need to beat the storms whıch are due here for the next week - I'm hoping I get there before the bad rain I have heard so much about will arrive! PS I am having to type on a Turkish keyboard hence the strange letters For such a massive country I would say it feels like one of the smallest I have visited - they are all so friendly and lovely it's insane how scared I was to come here from everythıng people would say about Turks and the country - the police [...]
are lovely too!

+11

Samsun
Day 109 ‐ Sep 19, 2022

20 km

Not goıng anywhere - just seeıng the sıghts and eatıng some food
Day 108 ‐ Sep 18, 2022

124.7 km

I ended up staying up late last night stressing about work and potential jobs for my return - ı have narrowed it down to 4 schools but I am doubtful about getting far in an application when I'm on the road and can't even get to an interview - let's see!
Day 107 ‐ Sep 17, 2022

272.2 km
Day 106 ‐ Sep 16, 2022

151.4 km
Day 105 ‐ Sep 15, 2022

245.4 km
Day 104 ‐ Sep 14, 2022

212.4 km
Day 101 ‐ Sep 11, 2022

4.2 km
Day 99 ‐ Sep 9, 2022

224.8 km
Day 98 ‐ Sep 8, 2022

239.4 km
Day 97 ‐ Sep 7, 2022
Day 96 ‐ Sep 6, 2022

0.6 km
Day 95, Bulgaria ‐ Sep 5, 2022

192 km

After a very tough couple of days relatıonshıp wıse wıth Nye I decıded to get out and go for a sıghtseeıng rıde around the local mountaıns - most of the rıde was actually spent cryıng unfortuantely

+2

Bulgaria
Day 94 ‐ Sep 4, 2022

1.4 km
Day 93 ‐ Sep 3, 2022

27.3 km
Day 92, Bulgaria ‐ Sep 2, 2022

At motocamp İ waıt for my tyre to be fıt and my Helınox Cot to arrıve before I get to Turkıye and fınısh the trıp - there ısn't much to say whılst I waıt for everythıng but the week here has defıntely lead to some ınterestıng ınteractıons
Day 91, Romania ‐ Sep 1, 2022

225.7 km

Riding from Craiova to Motocamp Bulgaria, bit of a boring day but managed to miss most of the rain. I set off around midday after making myself some vegan nugguts and chips for brunch, trying to up my calories massively at the moment after not feeling great then seeing I was basically having 800kcals per day, no wonder I was dizzy standing up and getting headaches! I got the ferry over the border and had some food at Hummus House in Pleven, what a horrible city though, I wouldn't recommend!
Day 90 ‐ Aug 31, 2022

226 km

Riding down from Sibiu along the Transalpina through crazy storms and then lovely sunshine, I'd say it's possibly the most beautiful road and scenery I've ever seen, it somehow beats Mount Olympus I'd even say!

+8

Transalpina
Day 89, Romania ‐ Aug 30, 2022

152.1 km

Riding the Transfagarasan after almost not doing it at all! I set off from the bottom, leaving my little cabin I slept in last night, I actually saw a bear just after some tunnels before a big dam or lake (not sure what it was)! How exciting! I really hoped I'd see more to photograph... There were sooooo many bikers out and most of them were pissing me off to be honest, riding in a big group, passing dangerously, only about 5% had the courtesy to wave or at least acknowledge me, I was starting [...]
to get very annoyed with them and stopped to let them pass me safely before one of us had an accident. When I got about 2 hours into the road a massive storm came and I just felt like there was no point continuing, especially with the bad mood the big bike tour had put me in. After turning around and riding back into sunshine I pulled over and another biker rocked up, on a little MT-03, the guy, Miro, had ridden from Czech and we were chatting for a while. It made me remember how I used to ride in all weather and not be a pussy so I decided to turn back around and just ride it, even if the storm was bad I wasn't failing. Afterall, I came to Romania for this and the Transalpina! The god's were good and let the sun shine and dry me and the bike out and we had the best ride up to the top, woohoo! I found a hostel in Sibiu whilst at a Lidl near the bottom of the pass and upon arriving, I had the whole hostel room to myself and the owners were so lovely one of them came to spend the evening with me chatting and listening to NF in the kitchen whilst I ate my Lidl meal!

+9

Transfagarasan
Day 88 ‐ Aug 29, 2022

209.7 km

My plan was to ride the Transfagarasan and Transalpina tomorrow so İ got to a lıttle cabın hut at the base of the Transfagarasan ready to rıde - Romanıa ıs very expensıve compared to Bulgarıa though and ıt cost over 20 pounds for a lıttle glampıng hut wıth no workıng wıfı but there was a nıce kıtchen and I got some food from the closest Lıdl and made a bıg stırfry. İ've not been feelıng that great recently - tıred and dızzy so decıded to start trackıng my calorıes and [...]
realısed very quıckly that the maxımum of 800 cals I have been eatıng ıs nowhere near enough to sustaın the amount of rıdıng and general lıvıng so i am tryıng to up my calorıes now
Day 87 ‐ Aug 28, 2022

163 km

Riding up to Bucharest was long and boring with very straight roads and lots of lorries to filter through as I got closer to the Romanian border. Police pushed me through the bridge control to the front but I stupidly sat waiting at the gate for a while until I realised bikes didn't have to pay the toll and it all made sense why police were getting rid of me! I arrived to the hostel in Bucharest and after 20 minutes of trying to call the hostel and get in they finally called me back to say I wa [...]
s at the wrong entrance and had to drive around to the correct side! It wasn't a good hostel, the AC didn't work, there were 8 girls in the room and only one wantwd to speak and be friendly and I had a massive breakdown at night wanting to go home and sack off the trip. I'd not been eating much since leaving Plovdiv so ordered a vegan wrap and had it delivered then I ended up sleeping all evening, I wasn't feeling great mentally and obviously needed the sleep! I did get to chat with a nice English girl and Italian guy before heading back to bed again though
Day 86, Bulgaria ‐ Aug 27, 2022

181.2 km

Leaving Plovdiv very late after getting to bed at 6am from a brilliant night out with Brad and Elijah from my hostel I ended up riding at 5pm and arriving in Veliko Tarnovo in the dark, struggling to park my bike on flat ground I was extremely pissed off with the world and just wanted to sleep and get moving the next day to Bucharest, I didn't even see VT because it was so late and I was hungover!
Day 83 ‐ Aug 24, 2022

125.2 km

Leaving Bansko to get to Plovdiv today, it was raining a bit and a chilly start even though I didn't leave until lunch time. By the time I arrived in plovdiv it was high 30s and my thermals and waterproofs were very unwanted! The hostel is up a really cute hill but steep and rocky, big cobblestone slabs, I parked around the side of the hostel under a tree and headed up some big steps to find a Ring doorbell and someone came to let me in within seconds. I was welcomed and told to go wait in th [...]
e garden where a girl brought out a jug of homemade lemonade, some info leaflets and a big map of the town. An older guy said hello and I recognised the London accent, I said I lived between Sheffield and Nottingham and he scarily guessed the village next to ours from his extensive courier working knowledge, we had a chat about how awful Greece was and the Greeks hating me and the girl who worked here came to sit down to give me a virtual tour using the map she'd placed down for me. She was lovely and explained everything, where the bars are, vegan places, museums, walking tours, you name it. Then a man came rushing around and said "Jade? I've emailed you 4 times, 4 times!" He was quite aggressive "I need your arrival time and phone number" "I'm the owner of the hostel, Hristo" and then off he went. I said I'm on my bike I've been riding all day so didn't check but I have since looked at he's chatting bollocks as he only sent me one! I was getting ready to head out to Veggic, a vegan restaurant, showered then went outside to the garden to chat to the hostel stayers and my Aussie roommate, Daniel, let a woman in and was helping her find her hotel on Google maps as her phone had died and she couldn't find the place. Just as she was leaving Daniel got a call. It took a while to find out who it was and then realised it was the hostel owner aggressively telling him off for letting a stranger into his hostel! He was so mad and Daniel told him to speak to him in person about it and not do it over the phone. It was a bit heated for a while but they decided Hristo would join us for breakfast in the morning, so I'm dreading that now! I headed out for food and I have to say it's a stunning town! Good food, women are nice, men are a bit crazy 😂 but nicer than the Greeks so far!

