Day 17 — Athens to Copenhagen 🇬🇷➡️🇩🇰

Like Cycle Touring Again

I was hoping today would finally be an easier day. Had to call the owner , no answer, texts, finally she sent her father to let me in. Left at 0630 not 6 as planned. Re routes to add 20 miles to the route.

The re route was worth the extra 20 miles. The roads were quiet. No wind. No cars flying past me. Birds waking up and the trees not moving. After the last few days, I could finally relax and just pedal.

I picked up the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail through the Danube wetlands. Beautiful riding — until a locked gate and an overgrown trail sent me onto a rough dirt detour. Later I discovered I had a slow rear puncture. Added some air, let the sealant do its job, and kept going. It held.

By noon I was approaching the Hungarian border. The crossing took maybe ten minutes. The Hungarian border officer chatted with me, gave my bags a mostly ceremonial inspection and I pedaled on.

The difference was immediate. Two-lane roads with no shoulders, but when cars passed they actually moved into the other lane. Then came smooth dedicated bike paths. I could put some pressure on the pedals and the bike would move. Not fighting a headwind, not bracing for another close pass — just cruising, listening to music.

I caught myself thinking: I like cycle touring again.

Made Baja at 3:24 — 78.3 miles at 10.99 mph. Tonight I walked along the river, had blackcurrant pálinka, and tried Baja’s famous fisherman’s soup with carp and noodles. Much better than I expected and just about the perfect post-ride meal.

A very typical bicycle touring day: locked doors, dirt roads, a puncture, a border crossing, some uncertainty — and then one of those stretches that reminds you exactly why you do this.Read more