Italy 2026 – A Human Powered Bella Vita #3

On September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Mountain Stuff, On the RoadLeave a comment

August 30 – September 5, 2026

Day 14: Sunday, August 30… Work smarter not harder. I heard that somewhere. We smartly booked a night in the Hotel Costabella in San Pelligrino. Luxury! It was so nice it was almost embarassing. It even had a spa and hot tub. Since it was apparently “clothing not allowed”, we passed. All but one rifugio/hotel for this trip is “half-board”, which means dinner and breakfast are included in the (eye watering) price of the room. Costabella was on a different level. We reveled in flavors heretofore unexplored. The quantity and quality of both dinner and breakfast left us well fueled for a big day.

We also smartly jumped on a gondola to save 1,000 feet of climbing. It made sense given that our goal for the day was Rifugio Mulaz, one of the more remote places along the AV2. Early on we wandered through alpine meadows. By afternoon we left vegetation behind and entered a world of rock and scree. Every ridge we topped revealed another higher still. Words cannot express our joy at reaching our goal. Hard to imagine a more stunning setting.

We were assigned tables for dinner and breakfast. We met Missy, a nurse from Eagle, Colorado. Naturally, half way around the world in one of the most remote huts in the Dolomites, we find we have a mutual friend. Missy works with a very good friend of our son and daughter-in-law, and ours as well. Small world indeed. Missy and her friend Robin, a Seattle couple, a British couple, Sharon and I had lively conversation that lasted long after our palty dinner. Side note: from all the Colorado people (12+ so far) out here, is anyone left in CO?

Also hard to imagine a less comfortable setting. We were assigned bunks in what became known as the “sardine room”. All eleven bunks were physically touching, which meant I slept closer to a stranger than I normally do with Sharon in our queen bed. The symphony of snores was spectacular. We had the “grumpy grizzley bear growl” snore. The steady “auto rumble strip” snore. Across the room someone added a higher pitched “revving crotch rocket motorcycle” snore. And according to my lovely bride, I added to the harmony with my heavy breathing.

Day 15: Monday, August 31…

In our home mountains, we generally cover a mile uphill in 20-30 minutes, maybe 45 if it is really steep. Our first mile today took us two hours of blood, sweat and tears – literally. Straight up, straight down then a traverse to a hell-spawned scree and boulder slope. This led to a via ferrata section on both sides of a pass extreme enough to bring Sharon to tears. That was the first mile.

1st climb – you see the obvious route, yes?

It became less death defying as the day wore on, but no less difficult. Most people we talked to were stopping after four and a half miles at Rifugio Rosetta (smart move). We stopped there long enough to refuel and wait out a passing rain storm. It was a welcome sight several hours later when we finally laid eyes on Rifugio Pradidali, our home for the evening. By every measure it was an improvement.

Pradidali was a big step up in comfort. We got settled and spent the hours before dinner enjoying somr drinks, the views and playing cards. Tonight at our assigned table we had two Italian climbers, a young American couple from near Denver (of course), and an Indian couple now living in Munich. Such a diverse mix of people once again made for lively banter.

The recent landscape has been beyond stunning. It is everything we were led to believe about the Dolomites.While we don’t mind working hard, the extreme difficulty has been a bit more than expected. We are both looking forward to a lighter effort day two days hence.

Day 16: Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1… The route description from yesterday’s heinous section said this, “This remote and remarkable route is a delight!”. Hmmmm. The same guide describes the AV2 climb and descent beyond Pradidali as a “steep, rocky trail with some cables to assist in the more exposed areas.” That is followed by a 4,000′ “kneebreaker” descent that is “quite challenging with loose, moving scree“, and “some hands-on sections along the steep rocky track.” Doesn’t that sound special!

Might there be options? Without wifi or cell service to aid us, we went old school. On an old paper map from the rifugio we found an alternate path to the valley floor that skipped all the silliness. It was better than imagined. We still had a huge drop, but relatively easy by Dolomite standards. Lower down we strolled through forests and along streams. We traversed beautiful meadows. At one point we met the Denver couple from the previous evening. These young, capable climbers said the standard route was, “really technical and pretty sketchy!” Yeah us! We “chose wisely!”

Our day wasn’t over though. We still had to climb over the Forcella d’Oltro to get to the next valley. At times it was more like low-grade rock climbing than hiking.

Along this stretch of AV2, rifugio Cereda is the normal place to stay. We’d been unable to book a room and thus we’re forced to traverse some distance in the wrong direction along a barely beaten path.

Malga (mountain hut) Cavallera was worth the extra distance. It was modern, spacious, friendly – and eerily empty. We were the only trekkers in the dorm room! It was puzzling! But after the last few nights, we weren’t complaining. It was a glorious night of luxury.