+13
Day 81 ‐ Aug 22, 2022

228.7 km
Thessaloniki, Greece ‐ Aug 21, 2022

What a day I spent the morning chatting with a filmmaker/videographer from Paris in our hostel room before he invited me to join him and the girl he was filming a music video for for lunch, we headed to a veggie/vegan place called rOOTS after taking their hire car back to the port. Turns out all Greek old men hate us Brits as I discovered over and over again, this time by a petrol station attendant who almost spat at me when I said I'm from England but he was loving Stefano and Athina fro [...]
m bloody France 🤣 We had lunch and that's when I heard all the stories of what Athina does for a living, she's not only a musician trying to start her career with this single she's shooting a video for but her main job is as a sex worker - you can imagine how the lunch went with me and Stefano just amazed by her crazy stories and mental personality 😂 After lunch she wanted to do a scene IN a water fountain, in front of bars and restaurants with families drinking and eating 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣 I spectated and filmed the reactions of the crowd and she lapped up the attention like a puppy at a gathering. It gets weirder though She then wants to go to a "squat" with music studios in an abandoned building and let's herself in then proceeds to bang on the door of a room we hear loud drums and guitars playing in. Next thing I know she's introducing herself to the unsuspecting victims that are a band practicing and minding their own business and we stay to "jam" with them and get more content for her video After this I needed a lie down so headed back solo to the hostel whilst they planned on going on a bus for more footage I was chatting to a roommate for a bit then Stefano came back and we laughed about the crazy day with Athena and planned on heading out for a bite to eat and some ice-cream at the place I'd wanted to visit since arriving 8 of us ended up going out for food and Athena got very close to a Dutch guy (who was as odd as her) and before I knew it 6 out of the 8 left for icecream leaving the lovebirds to it! The ice-cream place ended up being closed so we all went to The Dubliner, a crap Irish pub which made everyone except me and Stefano leave, the two of us went to an awesome bar and whilst finishing our drinks Stefano gets a text. It was two Italian girls from the hostel. They were angry and wanted to come join us for drinks so they arrived in a fluster and as the bar was closing we went next door. Why was this girl so angry? She explained that Athena and the Dutch guy were having loud sex in their dorm room - their female only dorm room 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ We had some tequilas, more drinks and we danced the night away quite literally. It closed at 4am so the 4 of us headed off, Stefano and angry Italian girl were making out a lot in the end so I was half expecting to be kept awake from the two of them but I split off from them walking back because the girls were flirting with some other girls and I was busy flirting away with a guy in the shop and managed to get a staff discount on my drunk food shop and a free croissant in exchange for an ice cream date (I really wanted this ice-cream) which I never went on 🤣 After sending Nye and interesting drunk voice note at 4.30am I got back to the hostel to find a really weird old man pacing around the room trying to find a plug socket for what looked like a bug repellent - what I didn't understand was why the Aircon was off and the windows were open letting all the bugs in?! Stefano then got back and we laughed about the crazy old man and the windows so we closed them all and turned the Aircon back on which made the man toss and turn in his bed and get up multiple times?! No idea what was going on but I woke up in the morning to him opening all the windows again and turning the Aircon off, it was sweltering!

+12
Day 79 ‐ Aug 20, 2022

261.9 km
Day 78 ‐ Aug 19, 2022

138.5 km
Day 77, Greece ‐ Aug 18, 2022

396.5 km

Another torturous day in terms of riding miles, having left my bike last night in Kalampaka again, Nye and I went two up to the ferry port from Ioannina where I left him on a little beach and then rode the hire bike all the way back to Kalampaka, had to explain the bike needed a clutch lever and the owner was not happy one bit! Luke was still in the town so I messaged him for some manly backup and he was brilliant. Unfortunately the bike shop owner didn't appreciate us trying to cover up the cr [...]
ash bar damage with black paint and demanded new crash bars, a hand guard and a clutch lever! Coming to 105 euros of damage :( 2 hours passed of waiting around for the owner to sort his stuff out and sort out parts and prices for me and poor Nye was bored out of his mind at the beach, I still had 2+ hours to ride back to him! Finally leaving Kalampaka, I hit the tolls again riding the exact same route that I had just taken so was pretty bored of it by now! I eventually got to Nye but he had moved beaches to a more touristy place, an hours walk bless him from where I left! We had about 30 minutes free to swim and chill before we needed to ride two up on my little bike with both sets of luggage, that part wasn't fun! We got to the ferry port and it was almost full so I ran to the ticket booth, got a ticket for me and the bike and we zoomed off to the ferry, being told ''VAMOS'' by ticket man! The ferry staff weren't happy we held them up but we squeezed on between the vehicles. Sitting in the nice airconditioned room, we had some drinks and pringles and laughed about the crazy week we'd endured. Corfu island was in sight so we headed down to the bottom deck to get the bike which was mayhem as everyone scrambled to get their lorries and cars off, as I was stressing trying to get my tank bag attached to the bike I suddenly got grabbed from behind and I flipped out, why did the staff have to grab me?! Just so I was out of the cars way, then they proceeded to shout that we had to get off with the bike ASAP even though they had literally just pulled me off the bike! I was not a happy bunny and rode off the ramp swearing and shouting at the ferry crew, Nye walked down and we squeezed back onto the bike, with an Indian restaurant set for the destination we were starving and angry... Food was decent but a long old wait but luckily (depending on how you look at it) Nye's flight was getting more and more delayed so we weren't too worried about the food wait. We then got to the airport and I left Nye there and rode south through the island to a little penisular between a lake and the sea beach. It was pitch black so riding was interesting, hardpack offroad suddenly became loose sand and I was not in the mood for it! I set up my tent with my new airbed Nye had brought with him, blew it up and then went to put it inside... only to find it's too big and basically takes up the ENTIRE floor space of my 1 man Elixir - great! So that I could put my things under a cover I placed the top, rainfly, sheet on top which meant I boiled all night long but when I woke up I saw the beach bar I was next to had a toilet, shower and nice sun loungers so I could at least poo in peace and then wash! After a couple of hours sunbathing, eating my curry and naan leftovers, I decided I'd had enough of Corfu and got ready to leave. Of course the world had other plans for me and wanted me to hate Greece even more than I already was by bringing a bunch of lads on vespars to block me into my space, I was raging at this point and was close to kicking them all down like dominoes but managed after a lot of effort to back-and-forth manoeuvre it out, I just wanted off this place! I rode to the nearest ferry port (not back up to Corfu) and got the quickest ferry outta there and went to find some waterfalls
Day 76 ‐ Aug 17, 2022

193.3 km

A busy day ahead, after a late night servicing my bike, Nye got up at 7am to do a 120 mile round trip to a bike shop that supposedly had a clutch lever for the hire bike, not only did they open 1.20 hours late but they also had NO PARTS for the bike they previously said they had the clutch lever for on the phone (no translation issues either, the shop owners friend had called him the day before when Nye was searching during my hospital stay). Not happy he returns to Elessona for me and we head o [...]
ut to Kalampaka. Realising I had actually overpaid for the hire bike, and put too much of a deposit down, we wanted to get some money back before I return the bike tomorrow and they see the broken clutch lever. On our way with both our bikes, we pass through lovely mountain roads and a lake, we rescue a couple of tortoises from being squished and then we see a white fluffy ball in the road, narrowly escaping being hit by an oncoming car - it was a tiny puppy! Not another! Nye picked her up and we went looking around the fields for any sign of her mother or other dogs but she was seemingly alone so we popped her in Nye's rented tank bag and set off for the vets in Kalampaka, they were only open for another 30 minutes and it was 15 to get there so we shot off and got her some flee treatment, wormer and a tin of food before our plan of leaving her near the restaurants and bars in the town centre, where she'd have a lot more chance of surviving (we hoped). Just as we were pulling up to the bar area, a bike beeps at us, I check my mirror, it's Luke! He also falls in love with the puppy but after feeding her, giving her some water in cut water bottles, we left for some food and found a nice quiet restaurant with the special being a vegan spinach pie, we all ordered one which was lovely and then went to the bike shop to ask for some money back, hoping they didn't see the damage! Thankfully it wasn't too bad and they gave me some cash back, not the full amount though after arguing the price of the bike at 75 euros per day, not the agreed 70. We then parted ways with Luke again and set off for Ioannina (again), quite the day for riding lots of miles, especially for Nye!
Day 75 ‐ Aug 16, 2022

62.1 km

After making my injured knee more sore yesterday on Mount Olympus, Nye and I decided our beach day we'd been wanting was needed so we hopped on the Daytona and planned a vegan cafe stop in Katerini before getting to the beach on the Easy coast. This is where more stuff goes wrong... 2 minutes before the cafe, we go around a roundabout, or should I say half way around. The tarmac in this area is so old and worn out it's like riding on ice and the front wheel just tucked under us in less than a [...]
second and next thing we know I'm on the road hitting my bad leg again and struggling to move it. I genuinely thought at this point I had fractured my leg if it wasn't already so we got an ambulance and Nye, being absolutely fine, followed to the hospital. They wanted to do blood tests, CT scans and various other checks but I refused them all, I just wanted an X Ray, nothing else! Greece really loves their face nappies and Convid rules so I got quite pissed off when they told Nye he couldn't stay without wearing a muzzle and I was about to hobble myself out when they handed me one too but I threw it on the floor ''accidentally'' and they didn't say anything! Hours went past and they told me they couldn't let me discharge myself without having to inform the police! Some stupid rule of theirs. I was pretty annoyed at this point and just wanted to know if my leg was alright. Apparently first relatives have to be present if you want to discharge yourself - AS AN ADULT! Wtf Nye didn't count even as my next of kin so they said the police would have to come but I told them just give me the X Ray and we'll go from there. Whilst I went for my X Ray Nye went out looking for a new clutch lever for the bike as it snapped in the fall... he had no luck The luck was on my side though as no fractures! The osteopath said I have a problem with my patella that seemed to have been from before the accident and I said yes, he said I need physio so that's what I'm trying to do now after rest! Nye eventually came back to collect me and we went to look for a place to eat - it was gone 5pm and we had only had breakfast so Nye was pretty hangry. Being Greece, nothing on Google was correct, much like the bike shops that were basically old houses or closed, it really wasn't much fun, especially with my bandaged up knee and hobble! We got some crappy food then hit the road, back to the airbnb we had near Mount Olympus, a small town called Elessona. Another storm was heading our way though so we skirted around it, following the south coastal route as the storm was on the mountains north of us (not on the map as we turned my tracker off in the hospital so my Mum didn't see). We made it back dry! Got to Lidl and bought a pizza and a few other bits and Nye kindly serviced my bike whilst I cooked and iced my knee. Another crazy day!
Day 74 ‐ Aug 15, 2022

135.8 km

Mount Olympus Day! Nye, Luke and I set off for Elonessa, where I'd booked a little apartment for Nye and I to spend a couple of nights as it was an ideal location to ride the mountain. I basically spent the whole day saying variations of ''wow'', ''epic'' and the like. Truly the best views I've ever seen and the best company I could ask for. Luke is a lovely guy and it's rare to meet such a down to Earth biker when you know them for their online presence. Nye was loving the Maverick even with i [...]
ts crappy suspension but he was flying around and getting some awesome photos of me and Luke... Unfortunately I accidently currupted the SD card when we got back to the apartment by trying to help him transfer the 400+ photos faster using my SD to USB-C reader... completely forgetting his phone (which was mine originally) occassionally fucks it all up and loses everything :'( I spent most of the night crying over it and trying to find and use data recovery apps but with no success. All we hope for is Luke's photos being decent.

