16/1/2017
I caught the train down to Dover and then caught the ferry to Calais where I took a cab to Frethun station where I had a hire car booked, the cab ripped me off charging about €50 as he took the motorway, I found out when I was dropping the hire car off later in the week that it was only about 10km and the motorway was not needed.
I had hired a small Ford hatchback but they had a Mercedes for me and as there was a mileage limit I’d booked the car for almost 2 weeks to get the mileage allowance up.
The first problem was I’d managed to set the speed limit to 10km per hour while was looking for the indicators, lucky it was before I hit the motorway. It was about a 750 mile drive to where I left my bike, and planned on finding a hotel but after I’d made it through Paris in the rush hour I was making good time and stopped at about 2am to sleep in the back of the car.
17/1/17
After a couple of hours sleep I woke up and carried on driving arriving in port Vendres at about 11am where I checked in for the night, loaded up my bike and all my kit into the car and went to bed.
18/1/17
Up early and a long drive back to Calais, I hit the Paris rush hour hour again and this time it was a lot worse then the other day but eventually made it to Calais where I found a hotel and had another well deserved sleep.
19/1/17
I woke up early and Walked to train station to get an idea of train times to Calais from calais gare Frethun.
I unloaded car into lobby then went to fill up car with fuel and drive to drop off the car only 9km and less then 10 minutes drive.
Dropped off car and got train back to Calais to cycle to the ferry port train fare €2.40
I cycled to the ferry port, lots of barbed wire and totally different from when I was younger when you walked off the ferry into town.
When I reached Dover I cycled to Dover station and took the train to bromley south then Cycled back to meet up with Pippa who I left behind. The longest I’ve ever been separated from her.

Day 175
26/12/16

Left hotel at 11 by the time I’d loaded it all up, then south again following the coast. Today was mainly on cycle routes with some hills before Collioure but downhill to Collioure where I stayed in a hotel on the bay, then walked around the old medieval town with Pippa.
Today 28km

Day 176
27/12/16
Cycled to port vendres and on the way up the hill out of town and almost at the Spanish border I decided to go home, cycled back to town and went to the tourist office where I found a hotel that would allow dogs and had a large garage I could leave the bike in. With campsites being closed during the winter, and having to wild camp or stay in a hotel and the loneliness of travelling alone with no one to talk to I decided it was time to have a change of plans and rethink of what I am going to do with my life.
Today 15km
Day 177
28/12/16
Today I took a walk up to the train station and found that there was no ticket office or ticket machine, so I popped into the tourist office again and asked them where I could get a ticket to Perpignan, they told me I could get one on the train so back to the hotel and I packed up my things to leave and things to take with me, I left the bike and trailer in the hotel garage.
On way to Perpignan from Porte Vendres got stung by ticket inspector €50 for a €2 fare, no ticket office or ticket machine at station, tourist office told me to buy ticket on train, inspector had a young French mum in tears and she spoke fluent French to argue with him so what chance did I have.
When I arrived in Perpignan I bought a ticket to Dieppe for the next morning, then I booked into a hotel by the station for the night.

Day 178
29/12/16
Left perpignan at 0540hrs and arrived at Paris gare lyon at 1045hrs, a station I thought I’d seen the last of, I took the metro Underground €1.90 and a nice smooth ride as the trains have tyres
Made my way to paris st lazare where I got a train at 1450 hrs arriving at Rouen rive droite 1600hrs with an eleven minute changeover to make it to the dieppe train and arriving in dieppe at 1657hrs. It was freezing cold at night and I found a hotel for us.

Day 179
30/12/16
Today I took Pippa to the vet to get her a worming pill and get her passport signed then I booked a ferry back to England.
Day 180
31/12/16
A freezing cold morning with freezing fog, I left the hotel at about 3.30 to walk to the Ferry port and check in an hour early for my 0500 hrs ferry.
When I arrived back in England my cousin picked us up from the Newhaven.

Day 161, Monday 12/12/2016

I really need a break and a day off, all the campsites I’ve passed in france are closed for the winter and I’ve had enough of wild camping. Cycled into Sete and found the tourist office and they found me a cheap hotel, last night I was thinking of quitting and buying a cheap car and driving back home, but I’ll have a few days rest.
On my way to the hotel I lost one of my walking poles ( tarp pole ), it was my fault, I’d been using it as a bike stand and when I left the tourist office I had not secured it properly as I was not feeling fully alert. After I checked into the hotel I walked back the route I came but could not find it. A good double bed and the room had heating and air conditioning, I had to turn the heating off and air con up as it was to hot for me. It was nice to have a well deserved shower and change of clothes and a good nights sleep wivthout having to worry about anyone coming along and asking me to move.
Lucky it was a large room as the bike storage area in the hotel was not large enough so I had to take the trailer to my room.

Today 11 km

Day 162

Rest day

I hung up my sleeping bag and other things to air then went out to find a laundry, my clothes were probably to dirty to hand wash without a washboard. Found a laundry worked out the French instructions and left my clothes to wash as I went for a coffee. I was treated to a free coffee off of a frenchman who paid my bill as he liked Pippa, things are getting better.

Day 163

Rest day

I had an easy day, cut Pippas claws and gave her a haircut, a few walks around town and relaxed.

Day 164

Rest day

I need to do some jobs today, I gave my bike a quick service, I also changed the front brake pads, something I’ve never done before but the old disc brake pads came out easy enough and the new ones went straight in. I bought a new bike stand as I am having problems without one, the guy in the shop did not want to sell me the heavy duty one as he thought I did not need it but to be honest I need a heavier duty stand, this one was for a 28 inch wheel so the bike sits a little higher.
I managed to give Pippa a shower today, now she has less hair and is easier to dry. I also found a vet and bought some more worm pills and flea/tick gel.

New bike stand

Day 165

By the time I’d loaded the bike and refitted the trailer i did not leave the hotel until 11 o’clock. I pushed the bike through town for 2 km until I reached the seafront then it was a cycle path all the way to Agde where I came again to a problem I’ve faced before by coming to a road that was barred to cycles so backtracked a bit and ended up wild camping by a ruined building next to some grape vines.
Today 36km

Does this sign mean if you break the rules they will set the dogs on you then shoot you

Day 166

When I woke up I found that my trailer wheel was flat again so had to repair another puncture before I left. I stopped a bit later for porridge and a tea on the path along the Grand Midi canal. I had to stop at 1pm to fix another puncture in the trailer tube, I’ve had the tube and tyre off so many times and can not seem to find what is causing it.
Cycled past Valras Plage and found a place on the river bank to camp.
Today 35km

Riverbank camping

Day 167

Woke up this morning and my trailer tyre was fully inflated, I should not speak so soon but I think I’ve fixed the problem.
I did have another problem with one of my tent poles as due to a bit of corrosion I could not pull them apart so had to strap them to the side of the trailer, making regular checks to see it was still there. Followed the coast and stopped just south of Narbonne in a car park where I pitched my tent at dusk.
Today 38 km.

Night in a carpark

Day 168

I should not have spoken to soon as today I woke to find my trailer tyre flat again, but luckily it was only flat at the bottom. I struck camp and went at the trailer tube again, while I had the wheel off the police arrived in the carpark and watched me for about 5 minutes before they left, they probably had a report of someone camping where they should not, but it could not be me as I was the cyclist with a puncture.
Cycled to Port La Nouvelle where I found a hotel and booked in, just after I checked in it rained very heavily so it was nice to be inside.
Today 35km.

Day 169

Rest day

It was a wet horrible day today so I stayed another day. In between rain showers I took Pippa for walks and spent the day relaxing.

Day 170

Rest day

Another wet day so stayed another day at the hotel, it’s the 21st December today, the winter solstice that means longer days are on their way now.

Day 171

Lovely sunny day, beautiful weather, left the hotel at 10 and was making good time, I saw snow covererd mountains ahead of me. As I was cycling something did not feel right and when I looked down I had a flat tyre on my rear tyre. This puncture was caused by the piece of tyre boot I’d used when I had a puncture in Marseille, I removed the piece of tyre boot and used a large patch to cover the whole area.
Just past Leucate I stopped on a cycle path and put my tent up behind some trees, and near a few hunting hides up in the trees.
Today 27km.