Day 17: Wednesday, Sept. 2… With several hard days behind and a challenging trail ahead, this had been planned as a light day. We made the most of it. We strolled through the forest along a path recommended by our host. Three miles and a thousand some feet down we arrived at the tiny town of Mis. After a quick snack from a local shop, we allowed the bus to whisk us to the top of the pass and rifugio Cereda.

We came over that…?
View from the Cavallera bunk room.

Day 18: Thursday, Sept 3…

As often happens on a through hike like this, we’ve fallen in with a group moving in the same direction and staying at the same rifugios. Anxiety levels were high at rifugio Cereda. We all faced a climb of 2,600 feet in a mile and a half. If you haven’t been in the mountains there is no way to describe how steep that is.

Turns out it was insanely steep, but not quite as bad as we all imagined. This ended up being our biggest elevation day of the trip. But that was not what made the day memorable. Our little United Nations tribe leapfrogged each other throughout the day. Everyone was cheery and encouraging. The scenery, as always, was Dolomite stunning. The setting of rifugio Boz was postcard perfect. After an ok dinner, almost everyone moved outside to chat and watch the colors fade behind the peaks. By all accounts, it was a very good day.

Smiles all around at the top of the big climb

Day 19: Friday, Sept 4… One last big day on the trail. Many in our group are hiking the nine challenging miles from Boz to rifugio Dal Piaz. Several others are continuing another three miles to the small village of Croce d’Aune to catch a bus into Feltre. We are in the first group.

The mountains today had a very different feel. There was the usual dose of straight up, and jagged peaks. For most of the day though, we were immersed in the color green. Meadows and even the peaks were cloaked in a mantle of greenery. In spite of the hard work, we arrived early at Dal Piaz and shared some final beers with those who were contingent one. Definitely a bittersweet day.

It was a perfect last evening. Members of our tribe arrived through the afternoon and gathered for happy hour on the “patio” of Dal Piaz. I moved inside and chatted with Frank. He was the older half (74) of the pair of Irish mountain goats who were racing around the Dolomites like it was a stroll in the park. At dinner we sat and chatted with our Austrian mother/daughter and young Dutch/German couple. Fascinating people all. BTW – the mushroom and speck lasagna was to die for! The second course was beautifully prepared beef and potatoes. Dessert was apple kuchen with vanilla creme. Well played Dal Piaz!

Day 20: Saturday, Sept 5… The small town of Croce d’Aune looked like a tiny scale model village 3,000+ feet below. At this point in our hike, it required no special effort to make the descent. We did enjoy the whimsical wooden sculptures scattered along the trail. We arrived in time to enjoy one of many “final” gatherings of the tribe before the bus to Feltre arrived.

Austria, Netherlands, Germany, UK, U.S., Aussie. What a great, fun , wonderful group.

Final thoughts: The Dolomites delivered! We wanted beautiful mountains – check! We wanted a challenging hike – CHECK!! We hoped to meet interesting, like minded individuals – definitely check! We looked forward to the huts and the luxury of not hauling camping gear and food – ummm, sort of check? I think we envisioned a somewhat more leisurely stroll with time to enjoy a beer and lunch at a rifugios along the way. In reality the trail was so hard we typically did not have the time or mental bandwidth to dawdle. And it was often cool/windy/cloudy enough that a lengthy stop for lunch wasn’t especially appealing. The huts and hotels ranged from “OMG can you believe how nice this is?” to “adequate” but always in amazing locations.

The big question is always – would we do it again? The qualified answer is probably yes. But now with one hut to hut under our belt, I think we would be more discerning. We would aim for beauty as always, but also something a bit more … relaxed. But that’s for another day. Now we have biking plans to make and a whole country to explore. Until next week Seize the Carp!!

Italy 2026 – A Human Powered Bella Vita #2

On August 30, 2026August 30, 2026 By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Mountain Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

August 23 – 29, 2026

Day 6: Sunday, August 23… A long day yesterday left us with a mere dozen miles to reach Feltre. That was by design. We wanted adequate time to organize gear and nail down transportation for our travel day tomorrow. Success on every front. It was beautiful riding along the Piave River.

These folks are serious about their relaxation

The last few years have offered up a crash course on navigating public transport. So far we’ve only been kicked off one train and gotten into an argument with one bus driver (I’m especially proud of that one – since it was in Spanish). Which is all to say we finally ended up with the means to get from point A to B … we think. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

The rest of the afternoon was equally productive. We sorted gear. We packed excess gear and found a safe home for our bikes for the next two weeks. We feasted on another grocery store dinner. We even had time for a walk around the neighborhood before settling in for the night.

In two weeks we will walk down from those peaks

Day 7: Monday, August 24… Forty one years ago Sharon and I said “I do” to a life of adventure together. And what a wild ride it’s been – and continues to be! How apropos that we celebrate our special day in a charming city in the heart of the Dolomites of northern Italy.

It took six hours, three different trains and a bus criss-crossing the Italian countryside to get us from Feltre to Bressanone. Well worth it.