+9

Mount Olympus
Day 73 ‐ Aug 14, 2022

84.3 km

After riding the hire bike two-up from the ferry town Igoumenitsa and then to Ioannina, it was time to two-up again to where my bike was in Kalampaka, at Host El Greco. Before going East we fancied doing some of the roads on DangerousRoads.com or whatever the website is called! We ended up offroading through some mountain cow tracks and got some awesome shots on the Daytona. Nye was loving being abroad again after four long years stuck in the UK. I was just happy to have him, I didn't care too m [...]
uch about the biking at this point! After playing around on the mountains we decided to crack on and get to the hostel. Unfortunately, a huge and very unpleasant storm hit us whilst riding the mountain passes and Nye had no waterproofs with him! I wanted to suffer too so didn't put mine on out of respect for him but poor Nye was shivering most of the way, taking the brunt of the rain and wind at the front. We rocked up at Host El Greco like drowed rats, shivering and needing a hot shower desperately when we noticed our friend from Insta, Luke, was also in the hostel! We were sharing a room, how random! I had originally planned to ride Mount Olympus with him before I knew Nye was coming so the three of us agreed we'd ride it tomorrow and this evening we would get some food and drinks and have a good old chin wag

+6

Exploring mountains in Greece on the rental bike
Day 72 ‐ Aug 13, 2022

277.5 km

Nye lands in the afternoon and I need to ride from Ioannina to Kalampaka (Meteora) to collect a hire bike, leave my bike at the hostel for a couple of days and then ride 3.5 hours more on the tolls to get to Igoumenitsa - the ferry port. I rushed to Kalampaka, leaving the Airbnb at 8.30am and had such a long day ahead, when I arrived at Hobby Shop, Meteora the owner of the shop tells me the bike, a Daytona Maverick 500, had got a taller seat and seat pad on as he wasn't expecting a woman to ever [...]
ride it. Luckily I could just about touch the ground but the clutch was really far out and I almost pulled out in front of a van when I was starting the bike! I rode for hours on toll roads, paying around 1 euro each time and arrived at Igoumenitsa, not realising Nye didn't arrive for another 2-3 hours! I rushed on tolls for no reason! I found a bar and sat relaxing and drinking various fruit juices until his flight got in and he got an expensive taxi to the ferry port from the airport. I then made him walk what was meant to be 5 minutes but ended up being about 9 from the ferry to my bar, he was carrying my stuff all the way from the UK so we didn't have to pay for courier! Finally reunited after almost 2.5 months! We had some chips and fried peppers and then got on the bike two up and headed for the airbnb, it was so lovely to see him I was filled with a happy warmth, we wanted to go to Lidl for some dinner supplies but they shut at 8pm and we arrived at 8.20! Luckily I had a risotto mix and chocolate from earlier in the day and we went for a little village shop in the town we were staying in to add some veggies and beans to the meal.

+3

Nye arrives!
Day 71, Albania ‐ Aug 12, 2022

87.6 km

The worst nightmare happened - food poisoning! Yesterday was not a good day! I won't delve into it too much but I woke up an absolute mess, not even managing to get to the bathroom in time and spent the whole day extremely ill. I had to move rooms as I only extended my stay late at night (thank goodness I did though) so I got my stuff together and weakly got myself downstairs, sleeping on a sofa whilst I waited for my room to be ready. I literally slept the rest of the day and night and drank [...]
a little water. Not fun! Today though I had to get my act together and ride to Greece as Nye booked a flight to Corfu whilst I was poorly haha
- Sarande, Albania ‐ Aug 10, 2022
  
  I got to Sarande, the roads were stunning down the "Albanian Riviera" with gorgeous coastal twisty turns but traffic was horrendous as the famous Riviera was obviously popular with tourists! The hostel was nice and friendly and the best bit was the air conditioning! I made some food and then met a nice girl from Isreal who I ended up chilling with all evening, chatting with her and a German English teacher, we had some cool chats and it was nice to chill out in the hostel after walking around t [...]
  he town and getting some nice vegan icecream. The plan is to go out on a cocktail bar crawl tomorrow night!
  
  +9
Day 69 ‐ Aug 9, 2022

91.2 km

My friend from Argentina, Nati, arrived at my hostel, we'd only met in Marseille for a brief time in our hostel the day after my French crash. It was so good to see her! We met a Swiss guy called Colin in the hostel who joined us to see Stefano, the cyclist I saw last night. I wanted to see him before he got the ferry back to Italy so he could have a photo on his bike as he's been travelling so long with it and had no riding photos! After a drink we headed to the sea and had a nice swim as a gr [...]
oup of four, Stafano left for his ferry and Nati, Colin and I went to find some food. A hotel restaurant supposedly did vegan food so we set off looking for this, stopping for photos as you can see. When we reached the hotel there was a lift with "0" and "1" as the floor options so we figured the restaurant was only the next level up... Then we set off shooting into what felt like the sky as we must have zoomed up at least 10 stories to the rooftop to find the restaurant and a pool! Food was rubbish, bland and they told me they couldn't do a risotto with veggies, only mushrooms, then brought Nati out her chicken fillet with said veggies I had asked for! In the evening we wanted a night out but Vlore ended up being really crap and Albanian bars turn the music off at 11:30pm!

+7
Day 67 ‐ Aug 8, 2022

144.9 km

The guy who came to my rescue on the mountain yesterday was heading to Tirana for a car shop to fix his problematic car (I wonder why with the roads like that!) so I invited him for a drink near my hostel before I left for Vlore. He still refused any money even after helping me out so much but it was nice to have a chat before leaving the city and heading to the coast. The cyclist, Stefano, I had met in Croatia on the ferry, was also in the town so we went out for dinner which was super nice (t [...]
he company and chatting, not so much the food)

+5
Day 66, Macedonia ‐ Aug 7, 2022

209.7 km

Finally leaving Macedonia after staying much longer than I planned, Damjan came with me to Struga and Ohrid before we parted ways and I got to the Albanian border. Following my satnav to Tirana I set it to avoid motorways and go the twisty route, well, I've learnt one lesson today - don't follow a satnav blindly 😂😂😂 I got to a gravel track and started climbing up and around little villages, it got quite rough at times but I cracked on, thinking it won't be another Italian ACT inci [...]
dent (I thought) and slowly got up to a beautiful view point in the mountains. It said it was only a few miles to the next turning so I assumed I'd be back on tarmac in no time. An hour passed. The riding got tougher, then easier, then tough again. Then I got to a tiny little settlement with a little bar and some sheep/goat farms, I'd just passed a teenaged looking lad out on the mountain with a massive rifle so wasn't sure where I'd ended up but I carried on still. Hoping and praying tarmac was coming up soon. A minute later I was stuck. It was so steep and so tight a turn I couldn't carry on up. The problem was, I couldn't go down either. In about three minutes of me waiting and stressing I hear bells, lots of bells and I knew I was dehydrated but not that mad I was hearing things surely? Next thing I know, I'm surrounded by mountain sheep and a guy at the back of them leading them up the mountain, he stopped to talk but was hesitant. I figured it was a language barrier but as we spoke more and as his brother, mother, two kids from the village and a village man joined I realised he spoke pretty good English and he was actually just waiting for my group to arrive with me. My non existent friends 😂 I explained I was stuck and couldn't turn around or go up with the fear of dropping my bike and getting hurt or not picking it back up and he helped me turn around, holding the bike upright with his brother and tugging when I needed the extra push. We managed to face the bike downhill and I was exhausted and so thirsty I asked if they had any water sources nearby and within seconds the brother jumps on his little 2-stroke down the hillside and comes back a minute later with a half iced bottle of water, what a star! After some more taking about how scared I still was to get down, Erigli, the sheep man, offered to ride with me down to the tarmac, it was at least 30 minutes away the direction I had come from! Turns out the track I was following on the TomTom goes to a farmhouse and nothing else! I gladly took up Erigli's offer of him joining me to the road and we set off, when I asked how he knew English so well it turned out that I wasn't the first to follow the TomTom to Tirana and 5 or 6 years prior to this, a British man on a bike had done the exact same and got stuck in that spot and Erigli knew no English so vowed to learn it in case anyone else came along and needed help! Well here I am! We swapped contacts on Instagram and messaged when I got to my hostel, he's planning on coming to Tirana tomorrow so I may get him a drink to say thanks as he refused, very adamantly, my money for the rescue mission

+8
Day 65 ‐ Aug 6, 2022

137.6 km

Last night Damjan and I had a wander around Skopje, I'd spent all day in bed feeling quite low about Lucky and thinking about her friend and whether I could bring them both home... I've decided they are both coming back with me! Today we headed out to meet some of Damjans friends and went to a bar then a restaurant up in Mavrovo National Park. The vegan options were basic and very bland, as per in the Balkans, but I left the group to see the sights and get some photos and ended up much happie [...]
r! I was meant to go to Ohrid but time was getting on so I ended up staying at the bike club president's family home (his weekend place now) which was a crazy 500 year old house with about 7 stories that were just built every time a new generation came along. Tomorrow I'll leave Macedonia and get back to Albania... Maybe!

