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Stay curious, keep pushing! Read more Steißlingen, Germany
  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 46

    Vast landscapes and shelter

    May 10 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    For the first time since the start of my trip, I feel a little homesick. Yes, I miss my family and friends. I knew that those times would come. But they also go. A journey like this has its ups and downs and this is fine. And yet, I am exactly where I want to be - experiencing the adventure of my life.

    Besides, I have reached those vast landscapes with stunning views. This must be the beginning of no man‘s land.

    During the day, I noticed a few storm clouds by the horizon. The weather forecast was not very reliable in recent days and I trusted my instinct. Luckily, I didn’t pitch my tent on a mountain but cycled some more kilometers hoping to find somewhat shelter. There’s a gas station which I headed for. The gas station attendant came straight to me and talked something in Turkish which of course I didn’t unterstand. After a few gestures and words in Turkish, he understood that I was looking for a place to sleep. He pointed to an abandoned building right next to the station. AWESOME! This is more than enough!
    While I was preparing my dinner, his wife came by with a plate of rice, chicken, vegetables and yogurt. She insisted that I would take it. I gratefully accepted the meal. After two dinners, I am caught with a full stomach in my office chair which I had found before. No problem, the veranda is the perfect spot to watch the happenings at the gas station and the thunder storm from a safe distance.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 44

    Howdy Asia!

    May 8 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I was really looking forward to continue my journey after 6 days in Istanbul. Instead of cycling 70km through the city, I caught the ferry to Yavela. I had never thought that almost the entire ferry ride would go along the coast of Istanbul. The dimension of this city is just breathtaking.
    I arrived in Yavela. That means bye bye Europe and howdy Asia! Yes, that feels like a real milestone!
    Luckily, I got to meet the boys again and we cycle together for another day. But the next day, it’s time for me to follow again my own rhythm. We had a fantastic time and hopefully our routes will cross again soon.

    Anatolia, which constitutes most of the Asian part in Turkey offers numerous high plateaus and steep mountain climbs. As of now, it’s not necessarily the kilometers that matter but the elevation gain and particularly the gravel roads that slow down my progress. But this doesn’t matter, I enjoy the views and lone sections very much.

    And by the way, the Turkish people are very generous and talkative. Invitations for a tea, Turkish coffee or a coke happen every day. Sometimes people even buy you chocolate in the supermarkets or shower you with fruits on the road.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 36–42

    Istanbul

    April 30 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Cycling in the city of Istanbul with over 15 million residents was by far not as bad as expected. The route was planned carefully before. Lasse and I were cycling together from the Northwest and then along the Bosporus. No doubt, there’s pure chaos the further you get into the center. And still it felt organized. Just watch the motor scooters, follow them (sometimes) between the cars and defend your space. All good!

    Divided by the Bosporus, both the European and Asian part offer countless sights. To visit all would probably take months or even longer. The impressions you get from such a city where cultures from all over the world come together is exceptional. It’s hard to capture all this in photos. I think you have to experience the views, smells, aromas and noises yourself.

    Spending 6 days in Istanbul was a fascinating and yet tiring experience. My highlight was of course the shared time with my sister Sandra. We had a relaxed and lovely weekend. Though in the evenings we were both exhausted of huge crowds and full bellies - also because my body showed first signs of food intolerance. I guess this is just a small taste of what to expect further east.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 35

    Night at the airport

    April 29 in Turkey ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Instead of sleeping somewhere outside in our tents, we had the brilliant idea to spend the night at the airport. We arrived at a police control after leaving the highway. They had a few questions but we made up a good story that we want to pick up a friend at the airport. We were allowed to pass.
    Having arrived at the airport, we noticed that you need to immediately go through the security control to enter the building. Alright, let’s have dinner first and then give it a try. So, we locked our bikes, took our panniers and went straight to the procedure. They checked a few things in our bags and wished us a good flight! Yes, made it! It was not the most comfortable night there but at least we could charge our electronic device, restock our toilet paper supply and dry our clothes.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 32–34

    The Turkish Bicycle Academy

    April 26 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We’ve arrived at the Bicycle Academy in Lüleburgaz. It is a brilliant place founded by the municipality where people can borrow bikes for free. The place also offers free accommodation, showers, laundry and tools for cyclists like us. Last year, the Bicycle Academy hosted around 470 cyclists from over 40 different countries.

    İnanç is the responsible manager. He’s one of the kindest and helpful persons I’ve ever met. As a well-networked person, he knows people from all over Turkey. It’s also comforting to know that you have him as a support in case of emergency.
    Together with his wife, he dreams of cycling the world to visit all the cyclists who stayed at the Bicycle Academy. His other dream is to move to Germany and find a decent job. I can assure that he’s a hard worker and willing to improve his German. If you’re aware of a job vacancy or anything else that would help him relocating to Germany, please drop me a message.
    Dear İnanç, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. It’s been a great pleasure to stay at the academy. See you soon!    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    2
    Day 31

    Merhaba Türkiye!

    April 25 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I teamed up with Lasse, Noah, Elias and Joel from Chiemsee, Germany. Cycling with others is different and I enjoy it very much. The days are more easy-going compared to when I cycle alone and without being in a hurry for no reason. It’s good that I get to learn this way of cycling too and enjoy the moments a little more.