Snow caped mountains ahead

Day 172

Another lovely day, by 10 am i was in shorts and short sleeves, I’d stumbled onto Euro cycle route 8 so most of the day was a good ride. I stopped in Canet En Roussillon and booked into a hotel for 3 nights for Christmas. The hotel room had a bath so I had to have a good long soak, first bath I’ve had in 6 months.
Today 28 km.

Day 173

Rest day

Had a few walks through town and I was the tourist as everyone else had warm winter coats on and I was in short sleeves.

Day 174

Rest day, 25/12/2016

Christmas day and out for a walk with Pippa before sunrise, I took her done to the beach and gave her, her Christmas present of a good hour long walk or run for her on the soft sandy beach watching the sunrise over the med, after that I went to a cafe for a coffee then onto a bakers for some nice cakes for breakfast.

Pre dawn Christmas morning over Med

Day 153 Sunday 4/12/2016

Up early and walked most of the way back to Marseille then downloaded more maps to get me to Montpellier. Back on the bike again and cycled through the port area, where I lost another flag and flagpole, the next one I make is going to be a one piece pole and I’ll try and fire harden it, then I’ll have a lance, a trusty steed ( my bike ), and Sancho Panza ( Pippa ), am I going mad and do I think I’m Don Quixote out on a quest.
Back to the original plan and follow the coast again just keep the sea on my left.
I stopped at a McDonalds for a coffee as I can get a large cup and filled up my waterbottles, while sitting outside drinking my coffee a man offered to by me food, I must be looking rough, it’s a fine line between being a cycle tourist and being a down and out bum living on the streets.

The fine line between being a cycle tourist and a down and out

I had to head inland and up a hill, I pushed most of it up to the summit at Le Rove. It was ok from there as it was downhill all the way to the med. I stopped at a campsite but found it was closed for the season, I really need a break and have promised myself 3 or 4 days off when I find a campsite. Continued to Martigues where I shared another kebab with Pippa and then found a bench to sleep on yards from the sea. I slept on the bench and Pippa slept in her basket on the trailer, a security device as if anyone touches the bike it will wake her.
Today 41km.

Day 154

Up early and found a bakers, for bread, pain aux chocolate, coffee and top up my water bottles. I stopped under a bridge on a canal for breakfast and then carried on, hell week is not over as I came across a closed road, railway lines and motorways so had to turn around, I returned to the bridge I stopped at for breakfast and decided to stop there for the night even though it was still early.

Another bridge campsite

I lost a screw on the Bob Yak skewer today and the only thing that kept the trailer on was the safety pin, lucky i have a little pot of screws to replace it, I really need to give the bike a service, I just need somewhere to stop for a few days. Tonight was the first time I had a chance to cook a meal.
Today 26km.

Day 155

I was and still am compleatly exhausted, I slept until 8 and did not leave until 10. This morning I took a couple of paracetamol, as I think I’m coming down with something, a couple of ibuprofen to help with my mussels and a couple of Imodium as not having proper sanitary conditions my bowel movements are very loose, must be down to wild camping and not enough good hygiene. I will have to wash my hands more but with wild camping water is at a premium.
Cycled back to Martigues past where I slept the night before last and out again, I took smaller roads to avoid traffic, I did not quite make it to the other end of the closed road I found and ended up wild camping in some rough land that has been used for fly tipping and dirt bike riding.
Today 26km.

Fly tipping campsite

Day 156

Very cold early morning and had a frost on the tent, only a little but it must be due to being inland a few miles. Pushed the bike over the rough dirt track and while I was checking the map a Frenchman on his bike insisted on showing me the way, he walked me over the railway tracks and back to tarmac before he continued his bike ride. I was very tired and at 2pm I had to stop by some trees on another canal to have a lie down. I layed down a groundsheet, took my sleeping bag out as a pillow and fell asleep until about 4pm. I then put up my tent and went to bed. At dusk there was lots of shotguns going off from Bird hunters. At about 6.30pm a big dog was barking outside, when I looked out the tent, there was a man with a shotgun under his arm and he was trying to stop his dog from barking at me in the hushed shouting you do when you are trying to be quiet, he seemed upset that he had woken me.
Today 17km.

Day 157

Walked for the first 5km until I found tarmac again then cycled to Arles. Still very tired today and could not find a suitable place to camp so I had to camp by the road.
Today 39km.

Day 158

Up at 7 and on the road again by 7.30, after a couple of kms I had to put my gloves on again, after 5 more km I had to put my waterproofs on again as it was cold. Lucky I left early enough before the frost set in. Cycled to Saint Gilles and then Le Grau-du Roi where I saw some large water rats/musk rats. Broke another spoke today and ended up sleeping on a closed beach that had a hot tub and little shelter that they used for Sun bed cushions that ment I had a mattress for the night.
Today was Pippas first time on a sandy beach and she loved running up and down on it.
I should not have cycled so far today but i could not find a suitable place.
Today 56 km.

Day 159

I replaced the spoke on my back wheel and also had another go at trying to find the puncture in my trailer wheel, I found the hole this time so that’s another problem sorted. At Le Grande Motte I stopped for a few hours to try and find some inter-web and managed to download more maps to get me to Barcelona. Still extremely exhausted and had a lazy Saturday stopped by a bench and slept in a carpark.
Today 12km.

Day 160

Very cold night and a sea mist rolled in at night, my sleeping bag was very damp in the morning. I must have another puncture in the trailer tyre as it was flat again. I passed 4 campsites before 9am and they were all closed for the winter. Stopped on the beach at Palavasoles Flots for a tea and breakfast.

View for breakfast

Passed over a dozen more campsites today and they were all closed so I found a picnic spot by a lake just inland in Frontignan, I waited for dark and put up my tent. While waiting for darkness I saw some flamingos in the lake, only 2 but when I got my binoculars out and scanned the lake I saw 10 plus lots of terns, tried to take some pictures but needed a tripod tried using a walking pole as a monopod.
Today 39km.

Pink flamingo

Day 150 Thursday 1/12/2016

Had a very hot night but thoroughly defrosted myself, my fingers and toes are normal again. In the morning I had breakfast and then set off pushing my bike with trailer on top.

Trailer on bike

At Roermond station I caught a train to Maastricht but at Maastricht station they could not sell international train tickets, they told me I would have to go to a travel agent, I went to a street travel agent and was told that no travel agents in town sell train tickets these days so back onto the bike. I did buy myself a pipe while I was there and feel comfortable giving people directions now.

It’s that way

I left Maastricht heading for Belgium and Liege, on the border of Holland and Belgium I was interviewed by a Swiss TV news channel as it was coming up to the 25th annerverery of the Maastricht Treaty.
In Liege I found the station and booked a ticket for Marseille at 4.40 in the morning. In the station I talked to some people were living/sleeping there, most were drunks and drug users, but 2 people a man and woman were just there due to unlucky circumstances and I spent some time talking to them. During the night I loaded the trailer onto the bike again with the thought that tomorrow night I would be on the med.
Today 36km.

Day 151

4.40 I caught my first train to Bruxelles Midi and just managed to make my first train connection as they had lifts in the station. Belgium trains have 3 steep steps and narrow doors, some stations do not even have platforms making it difficult to get around with goods. On the train from Bruxelles to Tournai a guard/inspector came along and had a go at me for blocking up the space between carriages, so I asked him in my best French where the cycle carriage was and was told there was not one, I then showed him my train tickets for me, my bike and a dog so he had to lump it.
Getting off was difficult and I only had 5 minutes to change platforms with no lift, I asked the same guard I’d seen eariler and he laughed and told me I’d have to use the stairs. I had to remove the trailer from the top of the bike, remove my panniers, run bike, bags, trailer up and down steps while keeping control of a small dog, I missed my connection and had to change platforms again I was getting really stressed out, I caught a later train from Tournai to Lille Flandres were I had to change my tickets to trains with less connections. By now with the difficult platforms, narrow doors, no lifts I was carrying everything separately and ferrying bags up and down.
In Lille I must have been looking a state as I was standing outside the station having a smoke and a man came over to give me money as he thought I was a begger and my coffee cup was a begging bowl.
From Lille I caught a train to Amiens. At Amiens I had 17 minutes for my connection but there were no lifts so I had to ferry all my gear up 3 flights of stairs along and down 3 flights of stairs, just missing my train by about 1 minute as the bike carriage was at the other end of the platform.
I had to leave all my stuff on a platform while I went to the information desk to find which platform the next train would be on.
When I eventually caught my next train from Amiens to Paris North it was he’ll getting the bike on but at least I’d made it onto the train.
I’d reached Paris North but my connection from Paris North was from Paris Becy station. When I asked at the info desk about how to get to there I was told l could not use the metro with all my gear and when I asked him where the other station was he had no idea, I did manage to get a map and worked it out myself. I’d had no sleep last night, I was exhausted and had to push my bike across Paris as I was in no fit state to ride, especially during rush hour in Paris. I reached Paris Becy and found I’d missed my train that I knew, but there were no more trains till tomorrow, I went to the ticket office and the lady found another train from Paris Lyon station, 5 minutes walk down the road to Marseilles, went to Paris Lyon station and waited for the train, when I went to get on I was told I could not take a bike