The final leg of our “travel day” journey

Tomorrow we head out (up) into 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms to begin our twelve day trek back to Feltre and our bikes.

Day 8: Tuesday, August 25… It was a day! One hour of bus and gondola travel saved us 6,000′ of climbing. (Good idea!) Hiking in the clouds and rain? (Meh!) Amazing views when the clouds broke (Outstanding!) Confusing trails and signage, especially in impenetrable fog (Could be better!)

Overall – it was an amazing day in the Dolomites. Whenever the clouds lifted, we were treated to sublime views. All around were peaks, ridges, spires and valleys. We met interesting people along the trail and in the rifugio.

At one point during the day, a dozen cows and an equal number of hikers all took the same narrow trail. That worked fine until the cows figured they’d gone far enough. Gridlock ensued.

Chaos and confusion reigned, until one brave cow led the herd to a slow vehicle pullout. All hikers safely passed and order was restored to the forest.

Cows weren’t the only thing making life difficult. On again off again misty rain was a bother. It was a long uphill grind did the most to wear us down.

We topped out in a soupy fog. However, as we made the final traverse to the Schleuter Hutte, the clouds parted. We were given a tiny preview at what we have to look forward to on clear days.

Our first night in a rifugio was mixed. Staff was super good at organizing the chaos of many dozens of hikers seeking food and shelter. Excellent food and conversation around our communal table made the evening fly by. The downside is that rifugios are busy, boisterous places with very little privacy. Eight of us shared a tiny room. As son Kevin commented, “So you’re saying the old college cram isn’t really your jam anymore?” Very astute grasshopper.

Day 9: Wednesday, August 26… Sharon and I have done some hiking. We know what distances and altitude we can handle. We used that experience to plan this hike. Turns out we may have underestimated the difficulty of hiking in the Dolomites. This day was a butt kicker.

This little gem was our second climb of the day

But wait, if you order now we’ll throw in an extra set of gnarly climbs at no extra cost!

Kind of unseemly complaining about hiking when we’re wandering through this landscape… so we won’t. Suffice to say we earned every one of these views.

One measure of the popularity of these hikes is that all lodging on the trail had been completely booked in February. We detoured off trail several miles to Badia to reach our hotel for the night.

Day 10: Thursday, August 27… “We didn’t see that coming!” We knew it was going to be a big climbing day – over 4,000′ vertical. For comparison, you gain 3,300 vertical feet climbing Humphreys peak outside Flagstaff. Getting to the top of Engineer Peak north of Durango involves 2,200′ -ish feet of uphill travel. What we did not expect was hundreds and hundreds of feet of via ferrata climbing. It wasn’t a designated via ferrata route…just the regular trail. We both enjoyed the challenge, but it was much steeper and harder than anticipated. Our motto for the day “We’re not slow! Its just slow going!”

We also did not expect surrounding peaks to be hidden behind a thick haze. We assumed forest fires were to blame. Apparently “high summer temperatures and humidity frequently trap moisture and fine particles in alpine valleys, creating a milky or hazy obstruction around high mountain passes.”

The haze did not do any favors to the Sella massif. We spent much of our day passing through this luna landscape. It was interesting, but…unimpressive. The last bit of “meh” came after Rifugio Boe. A gondola deposited hordes of daytrippers at elevation only a few miles from the rifugio. We found ourselves in almost unbroken conga line stretching in both directions. I

With age comes wisdom. We followed the conga line to the top of Sass Pordoi tram, flashed some plastic, and miraculously were transported thousands of feet to the valley below. Brilliant!

Day 11: Friday, August 28… Fun facts. The road over Passo Pordoi was built in 1905 to open the area to tourism. This second highest pass in the Dolomites has been featured in the Giro d’Italia bike race over forty times, and four times as the finish line. During WWI, brutal fighting took place between Italian troops and Austrian-Hungarian forces. The high peaks and ridges of this area served as the front lines. Hard to imagine.

Statue honoring famous Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. He won the Giro d’Italia five times.

Our Italian word for today is “Ventoso” – “very windy” perfectly describes our day today. We had a very civilized six mile hike from Pordoi pass to Fedaia pass.

Yes, there was still plenty of elevation, both up and down, but more gradual. The trail was better. We exchanged yesterday’s lunar landscape for verdant valleys and honrst to goodness glaciers! It was all good, except for “ventoso”. Wind gusts were strong enough to literally blow Sharon off her feet. It was ventoso enough to require shouting within a few feet of each other to be heard. As we passed Fedaia Lake, gusts would drive freight train walls of spray the length of the lake. Other times, downdraft microbursts would hit the lake and explode – sending up huge plumes of spray. Wild. We were happy to arrive early at our rifugio.

Civilized hiking with the Marmolada massif and glacier in the background.

