EuroRoute R1 – the new challenge cycling from Lithuania to St. Petersburg/Russia

Follow my new trip from Lithuania to St. Petersburg

Last year you´ve followed me from Bavaria to Rome in Itlay – and those days I´ve met a cupple from Lithuania at the beginning of this trip.
They invited me to visit their wonderful country and recommended me the “LatEst” cyclepath – unfortunately the surface of it is more than 50 % gravel so it´s not possible to go there with my recumbent.

But while looking for options I found a great route through Europe – the EuroRoute R1, which leads you from London via Germany to St. Petersburg in Russia.
Wow – that sounds great and would give me a trip to go for the next 3 years – so, let´s do it!

The EuroRoute R1 – here you´ll find all informations

I´ve started the preparations for this adventure already in September 2016 as I need a transport from St. Petersburg – which wasn´t that easy as there isn´t a direct ferry to Germany anymore.
Also the experiences with the changeable weather – even in Italy – forced me to look for another tent – so the guys from Globetrotter in Munich gave me a hint that MSR would bring out a new tent especially for cyclists – and here we are…so follow my new adventure – I´m looking forward to it. Starting in the middle of May 2017.

 

The trip in the local newspaper

Now I’m already more than 2 months back from my trip to Rome and a good friend encouraged me to give this story to the local newspaper. 

So today the ‘Trostberger Tagblatt’ released the following article about my journey – many thanks to Christine who made an interview with me and made this story possible! 

Till the end of the month the online fundraiser could be found here – the work of Medicines Sans Frontières won’t get less… Thanks a lot!

The fundraiser site for Médecins Sans Frontières 

Walking on the old streets of Rome

Thursday – friday, 06/17-18/2016

Oh boy…I’m already 3 weeks back home, made already another small cycling tour here in the alps but didn’t manage to tell you about the last two days in the capital…shame on me!

After having a non-italian breakfast with muesli, cheese and all kinds of jam I started my exploring day traditionally at the colosseum with the ‘Rome pass’ – you can visit two museums for free, take all public transport for three days and get some discount at the rest of the museums.

To see the unbelievable mechanical knowledge of this early time it’s marvellous to walk through – of course with so many other tourists. The very crucial games were free for  citizens – but they had to get a ticket. Only with this you were allowed to enter the colosseum through the 81 entries so it was very well organised.

There were different games – with wild animals, gladiators or slaves. It is not clear if  Christians were also send into the arena… The gladiators were very well trained through out the year and had to fight about 2 times a year. They were highly accepted by the people. But they could decide whether to be killed or let be alive when they were lying on the ground.

The next highlight was the Forum Romanum with its ruins and main streets which were built through the whole empire.

I was visiting this huge area for several hours and stepped into the ancient town again where I find the tents of Medicines Sans Frontières – but this story I’ve told you already.

On my last day the Vaticano was on the list so I took the metro – and now I knew why people recommend you not to take it after 10 pm…very dark and old, not the place to be at this time.

I took a guided tour and jumped the cue into the Museum of Vaticano after having a closer look to the St. Peters Place with our guide.

Finally we entered the museum which was really crowded – but there you can find all the treasures of the Catholic Church.

Especially the last picture made in the Basilica was so impressive – with the knowledge of standing in the biggest Catholic Church in the world.

After leaving this last highlight I tried to enter the german cemetery – you have to great and ask for admission the Swiss Army – in german! But unfortunately this is only open to the public in the morning.

Finally it came the time to say goodbye to the italian capitol and take the last night train to my home – Bavaria.

After more than 140 years the Deutsche Bahn AG decided in 2014 to end with the City Night Train from Munich to Paris and Copenhagen to Basel – now it seems to be clear to end the complete European Night Train Services by the end of this year…unbelievable!

Keep yourself informed on http://www.nachtzug-bleibt.eu/english/?mobile=1

After 3 border controls with always more than friendly police officers in the middle of the night I arrived with only a little sleep at my destination…and was accompanied by wonderful sun as there were the last weeks most of the time just clouds and rain in Bavaria.

What a wonderful trip these 4 weeks were – I met so many kind and friendly people, discovered the first time Italy by bike which was absolutely outstanding.

So thank you for following me on this trip and helping Doctors without borders to help people in need!

Following refugees from South Sudan and Syria by ‘Doctors without borders’

Thursday, 06/16/2016

 

Today I found myself in a huge city and was really happy to have Google maps offline…

On a square in the middle of the town some big white tents were put up from the organisation I collect donations for on this blog and I started to talk with the people of ‘Medicins Sans Frontières’. Most of them had been already to some of the hotspots of their work like Lesbos or Macedonia.

In these tents usually used as portable hospitals you could first inform yourself about the situation in South Sudan and Syria.

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Finally you’ve entered the last tent where you could accompany those refugees on their way to Europe under catastrophic circumstances with augmented reality.

Find out more about this campaign…

Milionidipassi-experience by MSF.it

If you also would like to support this independent organisation – have a look to my german site.

From Bavaria to Rome – the donation site

And finally a report about this campaign by an italian newspaper…

#milionidipassi-experience

Let’s go to Rome

Wednesday, 15.06.2016

So the morning was a little bit different to the others as I thought to myself # just check again the road recommended by bikemap.net.
And I did well to do so as they would send me again more than twice to the very busy SS1.
So I said to myself – let’s go to Civitavechia which was about 13 km and take the train as there were no alternatives.