    Together, we’ve crossed the Turkish border, enjoyed our first mouth-watering Turkish Döner and cycled along farmland in the backcountry. The locals are very talkative and use every opportunity to talk to us. To our surprise, most of them speak German. Some give us fruits, give us advice and show us restaurants with good Turkish food. I have the feeling that Turkey is gonna be another great adventure.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 30

    Just cycling

    April 24 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today‘s leg included lots of burned land, a safari tour with river crossing (unfortunately without seeing any wild animals except dogs and snakes), and headwind. Latter is one of my most loyal companions on my journey. Still, I managed to make good progress today and arrived in the city of Alexandroupoli, roughly 40km away from the Turkish border - now with over 3000 km on my tachometer. There, I met a group of four Germans in front of Lidl. Coincidentally, their final destination is as well Kyrgyzstan if everything goes according to the plan.
    We pitched our tents at the beach and maybe cycle a few kilometers together the next day.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 29

    One of those days

    April 23 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Yesterday was again one of those special days. I had just cycled 20 km or so and arrived at the Greek coast when suddenly a car overtook me and stoped a few hundred meters further down the road. I could see the guy getting out of his car and waving at me. Ahm… not sure if I did something wrong!? As I came closer, he introduced himself as Nicolas. Nicolas lives just 300 meters away and wants to invite me to his house for breakfast (luckily, I hadn’t eaten my 2nd breakfast yet which was supposed to be a monstrous 190 g heavy chocolate croissant). Without hesitating, I immediately followed him to his house. His wife Georgina and two kids are at home and warmly welcome me. Georgina knows already what’s going on and is not surprised about my visit. Nicolas brings many cyclists to their home because it is located next to a very popular road - one of those gateways that leads cyclists to
    Istanbul.
    Nicolas is an outdoor enthusiast who is particularly interested in cycling, climbing and hiking. Of course we have many stories to share. He has been to the Bodensee, Freiburg and many other places that are close to my hometown. Also, he shows me some photos from one of his tours to Mount Olympus that was even documented in a Greek sports magazine. Quite impressive what this man has experienced (Should you ever need a mountain guide for Greece, there is certainly no better one than him). We could talk like this for many hours. Nicolas asks me if I want to stay for a night. But I don’t want to be too pushy as he stills has to do some work. Anyway, Nicolas told me about a magic place with hot pools about 40km away. Oh yes, that’s exactly what my body needs and I want to spend the night there!
    Before I left, Nicolas gave me some fresh lettuce and spring onions from his garden. Finally, some vitamins and not only junk food!

    After saying goodbye to Nicolas, I cycled along the coast. It’s still off-season and there are just plenty of dreamlike places for wild camping (no one cares during off-season).

    I arrived at the hot pools and the abandoned houses. The pools are not only outside but also inside the old buildings. Never seen a place like that. The water is up to 40 degrees hot and this is just the perfect recovery for my body. There, I also get to meet another Greek Dimitri and a couple from Graz, Austria. The two Austrians travel with their massive truck towards Georgia and have in fact chosen a very similar route to mine. If I need assistance along the way, I have it now! They invited me for a beer and some snacks.

    As I was walking back to my tent, I spotted a guy that somehow looks familiar. That’s Nicolas over there! He just arrived with his friend and wanted to check on me. What a lovely surprise. We went together to the hot pools and had another vibrant discussion.

    Well, I must also admit that I had my very first kind of awkward situation. I noticed a guy who was straying around the hot pools for some time. I felt a little like being followed. Indeed, he did follow me after some time and asked if I was German and want to have sex with him. Wtf, of course not! Get off you creepy little something. I was not scared of this dwarf, rather, that he would misappropriate my bike and gear that I left behind when I went to the hot pools again (Aleks, the Serbian Destroyer, be prepared my friend). Just to be safe, I took a photo of his registration number. Never saw him again afterwards.

    What a day! I slept like a baby after the hot pools.

    Today is very much the opposite. There’s a strong breeze along the coast and the rain comes from all sides. Seems like the positive effect of the hot pools didn’t last for too long.    Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 27

    Wild Greece

    April 21 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Not much to share lately. I have arrived in Greece a few days ago. It’s just beautiful for cycling and camping. Especially Northern Greece offers vast landscapes, empty roads and remote places.
    As of tomorrow, I will slowly cycle along the coast towards Istanbul. The greatest thing is that I will spend there a few days together with my sister.Read more

  • TravelerA Curiosity Ride
    Day 24

    Winter came back

    April 18 in North Macedonia ⋅ 🌨 -1 °C

    Woke up in the middle of the night because of a thunderstorm. I had to go out and secure my tent with more tent pegs. My fault, should have done this right away.

    The morning was bitter cold with -2 degrees and it was still raining. I had breakfast and went back to my tent hoping for the weather forecast to be true - warmer temperature and less rain in an hour.
    After half an hour or so, I woke up and opened my tent. Everything was covered in snow. What!? Okay, I need to get off this mountain as quick as possible. The road was covered in snow too. To my surprise, my tires did a great job uphill as well as downhill.
    I made it down and met Barbara. We were both amused as we share the same trouble. She still had to cycle up that mountain. Hope you made it to the other side!

    Annoyingly, the dogs in North Macedonia seem to be very active too. They tirelessly chased me down the road a couple of times. They were big and faster than me. I had no other choice but to stop. Otherwise they would‘ve crossed my direction and I had hit them with my front wheel. That would have been a disaster for me and the dog. My method worked pretty well and they soon had lost interest. It’s not that I’m afraid of them, such situations are just super annoying.
    I only spent one day cycling in North Macedonia and I know that this country has so much more to offer. But the weather forecast is lousy and I prefer warmer climate for now. Maybe next time!    Read more

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