Fun fact. The barely visible Marmolade glacier has shrunk by 90% in the last century. In WWI, the front lines actually crossed the much larger glacier. Austrians actually carved out and built an “ice city” inside the glacier. As the glacier melts, war artifacts are still being found. Now you know.

Day 12: Saturday, August 29… Rifugio Fedaia seems to be a family run affair. The accommodations were very nice. The food was excellent and plentiful. The family in charge were grim and grumpy. Somebody doesn’t love their job.

I feel like we hit our stride today! Caught the local bus and skipped three miles of trail that just followed the road three miles down to the bottom of the valley. We hiked today with youngster Marwen from the Netherlands. He was born there, but his family came from Morocco and Tunisia. When he is not squeezing adventures into his busy schedule, he works part time while attending pharmacy school. Our conversations made the time pass quickly.

And just like that we had topped out at over 9,500′. We joined an organized group at a small summit. It included a young woman from Chicago, two Irish lasses, Brits and Kiwis. Before the trip they were complete strangers. “Now we know everything about each other” they said. Clearly they were having more fun than humans should be allowed. We also ran into Leo and Abby from Denver. We’d spent several hours in their company on night one. Felt like running into old friends. Funny how that happens on the trail.

A quick hike down (with one quick stop for a rifugio beer) brought us to San Pellegrino and our lodging for the night. We said good-night to Marwen with every expectation that we will cross paths again.

Tonight is our last hotel of our trip. Except for the first night, we’ve ended every day and spent our nights where a busy road crosses a popular pass. Going forward, it looks like we will be in rifugios in a more remote region. In fact we may not cross a road again until we reach Feltre at the end. We’re looking forward to it. Our trip in the Dolomites really hasn’t felt like a “through hike”. It has felt more like we are doing a series of day hikes connected by posh accommodations. I suspect that feeling will change.

But that’s to be seen, and of course we will let you! Until then, seize the carp people!

Italy 2026 – A Human Powered Bella Vita.

On August 23, 2026August 23, 2026 By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Biking Stuff, On the Road5 Comments

August 18 – 22, 2026

Day 1: Tuesday, August 18 … Travel.

Day 2: Wednesday, August 19 … Benvenuti in Italia!! Fifteen hours from DRO to DFW to VCE (Venice, Italy). Even though we do this on a regular basis, there is nothing like the stress of “Did I remember to pack…?” “And “Is everything ready for us to be gone for two and a half months?” Or, “Our flight is delayed! What happens if we don’t make our connection?”

Like every other trip, we answered those questions, and a hundred others. Yes, we brought everything we need. Yes, life will go on in our absence! Yes, we made our connection in spite of the delay. And, thanks to Sharon’s excellent find, we changed our flight at the last minute to use miles and get extra comfy seats in Economy Plus. Luxury!All our gear arrived undamaged and in a timely fashion. And in spite of Komoot once again trying to kill us, (we should know better), we arrived downtown, mainland Venice a few hours after noon (4am Durango time).

We spent a leisurely afternoon dealing with jet lag and planning our time in one of the world’s most visited tourist sites during the busiest time of the year. It will be interesting.

Day 3: Thursday, August 20 … At its height, the Roman empire stretched from modern day Iraq in the east, through northern Africa, to Spain in the west, and as far north as England. It included all of modern day Europe. Imagine watching greedy, arrogant, incompetent, corrupt leaders piss it all away. I know, hard to imagine. As that once mighty empire deteriorated, people living near modern Venice were subjected to constant attacks and raids by ‘barbarians’ from the north. It was so bad that people found it preferable living in reed and mud houses built on stilts miles from shore in the marshy lagoon. Eventually, those resourceful (and now safe) settlers drove millions of logs straight down into the mud of the lagoon to serve as a solid base to build on. This is Venice’s origin story. Much the same is true of the nearby islands of Murano and Burano.

From those humble beginnings, Venice grew to be a trading and naval powerhouse. That time also passed. Now Venice deals with different invaders. Every year thirty plus million suitcase toting, selfie sticking tourists overrun the city.

We arrived, sans suitcase or selfie stick – but we arrived as part of the tourist hordes all the same. As Sharon has aptly observed “popular places are popular for a reason.” I get Venice’s popularity. It is cool. It is unique. Narrow alleys and canals weave and jog between charming buildings all very much showing their age. The canals, large and small are not just a tourist attraction. They serve the very real function of moving people and goods to around the city.

Since there was no way around being part of the hordes, we at least tried to be smart about it. We arrived early. We enjoyed seeing the major attractions, and then wandered far off the well beaten path. We spent the afternoon visiting the islands of Lido, Murano and Burano. It was interesting, and enjoyable. By late afternoon though, jet lag and tropical conditions had worn us down. We retreated to our air-conditioned room on the mainland for an early night.

