78. Cagliari to Buggerru
…for real? What a name…! And……the day started with a big Bugger You to Mr Google Maps as he took us down two long dead ends! To be fair…In Italy,…
77. Palermo to Cagliari (Sardinia)
A rest day really…and more restful than most! …don’t you love that 29m journey time!!? Average speed over 800km/hr!! Haha…a Strava spaz! After a quick breakfast en route…we were on…
76. Castellammare del Golfo to Palermo
…forever remembered…as Error Code…0 10! Actually …it was an (almost!) delightful start to the day! Spocello..that must-see place was but 10kms to the West. After the trials of yesterday…Alan understandably…
75. Corleone to Castellammare del Golfo
A very memorable day! For all the wrong reasons!! In between those bits…it was actually a lovely ride…through the high country of Sicily…full of hugely productive farms in the full…
74. Cefalu to Corleone
Recognise the godfatherly destination? A suitably remote town up in the hills! What a wonderful, beautiful ride!! Not quite as planned of course (is it ever?)….but fantastic all the same! The…
73. Cefalu
A rest day. Lots of admin, too many emails to catch up on, blog, washing… …….then beach! Lovely! Planning a big day for tomorrow!!
72. San Giorgio to Cefalu
We knew we had another 100+km day ahead…so got away relatively early….! Lovely early morning ride……. …..before breakfast at the 26km mark. Always interesting to see the Autostrada running paralell…
71. Scilla to San Giorgio (Sicily)
A good early start…..for a day like a game of two halves…except it was rather a game of four quarters…with a prologue! The prologue involved a lovely early morning ride…
70. Pizzo to Scilla
Day one with Alan! And a relatively ‘easy’ day…and everything went to plan…for the first time in yonks! I could make reference to Nae on maps…!! But that would indeed…
68 & 69.(1 July!) Pizzo
Nae and I have been cycling together for 19 days. Without a break!! That was not really the plan…with breaks on the Mani peninsular, and in the Ionian Islands. But…
67. Paola to Pizzo
Nae’s last day of biking! Alas! That went quickly! But not so far to go today (we thought!)..so we had a relaxed breakfast and did not leave until 9.30 or…
66. Roseto Capo Spulico to Paola
South coast to west coast today….a big moving day, with…Mr Google advised…only a moderate 600m hill en route! A fairly ordinary 30km along the coast….shifting on and off that main…
65. Matera to Roseto Capo Spulico
After the deflating dramas of yesterday, it was good to wake up and squeeze Nae’s rear and find it was still hard as a rock! Maybe that last shock of…
64. Alberobello to Matera
Today was intended to be a nice short day between two must-see places, to allow plenty of time for visiting. That was indeed the plan…but…(Robin’s favourite bits!)… Shennae has once…
63 Igoumenitsa to Alberobello
For all its failings…the ferry did arrive on time! Strava however went to sleep for most of the journey, which lasted a full 8 hours longer!! Complicated exit from the port…
62. Ammoudia to Igoumenitsa
Our last day in Greece! And it has been as wonderful as ever! After our efforts to get to Ammoudia yesterday…we did not really have far to go today…40km or…
61. Liskardo to Ammoudia
Another early-ferry start to the day…..as we resume the journey in earnest. They had put on an extra sailing today (good for us!)…but we had to wonder why when only…
60. Vathy (Ithica) to Fiskardo (Kefalonia)
The last of our lazy days in the Ionian islands today! Our dear apartment host arrived with a monster plate of pastries for breakfast (sort of onion-ring shaped donuts sprinkled…
59. An Ithican Odyssey
Another quasi rest day today…in that we were diverting from the journey…but not such a quiet day really! So we have come over to Ithica….Kefalonia’s immediate but much smaller neighbour,…
58. Sami, Kefalonia
A rest day today! Haha….at home I’d think I’d been out for a bit of exercise with ascent like that! We tried to visit the Melissani Cave Lake?..but it was…
57. Pyrgos to Sami, Kefalonia
Last year….the road between Pyrgos and Patras was probably the worst we rode on. A nice two lane road…with good shoulders…was in the process of being converted into a three…
56. Kardamyli to Pyrgos
We had planned a big one today. But certainly not this big!! A record-breaker…in terms of kms in a day!! And a few metres of climbing to boot! We had…
55. Lagia to Kardamyli