On the train, the lady who sold me the ticket knew I had a bike and dog but sold me a ticket I could not use, the ticket office there was closing and I was told I had to come back in the morning.
I went back to Paris Bercy and when the lady from SNCF who sold me the ticket saw me she pulled the blind down on her desk.
I went back to Paris Lyon station and had a bit of a run in with a security guard who did not want me in his station with a bike, but after making him read my ticket that said I had a ticket for a bike he had to let me in.
While waiting in the station a nice young French lady saw all my gear and came over to talk to me while waiting for her train. After she left an English lad who had been living on the streets of Paris came over for a chat, he told me that there were people looking at all my stuff and were planning to rob me. I thanked him for the heads up but it would mean another night on the trot with no sleep.
I tried to rest but station security kicked everyone out of the station at 1am until 4am so I had to walk the streets for a few hours.
Today 7km.

Day 152

From 1am to 4am I had to walk the streets of Paris, I did this for a couple of hours and then decided to make myself a cup of tea outside the station until it opened. I went back in at 4.30 but the ticket office did not open until 6am, I think Pippa must have felt my anguish as she went to the toilet outside the ticket office. At 6 I went to the office again and got another ticket to Marseilles that allowed bikes but it did have 1 change.
I caught that train and at my change I asked a guard where my connection was and he told me the wrong platform so I missed it, I did catch the next train and an hour or so later I was in Marseille.
I pushed my bike out of the station and managed to get a puncture in my rear tyre, I stopped at a cafe and ordered a coffee, then a small beer, while fixing the puncture, a piece of glass that I could not remove with tweezers so had to use a knife to dig it out, then use a piece of tyre boot to cover the hole in the tyre.
The best thing about being on the med was I could remove my jackets and go back to short sleeves again.
Next stop was the tourist office, they told me where a campsite was and I made my way there, it was 15km in the wrong direction but I needed to do major repairs to the bike and sleep. I cycled along the coast and arrived at the site in the dark, I was told that they did not allow tents and only let in campervans and caravans, so I cycled back towards Marseille and slept on the beach after shareing a kebab with Pippa.
Lots of work needed to my bike including a bent Bob Yak skewer and a cracked screen on my tablet computer.
At least the temperature during the night is warmer then the days up north.
Today 20km.

Day 136, Thursday 17/11/2016

Rest day

Now that I’ve arrived in the Nederlands I need a rest day, I’ve spent the last month crossing Germany about 800 km or 500 miles. I had a good nights sleep in the loft, it rained heavily last night and it was nice to hear the rain on the roof above me knowing I was safe from it.

My loft appartment

I took a walk into town in the morning and came back through the woods and Pippa had her first experience of running through a field of leaves and having fun skidding on them as she turned. In the afternoon I had a lie down and a rest. This morning the site owner Jan came over to pick up my washing and dropped it off for me in the afternoon. One of the things that I do like about travelling is the generosity of people I have met on this trip.

Day 137

It rained very hard again last night and I was glad I was under the cover of a proper roof in my loft apartment. The owner invited me to his house for breakfast and even gave me some food for lunch, he was a cycle enthusic and very generous, I did not pay him any money and he helped me more than any campsite that I have paid for.
I cycled through Emmen and started following the cycle route numbers on the cycle paths. I had bought a book of cycle routes eariler this year and all I had to do was follow the numbers. It rained until 10 this morning but that did not matter as I did not leave until half past 11 so it did not matter. A lovely autumn day with lots of orange colours. I found a campsite just before Coevorden so checked in at 3ish for an early day. There were some mole hills where I put up the tent and I tied Pippa up as I put up the tent, when I looked around she had her bum in the air and head down a mole hole digging it up and trying to get in a mole run, when I called her she looked up with black claws and a black face covered in dirt looking ever so pleased with herself.
Today 31km.

Honestly there is a tarmac path somewhere

Day 138

I left the campsite and cycled into Coevorden, and around it as I missed a cycle route sign and went in a circle, from there I went onto Hardenberg and found a campsite near Rheeze, I’d tried one campsite at lunchtime and 2 more just before the one I stayed at that was open. It was a good day for cycling, cold weather but dry and no wind.
Today 36km.

Day 139

Rest day

It was a very rainy night and it rained until 10 o’clock in the morning when the winds came, so I decided to take another rest day laying in my sleeping bad reading. The weather forecast showed no rain for the next week so hopefully it should be good going.
In the evening I was preparing my dinner, a stew with some pepperoni chunks in it, it was all ready to go on the stove when I had to get something from the tent behind me, when I turned around again Pippa was leaning over my legs picking out pieces of meat out of my stew pot, she is usually good with food but i guess the sausage got the better of her.

Day 140

Left site at 10 o’clock, a nicer day then yesterday but cold and slightly windy, I have been following route LF14 but cut a section out as a short cut in the morning. In the afternoon it was a nice route with less roads. I need to head south as fast as possible as it is getting colder and I do not think I’ll be able to make the med for the new year but still need to head south. 3 campsites closed today so I found a bench by a canal and decided to put up my tent when it got dark. It is warmer then Germany but i need to keep ahead of the winter weather.
About 9pm I got busted by the Dutch police, the Dutch police are nice and probably the best police to have dealings with, someone had reported me as they thought I was with a child but when they came it was only Pippa, there were 2 officers, the man checked my ID and was surprised when he found out I was English, I talked to the lady officer and when I explained that all the campsites were closed for the winter in this area they were happy, they even wished me a good nights sleep when they left.
Today 46km.

Day 141

Up early and on the road by 8am, about 10 I found a dog run area and let Pippa have a run with bigger dogs, lucky she is very agile or she would have been knocked over a few times at least. Cycled through Oldenzaal and Enschede stopping at a campsite just east of Haaksbergen but they were closed for the winter so wild camped behind some trees next to the reservoir.
I have made the 4000km mark today.
Today 48 km.

Day 142

Up early, very misty morning but cycling by 7.45 with lights on in the pre dawn light. Stopped at about 9 for breakfast and to fill my flask up and then on again. I stopped at 2.30 by a canal, I saw some fishermen and one had a shelter tent so I put up my tent and tried to blend in.

Pretending to be a fisherman

It was a lovely day today and I had to remove my waterproof jacket at lunchtime as it was to hot. Stopping early ment I could cook while it was still light and not draw attention to myself.
Today 41km.

Day 143

I set off early from my canal campsite and as I pushed my bike through the hedge to the road it felt strange and when I checked I had a puncture in my trailer tyre. I removed the wheel and tried to find the puncture but could not so replaced it and carried on. At lunch time I came to a ferry crossing and the ferry had to come over to pick me up, the fare was 1 Euro, so I gave the ferryman 2, 50 cent coins, it’s nice to see that the cost of ferries has remained the same for thousands of years at 2 coins.
I found a campsite about 20 km east of Arnham so stopped there as I planned on having a look around there tomorrow.
Today 50km.

Day 144

It was a slow leak in my trailer tyre so had to pump it up again this morning. It was nice to stay at a campsite as opposed to wild camping. Cycled through a national park forest with lots of ups and downs, mainly ups but at least it was downhill for the final run to Arnham. I had a little walk around town and saw the new bridge of the film, A Bridge Too Far.

Arnham bridge

I left Arnham following the river and wild camped just off a dyke.
Today 37km.