Day 4: Friday, August 21… As veterans of a whole day of touristing, we employed a different approach this morning. We hopped of the bus directly onto a vaporetto – the everpresent water ferries that ply the waters all around Venice. These also happen to be part of our two day Venice transit pass. The #2 took us around the north and west sides of the island. We hopped off when the spirit moved us to explore an interesting looking area. We wandered down tiny alleys, into courtyards and along canals. Another vaporetto took us down the main canal to the bus station midday, as the rain showed no sign of stopping. We weathered the thunderstorms from the comfort of our room.

By early evening the storms had passed, so back to Venice we went. We spent the evening strolling, people watching (a favorite pastime), and sampling food and wine. As we walked, it struck us – in spite of the tourism, Venice is a real city! Well duh! No really. Many historic cities appear to be hollowed out shells. The only “residents” are tourists in short term rentals. Many seem more like Disney attractions than places where people live and work. We found neighborhoods in Venice where people hung out their laundry, walked their dogs, watched kids play, walked home past graffiti covered walls with their grocery carts, and stopped to chat with friends along the way. Regular folks living regular lives on their amazing, historic, rundown, unique island – that’s the Venice I will remember.

Day 5: Saturday. August 22… Our plan: spend two weeks hiking the Alta Via 2 in the Dolomites. The hike begins in the town of Bressanone, and ends in Feltre. We made arrangements to spend Sunday night at a guest house in Feltre. Monday morning we will take a train to Bressanone. The guest house owners have agreed to store our bikes until we return. Our goal today is to ride into the Dolomite foothills to the small town of Quero.

We put the ocean and Venice in our rear view mirrors and headed north. For most of the day we managed to find lovely, quiet backroads. Even on the busier roads, Italian drivers do not deserve their reputation for being aggressive and reckless. Everyone was courteous and considerate. The Sun was not so nice. It forced us to make regular shade stops to keep from overheating. How rude! Still, our first day of biking was a success. We reached Quero. Found dinner at the local market. Rinsed a gross amount of salt off our bodies. And enjoyed our evening in this charming mountain town.

It feels good to be on the road again. There are lots of moving parts with this trip, and we’re grateful everything has gone smoothly – for the most part. This next week will see us begin traversing what already looks like some amazing terrain. Until then- Seize the Carp!

Also…Sharon has started posting to Polarsteps. If you follow her, you not only get her side of the story, you get a little sumpin’ sumpin’ every day.

Follow Sharon Neubauer ‘s trips at https://www.polarsteps.com/SharonMoore234?referral=true

Asia 2026 – The Road Less Traveled #2

On January 10, 2026January 12, 2026 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road8 Comments

Cambodia

Day 8 (Sunday – 1/4/2026): We started the day riding over the Kampong Kdei bridge. This particular bridge has been in use since the 1100’s. We passed several other smaller bridges from that same era as we traveled. Pretty incredible when you think about. That was also a sign that we were getting closer to the historic center of the ancient Khmer empire.

The other sign was the large English language billboard advertising tourist activities that have nothing to do with temples or ancient history. Yay tourism! One other visible change was a transition from open fields to forest canopy. The shade was very welcome.

We had our sights set on Siem Reap since leaving Phnom Penh. Two hundred some miles later, we arrived. It is modern, smaller, and less claustrophobic than Phnom Penh. Per our usual practice we sought out inexpensive, air-conditioned rooms after our steamy ride. Our chosen hostel, the Lub d’Siem clearly caters to a hip, young, cosmopolitan crowd. At last! We found our people! We ignored the admiring, envious stares from the youngsters who no doubt wanted to hang with cool oldsters. Instead we went upstairs and took a shower. We enjoyed some quiet time…and quite possibly a nap! “Party on Garth!”

Refreshed, we explored our little corner of the city. Street food vendors set up shop next to fine dining restaurants. Hostels jostled for space next to posh hotels. Higher end stores and T-Shirt shops all competed for attention. A quick stroll by the shops and hawkers was enough though. We grabbed dinner and headed back to the hostel to make plans for the morrow. Time to visit the ancient sites that have put Siem Reap on the map.

Day 9 (Monday – 1/5/3026): At its height, the Khmer Empire ruled not only modern day Cambodia, but also Thailand, Laos and southern Vietnam. It lasted from 800 to 1400 AD. The area around Siem Reap was the capital. Our excellent tour guides over two days did a massive data dump. Here is the brief take away. Khmer kings observed either Hinduism or an earlier form of Buddhism. Each king set out to build elaborate temples reflecting their beliefs. They built the largest and most elaborate for their own personal use. They built temples in honor of parents. They built temples for common people to use. Some kings wanted to cover all the bases and built temples with both Buddhist and Hindu elements. And often, when they died, successive kings of different faiths would deface the temple and change it to reflect their faith. And finally, ego clearly played a part. Kings seemed obsessed with trying to show that theirs was biggest! It can all get a tad overwhelming since there are over 300 temples within the Angkor Archeological Area. We were in a constant state of awe, looking at what people were able to accomplish with rudimentary tools, passion, ingenuity, and, one would guess, massive amounts of slave or forced labor.