So I arrived in Roma Termini by train in 1 1/2 h and was happy to be able to get my room.

The view from my room - but party till 1 pm...

I went through this huge city to meet my german friends from Munich who recommended my the ‘Illuminates Tour’ visiting the interesting places of the book and film which you’ve seen perhaps already.

We began our tour at the obelisk at the Piazza del Popolo and crossed the whole city by foot and black taxi – haven’t had this before!

Fontana di Trevi

Than we entered the Vaticano and had some explanations about the difference between the film and the real place. Here you can find 12 angels and in the film there is just one showing the policeman where to go on with his search of the murder.

We’ve also seen some of the guards of the Swiss Army and on friday I’d like to enter the german cemetery.

Finally we went to the Castel Sant’Angelo where you’ve got many tales and a perfect view over the river Tiber.
Afterwards we went out to eat and found a cool place where Daniel got a huge salad of fish…

So this was the first day of Rome at a sunny day enjoying so many places with a great tourguide.

Orbetello per pedes and the last camping night

Yesterday the original plan was to explore Pitigliano and the Saturnia Therme – and as the guy from the campingsite told me the rental company would pick me up just here…
So far – so good. The man came and took me to the rental about 13 km away.

But than came out that with a 50 ccm scooter this ride would be impossible as the machine couldn’t stand these mountains. I just have a driver licence for that and not for an 125 ccm.

So that very friendly lady told me that just over the street a bus would bring me home – probably…

So first I tried to hitchhike but no car stopped and I started to walk the first 4 km or so. Than there was a bus but just to the main junction. Here I decided to take lunch and after 45 min the bus would come for the next 6 km.
I was happy and had a nice meal – but than I found out that this service just runs in july and august.
A friendly lady took me to the camping and so this ‘interesting’ day ended up at the beach.

Today I’ve started a little bit early as I didn’t know what to expect – you’ll never know.
Well, bikemap.net showed a great sense of humour as they leaded me along a ‘cyclepath’ – I was so happy that it didn’t rain because these approximate 10 km wouldn’t be possible for me as there was just a sandy piste.

But finally after 90 km I’ve found a campingsite which is ‘nice’.
They don’t have drinkable water and you need a key to go the beach…and in the neighbourhood we’ve got a coal-fired powerplant 😀

But all in all this cycling day was great while having all the time sunshine – so what would you expect more.  (WiFi would have been fantastic ;-))

So tomorrow I’m going to start the last cycling day and I look forward to explore Rome!

The real ride through toscany

Sorry but I have to skip some days and will tell you just about today which was absolutely great!
I’m sitting on the beach at a camping next to Orbetello and the sun just said good night.

I’ve started my 65 km trip next to Follonica from a small and family owned campingsite. Yesterday evening I had a wonderful dinner with my neighbours from Germany who invited me. So we talked till deep in the night.

At night it rained all the time and I was worrying about the morning – but than it stopped and I could leave with everything dry.

I had to climb an 200 m ascent but it took me to the classic toscany countryside – outstanding! Running down the hills it would have been fantastic to have a cam…

Finally I arrived in Orbetello on the camping. Just 5 km away is the – in german organic shops – very famous farm `La Selva’ and they’ve got the products also in the small supermarket here.

So tomorrow I’m going to lend a Vespa and go to Pitigliano – and perhaps I’ll visit the farm.

With a nice view to the sea that’s all for today….

The leaning tower of Pisa and a marvellous coast route

So as I’m sitting now in a campingsite restaurant because there were thunder and rain after having a quick bath in the pool –  here are the last two days…

Yesterday I arrived after only 25 km from Lucca in Pisa and checked in the campingsite at 12 am. There were really nice neighbours – a couple from my home region, London and from the northern part of Germany.

Quickly build up my tent and jumped into the field of miracles…

This place was really crowded and I found out that I’m sure now I don’t want to make a cruise ship journey…there were about 20 groups of 30 persons going through the cathedral and they saw not really much – as there were to many people.

Also the Battistero was interesting so I could walk around as in those buildings there were not so many tourists.

After that impressive visit I jumped into the ancient town and this was more like I real town – not just shooting pics.

So in the evening after having cooked a tasty dinner we sat together until half past midnight – great day!
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This morning we were happy as it had rained at night but not in the morning…and I started my journey in a good mood!
The weather kept fine, I found after 20 km finally the Ligurian Sea – feelings of a kind of Atlantic came up like last year.
And the coastal route was really great with fantastic views – of course some traffic – but if you need to take a flat route than you can’t have always a silent one.

So that’s it for today – hope the weather forecast will be right for tomorrow…sun!  🙂

A blog from a walker to Rome

Today I’d like to invite you to visit Annemieke’s blog – she is walking to Rome and got now more than the half of the trip done…like me.

Halverwege / Halfway (English below pics) – http://wp.me/p7uyY2-4M

Puccini and his hometown

(Lazy day in Lucca)

While having an unusual bright sun I’ve been visiting some of the churches and museums in Lucca.

Next to my youthhostel this church was the first after checking out the guided tour through the city in the afternoon.

In one of the churches you’ve got several floors in which they were built – beginning in the roman time, than medival and finally gothic style.

Now I went into the museum of the cathedral and the audioguide gave you so many expressions that made history come alive.

While eating out at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro suddenly a guy felt on his knees and asked his girl of she would marry him…great!!!

So in the end of this cultural day I took the opportunity to join in an opera of Puccini in a church – this was an excellent end of the day.