Day 145

Up at 4.30 to go to the toilet while it was still dark, had a cuppa and back to bed until 6.30. The last hour was very cold and the first time I have shivered on this trip. I packed up my tent and saw frost starting to form as I was packing it up. My water bottles were half frozen. Pumped up my trailer tyre again and was on the road by 7.30.
My bike stand bolt sheared through today so will have to try and fix it later.

Sheared off bolt

Very misty/foggy day and arrived at another ferry crossing, I thought I had just missed a ferry so decided to wait for the next one in an hour. When that one did not come I went to the notice board and think from the Dutch I can read it said that the ferry would not run when there were extreme high and low tides, violent storms, mist, and the 1st and 2nd day of the new year. I think today counted as heavy mist/fog.

Thick fog

The alternative route would be go back to Arnham and find a bridge, or carry on to the next ferry crossing that was a 31km detour and that ferry may not be running, so I put up my tent on a large concrete bench so I could sit in the entrance and be sheltered.

Waiting for fog to go

I would proberly have to wait until tomorrow so I thought I’d try and remove the broken bolt from my bike stand but gave up as I did not have the right tools so I’ll have to think about it until I can solve the problem.
I prepared Pippas medicine for tonight and tomorrow, worm and flea treatments. She had lots of fun on the river Rhine today.
Today 7km.

Day 146

Woke up at 4.30 to go to the toilet and that it was clear of fog, I could see across the river and lights in houses on the other side that I could not see yesterday, even though it was only about 100 metres to the other side.
I took it easy as I knew the first ferry did not run until 10am.
At 10 the ferry came across to pick me up, it cost me 2 Euros but proberly cost him more than that in diesel starting the ferry up.
Cycled through Nijmegem and decided to wild camp in the forest south of town. I found a nice spot at 4.30pm by a bench and sat down to wait until until it got dark. A lady and her adult son came along and I chatted to them for a bit, at 5.30 it was almost dark and I put up my tent behind a large mound of soil behind the bench.
Today 33km.

Day 147

Up early again and moving again while it was still dark I stopped after 20km for breakfast. I had 2 more ferries today at a cost of 90 cents each, not sure how they work out the prices of ferries. Stopped at 3.30 today by some more benches and planned on sleeping here but had to wait a couple of hours until I could put up my tent, cycled over 40km today and my legs are tired. My cycle computer is starting to play up due to the cold and not working first thing in the morning so having to measure distance on the map and work it out the old fashioned way.
Today 45km.

Day 148

Freezing night, in the morning I had to put my gloves on to take my tent down, pumped up my trailer tyre again and left at 5.30, five minutes later I had to put my thermal glove liners on under my seal skinz gloves, an hour later my fingertips were completely frozen, so I had to stop and put my hands under my armpits for half an hour to thaw them out. After the first 5 minutes of finger defrosting my finger tips felt like they were on fire although eventually I had feeling in them again, I think i was on the verge of frost bite but at least I could let Pippa out as I could work the catch that held her in. All the water that I’d managed to keep as a liquid in the tent over night had frozen with the wind chill. At 11 o’clock I stopped for a break and managed to soak up some heat from the Sun. Could not find a campsite so I had to wild camp again. Today I had been following the river Mass and at night was thinking of getting down to Maastricht and getting a train south, it will be about 2 more days cycle there but the cold is getting to me. I had to sleep in gloves tonight.
Today 40km.

Day 149

Up at 6.30 packing things away which was difficult as I had to do it with thick gloves on, and still had a layer of frost/ice on the rolled up tent, last night I slept with my cycle computer in my pocket but after 5 minutes of cycling the wind chill had stopped it working, I should change the battery but I think this cold would still get to it.
Another ferry today and I was talking to a man, on the other side he offered to take me to Marseilles tomorrow as he was driving there with an empty trailer, I arranged to meet him in the next town at 1pm. When we met up again he told me where he worked, he drove and I arrived half an hour later, but it was bad news, his girlfriend was moving from France to Holland but she had not had a chance to pack enough stuff yet and did not want him there for another week, so I left and cycled off to Roermond, the tourist office found me a B&B it was expensive but was needed, it was in a shop but had a kitchen and toilet and shower, the thermostat was on 21 degrees but for someone who had been out in the cold for a while it was way to hot. The lady who’s shop it was had a Spanish chicken casorole left over from the day and I ate that for dinner. At night I removed the trailer and tied it onto the top of the bike as the plan for tomorrow was to get a train to Maastricht, and then get a train to the south of France.
Today 32km.

Day 128 Wednesday 9/11/2016

It snowed again last night.

Guess where I slept last night

I did try to leave the campsite leaving no trace of where I had been as usual but you can tell from the picture where I slept last night.
Last night I slept in full clothes, waterproofs, a sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag and bivi bag. Had breakfast in the communal area and left Pippa there as I packed everything up. Tryed to find the owner to pay for last night but they had disappeared when the snow came so a free night for me. Walked 3km back to town as the small road was very slippery, found an bank and then shopping for food and chocolate things for energy. The snow was beginning to melt by then so I tried to ride very carefully. My feet were lovely and warm with plastic bags over my socks, I have not done this for about 5 years when on another cycling trip and my shoes got soaked it kept my socks dry and feet warm.
Rear brakes seized up today, well they froze but being a man and having the right tool for the job I pee’ed on them to fix the problem.
The snow was getting a lot thinner during the day and beginning to melt, the worst part of that was the lumps falling off the trees onto my head.
Just before I reached Zeven a guy pulled over and had a chat with me, he gave me 10 euro’s and a pouch of tobacco, and some treats for Pippa. Made it to the campsite exhausted.
Today 31km.

Day 129

Sleeping bag starting to get damp from Pippa and me both sleeping with our heads inside of it, which is one of the reasons I decided to take a sleeping bag with a man made filling instead of a natural down as it still has good insulation when wet where as a down bag is just a lump of soggy feathers. It is only a 2 season bag with a full length zip so when it’s hot I use it as a duvet and when cold I wear clothes and the bivi bag around it.
I had hoped that I had out ridden the snow but when I woke up I thought it was rain until I left the tent and found it was sleet, but it turned to rain that was better. I bought an hour of WiFi from the office and downloaded more maps to get me to the Nederlands then left site. I had about 50 km to make it to a campsite in Bremen but luckily I found a site in Tarmstedt and pulled over at 2 leaving about 30 ish km for tomorrow. It was a short day but heavy rain in the afternoon made cycling horrible. Had a hot shower and managed to get the water up to scaulding to warm my old bones up. Used the radiators in the toilet block to dry the towel I use for mopping up the tent and to also dry Pippas bed.
Today 21km.

Day 130

Up at 7 and straight to the toilet block to dry off my sleeping bag, there was a frost at night and my tent zip had frozen so it took a while to open the tent. I was on the road by 1030 and made good time, there were clear blue skies and Sun but it was cold, but a nice dry cold. I made the campsite at Bremen just after 1 pm and put the tent up to dry the frost/ice that was still on it, then I found a stick and made a new flag pole, I had some problems trying to sew flag around the stick as Pippa wanted to eat the stick/flag pole.

New flag pole

Pippa received 2 Euro from a lady when I stopped at a supermarket earlier today, so she came buy her own treats. As I was cooking dinner I saw the frost creeping up the tent so I new it would be another cold night, so straight to bed to keep warm.
Today 29 km.

Day 131

A very cold night last night, my tent poles froze together and when I was trying to put them away in the morning I had to rub all the joints to melt the ice, all my water bottles also froze up so I had to get warm water from the kitchen to make my morning tea and fill my flask. I left the stove on after using it to try and heat the tent up, and yesterday I’d bought 2 litres of fuel.
It was a very misty morning but the Sun came out and it was warm afternoon.
I was just looking for a place to wild camp and found a campsite. I decided to rent a hut for the night as I felt I needed it, it was expensive but after all that very cold weather a night inside was required.
First night I have not slept in socks, trousers, over trousers etc, the heated mattress was to hot and I had to turn it down during the night.
Today 36km.

