Durango to Helsinki

August 7, 2025: Our last bike trip across the pond is already two years in the rear view mirror. It has been almost a year since our epic “friends” kayak trip in Alaska and my little solo bike ride into Canada. For people with itchy feet (or wheels), a year is a very long time off our bikes. That’s not to say we haven’t enjoyed or made good use of the hiatus. In the last year, the family gathered in Florida to say good-bye to Sharon’s father. We welcomed Ethan (the last AZ holdout) to Durango and the warm embrace of the rest of his family in Colorado. We made our annual pilgrimage(s) to the fabled land of the Hodag so two small humans could spend time with two great grandmas and other extended family, as well as all that the Northwoods has to offer.

We’ve enjoyed getting to know our new home of Durango. Spending “everyday” time with family has been precious. We’ve developed a wonderful circle of new friends. And let’s face it, SW Colorado has plenty to offer salve for “itchy feet.”

But salve or no, wanderlust has once again spurred us to action. Flights have been booked. Possible routes have been explored. Gear and clothing have been pondered, weighed, and debated. Choices have been made, and ultimately, clothing and gear has been packed or set aside. Bikes are all snug in their boxy beds. All that awaits is our departure two days hence. In the meantime, we will seize the last moments with family and friends before our extended absence.

So, “Where to this time?” you may ask. Once  again we have heard the siren call of the far north, to Helsinki, Finland. Now you may ask, “Why Helsinki?” Finland consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world, so there’s that. It shares the same line of latitude as Anchorage, Alaska, so for the heat averse among us (me) it offers a temperate climate. Ultimately, we were drawn to a part of Europe we had not seen before, and the Fare Queen found reasonably priced tickets to Helsinki –  so why not? Our plan (OK – general idea) is to get ourselves unlagged and sorted, leave Finland and bike through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, and eventually Switzerland to meet our friends Chris and Patricia. We spent six weeks cycling with them through Turkey and very much look forward to reconnecting.

As always, the exact details of the trip remain “fluid'”. Our mental and physical status, weather, terrain, interactions with locals, unexpected opportunities, and often, pure chance, dictate our day to day itinerary (aka – the “no plan” plan). As always, we are very much looking forward to our immersion in the sights, sounds, smells, food, people, and landscape of this new (to us) part of the world. We look forward to taking you along with us on the journey.

 August 9, 2025…Departure Day.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”

Since moving to Durango just over a year ago we have become part of the everyday life of Aaron, Vanessa and our grandkids. And now with Ethan living with us, one might think that such familiarity would make a three month absence easier to contemplate. Not so. In addition to all the packing and countless details that needed attending to, we crammed us much family time as we could into the week prior to departure.  

What a time we live in. I am amazed at how easily we can find ourselves across the globe. No walking behind oxen and wagons across prairies for months. No fraught voyages on sketchy boats across wild oceans. Our “voyage” was fast, comfortable, and efficient. The only hardship we endured was enduring an overwhelmed mother entirely unable to reign in her spawn or comfort a screaming baby (all night long). Even though we were deprived of sleep, I wouldn’t wish her experience on anyone.

And so it was that we arrived bleary-eyed and droopy-tailed, somewhat less than ready to face the challenges of the day. Still, we got the bikes and gear sorted and headed into the unknown.

Our excitement at being in a new country and back on our bikes was dampened by lack of sleep. After a pleasant ride from the airport into the downtown area, neither of us could work up much enthusiasm for the usual touristy things. If I’m honest, we were having a hard time working up enthusiasm to hold a simple thought in our heads. Twenty-eight to thirty sleepless hours had taken their toll. We walked around the harbor area for a bit, but finally gave in and returned to our hotel – and blessed sleep!

And so begins another chapter of seizing the carp! By next week, hopefully, we’ll be well rested and will have plenty of adventures to share. Until then – STC!! (Seize the Carp!)

PS: If you’d like to follow our trip, you can sign up to receive an email whenever I update the blog. If you’d like less of Dave’s “blah, blah, blah” Sharon is also posting on an app called Polarsteps. It shows our location on a map, plus has pictures and a brief description of what we’re doing. Download the app and search for “Sharon Neubauer Moore” and request to follow her. As Kiri likes to say, “Easy, peasy, lemon squeezey”.