All good things must come to an end......7.8.09

What a great holiday....visualized from a bike point of view....you see loads more people in the same boat.. no bike, what my on about.

Thank you very much.....to all the great people that hopped on and of my life for the cafe del mar to cafe philo ride.

Some of you big big thanks.....and to my Family as well for being my Family.

And the camping thing that was fun, even though i always pitched in the dark.
There is always a bit of light from somewhere.

And the language barrier...you do always get there in the end.

In total, i cycled about 885 miles...give or take, or lets just say, round it up to 900, it sounds better, do you not think ?

All that weight, and all that way, the terrain, weather and problems along the way..... missing 2 countries, getting on 3 train journeys, and i did not get one flat tyre...all that way, not one puncture.

At least give me one.

The panniers "oh" The panniers, broke 3 of them, two spokes front wheel, and also front wheel a bit buckled.

The near fatal crash

Phone dont work, camera's a bit hit and miss....

After all that the bike did stand up well...it was more me being me

Not once, did any authority check me out.... may as well have left my passport at home.

It always felt the best when you were leaving a place behind...something you dont feel as well in a car

The Garmin Edge brilliant and annoying at the same time...but that's technology for you

And ladies and gentleman, i think ive only lost just over half a stone...

But i dont look it though my stomach, my face, its been sucked in, im thinner , and im really gunna get some good food inside me and get my diet back on track.

Its what happens... its what we do

My knees, bum, wrists and back all stood up to be accounted for..respect....only my achilies started to let me down but thats understanding,.........
Didnt even need to use the sudocreme.

Its gone so quick...im back at work on sunday..what a laugh its going to be, biking to work on my racer with no weight on the back and only 7 miles to go. Cant wait.

Even though i failed in what i said i would do, my calculations were never right from the start..and it would have been longer than what i said anyhow.

But then again, whats their to calculate.... calculate. Forget about it

The pic of land.. is my house coming into land...just below white building right in the middle..
Bullseye

Nothing more to say...... apart from that it's been a pleasure..... no words of wisdom.

Just goodbye

paul quinlan xxx

Dzien 11....6.8.09...Zilina-Terchova-Namestova-Jablonka-Lubien-Myslenice-Krakow......135 miles

My last and toughest day of them all.
Get up 6ish had a good sleep, Mariana and her mum have to be up for the dentist, we have some breakfast and i say goodbye.
The morning air is good 7.30 am, and am feeling i can kick on and arrive Krakow at a decent hour.WRONG. Stop at Terchova and have food, chai and a nice chat with Joseph and Erika in the sun before setting off again. There's one massive climb that really gets me, as i snake my way through the lovely Tatra mountains... Arrive at Namestova feeling a bit tired and refuel, green tea with mint 2 cups and lots of sugar, another pouch of food and desert.
As im leaving Namestova it decides to rain, i get soaked, and to make matters worse, as i go over a little speed bump, on the bridge, my right pannier, rams into my spokes and breaks 2 of them. I have now broken 3 out of 4 of my panniers...the rains lashing down..
WHY ? i ask myself as i take shelter in a hut, where i find cztery Poles...As im doing maintenance, we chat, with the little Polski i know and when im done... i wait..i wait..


and then throw in bedzie wspaniala, it brings the Dom na dol, and they all say and keep saying it as i ride off into the storm.

The rain gets worse and pelts down its hardest on my trip,
WHY ?
I had not been on the motorway all trip, and it seemed i was getting nowhere and there was too many for crying out loud hills.. im wet and i want to go home, in the end i have enough...i think it was Naprawa where i broke the rules and got on, after an initial climb, i got quite lucky as it was downhill for 20-25km.
In the end i came off, i got lucky, had to charge my satnav, refuel and was 18 miles of Krakow...






Why is it so hard when you become so near, its all in the mind, all in the mind....
just like when you need the toilet and your nearing your destination.. ALL IN THE MIND.
I feel a bit better, not long now...but it does not last, more hills and its getting late..Just after Myslenice and more climbs the rolling hills and valleys were filled with mist and fog everwhere..it was like the place was on fire....











Then i could see the lights of Krakow, get in there, i cycle with new found energy, come on pawel bedzie wspaniala.
Even from the outskirts it took a while...until i knew where i was....i turned of the satnav, turned on my camera ( found out didnt record in the end) and cycled like a madman weaving through all the people, trying hard not to knock anybody over.
Cafe philo was i glad to see you, arrive about 10.20pm. Done, finished and never again.
There is a polish princess in the corner of the bar and im convinced she is meant to be here to welcome me...get chatting, really nice and she is an actress. All the time she just didn't stop smiling...i order a coffee, because Kasia said so, even though i dont drink it, and a pot of tea. Magda the polish princess lets me use her phone with my sim as mine's paggered and i try to phone Kasia...I wanted to leave my bike at her parents, but because it was getting on i wanted her to phone them and see if i could leave it early in the morning.. I had wanted to do that...go to the Sky hostel...slip under the radar and cause no fuss...but simon had phoned marcin and before long Agnieszka and the rest of the polski crew arrived....it was ok, but not what i wanted..and now i know, even more clearer where my head and heart is....it seemed to (did) take an age to get to marcins...had a hot hot shower....a good sort out of all my wet stuff...found that id left me jacket at Cafe philo...had some nice food....good chat....cheeky one...powered down and 3ish turned of the light's......... Amen