+13
Day 63 ‐ Aug 4, 2022

45.9 km

Damjan, the guy I'm staying with, and I had a little ride to the river and did some kayaking, it was so much fun and we met a Portuguese guy out on the water who I had lunch with whilst Damjan was doing work interviews on his laptop

+6
Day 62, Kosovo ‐ Aug 3, 2022

123.8 km

After a worrying morning where Lucky was super excited and wouldn't get back in my bloody tank bag I managed to squeeze her in, which we both hated but needs must, we made it to the vets! Vets sorted her out and she's now chipped to my name with a passport and has to undergo vaccines and quarantine until she's UK ready, in the amazing hands of @lulzim_dogshellter who rescues and rehomes more street dogs than I bare to imagine even exist, he's an incredible person doing all that he does and I [...]
can't wait to help support his work when he gets a PayPal set up. In the meantime, Lucky is with him and has a little quarantine buddy and I'll be visiting on my way home from Georgia before we get Lucky transport to the UK! An adventure it has been! I'm emotionally and physically exhausted but so full of love and hope - thanks to everyone who has been a part of the journey so far! Still a long way to go though, this is definitely to be continued... I got to Skopje and wanted a rest but bikers don't do rest do they, I ended up at a bike club house and was up far past my bedtime!
Day 61, Albania ‐ Aug 2, 2022

218.3 km

So I managed to escape the hotel and only pay 11 euros for the room, meal (if you can call it that) and drink just by not complaining and being nice but jeez it was weird. The hotel owner literally called two people talking to them about what to charge me (from my limited Albanian that's what I could make out at least) but I set off for Kosovo to get to Macedonia where I would stay with the biker who I met at the Montenegro border crossing from Croatia! And then... Into Kosovo enjoying the mo [...]
untains and half an hour from the Macedonia border we have a whole new story... Well an adventure is what I set off for and a dog is what I've found 🐕 I met this gorgeous little pup on the roadside and stopped to check her, feed her and give her some love. Her little tail wouldn't stop wagging the whole time and I frantically looked with awful signal for a rescue centre to take her to. I was about to give up hope and told her "I hope you're lucky and find a nice home" and as I walked away crying she ran after me wiggling and bouncing around. I just couldn't leave her. I emptied my tank bag and managed to get her in, she was tired from all the food thankfully so didn't protest 🤣😀 We set off for a 90 minute ride to find a small sanctuary Nye found online but on arriving in the dark it didn't even exist and in a scared and emotional panic I booked a hotel so another 30 minutes riding but she slept this time - it was gone 10pm now and I managed to sneak her in - sorry hotel owners if you're reading this. Both exhausted, I gave her a little bath in the sink and put cartoons on for some background noise, she'd clearly never been inside so it was all scary but she curled up on my shoes and a towel and I messaged back and forth with contacts (huge thanks to @ollie.rooke for getting me in touch with someone who could help) and it was decided I'd take Lucky (had to be) to the vets and start the process to #getluckyhome in the morning.
Day 60 ‐ Aug 1, 2022

96.9 km

Into crazy Albania today! So many border crossings it's mad! I worked my way through the craziness of Shkoder, narrowly avoiding the families begging between cars and reaching into open windows to grab whatever they could, it was quite horrendous really. I got to a big traffic jam and police helped me through (weird isn't it!) and I got to a small town for a SIM card before the mountains. Up on the mountain pass I met an Austrian biker who was amazed to meet a girl riding solo, I could reall [...]
y get used to this celebrity feeling 😂 After a chat I continued and found a little spot to catch up with Nye as he had been up in the Yorkshire Dales with a couple of bikers and he'd had quite the dramatic day. I was only half an hour from my cheap hotel at this point and when I arrived I thought it looked lovely and such a bargain for €9 but... just wait 🤣 So the cheap hotel night was... Interesting I realised how dirty everything was when I went to bed and saw hairs everywhere, the bathroom was disgusting and only one plug socket out of seven in the room worked. The balcony was open and unlockable so anyone on the same floor could enter and whilst I was relaxing in bed someone tried unlocking my door ignoring me shouting hello too. Anyways after this nightmare I decided to check the Google reviews and that's when red flags started, it's best I just screenshot them and add to the blog but I left the hotel to get some cash out in Leke and some veg to make food on the balcony but as I came back to the hotel through the restaurant the owner collared me and forced me (not quite literally but after the reviews I was nervous) to sit and eat in the restaurant. I asked for chips, he came out with a massive salad with no cheese or meat (foreign concept to him completely) and some bread 5 minutes later, another 10 minutes and I finally got the chips I wanted. Within about 15 minutes my stomach was rumbling and not happy and he said I could pay in the morning along with my room cost. That night my stomach wasn't the best and I was still starving but I got to sleep eventually in my disgusting and cheap room.
Day 59, Montenegro ‐ Jul 31, 2022

176.2 km

After crossing back into Croatia then heading into Montenegro there was a huge traffic jam which was over 4 miles long - so long I didn't even know it was for the border crossing! I went up towards the front, waving and smiling at the British plonkers in cars and saying thanks to everyone who angrily beeped and swore at me passing them. The police didn't care and when I got near the front I saw a biker and pillion on an SV650 with the most ridiculous luggage pile I've ever seen but they told [...]
me to carry on to the front with them and that I did! I joined them to Kotor where they had some food and I just drank as there was nothing vegan and after an hour I headed to Budva to a fully vegan place but they only took cash so I had to count out my tiny cents and penny equivalents to get the exact amount (thank god) for two slices of pies and a smoothie, I was gutted to miss the delicious looking cakes! It was getting late so I got on my way to the hotel I booked, a lot more expensive than Bosnia that's for sure but I had my own room with Aircon so that's a plus! I arrived and couldn't find anyone but a local came and banged the doors down, put the lights on and shouted the family who ran the place, it was quite alarming at first but the host came out and grabbed my hand and walked me to my room being very affectionate and telling me how wonderful I am riding from the UK alone, at the best age in my life 🤣 she begged me to never get married or have kids - I promised it wasn't my intention to and I chilled out for the evening, laughing at all these people I'm meeting telling me to not get married or have kids, I completely agree with them, not my plan one bit!
Day 58, Bosnia and Herzegovina ‐ Jul 30, 2022

84.7 km

Max and I set off for the coast to a little island near Neum after a rainy start to the day where we all went back to the restaurant Clare and I met at. Weirdly bumping into a girl I met in Jajce about 5/6 days before!

+11
Day 57 ‐ Jul 29, 2022

6.4 km

After the late night out clubbing I didn't fancy setting off so I met up with Max and Peter who were at a campsite out of town, I chilled out with them for the day and Clare joined us in the evening. I made us a vegan pasta bolognese and my plan of not drinking again for a while lasted about an hour. Next thing I knew we were playing all sorts of crazy drinking games and I ended up crashing in Max's van

+8
Day 56 ‐ Jul 28, 2022

105.1 km

I rode down to Mostar from Sarajevo which was stunning, the roads were just incredible and I wish I had a drone for some awesome footage but I got to my hostel, met a cool guy who's travelling the world and getting cool YouTube videos and then went to get dinner at the only place that did vegan food. I arrived at the restaurant and got my own table then a girl who sounded very northern came in and we got chatting, my food arrived and I moved over to her table to chat properly and we ended up [...]
making plans with a guy from her tinder who was with a friend and we went out for drinks with them. Next thing we know we're in the cave nightclub with the weirdest music, we couldn't go to the VIP room without buying a bottle so a bottle is what we got... Only to find the bottles on the normal menu didn't count and the staff whipped out a VIP bottle menu that was lit with LEDs when opened 😅 safe to say we stayed in the peasant area and drank our cheap vodka! It got to around 3am and we headed out to the river for a little skinny dip as we were so hot from the sweaty club, forgetting the river is one of the coldest in Europe at about 12 degrees in the daytime. I didn't last long! Somewhere in the club we picked up an odd American girl and we found a pushchair on the old Mostar bridge so obviously I had to get in and have a ride around the town 🤣 The boys walked us back to our hostels one by one and that was that!

