Very different this morning after a very windy night. No sun to be seen…

Never made it to Hoy, when I visited but then you can't do it all in a few days.

I’ll be channelling my inner Kenneth Williams…

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq Ooh Matron

Yes, predominantly good weather. Hope it sticks around.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, flying with a bike isn’t difficult if you plan ahead. (I met a couple on Shetland this week who had flown to New Zealand with their tandem - it had couplings too - and had no problems whatsoever.) My own personal concern is flying full stop. Sometimes it’s unavoidable but when it is, I try to seek out alternatives. Trains and ferries can be a lot of fun :-)

I visited the Ring of Brodgar today and after a visit to Hoy tomorrow, I plan to visit Skara Bray and the brewery in the coming days before the ferry back to Aberdeen on Monday evening.

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq I don't know if you cook but they sell Bere Meal at the brewery, it's a grain that's just grown in the northern and western isles, it's great in oat cakes and crumble topping. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bere_(grain)

Interesting…

Hi. Thanks for the positive comments. The only reason why I’ve used the term ‘Northern Isles’ is that I’m continuing onto Orkney. Currently on the ferry to Kirkwall on a very choppy sea!! :-)

Yes, that has crossed my mind. Day 6 was the best in terms of the weather-landscape combination.

If you imagine an ~8000 population town serving 15,000 more people round it, but then have no other village within a 12 hour drive, it maybe illustrates that the town has to cover a very wide range of services, as you can't just go a bit further to the "big town". Then there's all the local fishing, aquaculture and oil/gas jobs, and support services, and the things a lot of other places don't really have to accomodate on the same scale, like ferries, harbours and, at the moment, the windfarm and cabling construction. 1.08 jobs per working age person here, compared with 0.81 for Scotland as a whole. More people needed ;-)

It was…

Thanks. The next one just posted! :-)

That must be it! :-)

Yes, she’s purring…

Thanks Jed :-)

The best place to arrive anywhere is by ferry. Lots of time to anticipate, worry (a little) and above all, get excited!

Yes, both yesterday and today. Long may it continue!

Yes... Probably not the best thing to have done but at least the bike got a good clean. The Brooks is basically leather. I use the wax that is provided for the underside of the saddle but by that point of the trip - about six weeks in - it's effects had probably worn off. The saddle survived fine and I still use it today...

Thanks for the positive feedback. Much appreciated. If you would like to listen to the full podcasts about the entire trip around Europe in 2022, they can be found by visiting the podcast page of my website: CyclingEurope.org/Podcast

Thanks for the positive comments. Hope you enjoy the other three videos. :-) Andrew

Here you go: w3w.co/knaves.bagels.surfaces

I cycled back to Stornaway, ferry to Ullapool, cycled to Garth, train to Inverness then Glasgow. After a night in Glasgow, train home to Yorkshire. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eNSHfMudrse3ZZs.htmlsi=e5iYsky_pJHc4F9h

Thanks Rick. You’ve got three more to enjoy 😊

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks :-)

Thanks. Yes, it was a wonderfully poetic moment of serendipity... :-)

Thanks David. Hope you have a good ride in september and that the weather is kind :-)

I was in a car. You can see the bonnet in the film.

Are you OK Jim?

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq absolutely fine, I was looking for a video on cycling around or two Coimbra and watched the video. It is simply a Travelog of Coimbra. Nice video, nothing to do with cycling!

@@jimhislop8954Try these: cyclingeurope.org/2019/09/15/cycling-europe-2019-21-days-of-travelling-in-20-videos/

Can’t remember if we followed a route or not. I seem to think it was something off Komoot…

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq Thanks very much! If you find it, please put a link here before Saturday 18th May, when I am due to cycle from Skipton to Settle.

Thanks. You'll be able to buy a copy online (Amazon) from May 1st. :-)

Thanks Neil. Your positive comments are much appreciated. The book is out on May 1st :-)

Mmm... You might want to stay clear of the upcoming book. It's very much written for ardent remainers :-)

Thanks. Your positive comments are again very welcome :-)

I think you can now find GPS tracks on the EuroVelo website

Hi. I didn't use a GPS to navigate the route: I used maps (physical and online) as well as following the signs on the ground. I did track my route using Cyclemeter, mainly for later reference when I was writing the book.