Day 10....5.8.09....Salzburg-Wien (as the crows fly) 156 miles....Wien-Bratislava..50 miles....Wien-Zilina (as the crows fly)..105 miles

Today is my maddest day yet.. arrive bleary eyed 7.30ish...connection to Bratislava is 8ish...sound got time for some much needed breakfast, after helping about 20 Italian scouts and their leaders get there bikes of the train.
You should have seen it in Salzburg getting them on it was pure carnage...So with many thanks and arriverderci's and to my Syrian friend as well i get some breakfast.
In the shop i cause mayhem, me and another lady had ordered the same food, and by the time the staff got there head a round what was going on, the queue was 1000 person long and all in a rush to get to work (proper funny)..i should have seen the clue from then.
I take my tea outside when i girl comes up and ask's me where im headed, were both going to Bratislava, but i on the train..she's gutted and im dissapointed i cant escort her on the way, or can i ? I hmmm and Haaaaaaa ive got 3 mins to departure and have to get up some escalator's as well, so i say if i make it, then adios, if not i'll see you in 5. She say's she will wait...i get to the platform...i can make it...the train's there...but something stops me....i cant move....i watch the conductor do his final checks blow his whistle, and watch the train glide out of the station, ticket in hand..oh well bedzie wspaniala..
Back downstairs Helena's made up, im like what a gentleman am i ? (youv'e put a spell on me , sucked me in)...i go and change in the toilet then were off. Heading out and entering a city is when my Gps comes into it's own, pure magic. The early morning hustle and bustle was soon left behind and we really picked up the pace....I kept having to wait though as i jump red light's (sorry). Helena is Slovakian and has lived in London for the past 10 years...she had set of by herself from Dover, over to France, Belgium and caught the train from Strasbourg to Wien. Her parents lived on the Hungarian side and did not know she was arriving (nice surprise). We soon fired of the 50 miles to Bratislava, though the last part was quite tough, into the headwind and arrived in glorious sunshine. The pic of Helena waving, is her crossing the border into her home country.. A nice meal was on the card's which Helena paid for (nice touch) and after that we had to find a bike shop as my brakes were virtually non existent, and they need to work if im to get through the Tatra mountains.
So in my masterplan the Czech republic was on the card's...i wanted to get up to Brno for the night...cut across into Slovakia and then head up to Polskaland..Got my ticket even while Helena was there..said our goodbyes and i waited for my train..WRONG...half hour before i was going to depart i noticed i had the wrong ticket...different destination..it was only getting me halfway... i frantically got on the case and had a nice lad who helped me find out that, we had to go back to the same ticket office that had a massive queue, and because i was in the 2 hours since purchase get a refund....WRONG....Nice lad had to get his connection and we passed all knowledge and understanding onto another nice girl who was to be my interpreter..She was brilliant in fighting my case but the awful ticket woman would not budge...Helena had wrote her detail's on the back and she was having none of it, im like "then i'll rip it up" FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...i so wanted to hit the woman and didn't care if your not supposed to hit woman.....something had to give as the queue was now 2000 people long.....i could use my ticket that i had, buy another now, but get off at a different stop, connect to another train and get to Brno before the cow's come home...WRONG.... i waited and waited and waited for my original ticket train to arrive but found out it wasnt coming till the morning, the second ticket then became useless with my times and plan's and i just gave up on the whole idea of getting to the Czech republic (sorry)..So instead i then had to buy another ticket to take me to Zilina 203km, still in slovakia, a place i would have headed to anyway..hmmmm
At the station two ladies kept looking over at me, (found out later it was not me it was the Italian bike i had)...as the train pulled in, i had a little struggle with my bike, but one of them helped me and spoke good english...all aboard, put bike in it's resting place and i went to find her and thank her..They were mother and daughter, Mariana worked in Bratislava, her mum Ivana had been visiting for 5 day's, and Mariana was just starting her holidays even going to Katowice (polska) the next day to see U2...then meeting up with her Italian boyfriend to have nice time together....we didn't stop talking as the train trundled on its 2h 40 min journey..Mariana offered that i stay at her parent's house as it would be late and not worth getting a hotel as i was up early in the morning to finish my last day of cycling...i declined...but as we got to know each other more i took up the offer, to which i am very grateful. We arrived Zilina, they took a taxi and my satnav took me to their house 5km away..I had a lovely hot shower..hid my smelly still wet shoes on the balcony..chatted a bit more...cup of chai powered up and zzzzzzzzzzz
What a day....The awful ticket woman, but straight away the kindness. generosity and hospitality.org off Mariana and Ivana...Tesi ma, many many thanks, dovidenia xx