Hut for the night

Day 132

A cold day but very dry, I had enough clothes on to be warm today. Made it through Kirchatten and onto Garrel where the were about half a dozen sites all next to each other by the lake. When I arrived I called the site manager and he came to the gate, when he saw I was on a push bike he asked if I had a tent, I told him yes, then he offered me a caravan instead at no extra charge, it was an old caravan but still a lot better than sleeping in a tent, he also brought over a small fan heater. Pippa also loved it as there was a lot more room to run about in then the tent. I had the heater in the bedroom and had to open the door during the night as it was to hot, from my experience living on a boat I’ve learned that if you turn the heater off on a cold night in 10 minutes time I’d be freezing again. I had a better nights sleep in the caravan then the hut.
Today 48km.

My caravan upgrade from tent

Day 133

This morning it was very frosty again, and I had to pour warm water over my bungee cords yet again as they were frozen in the length and shape they were left in last night. A very cold chilly day, I cycled through Neumarkhausen, Frees and onto Werite where I went past the campsite to do some food shopping before camping. I arrived at the site at 3pm and at 4pm it started raining very heavy, but luckily I was already inside and settled in. I would rather be in a caravan again but at least i have my tent. With any luck it will be a rainy night and warmer.
Almost across Germany now, It should only be about another 2 days.
Today 33km.

Day 134

Paid for the night in the morning and Pippa got a free dog chew, then off. It was a horrible rainy day and the first day on this trip I’ve just been clock watching the odometer and wishing another kilometre goes by, the rain was so hard I did not want to look up unless I had to. I cycled through Sogel and found a campsite at Lathen, I was planning on going another 10km but decided enough was enough, and I’m still about the same distance from Holland. With all this cold weather I’m glad of the flask I was given by TT line ferries.
Today 33km.

Day 135 – Wednesday 16/11/2016

I was up at 7 and it felt warm, I must have been out in the cold to long as I’m sure it was cold. A good day for cycling clear skies and Sun.

Another border crossing

I made the Nederlands after 21km and almost straight away I hit crosswinds, something I have not had for over a month. Must be the flat countryside that lets the winds build up. Arrived in Emmen and went to the tourist office for a campsite, they found me one 2km away. When I arrived I met the owner and he told me it was the end of the season and I could camp for free, so I booked in for 2 nights, he offered me the loft of the workshop to stay in out of the rain, when I asked about a washing machine he offered to do it for me, and also invited me around to his sister’s house next door for a traditional Dutch meal. It was a nice meal but more important was it was something different to what I have been eating so far.
Today 42km.

Day 106, Tuesday 18/10/2016

Rest day

Had a lie in until 9 o’clock, a large porrage, gave all my pots and pans a good wash and scrub, then a shower for me and clothes washing. I was looking for a good strong post to wring my clothes out on when the lady at the campsite let me use the site spin dryer, and the clothes line behind the office. I had charcoal for dinner, well I had a tin of Kohlouladen in Bratensauce and when I put that into Google translate it came up as charcoal.
I was nice and warm today as it was a rest day so had my thermals on.

Been making use of my complemtry flask

Day 107 – 19/10/2016

Dry in the morning and struck camp, I had to pack damp clothes I’d washed yesterday as it looked like rain was coming, and I would not be able to dry them from the bike. First 4km was on a cycle path through the forest that was really nice but when I reached Gartz it started to bucket it down, I carried on along the road to Schwedt in terrible rain and Google maps had stopped working so had to follow road signs. Schwedt looked like i imagined an East German town to look like, lots of big industry and lots of blocks of flats, or as its called these days Germany. I bought a paper map of the whole of Germany and made it to the campsite just before 5pm. The reception was closed so I pitched my tent and as I was preparing dinner I heard a twang from outside and my unladen bike had just lost another spoke, to late to fix it tonight as it was dark so a job for the morning. I’m glad I had my wheel trued in Sweden orvi may have broken a lot more spokes in Poland, I’d been told that the roads in Poland were the worst in Europe by Polish friends in England but London roads are worse for pot holes, it was the cobbled street’s that were really rough to cycle over.
Today 43 km.

Day 108

Packed up my kit but left the tent up to dry off as I replaced my 7th spoke, bad mistake as halfway through doing it, it rained, so I’ll have to dry the tent tonight. I left the site at 11 and went to pay but the lady said don’t worry about it, I think they were closed for the winter, but the toilet block was unlocked so it did for me. I went into town to get some money, and the tourist office told me that there was no bank in the town that would change Polish zlotty and suggested I cycle 3km back to Poland but chose to go to an atm instead. Google maps was working again so I could take some small quiet roads with less traffic. I got pulled by the police in the afternoon for a routine passport check, which took me aback a bit, I’ve travelled through about 25 European countries in my time and never had a routine passport check. So far I’ve only showed my passport twice on this trip, once to leave England and once to arrive in France ( just to make sure I was not an illegal immigrant ), I’ve travelled through 8 countries, and crossed 16 border points and only shown my passport twice. I’m sure Germany is in the Schengen zone. They were 2 older police man and were probably ex east German officers, I’ve decided to name the shorter bald one Von Smallhausen and the taller one who checked my passport Heir Flick.
At Angermunde I asked at the tourist office for a campsite, she saw my dog told me where the campsite was and then told me that they had a no dogs policy, I went to the lake by town and set up my tent near some anglers and wild camped.
Today 30 km.

Day 109

Left my lake side wild camping spot at 8.30 and walked the bike to town to get some meths and a 2nd spare innertube. It was a very misty day, hardly any rain but very damp. I went past the campsite that the lady yesterday told me did not allow dogs at Geghegmuhle and through Altkunkendorf to Alhuttendorf and into Joachimsthal and found a campsite on Google maps that I do not think was there. I found a building with a shelter by the lake and decided to sleep under that for the night. There was no water tap but i filled my bottles from the lake, no need to use my water filter as I’ll be boiling it as I’m only drinking tea while it’s cold, the temp was 8 degrees centigrade in the afternoon.
I don’t know how far west I need to cycle at 52 degrees north to keep up with the setting Sun and keep my bedtime the same but I’m not cycling far enough, but west is west.
I was not certain but my expensive metal fuel bottle has a leak, I thought it had but confirmed it today, I might as well get rid of it and use the bottle cage for water instead.

Leaking fuel bottle

I had a cheap metal fuel bottle that did the same while cycling around the Orkney islands a few years ago, glad I have a meths stove and did not bring a pressurized fuel stove that required that bottle, I’ll just keep the meths in the plastic bottles it comes in, in Europe they are good quality plastic bottles unlike in England.

While I’m talking about bad kit, my 3/4 length multi mat is not holding air all night, when I first got it it would last 3 to 4 nights without a top up, then a night, and now at least once a night I have to top it up with air, there are other things that i would rather go down on me then an airbed, lucky at my age I usually need to go for a pee once a night so I have to get up. I should have brought my 30 year old Karrimat, not as comfortable as an air bed but nothing to go wrong with it, but it takes up about 9 times more space, I’ll have to look for a new one and strap it to the trailer somewhere.
Still have damp clothes in my panniers but to humid to dry them and not enough wind, the only way I know to dry them off is to put them on and use my body heat.
A deer ran across in front of me, about 5 metres away, I had to grab Pippa to stop her chasing after it.
Feeling the cold this afternoon so had a swig of my Polish warm up juice and put on dinner, it did the job and kept me warm until food was ready.
Today 24km

Where I slept

View from where I slept

Day 110

Up at 7 but not enough light till 8 to hit the road then stopped 1km up the road to get some supplies, I also bought some iced jam donuts from the freash bread kiosk and they came with a free yogurt each. 1 km out of town I noticed my cycle computer had had enough for the day and jumped 36km, I keep track of my distance as I ride with a crib sheet on my handlebar bag to help work out when a turning is coming up, re corrected my start distance to take it into account. No rain so far today and cycled 20 km by 11am when I stopped for my mid morning T break. At about half 12 I decided to stop at a campsite, well a marina that had camping at Marienwerder. It was a nice day and I could have done 20-30 km more but wanted to give my damp clothes an airing and hopefully dry a bit more. Managed to dry trousers but they are a fast drying material, put my slightly damp clean socks on to go to bed, my body heat should dry them out, did not feel like doing this with my underpants.
I think i have worked out why Google maps goes wrong, every time I download new maps it downloads them but i do not have access to them and only get a blank screen, I have to turn my WiFi off and on a few times and they will work when I am offline.
Today 25km.