+26
Day 54 ‐ Jul 27, 2022

12 km

The last two days - staying in my cheap hotel room which was lovely the first day (26th) the weather was crap so I went to get brunch out and then just came back to the hotel and chilled out whilst it poured. In the evening the rain settled down enough to head up to the Bobsled track which has been abandoned since the 1984 Olympic games, it's pretty epic! I walked around the area and could feel the odd atmosphere, like history has been trapped in the tracks, I felt alive but at the same time dis [...]
tant just being there, it was quite an odd experience! Then on the 27th I got up, went out for more food of course, this time a quinoa salad and chocolate nice cream but I couldn't finish the dessert it was just so filling! After this I got to the Crimes Against Humanities War museum and I was close to tears the whole time, it was so difficult reading all the notes left from survivors and I left with a very heavy heart. What pissed me off were the muzzle-wearing idiots believing all the propaganda on Convid and then campaigning for "freedom" - go figure. After this museum I wanted something a bit lighter on the soul so I headed for the Olympic Museum, (stopping to buy a SIM card along the way for a whopping £1.50 for 16gb), but it was a bit disappointing actually and I wouldn't recommend it. On the way back I went to the shopping centre in the search for tofu and bread but just got some bread and made beans on dry toast in the hotel - can't always eat well can we 😂

+26
Day 53 ‐ Jul 25, 2022

285.6 km

What a day it's been! I wanted to see more of the waterfalls and bridges in Jajce so headed there then went up to Banja Luka for the health shop to get some tofu and cheese, the ride up was insane, through the canyon with some of the most incredible views I've seen to date. I got to Banja Luka and struggled to find a place to park but managed finally, just opposite the health shop only to find no cheese, no tofu and only some chocolate so what a waste of time that was (other than the gorgeous [...]
ride). I then set off for Sarajevo following the "twisty" road route and the road because gravel and less and less "road" before I ended up on a 32 mile long forest track which got increasingly more difficult and my leg was killing so eventually I gave in and turned around. I set a different route on the TomTom but it added an extra 3 hours! Riding back about 2 hours the way I had come from - I wasn't best pleased! As I was riding through a town I saw lots of rally bikes at a petrol station and was intrigued, I pulled over to turn around but in the end got chatting with a biker from Austria then set off again until I got stung by a wasp not once but three times on my chest so had to pull in to the nearest petrol station I could. Here I saw a rally bike with sidecar so went over to chat, turns out it's the Bosnia Rally and the bike was broken so they were waiting for the guy who built it to come help fix it up. After chatting for a while I got going and finally got to the hotel, with no Bosnian SIM for my phone I couldn't contact the hotel owner to ask about getting the key or knowing where to go so, being the genius I am, whipped out my Garmin inReach, added the hotel number and sent a text that I had arrived. It took 6 minutes to send and then a lady popped out the top window after seeing my location sent on the text, perfect! The apartment is lovely, a whole place to myself got 10.80 (£) a night, kitchen included too! Perfect, just perfect. I set off for Veganer, one of just three vegan places I could find in the city (or possibly the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and seeing as the only thing I've eaten today is a banana and a handful of nuts I think I deserve some junk food!

+16
Day 52 ‐ Jul 24, 2022

227.7 km

After riding for an hour to reach the BIH border I got to the border only to find they would only let locals cross 😭 the border policeman sent me to the main crossing an hour away back the way I started so I wasn't that happy but had a feeling this might happen! Anyway I made it to the correct border, well two borders?! and met an Estonian WR rider who's emailed me since to ask about my Desert Fox fuel bag and telling me about his day on the TET. I got to Jajce and arrived at my €8 ho [...]
stel, it's not actually too bad! I met a British guy who lives and works travelling around almost full time as a graphic designer and he joined me walking to the waterfalls and lakes close by, we had a swim then he decided to tell me there were snakes in the water! safe to say I didn't go back in for round two! We got back to the hostel. I made some food I'd got from the opposite supermarket Bingo and an American lady joined the chat, as did a Kiwi who's travelling all over! We had a great evening just talking travel. Where to go, where not to etc. and I enjoyed some amaretto coke (as per). The shower is interesting and boy is it hot trying to sleep, I did steal a fan from the other side of the room as the men that end aren't using it but it's giving me time to catch up on the blog at least!

+13
Day 51, Croatia ‐ Jul 23, 2022

I just chilled at Motocamp Croatia and barely moved 😂
Day 50 ‐ Jul 22, 2022

191.4 km

Yesterday I spent the morning chilling out in the nice air-conditioned hostel room watching Love Island and trying to sleep a bit better as I didn't sleep well due to eating too late (and maybe a little too much!) Late morning I headed to the sea with the fellow biker I was in the room with and we went for a little swim - it was bloody freezing though, like FREEZING, so the dip didn't last long and before we knew it we were at a bar with a couple of drinks. Back at the hostel I had a bread rol [...]
l, some Mexican spread from Lidl and some nachos so a crisp sandwich was on my lunch menu, delicious! In the evening, we headed back to the bar from earlier for some cocktails and just had a nice evening drinking and chatting away before we went for another little dip in the sea around 11.30pm - it somehow felt warmer then, I wonder why? 😂 Today I headed to Rab, a tiny island via a 15 minute ferry. Why? Happycow showed a beach café with nice looking vegan options and mainland Croatia has been shit so far , the last two days all I've eaten is crisp sandwiches, nectarines and wafer biscuits thanks to Lidls finest! The ferry was cool, I got to the island and left my bike, all my gear and slipped some shorts on and made my way to the beach. It was soooo hot I felt like I was literally melting. After lunch and my swim I went back to get the ferry to the mainland, riding past a cyclist fully loaded up with solar panels and everything on his panniers, must be a fellow traveller I thought! I got to the ferry just to miss it by a few minutes! Gutted it just left but I sat down at the bar and the cyclist rolled up, I said "nice bike" and we ended up chatting for half an hour waiting for the next boat. After leaving we said goodbye, exchanged contact details to keep in touch and I set off for Motocamp Croatia! Hopefully I see the cyclist again...

Ferry in Croatia
Klenovica ‐ Jul 21, 2022

I had a day off the bike and hung out with the biker from Norway, I chilled out most of the morning in the hostel room as I didn't sleep great then we went to the sea together for a little swim and got a drink at the bar. I didn't do a great deal for the rest of the day and had a catch up on Love Island in the nice and cool air-conditioned room, it was bliss. In the evening Vivi, the other biker, and I decided cocktails at the local bar would be fun so we ended up out late enjoying Pina Colad [...]
a's and Long Island Ice Teas
Day 48 ‐ Jul 20, 2022

114.4 km

I was enjoying my time in the camping site with Marcel my camping companion and ended up back at the beach and beach bar paddle boarding and swimming most of the morning. I didn't end up leaving until about 3pm! Before I had my third and final swim of the day another biker turned up who's from Austria and we got chatting, he wanted to swim too but didn't have any undies on so that was a shock when he came and joined haha As I was about to set off some Dutch families arrived and the men wan [...]
ted to talk, very kindly giving me some euros to help the trip along (which I'll donate to the charities) and another guy came along and saw my fork guard was hanging off so I had to get my tools and spares out and find some bolts that would fit, they're not a great match but they're in for now! I set off finally for Casa Del Sole, what turned out to be an amazing hostel on top of a busy pizzeria run by a lovely couple. Shortly after getting my key and having a shower another biker turned up, from Norway riding home from Greece, we ended up spending the evening together and eating far too much pizza so late neither of us could sleep until about 1am but it was good nonetheless!
Day 47 ‐ Jul 19, 2022

134.5 km

Leaving the hostel at about 11am I headed to Pula via some of the passes and roads I'd seen were good for bikers online. I was recommended a campsite in Pula so rode there only to find they had no space and I was left a bit lost and worried about where I would sleep. Airbnb came to the rescue and Nye actually found me a little forest campsite with glamping pods and tent space but I couldn't find the place and saw signs for "Franky's Beach Bar" and that sounded wonderful in the 34 degree heat! [...]
I arrived, had a swim then had a drink and got chatting to the bar owner and his family who were there. I explained my trip and said I was staying nearby but wasn't sure where - turns out the bar owner is the Airbnb camp owner too! He drove up with me following on the bike, in my bikini and boots, we went up a crazy gravel track that was a bit tough for bikini wearing but we finally got to the camp and I set up my tent. I had to ride back down to the beach as I left my bike trousers with the owner accidentally and bumped into a couple with a British plated car so got chatting to them! Weirdly they've been trying to buy a house in Mansfield, just 20 minutes from home! They got me a drink at the bar and I ended up staying a while before heading back to camp for dinner. I was watching love island whilst a fellow camper, a German man, was watching TV on his tablet from his hut before I decided we should actually socialise and have some of my amaretto and coke then we chatted away for hours and came back to the bar for a cocktail leaving my bike behind this time and catching a ride in his convertible.
Day 46 ‐ Jul 18, 2022

176.9 km
Day 45 ‐ Jul 17, 2022

150.2 km

+9
Day 44, Italy ‐ Jul 16, 2022

256.7 km

After spending the week chilling by pools, the lake and just being off the bike mostly today was time to head off towards Slovenia! I stopped for brunch at an American style cafe and chose the "healthy" pancakes which started off nice and as I ate more I realised how sweet they were and couldn't even finish them - the rest of the day I felt so sick and poorly I regretted not having a savory option! The roads were mostly boring to crunch some miles until I got closer to the hotel I am staying [...]
in and the mountains appeared and twisty, fun, exciting stuff happened! By this point the sickness had left finally! I got to the hotel and got my food out to cook that I'd brought with me from Lake Garda plus some noodles and gyozas that were reduced in a supermarket on the way today. I was all ready to cook until I found my lighter was missing and I couldn't find it in any of my bags in the hotel room. Worried I'd have cold crappy food I headed to the bar down the road in hope someone would lend me a lighter but they sold them! I've always been terrified of normal, non BBQ lighters but it would have to do. I got back and carefully lit my stove on the balcony with a chair from my room dragged out and avoiding the wooden slits 😂 I had the gyozas for starter then some of Lidls finest Mini Burgers with some bread rolls I had from camping too. I overestimated how filling mini burgers would be but managed to somehow stuff them all down the found the missing lighter in the bottom of my food bag 🤦🏻‍♀️ the only place I hadn't looked!