Day 9...4.8.09....Oberute-Immenstadt i allgau....15 miles....Munchen-Salzburg (as the crows fly)....132 miles

Ok....slept well...biggish breakfast, and some stuff is a bit more dryer. Before i can leave Hotel Krone, i have to pay, and have to do some internet banking...... Landlord can wait, surely cant he....































































































When i looked at my map this morning i noticed a place called Bad rain which was right about where i was last night gettin soaked in the stuff (dont make me laugh)...and there was a place called egg too.










Today my achillies are really crying out in pain, after that neverending climb......... but what a beautiful descent, 15 miles down to Immenstadt. And after all the rain, everywhere is bursting at the seams to sparkle. You know im way behind schedule?... so call a meeting with myself, and make another executive decision....the train leaves Immenstadt 11.40am....i bite the bullet...












So let it be known, that on the 9th day, i fail in what i said i would do. You could even say blubbered perhaps.
Now im not in the saddle, i kick back, take me shoes off and reflect, reflect..... not before long, i get talking to a German lad, 25ish with a plait who is an undertaker...its funny cause he has bits of marcin in him. Get off at Munchen, share a cheeky one..
and the pic with me and bike is saying "dont park your bike here", which is exactly what i had done, so he informed me, nie rozumiem German. Robert's surname is Oldag which means "all day" and we both couldn't hang around "all day" he had another connection and i onward to Salzburg......so yesterday evening i went from Austria to Germany and now Germany back to Austria.
Arrive Salzburg the birthplace of Mozart 5pm ish and do a massive update on the glob, for you all (3 hours of ride time missed) hmmm. Once again i have another meeting and decide, if i want to get to Krakow, then i need the train to Wien (nearish Slovak border) and then onto Bratislava..its at 3.16 n the morning .... i can miss paying for a hotel, sleep on the train and get to check out the city and have some food. The old part to it, was very nice, mountains in the background and a very fast flowing river called Salzach running through it....found a brilliant place to eat called the Afro cafe..good staff, tunes, food, decor and bits and pieces..layed an Egg in the toilet.
When i got back to the station..it was just after midnight...funny watching other people wait and come and go...i had a mooch to keep warm, got chatting to a 21 year old lad from Syria, who was going to see his mate in Wien. He was a pizzaman and he just wanted to speak his english to me, and of course go to London. Salzburg was as far has he got before the authorities got him. Gradually the place started filling up with loads of people around 3ish...then more and more with cameras...i was thinking maybe a celebrity was going to arrive, but what happened next was just too much too take...the pic of the courgettes at the top of the page was what happened...all these people had come to see the worlds biggest courgettes that had been grown in Slovakia and were now being transported to France for a food festival...no to grubo...train pulls in after 4am an hour late...get on and try to get some zzzzzzzzzzzz

Sunshine in Bratislava ,Slovakia

A trick or an illusion.............if i can pull a rabbitt out the hat, how the hell would i do that....x

At the end of the day its evening

In salzburg for the night..Kiedy jest pociag, ktory jedzie do Krakow x

Day 8...Schaffhausen-Konstanz-Bregenz-Oberrute...3.8.09....85 miles

Really good start to the day...follow the Rhine nice and flat but raining from the start..
More or less cycle paths all the way to Bregenz, on the way found that ive lost a screw that keeps my handlebars together, whatever next....pull over in a garage, 5 mins later back on track.
Today i make an executive decision, forget about Liechtenstein, its going out of my way and im not going to make my flight home. I never wanted to go there anyway, it was bri who said so, so its his fault.
They say all the rich live there, and i aint got no money. Yorkshire's probably bigger.. is it ?
To celebrate not going to to the Liechtenstein, and because it was still raining, i treat myself to my first sit down meal. I want Austrian so get 2 starters, a cheese dish and boiled sausages. Had good company on my table..swapping stories like you do and finished it off with apple strudel and cream (custard) and a cup of tea.
So of i go again, still some sort of daylight and the rain...(leje jak z cebra, przemoklem/am do suchej nitki) it keeps coming. Ok the climb from Bregenz to Oberrute was nie zabawny..i was climbing to heaven for 2/3 hours, it was like a river running down, dark again, brakes not good, but i had to go on. Arrived this time at hotel Krone. What did i look like cold, wet, tired and thirsty. Everything totally wet through..whats the point in calling something waterproof if it isn't. The girl that greated me, was so lovely to me (and totty to)..clothes were put in the boiler room...hot shower...german cup final (repeat). cheeky one zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ps oh and like ive said my phone is Kaput..