Day 111

Had to put smelly socks back on this morning but clean ones had dried. Left site at 10 and decided to follow cycle route to the next town and not the road, but i forgot that the cycle points are not like in Holland and at junctions there are no signs so had to double check with Google maps to find the route again. First half of the day I was heading west the right direction, second half of the day a change of route plan and went north along a canal ( Berlin to Copenhagen cycle route ), there was a method to my madness as 20 km further north there were more small roads that go east west. I hung pants, shirt and towel on the trailer to dry as it was a good day but cold. Pants dried but shirt and towel still damp. The first campsite I tried said they were open April to October on the sign but they said they were closed but they did have rooms to rent at 9 times the price. 5 km up the road I found another marina at Ziegelepark that had camping, checked out the toilet facilities showers were coin oppereted but the office was closed, went to the restaurant 20 metres along and found they also did camping so checked in. They also had outside household electrical points so I made use of my 4m 4 way extension lead and charged all my electrics, tablet, storage battery, phone and spare battery, camera and spare battery and some aaa batteries. The showers were free so had a long shower and they also had radiators so managed to dry the rest of my damp clothes.
Today 45km.

Day 112

I settled my bill in the morning and got a nice cup of fresh brewed coffee, very nice people there. I left the park and took a dirt road for 3km so Pippa could have a nice walk and her morning exercise, then into Zabelsdorf and Altudersdorf looking for a supermarket as stocks of food were running low. At Rheinsberg the tourist office was very helpful and called 4 campsites to find one which was open.
Today was a dry day and 70% of it was on cycle paths next to the road. I also discovered that an 8% hill is too steep for me to push the bike up, so removed 8kg of weight from the trailer and had Pippa tied to the handlebars to pull.
Today I made the 2000 mile mark.
Today 47km.

Day 113

Yesterday the lady at the tourist office found a campsite for me, and told me that the owner was not there but would be back in the morning so I could pay. I found the owner in the morning and chatted to him and he let me stay for free, I think Pippa got me the free night.
Hit the road at 10 and Pippa had a 2km walk, mainly as there were cobblestones and I do not like cycling over them. Cycled through Luhme on the way to Schweinrich were there were signs along the road that looked like landmines, one way to stop people wild camping

Not sure what it says, but decided not to wild camp

The tourist office in Schweinrich was not very helpful so carried on and wild camped in the woods just before Blesendorf.
When I stopped for lunch today I was feeling extremely tired and had to check my log to see when my last rest day was, and this was day 7 of cycling, I think i need a break.
It was a barmy 9 degrees centergrade today and for the first time in 3 weeks I took off my rain jacket. I cycled further then I wanted today but i could not find a suitable place to camp. At 1030 in the night I heard an animal outside the tent, proberly a Fox but Pippas barking scared it off.
Today 53km.

Day 114

Had to wait till 7 to strike camp as it was too dark, a very misty morning, I saw deer and a large owl through the mist. At about 11 I almost ran over a young weasel as it darted across the road in front of me. I met some nice people today and in Triglitz a nice lady and her son pulled over to ask if I was ok as I was checking my map. Wild camped in woods halfway between Putlitz and Suckow very tired.
Today 36km.

Day 115

Another cold night last night in the woods just beside the main road, could not get moving until 830 due to lack of light, it was very misty and I was down to my last half litre of water plus my half litre reserve. Stopped for a T at 10 and a chocolate spread sandwich, ( I slept with the jar in my sleeping bag last night to stop it freezing ), I will be out of Google maps in about 20 km so I need WiFi to download more today. I stopped at a McDonalds in Parchim at lunchtime for a coffee and to try and download more maps but once again I could not get into there website but i did fill up my waterbottles. Left town headwind for Schwerin, not sure how far away it is as signs said 40km then 41km, then 45km and 40km as I followed route 321 out of town. A longer day then I expected today, day 9 without a rest day but i want a campsite to take that rest day as I must really stink now. At 3pm the Sun came out and at 3.30 i hit road works, where the road was down to one lane for 3/4 km with traffic lights, I was at the front and I think the lights must have changed at least twice before I cycled through the slight uphill stretch, I bet the people who put up the roadworks were expecting a heavily laden cyclist to go through, but at least when I made it to the end and all the cars following me overtook they could see the union Jack on the trailer and know who held them up.
Camped in some bushes off the road at 5pm about 15km east of Schwerin. By tomorrow night I should be back on Google maps again, last time I downloaded 3 maps and the image showed them overlapping but there was a gap.
Today 54km

Day 116

Today day 10 without a rest day, I think my limit is 8 days. I did not have to re inflate my air bed last night as I was so tired I just slept, late start for wild camping, 9am. Still running on no Google maps so main roads and just as I was at my turn off I came to a section with no cycles allowed so had to turn into town and go to Schwerin, I saw wallabys and those big Australian birds, not emus but the other ones I can never remember the name of, but i was going past a zoo. Stopped at the lake in town for a break and had to fill up with 2 litres of lake water, not that clean but it was for boiling a mug of tea and a flask of coffee, I still have some drinking water left. I town I found fresh water and replaced the lake water and then stopped outside a Deutsche Bank for free WiFi, I now love Deutsche Bank, but when I worked for them all I could think of was the line Rick used about them in the film Casablanca.
On the way out of town saw an innertube vending machine, very useful but i already have enough.

Inner tube vending machine

Nice city and I think I’d like to return in better weather.
Made my way out of town and into woods for another night of wild camping, I have saved a lot of money wild camping but i do need to find a campsite.
Today 26km

Day 117

Once again too tired last night to inflate my air bef after it went down. Gave Pippa her monthly flea treatment today. Very large porridge and tea for breakfast. I need a day off soon at the next campsite I find open. At Wittenburg I stocked up on food again. Cycled through Lehsen where I stopped in the first suitable woods I found at 4pm. Totally exhausted, 11 days riding since my last change of clothes and 6 days since my last shower. I disturbed a couple of eagles when I was looking for a place to pitch my tent, one on the ground and one in a tree, I must make sure Pippa does not run off or she may be dinner.
Today 33km

Day 118

Rest day

About 400 km since my last rest day and I have decided to stay put for the day, I think i am in a private wood so not sure what will happen if the owner comes. I should have enough water, but my old bones and muscles are aching so spent the day in my sleeping bag reading.
Pippa had her monthly worm tablets for dinner, mixed in with one of those soft tins of cat food to make sure she ate them.
It was a very nice day today so it seemed a shame not to ride but i do not think I’d have been able to go more then a couple of km.
I think the clocks go back today, but as I get up at light and go to bed at dusk it does not bother me.
I think what I need more then a shower is a long bath, the type that you have to top up the hot water half way through.

Day 119

After my rest day my legs are feeling a lot better, with just the normal aches and pains, but my arthritis is back with a vengeance, I thought I was going to break my little fingers trying to straighten them this morning. Cycled 28 km by lunch time, the morning was very misty turning to fog. After lunch it started to rain so I set up camp in the woods at 2pm. I think today was a public holiday as all the shops were closed, unless the Germans are doing as the French and close on Mondays now, the only shop I could find open was a petrol station. I think i could have made another 20 km today but the rain made it a not very nice day. I cooked dinner early as I did not want the light from my stove being seen from the road.
Today 34km.

Day 120

Had a bad nights sleep last night in the woods, the only place large enough to put my tent up in was on a slight slope, I pitched my tent so my head would be up, but my sleeping bag kept slipping on the mat and I kept sliding down. On the road by 10, these winter hours mean that there is not enough light to see what I’m doing until about half past 8 in the morning. I had to pack up all my bags and the tent, wheel the bike through the trees and load the bike as I would not have been able to squeeze my fully laden bike through the trees. All of today’s cycling was on cycle paths beside the main road. Stopped at Lauenburg for more groceries and then onto Artlenburg where I took a 1km detour to find a closed campsite/marina. Back on my original route I came across 5 campsites all in a row along a river, first site had a closed office, second also had a closed office but owner saw me and came over. They had a washing machine and tumble dryer so showered changed clothes and did my laundry, I booked in for 2 nights.
1st November and I have a 6 week head start on the mo.
Today 22km.