+5
Day 39 ‐ Jul 11, 2022

352.3 km

Last night was another bad sleep - this time due to the agony my leg was in after the ride up Colle del Sommelier, it was keeping me up most of the night as I wriggled around trying to get comfy, turns out to be impossible right now! The morning came and I decided to just ride the whole stretch to Lake Garda, what I was going to do in 2 days but I just wanted to arrive and rest my leg and spend time chilling again. The ride was boring, motorways, straight main roads etc. then I arrived in [...]
the evening to my sister and nephew and we had some camping cooked dinner and all was fine.
Day 38 ‐ Jul 10, 2022

13.5 km

The day of the Stella Alpina Rally Last night I didn't sleep too well, imagine sleeping in a nightclub but it's 5 degrees, the music blared out from the music tent until about 3am, I got to sleep around midnight I think but a really odd and scary thing happened at 1.48, I woke up choking and unable to breathe, in my head I was choking anyway; I rolled onto my front and tried to dislodge whatever was "stuck" and ended up scrambling out of my tent in a panic thumping my chest and forcing a coug [...]
h to breathe again. I think at this point I had fully woken up and told myself it was just a nightmare, the kind of anxiety attack I'd have in the past, when my PTSD was bad or I was going through a hard time. I woke up later than planned but was feeling (and still am as I write this at 11am) very off. I texted Nye I was struggling and too anxious to do the rally and he gave me some tough loving but it didn't go down well in my head and sent me into a spiral of anxiety/panic attacks and non stop crying. I forced myself to walk to the river and sit by it and was soon surrounded by butterflies that brought me a sense of calm and togetherness. I'd put my bike gear on before the anxiety attacks came in the hope I'd calm down and get on with the riding. My aim is to just get to the lakes and Refugio area. I arrived and met some nice people from France and then headed to the bar and got a drink where I got chatting to some fellow Brits, after a long chat and break I decided to just try the mountain pass, with the idea that if it got too tough I could just come back. Off I went up the hairpin bends and rocky trail, taking my time and just getting into the ride, I was starting to enjoy it and felt the anxiety leave, I just kept going, cheering myself and the bike on as Wilmer carried me up the mountain. The terrain itself wasn't too technical, what made it tough was the right, steep switchbacks combined with the sheer drops and the length of the pass. Next thing I knew I was at the Badge stand so I hopped off and paid for a badge, leaving my address for one to be posted home as they ran out and sold out of the t shirts on the Friday! I asked how much further it was the top as I saw countless Enduro and trials bikes heading down, thinking maybe it would be too tough to continue but I'd got that far, may as well see what happens! It did get rockier and steeper and there were sections I could not do it I was on a fully loaded bike but thankfully I'd left everything at the tent! Next thing I knew I was at the top! We made it! I was so proud of myself for overcoming the anxiety and panic attacks and riding super well considering the mental space I was in - it wasn't my cleanest or fastest riding but that didn't matter. At the top I had a wander around, got some photos and met some awesome riders, the ride down was looming though - I got a bit worried about that part! There was no point worrying any longer about the going down part, I couldn't stay at the top of Sommelier forever after all! I stuck the bike in 2nd gear and freerolled a lot of the way down, using my clutch to brake for the bends, lots of rocks hit the bike and I was glad to have a bash plate on! I met some more Brits on the way down and spoke to Dutch and Italian guys too, it was nice to stop for a breather and chat with the stunning views and take in the fresh mountain air, mixed with lots of dust and a hint of 2 stroke smell 😂

+9
Day 37, Italy ‐ Jul 9, 2022

241.1 km

Riding to Rochemolles for the Stella Alpina Rally starting tomorrow. It was a long stressful day!
Vollèges, Switzerland ‐ Jul 8, 2022

Still not doing much!
Vollèges ‐ Jul 7, 2022

I wasn't very well so not much to report!
Day 34 ‐ Jul 6, 2022

0.2 km

Having made it to my sister's I had time to relax and rest my very sore leg
Day 33 ‐ Jul 5, 2022

207.1 km

Time to get to Switzerland and leave Grenoble via Annecy and some nice lakes
Grenoble, France ‐ Jul 4, 2022

I had a nice lie-in and headed out to the bakery for croissants and an apple pastry then I was on a mission to find a sports top and bra as I've somehow lost a top along the way?! I wanted something white as all my other clothes are black and boiling me alive in the heat! 3 hours of shopping later and I made my way back to the crappy hostel, there was a gym there so I went for a little ab and upper body workout with the intention of yoga afterwards but Nye ended up calling just before I got i [...]
nto the yoga and I didn't do much in the end! In the gym I met a Swedish couple who were waiting to check in, we had a good chat and after showering I went up to my room and there they were, we were roommates afterall! Another balcony cook tonight with my apple pastry for dessert and an earlier night ready for going to my sister's in the morning.
Day 31 ‐ Jul 3, 2022

274.6 km

It was time to leave Jean's and the lovely Marseille and head up to Grenoble which is about half way to my sister's, Jean joined me for the first half of the ride, showing me the lovely twisty roads, mountain passes and gorgeous gorges 😍 I wish I had an action camera filming it to relive. After a little lunch of breadsticks and hummus we carried on until it was time for Jean to head back to Marseille and off I went to a place called Die, not the most pleasant of place names! However, [...]
soon after leaving Die, the roads became lovely and fast twisties with more incredible views and an oddly beautiful smell, it was like forest pine mixed with a fruity, floral scent, I wish it could be bottled! Not long before the main roads were coming to get me to the hostel in Grenoble, a famous "Route touristique de Combe Laval" appeared and I felt like I was somewhere much further away than France! After soaking in the views for a while I had to carry on as rain looked like it was coming and before long it started, I got the waterproofs on in time though. Arriving at the hostel I wasn't the happiest, no kitchen, no bathroom in the room or even the same floor and a top bunk for me which was still dirty from the last guest. A guy I arrived with also had a dirty bed (below mine) so he went to reception and came back with bags of sheets - which had two pillow cases (for one pillow) and the undersheet was so tiny neither of us could get them on the mattresses. Not impressed! I ended up getting my cooking stove and equipment off the bike and luckily had a balcony so I cooked up a meal on that. Praying there wasn't a fire alarm! I got a little table set up and chair and stuck the TV on from my phone whilst eating vegan meatballs in a marinara sauce - delicious!

+9
Day 30 ‐ Jul 2, 2022

182 km

After a little lie-in from our night out, a friend I made at the hostel in Nice, Gen, was on her way to Marseille to get a train to Barcelona so we went out for brunch at the little cafe I tried before and this time I had the club sandwich, as delicious as the pancakes! The rest of the day Jean and I went out in his Porsche (fancy I know) to see some of the lovely Provence lavender filled fields and stunning views of the Alps. It took up most of the day as it was a good 2 hours drive each wa [...]
y and we took the wrong road and ended up in the middle of nowhere at one point!

+3
Day 29 ‐ Jul 1, 2022

64.3 km

I wanted to try a little vegan cafe so Jean and I got on his bike - a Tiger 900 RP and we headed off to the cafe for brunch, I had the best pancakes ever and he had a club sandwich that looked as delicious as my pancakes. Afterwards I got a guided tour from the back of the Tiger all around Marseille, we saw the big church building Le Vieux Point I think it's called? He showed me the coast and it was stunning, I literally fell in love with the city even more. After the tour we got my bike a [...]
nd went out for a ride to some mountain passes, the views were spectacular and twisty roads were so fun, I was cautious after my slide down the road so rode a little steady but also having the luggage off was a nice change! After making some food I bought in the Monoprix next door we went out for some cocktails then ended up at the Harbour drinking in the Irish bar turned nightclub The Shamrock. We met some lovely Dutch girls and at 1.30am, half an hour before closing time headed to a nearby club for the after party - bottle service and a couple of hours later I don't remember much and I ended up on the verge of a panic attack calling Nye until he answered before throwing up in Jeans bathroom followed by falling asleep with my phone pressed to my ear talking to Nye at 4.30am 😅 what a night!

+13
Day 28 ‐ Jun 30, 2022

4.9 km

Not a long day riding today as my knee is still sore but getting much better, I posted on a Facebook group asking if anyone was near Marseille I could stay with to rest my leg for a few more days and an awesome biker who's travelled all over Europe messaged so off I went to stay with him! I headed out at 5ish to go see my ex's parents who were also in Marseille and it was awesome! We went to an Irish bar then an English/Irish pub with live music! On the way back to Jean's (my host) I got a ve [...]
gan burger and chips from a place called V&V - I love Marseille!

+2
Day 27 ‐ Jun 29, 2022

2.9 km

I stayed an extra night at the worst hostel ever so I could rest my leg and made a lovely Irish friend and we headed out to a little festival down the road with a jazz band, it was awesome and dosed up on painkillers I managed without much pain
Day 26 ‐ Jun 28, 2022

186.6 km

Today was difficult, I had my first road accident and I'm in a lot of pain - I was leaving Nice to head to Marseille and there was oil on the roundabout I didn't see and before I knew it the bike slipped under me and then I was sliding down the tarmac with my leg and foot trapped under the bike - as I was sliding I could just see a bus coming towards me and I just broke down in tears. In seconds people were surrounding me and got the bike off me and checked I was alright to stand up. They picked [...]
me up and took me to the side and two men lifted my bike up and got it off the roundabout onto the pavement. An ambulance arrived within minutes - much better than the UK! and checked my knee out which lost some skin and I was struggling to walk. They wanted me to go with them to A&E and get it X Rayed but leaving my bike wasn't an option I liked so I carried on, crying on and off and took the toll roads. A storm was in the distance and I knew I needed to get my waterproofs on but every single service station was closed so before I knew it I was being hailed on with lightning strikes surrounding me. I literally sobbed and cried my heart out wanting nothing more than to be at home cuddling Nye and the dogs. My knee got worse as the day went on but I made it to the hostel - annoyingly it's quite a walk to any shops so I will be asking people for help for the next few days I think! I made a lovely Argentinian friend in my room though and if I can continue with my trip hopefully I'll meet up with her in Albania later down the line.
Day 24, Italy ‐ Jun 26, 2022