Sok, our first day guide, gave us the history and context of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayone temples. Not only did they build on a massive scale, they also paid attention to the tiniest of details. It seemed every square inch was covered with decorations or details that added beauty and had meaning for those visiting.

Looking toward the Angkor Wat entrance from inside the complex

Carvings covered almost every square inch of the temple. Angkor Wat

Meditation and purification pool. Angkor Wat

Modern shallowness vs the deep spiritual significance of Angkor Wat.

The Ta Prohm temple is famous for making an appearance in the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie. It is also famous for the trees that grew up, around and through the temple. After the fall of the Khmer Kingdom the temples were abandoned and largely forgotten for centuries. Now these trees have become an integral part of the structure.

The Bayon temple was built with fifty-four towers. Each tower had the face of Buddha on four sides – north, south, east and west.

Of course no one knew what Buddha looked like. No problem! They used the face of the king as the model. Did the king mind seeing his face 216 times all over the temple? Did I mention ego?

Our day started early so we could experience the Instagram inspired Angkor Wat sunrise photo op. By 2:00pm we were back at the hostel and ready for some AC and quiet time.

Day 10 (Tuesday – 1/6/2026): Today tour guide Sam showed us several more temples. We heard more fascinating stories about the kings who had them built. Equally interesting were the stories Sam told us about himself and life in Cambodia. Because his family had little money, he attended a Buddhist school. It was more difficult than regular schools, but he loved it, and allowed him to become a teacher. He taught for many years before becoming a state certified tour guide. He made more money as a teacher, but loves sharing the history of his country and meeting people from all over the world.

The temple towers were built using a unique brick and stucco method. It failed and wasn’t repeated.

Speaking of people. Our group today was awesome. They hailed from Bulgaria, Hungary, France, China, Russia, Australia, and Seattle! The conversations between temples and at lunch made a great day even better.

We ended the day at the oldest temple in the Siem Reap area, built high stop a hill in the 800’s. Like sunrose at Angkor Wat, it has become an extremely popular place to observe and photograph the sunset.

Day 11 (Wednesday – 1/7/2026): The plan today was simple. Bike forty miles to a small village at the foot of Kulen Mountain. Next day explore Kulen National Park on top of the plateau and return to the small village for a 2nd night. We were excited to get get away from the city and back into the coutryside. However, as Poet Robert Burns famously said, “The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft aglee.” Roughly translated, “Sometimes things go to shit!” Sorry for the rough language but in this case – it is appropriate.

We were making our way north out of town. An adorable young man (Javid), possibly four years old, was riding behind grandma on her scooter. As they pulled alongside Sharon and Katy, Javid asked in perfect English, “Are you happy?” That led to the most precious conversation between Sharon and Javid that carried on for several minutes. It was a magical moment.

It was magic right up to the point where Sharon clipped a tree next to the road and went down HARD! Once the dust settled, Sharon was showing symptoms of a concussion. Her elbow was a mess. Clearly, going forward was not an option. At the very least we needed a place for Sharon to rest while we evaluated the extent of her injuries. Trooper that she is, Sharon managed to ride several miles back into town.

Google Map Streetview of the malicious tree

Steve pulled into what looked to be a luxury hotel and asked the price of a room. $40!!! Yes please! Turns out we chose well. The people at the Angkor Regency could not have been more helpful. One staff member helped clean Sharon’s wound. Another saw to our bikes and gear. The manager himself walked us to a small, but clean and modern clinic literally next door. He explained our situation to the staff and left us in their capable hands.

Sharon had X-Rays. Had her wounds cleaned and bandaged. Met with the doctor. Received some meds. Total cost: $65. That was the good news.

The bad news diagnosis: Pack your bags, you are going home! The concussion would get better with time and rest. The broken bones around her elbow would not heal as quickly and will almost certainly require surgery. We were gutted! Imagine being invited to a smorgasbord filled with unfamiliar, but delicious looking food. You sample a few items and are blown away by how good it is. You can’t wait to try more. Then someone pulls the fire alarm and you have to leave. Yeah. It’s kind of like that. We had just begun to sample all that Cambodia has to offer. We loved it! We were eager to try more. That was no longer going to be possible.

We also had a difficult decision to make. What does Dave do? It would be possible to get Sharon sorted and safely on her way home – alone. Katy and Steve were awesome through the entire ordeal and were willing to stay as long as necessary to help us. But they obviously were going to continue the journey. I could continue the trip with them. Almost immediately Sharon was pushing for that option. I would have their company all the way to northern Vietnam until they turned toward Laos on their way to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I could make a right turn and make a solo journey the rest of the way to Hanoi, almost per our original plan.