6 week head start on the Mo

Day 121

Rest day

Had a lie in until 10, or 9 when I put my watch back an hour.
Rest day so put my thermals on and got into my sleeping bag and spent the day reading.
It was a very cold night and I had to put my sleeping bag into my bivi bag, so had thermals on, full set of clothes, silk sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag, bivi bag.

Day 122

Sick day

Pippa was sick last night, about a dozen times, started at midnight and ended at about 7 am, I’m not sure what she ate but it did not agree with her. She was in my sleeping bag but whenever she was going to be sick she got out and found a bit of floor space with nothing on, I had to clean up the mess and lost all the heat in my sleeping bag every time she was sick. I was not feeling to good in the morning due to lack of sleep, it was only when I got up that I realized how cold it was as the outside of the tent was covered in frost.

Woke up from cold night and frost

I really wanted to be on the move today as it was cold but the Sun was shining and blue skies but too tired so paid for another night and slept all day and night.

Day 123

After a couple of days off I’m ready for the road again, the hardest part of the morning was taking my thermals off as I do not want to ride in them or I will get to hot and I want to keep them for emergency use. It was a shame I could not ride yesterday as it was a lovely day, but today was all along cycle paths. Saw another weasel darting across the road in front of me this morning. Cycled through Rottorf and Borstel where I stopped for more food and then carried on to Maschen and planned to wild camp somewhere between the big motorway junctions as there should be no people about, when I was crossing a bridge I thought I could pitch my tent by the river so went down and decided to sleep under the bridge instead.
Today 39km

My bed under a bridge

Day 124

4 months on the road now and about 3500 km. It was a dry night but rained in the morning so lucky I was under the bridge and kept my tent packed up dry, and used it as a pillow. I finally shook off the headache I had all day yesterday last night, it must have been from lack of sleep.
Today was one of those days that you just want to stay in bed under the duvet but i did not have that choice so on the road again for me. I had no motivation to cycle today but i did at a very slow pace. It was a damp day and drizzled u ntill 3pm when it stopped raining, I was looking for somewhere to pitch my tent when I spotted a campsite.
Lost my flag today, the flange on the pole slipped off and the top half went, lucky i do not have a gun or I might have to do the honourable thing and go around the back of the tent and shoot myself for losing the colours to the Germans. I have more flags but will have to make a pole out of a stick.
Today only 20 km.

Day 125

Another rainy day, cycled through Holm and at Tostedt saw a sign for a campsite and decided to call it a day. This morning I saw my first farm fresh milk vending machine, but it was too cold and I did not have an empty bottle.
After I pitched my tent it bucketed it down so I stopped just in time.
Today 22km.

Day 126

Rest day

Horrid cold night last night and heavy rain in the morning so decided to take another rest day.
Spent the day in the communal area in the warm reading and writing.

Day 127, Tuesday 8/11/2016

Woke up this morning and it seemed dark, discovered that there had been a snow storm in the night and the tent was covered in an inch of snow, had breakfast in the communal area and decided to stay another night, hopefully it will have stopped later and be ok tomorrow.

Woke up to snow

Day 102
Friday 14/10/2016

Last night while waiting for the ferry I met an old German cyclist with more kit than I had going to Oslo, he had a front suspension mountain bike with bar bag, 2 front panniers, 2 rear panniers, a very large hold all on top of them and a Bob Yak trailer as well, with a full Bob Sac and a couple of bags on top, he showed me his hydraulic rim brakes, but i think my cable disc brakes were better for a number of reasons, he did seem very interested in how I had managed to fit a pannier rack and 2 panniers on my trailer wheel, will I end up like him being and old man on a bike drinking extra strong beer.
Had a good laugh on the ferry watching pissed Polish men trying to walk straight while the ferry was gently rocking, when I looked outside it was only a 3, possible 4 and quite calm. There was even a strong smell of vomit about, I only wish I knew enough Polish to tell them the best thing for sea sickness is tinned fruit in syrup, it does not stop you being sick but it does come up easy.
There was even a dog toilet on the boat.

Dog toilet on ferry

When I booked the ferry I asked the lady if dogs stayed on the car deck or went up and was given a strange look and told of course they go up, it’s dangerous for them on the fume filled car decks, I told her that in England the had to stay on the car deck and she seemed very shocked.

The ferry docked about 6am and I was one of the first out and cycled a couple of km to a petrol station to wait until daylight, I had a large coffee for 8 zlotty, in Sweden for that price I’d be lucky to be able to have a sniff of coffee.
At 7am when it was light enough I hit the road again, stopping 5km later to have a pee and noticed frost, the first frost I’ve seen since setting off, but then again the last time I was up this early was in July.
At 9 am I stopped in a lay by in the woods for breakfast and had already covered 22km, had my tea and morning porrage and then had to wash up, the way to wash up in the woods is after daddy bear has eaten his porrage he puts the pan on the grass and now it has cooled down to the right temperature baby bear ( Pippa ) goes to work, not only does she clean most of the inside she also pushes the pan around and takes to soot off the outside, leaving minimal washing up to do and saving water.
Made it to Reclaw before noon, did some food shopping and headed south past a reconstructed Viking fort.
At 1pm I stopped for lunch and felt very tired due to minimal sleep last night, I’d stopped in an abandoned bus shelter made out of concrete, and looked about 50 odd years old, I’m guessing it was from the old communist days when people were shipped out to the fields to work, these days the farmers are using tractors from the 1960s.
Saw lots of wildlife today, deer, red squirrels, and a couple of snakes.
Just before Stepnica I had another nasty encounter with a German Shepard, this one was a dog and not a German who was a Shepard, it ran out of a garden and grabbed hold of a strap on the trailer bringing me to halt, I don’t know much about dogs but i do know if you run they chase and they are hierarchical, I don’t know why but i growled very loud, it was more of a roar from the gut that I had never planned, the dog backed off, and I must have roared about 20 odd times until it returned to its garden looking very sheepish, the owner’s must have been able to hear me roar, but no one came out.
Just past Stepnica I decided to stop at a bench in a shelter, I have no intention of cycling in the dark in Poland, as the drivers are nutters, I met 3 drivers in shops that were clearly drunk, and I think the drivers work on the might is right way of driving as this morning I saw an hgv force a car off the road onto the grass verge while overtaking another hgv, plus I’ve passed countless shrines beside the road to mad dead drivers.
I do not like wearing a cycle helmet as I prefer my Tilly sun/rain hat or a woolly hat, and have not worn it to date but tomorrow I’m wearing it, hi viz jacket and keeping my lights on, something that I’ve only done in bad weather.

Proberly the scariest thing about the roads is the Polish like to drive a lot faster then the speed limit and also like to tailgate at high speeds, this is the scariest thing for me as the car in front might see me and move over, but if the tailgater is not looking through the car in front he may hit me.

Free Polish hotel for the night

Today 60 km

Day 103

Left the shelter with helmet on, hi viz on rear lights of bike and trailer flashing and front light on, in nice dry conditions, today I’m not taking any chance with Polish drivers.
In Goleniow I did some shopping and checked out the maps outside the tourist office and photographed them as I usually do, plan for the afternoon is to get to Czarna Lata and stay at the campsite there. Made it there and found it was now a private campsite and I could not stay there.
When I was outside the campsite checking my map and working out where to go another large dog ran out of a garden to attack me, I was standing next to the bike and roared again, this time I picked up a large stick and chased the dog away, the owner must have heard me, and came out, called his dog off and returned to his house without even a sorry look on his face.
I’m considering moving my axe to somewhere I can access it fast, a 3 lb lump of steel on the end of a 2 foot length of hickory, even with the sheath on it will do some damage.
Carried on south 10km and camped in the woods. I heard what I think was wolves in the distance, small deer near the tent and large deer some distance off.
The people in the north of Poland seem strange peasant farmers who look at me as though I’m the first white man they have ever seen, ( I do know what that is like and if you ever go to the democratic republic of Congo and see a pygmy with a Crystal Palace FC t-shirt, I swapped him that for a stabbing spear. ), I was proberly the first person they had ever seen with a tan.
The only friendly people were drunk old men who I did my best to avoid.
Today 50 km.