Wind!! Now for many of us it is beans - of the baked variety, or (f)artichokes…but for Nae it is cheese! And yesterday she managed a chilli feta dip for…
54 Mani Peninsular
We are here in Lagia for two nights…to give us a chance to explore this wonderful area a bit more!! It truly is one of the most spectacular…and empty…parts of…
54 Gytheio to Lagia
I have been looking forward to today. Last year….we did an epic ride down the East coast of the easternmost of the Peloponnese peninsulars…inspired by a cycling blogger. The best…
53. Kissamos to Gytheio
We excreted today! Twice each! Hahaha. Once quickly in the apartment….and once - for seven hours! - on a ferry. Very discretely of course…! No concrete reason to secrete our…
52 Palaiochora to Kissamos
Not far to go at all today…just back over the island..to our departure port of Kissamos. So a very lazy morning….doing little but emails, reading…even sleeping a bit! And then…
51. Kalyves to Palaiochora
A long day today! We pulled into the bike shop in Chania just after nine. And they could sort out our wheel!! Yeeha!! But they had the wrong axle set…
50. Agia Pelagia to Kalyves
It turned out to be a big first day for Nae! A double-ton!! She was expecting no less of course! But having not been to bed at all on Friday night (before…
46-49. Agia Pelagia
Five nights here…my mid-term luxury break….. Martin left on Wednesday morning……off to Gatwick and straight on to Holland for a family camping gathering! He left with his back wheel….to leave…
45. Eloundas to Agia Pelagia
Martin’s last day! And a double-ton to boot!! Last year, his last day involved 1,349m of climbing, before our terrifying plunge down to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro…..so we…
44. Sitia to Eloundas
A 10km climb first thing this morning. Not steep. Probably around 4% gradient. But a strong wind turned it into a tough 14% hill. So by the 10km mark I…
43. Rhodes to Sitia, Crete
OMG….Martin has only two riding days left before he leaves!! That went quickly! But today did not. We bought two of these!! And cycled across the water all the way…
42. Chariki Beach…back to Rhodes Town
The weather thankfully cleared today. Rain threatened…but held off! But still surprisingly cool…so cycling with a second layer until well after midday!! Another lovely ride…up into the hills….. ….and down…
41. Charaki Beach
A beach day today!! But….at “it never rains here in May…and certainly never rains here in June” Charaki…it rained! The weather will come right one day! So a lovely lazy…
40. Around Attavyros
I generally have a rule. On rest days…I do not get on a bike!! (That would appropriately be called a busman’s holiday!) And last year…we broke that rule just the…
39. Rhodes (old town) to Charaki Beach
When we tipped off the ferry last night…we found a gem of a place to stay right in the middle of the old town of Rhodes. This was Martin at…
38. Datca to Rhodes GREECE
Three countries in one day”…..reminds me of an NZ song with a more Vivaldi-esque title…! And not expected at all. Overnight in Marmaris…then ferry to Rhodes in the morning. That…
37. Datca
Lazy day. Or…lazy dog day!!? Question……there are a heap of street dogs here…and elsewhere in Turkey. Not under-fed. Not unhappy……but where do they shit? In UK, NZ, Collioure…let dogs go…and…
36. Gumusluk to Datca
We were up bright and early…to get to the ferry terminal an hour before our 9am ferry. And at that time of day….on a Sunday…and election day to boot…the roads…
35. Gulluck to Gumusluk
A lazy start to the day…for it was only a short hop to Gumusluk..at the end of the Bodrum peninsular. Good job really….for the Turks are late risers…and usually breakfast…
34. Soke to Gulluck
Martin slept. I slept a bit! The hotel saga got better! We had opted for an early-ish start…to get the hell out of this immemorable place (actually very memorable!). So…
33. Sigacik to Soke
(…..a double-ton day when Strava stopped working….12km short!!) A breakfast-less start to the day! I was worried…for Martin is not one to move on an empty stomach! But the nearby…
32. Foca to Sigacik
Foca was a place I could have stayed a while. Such a great house (AirBnB…however much I hate how they operate!)…in a wonderful location. But we made an early start….with…
31. Foca
A lazy day in lovely Foca! This is certainly the sort of place I could come and have a great holiday for a week or two. Away from the awful…
30. Dikili to Foca
Only 79kms today…..wrong by 10% once again! Not the nicest riding today really. A fast road for the first 23kms after which we had no choice but to join ‘the…