Thanks for the positive feedback. The book will be available on 1.5.24 :-)

Thanks for the positive feedback :-) The Koga is a WorldTraveller Signature. I made a video about it a couple of years ago and you can watch it here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/arSbZ9GE1ZiWnn0.htmlsi=5mSWBM_lzls5N5pQ

There's also a detailed review here: cyclingeurope.org/wanda/

or on Ride with GPS?

Hi. I didn't record the rides on Strava but I did record them using Cyclemeter. However, even after all this time, I still haven't got around to putting the links on my website. Sorry for that. Perhaps I should rectify the situation. If I do, I will place them on the following page of my website: CyclingEurope.org/LeGrandTour :-)

Ahh... I've just realised that you are referring to the trip in the podcast. Apologies. Try contacting Susan and Ron via the links they give in the podcast. Good luck!

Thanks for the comments / questions Peter. The trains were very easy to use. The secret is to avoid using high-speed trains (TGV etc...) as these are always problematic. Medium-distance regional trains are the way to go. In France these are the TER trains of the SNCF and there are equivalent trains in all the other countries. Unlike in Britain where the train network has been fragmented and made very complicated, in most other European countries the network remains in tact and one app on your phone will cover all of the trains in your chosen country. France: SNCF / Germany: DB (Deutsch Bahn) / Switzerland: SBB etc... Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip! :-)

Hi. Thanks for the positive comments. I did record the route using Cyclemeter but haven't yet got around to putting the links on my website. That said, I did follow signposted routes so if you go to the relevant website of the cycle route then you will probably find the GPS tracks there as well. Hope this helps. :-)

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq many thanks, after watching I also listened to your podcast, taking note of "concrete slab" section of the Rhine, I would possibly like to avoid this altogether as quite understandably you didn't enthuse about and honestly it doesn't sound fun either part of my local promenade cycle rout is the same concrete slab although not to the bumpy extent you describe, do you have any suggestions or routs in hindsight you would of rather taken over this section?

@@mikascamp Hi Dan (I think). I'm just finishing off the book about the trip and this is what I have written about the concrete slabs: "The final 40km of the day [to Gernsheim] were comparatively straightforward but not devoid of challenge. The wind continued to be a force to be reckoned with, especially when the cycle path adopted a position on the elevated flood bank of the river. At least it was chronic. The slabs of concrete that formed much of the surface were somewhat more testing. The cycling equivalent of Chinese water torture. Unlike continuous tarmac or gravel, the slabs of concrete had been laid in sections of around 5 metres. The gaps between the slabs resulted in a short, sharp jolt of the bike. It was indeed tortuous and if they are looking to update their methods, the Chinese really should pay a visit to the Rhine." And then the following about the morning after: "I paused briefly for breakfast at a bakery in Stockstadt am Rhein, a small town which was no longer on the Rhine thanks to canalisation work. I was delighted to discover that the cycle route now seemed to be devoid of the horrible concrete slabs that had blighted much of the previous afternoon. As the path followed the course of the severely emaciated meander of the old Rhine, it did so along wooded paths, quiet roads and at one point over some comically bone-shaking cobbles… but no slabs of concrete. I was not quite ready for that torture again. " So they were only for a few hours one afternoon. It was sometimes possible to ride along the top of the dyke and that meant avoiding the concrete but otherwise, without a largish detour away from the river, I think you might have to be prepared to have your bones shaken. The book should be out in April. :-)

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq hopefully the suspension seatpost will take the sting out of the worst of it🤞, great excerpt from the book, your writing is very much Bill Bryson-esque fantastic, I will definitely have to take a look. thanks again.

It's a pleasure!

Thanks Dave. Your positive feedback is very much appreciated :-)

Thanks Dave. It was a pleasure! :-)

Have you considered that even Swiss elevators break down?

Thanks Dave. Your feedback is very much appreciated. May your retirement be long and active! Best wishes from Yorkshire, England.

Thanks! :-)

Thanks again! :-) It was a Koga WorldTraveller bike. I’d certainly recommend it. You’ll find more details on my website: cyclingeurope.org/wanda/

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq thank you for the information

@@CyclingEuropeKZfaq you have tons of information on the website👍

@@mbrylewski It should keep you busy :-)

Thanks Colin. Your positive feedback is much appreciated. Hope you enjoy the books. The Grand Tour book should be out at some point in the spring... :-)

Good luck! Hope the weather is kind :-)