Day 104

16/10/2016

One month since my last full shave, I decided to give myself an outrageous moustache for my birthday and I’m starting with a goatee until I can shape it, but with the grey bits I have in my beard I’m looking like a well seasoned cyclist now.
Packing up camp I was considering to try and act like a local and throw my rubbish beside the road, but decided to keep it until I found a bin, it’s such a beautiful country, apart from all the rubbish about, and most of it alcohol related.
Wet drizzle all day, did my best to avoid big main roads. Still the only smilly people are drunks, and at about 2pm decided to skip the Czech republic and head west back to Germany again, if I’m going to be cycling in bad weather, I’d rather do it somewhere safe.
Stopped at a petrol station in the afternoon to get a coffee but their machine was broken, so I bought a small bottle of vodka, buffalo brand.

Something to keep the chill out

Still no campsites so found a wood to camp in about 20 km from Germany, I need a rest day and a campsite, I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 8 days and nights now, and it has been 5 days since my last shower, no point in changing my clothes until I can wash them as I only have 2 full sets, Pippa does not mind and will try and lick any bit of exposed skin she sees.
Today 29 km.

When you see this sign, it’s time to go south

Day 105
17/10/2016

Packed up my camp in the woods and yes vodka does keep the cold out at night, but not too much as I have to ride.
I made my way to Gryfino where I tried to use up some more Polish money on food, but still had 520 zlotty in notes, but i did manage to get down to 3 grosz in loose change that is not that much of a loss. Over the boarder in germany i checked into the campsite in Meschern for 2 nights, not enough energy to cook dinner so tea and sandwich for me and dried biscuits for Pippa.
Today 27 km.

Day 96
8/10/2016, Saturday
Rest day
Well a rest from cycling but had things to do, walked to town to find a bank atm as I had no Swedish money yet, asked for rolling tobacco in a shop, and was sold pipe tobacco instead, I knew I should have brought one of my pipes with me, then went to a pet shop and bought Pippa a snow coat, was going to just get her a rain coat but it was not that much more and had some insulation in it, the only one that fitted her had a broken strap but when I mentioned it I got a discount and it only took a minute to sew it back, plus I felt sorry for her as I had given her a big haircut. Then onto a supermarket and at last somewhere in Europe that sells T bags without that silly bit of string on, back to the campsite and cut some more tangles out, then gave her a shower and used the hairdryer to fluf her up and even the haircut out, she is comfortable in the jacket as she did not try to get it off, but then again it was cold. Cooked dinner in the site kitchen to save my fuel and ate it in the laundry, no one was using it and it had a plug socket so I could charge my electrics while reading a book.

Pippas new snow jacket

Day 97
While packing all my things away in the morning I noticed that my new Swedish camping card was the same as my Danish card, and when I checked in, the lady told me I could not use the Danish one and had to buy a new one in Sweden, when I checked out I explained it to the man at reception now and managed to get a 150 kroner refund.
I had no idea where I was going today as I had no maps and Google maps was not working and playing up. I stopped buying paper maps in Germany even though I love them as they are too expensive and do not have the detail I want on them, I just download the sections I need when I get WiFi.
Today it was the old fashioned way, head south and keep the Baltic sea on my right.
After spending almost £50 on 2 nights camping l have decided to make the most of Sweden’s right to roam laws and wild camping laws and do some wild camping to save money.
I think Sweden has a drug problem as I have been in the country 3 days now and not been able to find rolling tobacco for love nor money, but every tobacco shop sells king size rolling papers, and hardly any sell normal size papers, it could be that there is a ban on post it notes and everyone uses Rizzla.
Pippa was given a large tin of pedigree chum off a Polish lady when I stopped for a break in the afternoon.
Wild camped and while unloading my panniers I saw another broken spoke, then while letting the air out of my tube another one went twang, the good news is I’ve halved the time to replace a spoke on average by doing 2 at once. As I was reassembling the tyre and trying to insert the pump into the valve the valve stem broke, replaced the tube with a Schwalbe Tube, my favourite tubes due to the metal valve post
Today 34km

Day 98

Wet day raining all day long, still no maps so still relying on my skills and local knowledge, my skills being I can read a compass and local knowledge being I’m there so I’m a local and if I can see the sea on my right I’m heading in the right direction. Stopped for mid morning tea by a power station building with some rain cover and saw some weasels, had to remove my waterproofs as I was beginning to sweat and that’s not good in cold weather.
At 1pm stopped at a Burger King for a coffee, but mainly to use there wifi and reload Google maps. I’ve stopped even trying to use McDonalds WiFi as I do not always get on and if I do as soon as I try to download anything the signal goes. I now know where I camped last night. At 2pm I stopped at a bike shop and bought 8 more spokes for my rear wheel and had the wheel trued by them, as nice DT Swiss machine, it only cost me 200 Kroner and I could feel the difference straight away, the problem about truing the wheel myself is I can only get it to within a couple of mm’s but with the right tools it’s within 0.1mm.
At 4pm I pitched camp in a wood just south of Ljunghuset.
I put as much pedigree chum in a tupaware box that would fit in And Pippa had the rest, 2 large bowels full, she deserved it as she was wet and cold.

Today 37km

Day 99

Set off on a cold day, had my waterproofs on to keep the cold out, but had to take it easy to avoid sweating, I made it into Malmo and filled up my waterbottles at a cycle service station.

Cycle service station 

Saw the Oresund bridge from the Swedish side, the bridge that links Denmark and Sweden, I had to pass it about a week ago as cycles are not allowed, I think it was a waste of time building the bridge as, 1 cycles can not use it and 2, if they had built it about 40 miles further north where I caught the ferry, ( 10 minute ferry ride ), it would have been a lot cheaper to build.
Stopped at a campsite in Sibbarp, site had a dog shower but I did not want to put Pippa through that in this cold weather.
Had a good view of the bridge

Oresund bridge in the background

I seem to have a problem passing water, I was not allowed on the Dover-Calis ferry and had to go past it to come back, about an extra week of travel, and the same with the Oresund bridge.

Today 37 Km

Day 100

When I got up I thought it would rain so quickly struck camp, and only caught a few drops of rain on my tent, them moved my bike and kit to shelter and used the site kitchen for breakfast while recharging my electrical items, I smuggled Pippa in under the table while I ate my porrage and watched episode 4 of big bang. When I checked out of the campsite the sun was out and it was a lovely day, pushed the bike for the 1st km to give Pippa her morning exercise then when I tried to ride something felt wrong, flat tyre.
After going on about how I love Schwalbe tyres due to the metal tyre valve, it was the valve stem that had torn. Replaced my tube, now having no spare tubes for the 26 inch tyres, and only 1 for the 16 inch wheel.
Mid day it started to rain and road works lead to a diversion adding more miles to my route, when I was back on route it was 4pm and starting to get dark so I was looking for somewhere to pitch my tent when I saw an old abandoned hut, no door, 3 Windows no glass but a good roof, it was full of graffiti but did the job. I boarded up 1 window, half boarded up another and 3/4 boarded up the 3rd from bits of wood around, I also boarded up the first 2 feet of the door, to keep animals out but mainly the wind out a bit and Pippa in, I was so

home for night 100

tired and exhausted that I did not have the energy to eat all my dinner so Pippa had more to eat then me tonight. I went to bed at 7.30 as it was dark.
At about 11pm I thought I heard the brakes of a wet bicycle by the road, then I heard rustling around the shack, the good thing about boarding up the Windows was the only moonlight came in the top half of the doorway, then I saw someone standing there, I said hello and it was not till then my guard dog woke up and started barking. It was a man from Moldova, I think he was planning to sleep where I was, and asked him if he wanted to, he told me that he didn’t and ended up sleepung in another smaller building that I was thinking about as it had no Windows so it would be warmer, but i would not have been able to put my bike and trailer in.
Today 35km

Day 101

Thursday 13/10/2016

I hope today will not be my worst nightmare.
I cycled the 9 km left to Trelleborg and found the ferry terminal, 2 km before a Hungarian van driver had pulled up and asked me where it was, I just pointed at the port with the big ships coming and going.
I booked my ferry for Poland at about 11am for the 23.30 ferry in the evening and went for a look about town.
While booking my ferry I was photographed for TT ferry line as I do not expect they get many British cycle tourists with dogs and they gave me a free vacuum flask, something I had decided not to bring but will come in handy tonight on the ferry.
Today 18km.