While Sharon rested and let her brain unscramble I did some soul searching. I had done a month long solo ride last summer. I felt comfortable riding alone. I very much wanted to continue sampling the ‘smorgasbord’. However, after a long heart to heart with Sharon, it was clear we both felt strongly about returning to this part of the world. Given the choice of continuing now or returning with Sharon, the latter is by far the better option. Sharon and I would travel home together.

Day 12 (Thursday – 1/8/2026): More tears today as we said good-bye to Katy and Steve. Thanks for the wonderful company on this too brief trip. Enjoy the ‘feast’! Watch out for trees.

We spent yesterday afternoon, and most of today organizing the details of our return. Would our travel insurance pay for our return due to Sharon’s accident? Thanks for your premium payments – but “No!” Can we rebook our Hanoi to Durango flight two months early out of Siem Reap instead? Without going broke on last minute tickets? “Yes!” Thank you United. To the front desk: can you help us arrange a ride to the airport an hour away? “Yes! We have a shuttle here at the hotel. Ratana will drive you. It is $35.” Well that was easy. How about bike boxes somewhere in town? “Yes!” Thank you kind lady at Cyclo Velo. And thank you Tuk Tuk driver somehow fitting me and the boxes in your tiny vehicle.

Thank you everyone at Angkor Regency for being so incredibly attentive and helpful.

Lavish smorgasbord breakfast (included with room)

Day 13-14 (Friday/Saturday – 1/9-10/2026): We left our hotel at 7am Friday morning. After 30+ hours of travel time and layovers, we arrived in San Francisco 14 hours later! At 9pm Friday night!!!

Rest – Ice – Elevation. Sharon is a good patient!

Not much to say about the travel. Turns out the world is a big place. It takes a long time to fly across the Pacific Ocean, and all the way to our little corner of southwestern Colorado. The longest leg was from Singapore to San Francisco. We spent fifteen hours in a metal tube. Everyone did their part to make it as pleasant as possible. At San Francisco we were even comped a room at a nearby hotel because of their inability to check our baggage through to Durango until the following morning. We didn’t sleep much because our days and nights are now backward. Even if we couldn’t sleep, it felt good to be supine, in a quiet room, with our eyes closed. We finally arrived in Durango on Saturday afternoon, 42 hours after leaving Cambodia. It was the very definition of “bittersweet.” Having to cut our trip short and leave Cambodia left a bitter taste in our mouths. It was definitely sweet being greeted with hugs, smiles and laughter from Oliver, Kiri, Aaron and Ethan.

Final Thoughts

We arrived home exactly two weeks after leaving, rather than the two+ months we had planned. That was massively disappointing. Yet – we recognize how fortunate we are to be able to visit a place few ever get to see, and travel in a manner that few people have the interest or ability to consider. As the BLE folks in Flagstaff like to say, “Don’t be sad its over, be glad it happened!” We are.

It’s all about the people. The world is filled with areas of great natural beauty. We regularly seek out those places. However, the enduring memories from our travels are of the people we meet. When I close my eyes and think of Cambodia, I see smiles! Big, beautiful, joy-filled grins. Smiles so wide it squeezes the eyes shut. I see the waves and hear countless lilting calls of “Hello!” We fell in love with the people of Cambodia.

Cambodia is a developing country. Google tells me the average income is between $250-$500 per month. Obviously, we were there a very short time. It would be the height of arrogance to assume I know anything about the country. It would be foolish to make generalizations. From the people we did talk to, from observing how people interacted with each other and with us, it sure seemed as though people were happy. I contrast what we witnessed in Cambodia with what I witness daily here in the wealthiest country in the world. We who have so much, find so many reasons to be angry and dissatisfied with… everything! It would be great to see in our country more of the concern for others, the kindness and generosity that is so evident in Cambodia and so many of the places we have traveled. I always return from these trips committed to let this little light of mine shine a little brighter. Let’s all do our part. Amen. Here endeth the sermon!

That’s all for now! I sincerely wish I had more to share. As you might imagine, plans are already afoot for more adventures. And I will happily share as soon as there is an adventure worthy of putting pen to paper, as it were. In the meantime, if Cambodia piqued your interest, I suggest you get the Polarsteps app (https://www.polarsteps.com/login) , set up an account and request to follow “katy abrams Traveler” and follow Katy and Steve’s excellent adventure title “From Cambodia to Thailand.” This time we get to be the ones living vicariously through them, to see what we missed. It is good stuff.

Until next time, Be Kind! Be Generous! Seize the Carp!