29. Akcay to Dikili
An even better breakfast today! A full buffet spread….everything you might wish for..for breakfast…and a heap of things you might not ever have thought you might wish for…for breakfast! But…
28. Gronen to Aycik
What a day! A BIG day…and only Martin’s second! But it was a really special ride! After our first “proper” Turkish breakfast! …through countryside which I would never have picked…
27. Istanbul to Gonen – INTERCONTINENTAL
Funny (weird) day today. Iain left. And then it was Martin and I setting off…apparently on the ‘back to Collioure’ bit! Actually…I am really only a third of the way…
25/26 Istanbul
Phew…….!! Funny to think that despite the cold…and despite all the raindrops…and threatening clouds….we have not once (yet!) had to put on our waterproofs whilst riding! It was very wet…
24. Marmara Ereglisi to ISTANBUL
We made it!!! And rode straight to Sultanahmet Square….where the famous Blue Mosque (above) faces the much older Hagia Sophia (below). We had planned to do this trip over two…
23. Murefte to Marmara Ereglisi
A day of two halves today. Firstly a glorious 50km ride through to Tekirdag….. ….along the coast… ….and then a battery-sappingly steep climb up into hills Glorious scenery….and an almost…
22. ELECTION DAY in Murefte
And nothing happened! Indeed Murefte was all but closed. All but dead…..except of course for the wind….which blew - very coldly - for most of the day! Middle of May…in…
21. Ipsala to Murefte
Turkey is famous for its wonderful breakfasts, so I had been looking forward to our first delight! Well…I had been, until we arrived in our hotel….and feared that as the…
20. Makri to Ipsala (Turkey)
We had originally planned to spend two nights at our Greek idyll on the coast…..to warm up….relax on the beach etc….until we got there. So we decided to move our rest…
19. Kurdzhali to Makri (Greece)
Another freezing start. And we were quite glad to have a long slow gradient to keep the blood flowing!! As we approached the Greek border…the road steepened - of course!…
18. Plovdiv to Kurdzhali
A relatively slow start this morning….doubtless reluctant to brave the cold! We had decided over beers last night…that the chill was simply too much! So we decided to select our…
17. Plovdiv
It is all in the name…..so it is said. And Plovdiv somehow fitted its bill rather well. Say it very slowly…….Plooovdiiiv. It brought to mind a Miranda-esque “plunge” (you need…
16. Samokova to Plovdiv
It was a rough and early start this morning. Well, the same aim for 7…but leave at 7.30 sort of start….except of course we had lost our hour yesterday…so it…
15. Monastery at Kriva Palanka to Samokova (Bulgaria)
A hurtle down the 25% hill…even for only two kms…certainly blew away a few seedy cobwebs, after our fantastic night at our monastery hotel. What a place! Truly world class…so…
14. Skopje to Kriva Palanka (& some!)
We made a good early start today in brilliant sunshine! Cold….but we have not had many clear skies as yet, so felt good! And - despite the lack of any…
13. Prizren to Skopje (North Macedonia)
Another big up and down day today! And despite the wee graphic above….it started all down. At about two o’clock in the morning…..and again at 3.30…..and again…..as my delicious Mexican…
11/12 Prizren (Kosovo)
A day of rest!! We needed it! Indeed…I cultivated a cold…so - with lots of rain forecast - we opted to stop an extra day. Very little to report really….lots…
10. Shënmeri to Prizren (Kosovo)
Not much sleep last night. Was that a bed bug…? Or a flea? And the pillows smelled rank. “You’re getting soft in your old age” chirped Iain. Too bloody right…!!…
9. Rreshen to Shënmeri
What a day!! A real monster! Indeed various Google searches had confirmed that this was always going to be huge….but when we asked our host last night…he advised (correctly) an…
8. Adriatic Sea to Durres (Albania) to Rreshen
Most of the folk on the boat were big fat truck drivers! I know….Roald Dahl is no longer able to use that term…but it is true! Try navigating around the…
7. Corinaldo to Ancona…to Adriatic Sea
I forgot to mention…at the bar last night, they were playing some cool music. Not that I could name any of it. But suddenly Iain burst into song…getting every word…
6. Corinaldo
A lazy morning after Roby had supplied us with a huge breakfast…and Mrs Roby kindly took our washing…..Before I wandered into town to explore. Apparently Corinaldo was voted the prettiest…