186.3 km

What was meant to be a short day to a camping spot ended up being hours of riding again. The photographer I met in Hostel Lako lives in Genova so I sent him a message saying I would be close by and he asked if I wanted to do a photoshoot with his friend and him - of course I said yes! They came up around 8.30 bringing me a lovely breakfast of focaccia and an Italian food which is basically a filled croissant - absolutely delicious 👌🏻 We got on with photos, videos and drone footage an [...]
d then I waved them goodbye and set off for the coastal route to Nice seeing as the campsite was more expensive at this point and I would quite like some human interaction! I stopped off at Holy Beach, a vegan beach bar café about 40 minutes south of Genova - the food was gorgeous. I had a pesto lasagne and an apricot cheesecake with an apricot smoothie to top it all off, the staff were so kind and generous, I really loved it. Then a slowwwww ride stopping and starting constantly along the coast to Monaco and then, eventually, Nice. The hostel is busy, friendly and I shared with 4 Swedish guys who were funny and easy to get along with. I've ended up booking an extra night so I can go to the beach, maybe some bars and just see what happens! A day off the bike is needed!
Day 23 ‐ Jun 25, 2022

368.9 km

I woke up on the mountain nice and early, ready for the photographers to arrive at 8.30ish who were so lovely to bring me breakfast! I packed up and we took photos and videos for 2 hours, even using a drone! It was great and when we finished I set off for Nice, thinking it would be a nice short day, how wrong I was! I took the coastal road and a constant stop-start with traffic lights and crossings but stopped for lunch at Holy Beach, a lovely vegan beach bar and café and was soooo full afte [...]
rwards. Off I continued to Nice and the coastal views were stunning! I even went into Monaco but as it was getting late I didn't ride through the centre.
Day 22 ‐ Jun 24, 2022

91.5 km

What was meant to be "day 2" (the 4th for me) of the ACT ended up being a very short day instead! I left Camping Trasimeno at 10ish and headed to the start of the track, about 10 minutes from the camp site. It soon became gravel and some nice trails with a little bit of challenge but nothing out of my limits. A few miles later and riding woops through woodland, the track came to a little signpost and the route went down a slightly rocky hill, something in my gut told me not to go that way as [...]
the contour lines on OsmAnd showed a lot of climbs and descents so I turned off the route and headed to the road (or so I thought). I ended up at someone's gated driveway entrance so that wasn't ideal! Turning back around I went to the fork I split off from the route and just went for it, hoping I would be able to turn around if it got too much. I managed 5-10 minutes and then decided continuing had an 80%+ chance of falling and I could easily hurt myself or the bike badly here so the decision to turn back was made and I headed back to Lake Trasimeno. I was upset, angry and felt like such a failure but I knew it was the right thing to do for my safety. I found a little beach to sit under the shade, have my leftovers from the night before and a little paddle - it wasn't deep so swimming wasn't an option unless I went half a mile out! After a couple of hours boiling with rage at the ACT track being more than "easy/medium" difficulty graded, a strongly worded message to them and some chats with people on Instagram I headed to the b&b I had booked which was near the end of the planned route (only 1.5 hours on the road away though). I got to Casa Donella - the b&b and was greeted by a face nappy wearing lady, she showed me my room and let me park the bike in the gated garden which was nice and I showered then headed off to the local bio shop for some food for the night. I got some tofu, some sausages, a tin of beans, passata and some onions and headed back but I wasn't allowed to use the kitchen for cooking so had to sneakily cook on the terrace with my camping stove whilst the washing I'd done showering was hanging out to dry, draped over the outdoor furniture and banister. I had a quiet evening in the heat with the room fan on full blast - it was soooo hot though in the old building, hotter in than out actually as the daytime temperature reached 36!
Day 21 ‐ Jun 23, 2022

152.5 km

Now was time to get back on track with the ACT, I managed to do about 90% of Day 3, it was a lovely lot of fire roads through forests and small roads twisting up and down hills and small mountains, I really enjoyed it! A couple of sections I got off and walked first to make sure I wouldn't repeat the previous day's but it was all good, I got to a supermarket to get some vegan sausages and tinned veg/lentils so I could have a nice campsite meal at Camping Trasimeno. I got to the camp site, [...]
it was above 30 degrees even in the late afternoon, got my pitch set up and headed to the pool for a swim - all this swimming is doing wonders for my knee and keeping the muscles going! After my little swim I went to make my gourmet sausage hotpot. Only the night before I tried using it it wasn't working - I thought this was down to lack of fuel so I got my petrol syringe out and started to suck some out of my tank, then I dropped half the syringe into the tank 🤦🏻‍♀️ ffs how can I get this out? I tried with gloves on to reach in but it was no use. Looks like it's staying there for some time haha Thankfully I put a litre into my Desert Fox fuel bladder so I unstrapped that and started to fill the stove. I pumped it and tried it over and over again but it wasn't lighting. Internet was a bit crap to say the least and my precious 4g is running lower by the day so I had to call Nye and ask him to watch a YouTube tutorial on fixing it whilst he talked me through the steps. An hour later and one particularly grumpy Nye, it was sorted! Woohoo finally food time! The stove was the hottest it's ever been and was spitting oil at me left right and centre so I dropped the bloody sausages over and over again and had to keep running to the closest tap to wash the mud and bugs off 😂 it was like a comedy show at the point and I genuinely just think I should cut my losses and go home (Nye won't let me so that's not an option) After my washed sausages, onion and garlic were cooked I added the tin of lentils, some tomatoes and lots of salt and had a lovely meal for the night. A drink at the bar and another Love Island episode later and it was time to sleep. Ready to tackle Day 2 (4 for me) of the ACT.
Day 20 ‐ Jun 22, 2022

104.9 km

After such a late night I ended up sleeping well into the morning, waking up around 10am to wash the bike. Darlene wasn't working until late afternoon so she took me out for lunch and we met up with Mattia on his lunch break. We had some burgers and soooo many chips we couldn't even eat them all, 3 vegan options in an Italian place is bloody good going though! They showed me around L'aquila for a bit and then I knew it was time to go, Mattia got some extra time off work so he could come say g [...]
oodbye to me and we could get some photos and then I headed off... Or at least that was the plan. I rolled my bike down the driveway, it was steep so I jumped off, still cautious after my fall, popped the sidestand down and went to grab my helmet when bang! Off the bike rolls off its side stand and straight into the road 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ you couldn't make this up! Never dropped my bike before (okay I have once but offroading) and now I've done it twice in two days. I called Darlene and Mattia as she had just left minutes before this but a lovely old man came to the rescue, he put down his walking cane and heaved my bike up with me, he managed to lift the handlebar up just enough for me to get it with his extra help. What an ordeal! I decided to leave the ACT, there wasn't much time to get to the hotel and I wanted to avoid the tricky section so I made my way to Lake Cobaro where I'd booked a little hotel with a pool. The riding was nice, easy going roads with some dual carriageway, just what I needed to rest! I got to the hotel, put my bikini on and headed to the pool where I met a lovely vet and her architect companion, we chatted away and I had a good swim, once I looked like a shrimp I headed back to my room to eat some left over breadsticks seeing as the restaurant was not very vegan friendly! Got to bed and watched a couple of Love Islands and enjoyed the air-conditioned room... Bliss

+2
Day 19 ‐ Jun 21, 2022

39.5 km

It was a late start to the day even though I had a big ACT day planned - I met some bikers who came to the lake whilst I was getting ready to set off and then my camping neighbours got chatting and before I knew it it was super late and getting really hot! I went back down the mountain pass to pick up where I left the ACT off so I could begin "Day 4" (2 for me doing it backwards). I got some fuel and made sure it was nicely full so it would last the day... Oh how silly that was in hindsight. [...]
About 5 miles down the road and a nice easy going gravel track began, and then not so easy. I continued and climbed up and up navigating the rocks and ruts as I went. Then I came to a particularly steep part. I stopped to take a look at it and decided if I really went for it and gave it some Welly I'd make it up - my rear wheel slipped under me and down into the bottom of the rut and I couldn't touch the ground so off I tumbled and my bike crashed down into the hard rocks and loose stone. Petrol gushing everywhere I panicked but turned the bike off and tried to lift it. It wasn't budging. I took a breath and moved into some shade, I was shaking. What the fuck was I going to do? I couldn't even lift my bike with no fuel or luggage on with a healthy body let alone a dodgy knee, full luggage, a steep loose stone hill and a full tank! I called Nye for help, posted a story on insta of the trouble and got to work trying to get the luggage off so I could attempt to pick it up. I managed to get everything off the bike, bar tools, and started to heave the bike around, various parts were digging into the group making it tricky and the wheels were higher than the seat as it lay upside down. Panic was rife and a lot of comments were flooding in from the TET group - "is this a joke 🎣🎣🎣", "are you serious", "if you can't pick that up on such an easy trail you shouldn't be riding", the list goes on. I started to cry and turned off the comments. On the phone to Nye he helped me turn the bike around so at least if I could get it upright I wouldn't then have the problem of turning it around! Then a message appeared in my inbox "I can help you!" I couldn't believe it! I replied swiftly, wiping the tears away but in my heart feeling like it was too good to be true. It wasn't. Help was coming. Mattia arrived on his 125 2 stroke, he ran up and picked my bike up like it was just a bag of sugar - easy peasy! He helped carry my luggage, he rode my bike down the trickiest bit and we hugged, I could have cried with joy and inside I did a little when he said to me "you are not alone". I keep replying that in my head when things get tough. We rode the bikes down and his girlfriend was waiting in the car. We passed a guy in another car who waved - turns out he was also coming to help me thanks to a bike group sharing my post around in various chats. I was, and still am, blown away by their kindness. I headed back with the couple who rescued me, Mattia and Darlene and ended up resting at theirs whilst they went to work. Mattia got back in the evening and helped me sort out the wobbly Barkbuster I had and we checked the bike over, he cleaned my chain and we tested my USB sockets that had stopped working - they seemed fine when checking though! We watched a film and it ended up being a late night and I really wanted to stay more days and head out on a bike adventure with them but they were heading south not North unfortunately so I knew it could only be one night but I'm so grateful to them.

