Already in elementary school I was making up fantasies about biking to China, and the summer before my last year of Swedish high school I knew I was finally getting closer to actually making it happen. Hence I thought I’d try out a smaller trip in Europe to make sure my dream was not just appealing in theory but also in reality. I had a limited budget and a limited time frame but it did get me a taste of the life on the bike, and a taste of how things always appear to work out in one way or another. But… surely, it didn’t get me enough. 😉
I rode solo but my sister met me up for a week in Croatia and of course I met lots of wonderful people.
If you’re interested I did make a few blog posts that you could read here, some in English and some in Swedish.
Some statistics:
Countries: France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Distance: Not exactly sure, about 2700 km
Longest distance in a day: 190 km
Terrain: Quite hilly but… I know it will get waaay worse 🙂
Wild animals: Not many unfortunately. I did see a few owls and a marmot in Italy Scariest moment: When I was looking for a wild-camping spot in Bosnia in the middle of the night and a crazy madstruck stray dog bursts out of nowhere from the pitch-black bush…
Most memorable sleeping spots: Hmm. Right on the street, right on craggy rocks without sleeping pad, on a square, and under the stars with my sister in an abandoned huge garden.
Most beautiful places:
Lago di Garda and Lago del Predil in Italy
Soca Valley and Lake Bled in Slovenia
The remote and unexploited villages on the Croatian island Korcula (you’ll have to leave the popular tourist resorts in each tip of the island)
The city Omis in Croatia
The city Mostar and the surrounding mountains in Bosnia Herzegovina
The Kotor Bay in Montenegro
There’s an embarrassingly funny story behind this soaked tent…
I began my tour at the French riviera but went straight up the Alps instead
I spent my first night camping in an old man’s backyard, with guard dogs barking at me the whole night from the other side of the fence
In Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, I met another touring cyclist; David from Hungary who later toured South America
French mountain village
“Let’s climb up there and make popcorn!” My sister cried out – and so we did.
The kitten Elmo, belonging to Valentina who kindly hosted me in the Italian city Oderzo 🙂
The Hungarian cyclist and I had beer and shared storeis with some Swedish backpackers
Making friends in Bovec
Awesomly skilled river kayakers they were!
This is Beer Santa and the Boss. Awesome lads! (Slept in the Boss’ backyard in one of the earlier photos)
Crossing borders to Croatia!
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Somewhere on the island Korcula
The Croatian coast; hilly, hot and not very habited
Krka National Park with my sister who visited
Omis, Croatia
Visiting friends in Piacenza, Italy
Krka National Park. As you could see the falls are beautiful but there were wayyy to many people ruining the atmosphere (no, I don’t count myself in)
Valentina who invited me to her home in Oderzo and her sister and mother 🙂
Omis, Croatia
Kotor Bay, Montenegro
It doesn’t look like it on the photos but I in fact got soaked in rain pretty much every day
Cooking at the dock in Rijeka, Croatia
Kotor Bay, Montenegro
The alps, France
Omis, Croatia
The Alps, France
Rijeka, Croatia
On our way to Makarska, Croatia
Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina
Bosnia
Biggest waterfall in Slovenia
Bosnia
Soca Valley, Slovenia
Italy, close to the Slovenian border
Bosnia
Bosnia
Slovenia, Narnia Prince Caspian was partly shot here
The Alps, France
Italy
Korcula
Slovenia
Soca Valley, Slovenia
Slovenia
Italy
Lago di Garda, Italy
Bosnia
Slovenia
Bosnia
Verona, Italy
Mostar, Bosnia
Bosnia
Ljubljana, SLovenia
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Croatia
My kind of Bosnian beauty
My bread-fellow
Italy
Italy
I had to hitch-hike across the border from France to Italy since bikes weren’t allowed. I was in one car, my panniers in a second one and my bike in a third one… (!)
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Just crossed borders to Slovenia
Mostar, Bosnia
I met a touring cyclist from Serbia, Nemanja, whom I had beer with in Mostar
Bosnia
Soca Valley, Slovenia
Croatia
France
Slovenia
Italy
Rijeka, Croatia
French Riviera, Nice
Mostar, Bosnia
Bosnia
Typical Croatian sunset
Lake Bled, Slovenia
France
Slovenia
Awesome tunnel in Oderzo, Italy
France
Verona, Italy
Sleeping under the stars with my sis, Korcula. There’s another funny story behind this one!
Slovenia
Eating a traditional dish in Bovec
Bosnia…
Tom, a marathon runner who accused my sister and I for being the most disgusting people he’d ever met for the mere reason that we used his bed as a rack when drying our tent…
Mr. Montenegro
Valentina and Elmo
Warning sign about the landmines in Bosnia… Don’t go too far offroad when wild-camping
Rijeka, Croatia
Inside of a hostel in Ljubljana…
Cheers!
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