5. Gubbio to Corinaldo
A late start today, as we awaited delivery of our included breakfast! So for the first time this trip, we left with full tummies. Another instant climb out of the…
4. Arezzo to Gubbio
A very steep hill took us out of Arezzo….breakfast-less…and freezing cold (but sunny!). So our sore digits were pleased to stop for breakfast in the sun. A delightful cafe, packed…
3. Fiano to Arezzo
As we were having our first coffee of the day…Iain was approached by an old woman who gave him a bunch of greenery she had collected. “For a beautiful boy”…or…
2. Lucca to Fiano (in the hills near Firenze)
Slightly later than planned, we ventured out from our fantastic city centre apartment (only one floor up to lug the bikes) for our first real day of cycling. And it…
1. Ventimiglia to Lucca
Well…we did cycle nearly 30kms…so I felt it counted as our first day! A later start today….so after crashing down the six flights of stairs from the apartment we had…
Day Zero: Collioure to Ventimiglia
And we’re off!! Father and son for four weeks of delightful bonding, arguing, laughing…and biking….all the way to Istanbul. We stopped for a quick farewell-to-Collioure on the way to the…
Prologue
The fourth Mad Bike Ride!! Back in 2018, Collioure to London seemed impossibly far to me! On a bicycle. So…I gave it a go…..and it was a revelation! Simply…
66. Girona to Collioure
8 July 2022 The final day!! Yesterday was my third wi-wi day of the trip. A “Will I, won’t I” day! Coincidentally on the very same day that Boris finally…
65. Barcelona to Girona
7 July 2022 The penultimate day of the journey!!! And a fair distance to cover…so we planned for and were ready for a fairly early start but then we were…
64 Civitavecchia to Barcelona
6 July 2022 Today was a long day….with a full 12 hours since wake-up time until our arrival in Barcelona….on our miserable ferry. The cabin is ok..but the rest of…
63. Orvieto to Civitavecchia
5 July 2022 A slower start than planned. Feeling a bit dusty after a little too much rehydration! And after a quick plummet down from Orvieto…..we were immediately in to…
62. Spello to Orvieto
4 July 2022 Today…we knocked the bastard off…as Ed might have said!! And enjoyed a bastard breakfast in a bastard bakery!! What a classic name, and with exactly the same…
61. San Severino Marche to Spello
3 July 2022 We both had a fairly awful sleep. The very fabric of the building was so hot, it felt like sleeping in an oven…which a fan really did…
60. Ancona to San Severino Marche
2 July 2022 The ferry cabin was surprisingly comfortable…and despite the heat (& probable snoring)…we both had a fairly good sleep. So a relaxed lazy morning. Cheese pie for breakfast…
59. Arkoudi to Patras
1 July 2022 Today was all about catching our ferry to Italy. So we made a good early start to cover the 78kms……to avoid that niggling anxiety about missing it!…
58. Arkoudi
30 June 2022 Rest day today. The last one of the trip….alas! (…apart from two long ferry rides to come!) Arkoudi is a small place….so little to do but….long slow…
57. Kalo Nero to Arkoudi (via Olympia)
29 June 2022 Having stopped as soon as we reached the coast yesterday…we knew we had another big day today…with a planned three-hour stop at Olympia to be real tourists…
56. Sparti to Kalo Nero
28 June 2022 We had hoped to get to Olympia today…but Mr Google was up to his usual tricks!! It was always going to be a big day….but…..! We were…
55. Elafonisos to Sparti
27 June 2022 Firstly…farewell to Elafonisos…a good place to stop (….better for longer…but we have places to go!) Saw turtles just before the sun set! Up in good time to…
54. Elafonisos
26 June 2022 A well-earned rest day today…on Elafonisos…the most distant point on the journey! It is known mostly for its lovely beaches….rated as amongst the best in Greece! So…
53. Monemvasia to Elafonisos
25 June 2022 Thankfully we had planned only a short day today. So we spent the morning walking to and wandering around the old Monemvasia (bikes prohibited!). An awesome wee defensive…
52. Leonidion to Momenvasio
24 June 2022 Today was originally down as an 82km ride with 1,200m of climbing. And then I found a website describing the most spectacular bike ride in Greece….which would…
51. Napflion to Leonidion
23 June 2022 Not as early a start as we would have liked…but after a late arrival yesterday…not surprising really. The first 20km around the North end of the Argolic…