+8
Day 18 ‐ Jun 20, 2022

205.4 km

I set off from my uni tutor's and heading to the start of the ACT (technically the end of Day 5 but as in doing it backwards that's my start). The riding for a long time was road, but I made a tiny mistake where I went down a gravel track and had to turn around for it becoming too technical and steep left me hot and sweaty, I was glad for the road sections! The route took me up a beautiful mountain pass where I got some lovely photos (see below) and I chatted with some cyclists, bikers and [...]
dog walkers whilst at the summit having lunch. After a while I got to the off-road mountain stuff and it was absolutely stunning - the best views I've seen yet and the riding for 80% was easy going. However, some tricky and loose sections really caught me off guard and I had a scary tank slapper moment but managed to save it but keeping my self loose and going with the flow. There were times I struggled and would say the track was more than just an "easy" level as the ACT website states! More offroading after a road section got really tough and I had to stop a lot of times to gather my breath but I made it up everything without any damage, my injured knee was starting to feel it though by this point. I wasn't sure how far along I would get and managed to make it to L'Aquila, that's when I decided I'd ridden enough and checked out iOverland for a wild camping spot. I headed up north to camp by a lake - stunning views and I met some lovely people too. I couldn't get my cooking stove to work as I'd run out of petrol in it and my bike tank was too low to syringe any out but some Swiss campers nearby let me use their stove in the motorhome, there are some lovely people around! I headed to bed at 9.30 to settle in with some Love Island I had downloaded and kept hearing a (wild?) cat snooping around my stuff so I ended up giving up some of my lovely bread and it seemed happy enough to leave me alone then.

+11
Day 17 ‐ Jun 19, 2022

87.3 km

Today was a nice second day off the bike and we had a nice walk up in the mountains, the views are stunning! The place where everyone parked was full with bikes, cars and campers and there were bars and BBQ areas for people to eat and drink from

+3
Pescara ‐ Jun 18, 2022

Day out in Pescara

+3
Day 16

0.8 km

A relaxing day today walking around Pescara, seeing the beach and eating some tasty food in a vegan bar/restaurant - the only one around! Portions are so tiny in Italy as a vegan - I'm not sure if that is the norm or just as I'm going to niche places? Either way the food was tasty and I got some croissants for tomorrow's breakfast.
Day 15, Italy ‐ Jun 17, 2022

221.3 km

After staying in Lako Hostel and eating a delicious breakfast I made my way towards Pescara to stay with my tutor from University, it was a longish day and warm again but after my lunch stop in Rieti I headed towards the mountains and boy did a storm come down hard! Thunder and lightning were striking all around me, the rain was sideways and most sensible people, even in cars, had pulled up for it to pass. I on the other hand cracked on and climbed the hairpins and flooded roads, narrowly avoidi [...]
ng the fallen rocks and debris all over the roads, I finally saw some blue sky up ahead in the distance! I got to the top of the pass, low and behold dry, blue sunny skies! It was worth the 40 minutes of hell for the beautiful views and gorgeous twisties that came. I almost fully dried off by the time I met with Mark, my tutor and it was back to 30/31 degrees so I was boiling in my waterproofs.
Day 14 ‐ Jun 16, 2022

123.9 km

Riding from the camp site to Lake Bolsena where I treated myself to a budget hotel called Lako Hostel - the lady working here is absolutely lovely, gave me loads of yummy vegan food for breakfast and got me more I could take with me - so kind! I had a swim on the lake in the evening, it was a little cooler at 32 degrees and I made sure to use sunscreen this time! My back is peeling from the Switzerland burn!
Day 13 ‐ Jun 14, 2022

329 km

From Pisa I started to head down towards Rome, via Firenza (Florence), I went to a vegan restaurant there but wasn't very impressed, the portions were tiny and prices were steep! I left Pisa quite late after a late night chatting and making friends and then I was enjoying chatting to one of my roommates for over an hour in the morning! The ride itself was quite boring, lots of main roads to crunch some miles and Florence was torturous, the traffic, oh the traffic! People riding scooters and [...]
motorbikes seem to think that if they ride fast enough nothing can hurt them in their trainers, shorts and t shirts (or a dress and sandals for most of the women), their God is Niki Lauda and they seem to view life as a game, think Forza or Need for Speed 😅 I was struggling through the heat and manic driving/riding and had an anxiety attack but managed to calm myself down and swear lots at people 😂 think I'm done with Italian cites!
Pisa

Today I rode to Pisa, stayed in the Safestay Pisa hostel and made some friends in the outdoor garden area. It was a nice hostel apart from the uncomfortable beds and extremely noisy everything - not ideal when you're trying to be quiet and not disrupt the others sleeping! The people were really friendly though and met some nice guys from England, a lovely Canadian and a German woman who's cycling about 120km per day, she rode down from her hometown in Germany to Pisa and was continuing south, wo [...]
w! In Pisa for dinner I went to a lovely little vegan place, the only one in the city actually! It's called Koala come Vegan (meaning as vegan as a koala) and it's super cute, the owner was lovely and chatty and we spoke for ages, it was really nice and the food was filling and delicious, an actual portion unlike some places here!
Grande Foresta tra i due fiumi ‐ Jun 13, 2022

Long day riding from my sister's in the Alps down through Italy to wild camp near Pavia, Milan. It was really hot as soon as I got lower down after Great Saint Bernard Pass. Mentally today was tough. In fact I'd say it was the toughest since saying goodbye to Nye and the dogs. Why? My plans have changed so so many times but I had it in my head before leaving that I'd be riding for a month - 5 weeks around France, Spain and maybe Portugal before heading to Switzerland and spending time off the bi [...]
ke having a mini holiday with my family. However, that didn't happen and I arrived there a month early. It's fine, plans change, but mentally I've been telling myself "just get to Switzerland, just get to Switzerland" as that was my first big 'milestone' to relax at I suppose. Now because I went straight there I felt really unprepared for the rest of my journey, like I've not done anything, like I don't know what I'm doing and all the rest of it and how much I'm missing home kicked in. But I'm still going!
Day 8, Switzerland ‐ Jun 10, 2022

0.2 km

For a few days I've spent time at my sister's, letting the rain pass and even getting sunburnt (really badly) in the hopes that the storm will be gone when I go to Italy next
Day 6, France ‐ Jun 8, 2022

351.4 km

This was my longest day yet, around 270 miles. It took me 8 hours of riding non stop and torrential rain was for 7 out of the 8 riding hours. I had to stop twice for fuel and got some food in a Carrefour in Gray but it was too wet when I left the shop to even eat anything so I rode and rode until I hit Switzerland. Once I crossed the border then sun came out every now and again and it was more enjoyable but I don't think I want to ride another 8 hour day without food or drink!
Day 5 ‐ Jun 7, 2022

168.9 km

After the little stop off in France rain was on its way so I packed up and set off for Lac D'orient near Troyes where the sun came out and I had a nice afternoon. Unfortunately it wasn't the warmest though and a storm was following me!
Day 4 ‐ Jun 6, 2022

191.5 km

Rode from the Youth Hostel in Namur (where I experienced my first weird hostel guest) down to Guise where I had some lunch in the glamorous Aldi carpark - mini crispy bread things with hummus 👌🏻 then I started the French TET section 31, I did this for a while but was struggling with my knee and some bits were tougher than I expected! After a while I decided to look for a wild camping spot or somewhere cheap I could camp at near Reims, I found a perfect little spot with an indoor pool too! [...]
Had a nice swim after setting up my tent and realising a pole is missing 🤦🏻‍♀️ then made some food in my frying pan - now it's time to relax and watch some of the Stranger Things episodes I downloaded on Netflix.
Day 3, Belgium ‐ Jun 5, 2022

78.6 km

It's been atrocious weather with bad storms so my plan of getting to Guise in France wasn't happening! Ended up getting a youth hostel in Numar, Belgium whilst the storm passes
Day 2 ‐ Jun 4, 2022

442.7 km

Quick fuel stop and then to Aldi for a jam sandwich and smoothie, it's a bit chilly but staying mostly dry. Made it to Liege and it was boiling by the time I arrived at the Yust hostel, went out to a lovely little vegan restaurant in just a dress and was still sweating in the 27 degree heat.
Day 1 ‐ Jun 3, 2022

259.9 km
Elmton-with-Creswell, United Kingdom ‐ Jun 3, 2022

First day!

I set off at 5:30pm to get to Harwich for my 11pm overnight ferry to the Hook-of-Holland

Vlora, Albania ‐ Aug 9, 2022

Arriving in Vlore to a cute homely hostel, Vlora Backpackers, I messaged the cyclist I had met in Croatia and he was in the same town so we ended up getting some dinner out together which was fun - it's nice chatting to someone who's having a similar travel experience to me and not the typical interaillers or bus/train gap year students I tend to find along the way (no hate, it's just a nice change)