Asia 2026 – The Road Less Traveled #1

On January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the RoadLeave a comment

Durango, Cambodia

Day #1 (Sunday – 12/28/2025): It seemed liked a good idea. Months ago, it seemed entirely reasonable to leave for a grand cycling adventure just three days after Christmas, and just two months after a lengthy bike trip in Europe. As it turns out, it’s been rather a lot to manage. Since returning from Europe we’ve wanted to spend time with family and friends here in Durango. It has been important to set aside time for exercise. There have been home and car repairs, as well as bicycles and gear to attend to. Unlike Europe, travel in Asia requires visas and preparation for border crossings. Speaking of border crossings, an active war zone continues to command our attention and actually dictated an earlier route change. Previously we’ve traveled with people we’ve met on the road. We are excited to be taking this trip with friends from Flagstaff, but that also requires coordination, and planning beyond our normal “no-plan plan.” To all this preparation, we added the happy chaos of multiple, large gatherings during Christmas with family and friends. Its been great fun. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It has also been a bit exhausting.

But now the day has arrived. After final farewells, we will make our way to the airport and thirty-one hours of travel. Durango to Denver to San Francisco to Hong Kong to Phnom Penh. In general, our plan is to ride north to visit Angor Wat. We will then turn east, away from the conflict zone on the Thai border, through Cambodia to Vietnam. We intend to fly home from Hanoi in mid-March. Everything else in between is TBD.

Day #3??? (Tuesday – 12/30/2025): It is never ‘comfortable’ coiling my body into airline seats, and lengthy flights always involve a certain amount of sleep deprivation. Still, it amazes us how quick and easy it is to travel half way around the world. And apparently, time travel is also possible. We left Durango on Sunday, and only thirty-one hours later landed in Phnom Penh on Tuesday! Somewhere along the way Monday went missing.

In spite of that significant loss, we did manage to negotiate connections and bureaucracy, with our bikes and gear, and arrived in Cambodia. One more place in the world Sharon and I never in our wildest dreams imagined we’d be visiting. After the usual formalities we had our bikes assembled and were on the road.

Although it was mid-day locally, our bodies and minds were several time zones away. We were eager to find our hotel and get some rest. As we made our way into the city of 2+ million people, Phnom Penh assaulted our senses! At first, rural agricultural smells combined with the odor of garbage and the fishy smell of the Bassac River. As we drew deeper into the cities’ embrace, masses of scooters and trucks added petroleum notes to the mix. They also added to the noise of construction, hawkers selling their wares, and countless smiling people shouting “Hellos!” The sights had us laughing, and our heads on a swivel. It is amazing what can transported on small motorcycles, especially when the “rules of the road” aren’t even a figment of anyone’s imagination. The only rule seemed to be don’t get hit. Beyond that, anything goes. We threw ourselves in with gusto.

At the Sim Boutique Hotel we showered, napped, and wandered out to explore. We took in the sights, tried mystery street food and a local beer. It was all fascinating, but our lack of sleep led us back to the hotel, and sweet, sweet, blessed sleep.

Day 4 (Wednesday – 12/31/2025): Imagine a person with a massive ego. A person who believes he is the smartest person in every room. A person who craves power, imagines enemies everywhere, and is surrounded by slavishly devoted followers willing to support and enable this person’s worst impulses. In Cambodia, that person was Pol Pot. Secret U.S. bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam war enraged and disrupted people’s lives across the country. That ultimately helped Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge come to power. From 1975-1979, Pol Pot’s minions carried out the brutal murders of anyone who questioned his judgement, or were identified as an enemy of his vision for a perfect Cambodia. Eventually, one quarter of the population died in the “killing fields.”

We visited the infamous Choeung Ek killing field outside Phnom Penh. It was gut wrenching, and one more example of what happens when hatred of anyone deemed “other” is fostered and festers.

The day started on a much happier note. Katy and Steve arrived around midnight. We met for breakfast and happily planned our day. What started as a sightseeing stroll ended with “Paul” carting us all over town in his tuk tuk. He showed us a side of Phnom Penh we would never have known to explore, and most certainly wouldn’t have experienced on our own. We visited the killing field, palaces, temples, and authentic restuarants serving up frog, octopus and peppers that melted my brain. We are grateful for that. The day ended on a sour note though. It appeared our new best friend Paul had taken advantage of our trust to do us wrong. It definitely left a bad taste, and we hate the take away lesson that we should be suspicious of people. It did not, however, ruin our day.

“I know! It’s so hard finding a decent duck!”

Under the colorful towel, she is working on intricate silk weaving

Day 5 (Thursday – 1/1/2026): Happy New Year! Although as I write these words, in Durango it is still early afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Here on the other side of the International Date Line, 2026 is off to a good start.

After taking full advantage of our hotel’s breakfast, we hit the mean streets of Phnom Penh. With an early start, we managed to get ahead of some of the traffic and high temps. The countryside north of town was much more sedate. Even on the busier roads, drivers seemed deferential to two wheeled vehicles.

Although different from the big city, the sights, sounds and smells continued their assault. Very little seemed ‘normal’ to our cultural norms and expectations. It was fascinating to observe differences, and to ponder the factors leading to different choices and norms. One thing was universal though. All day long, hundreds of times, over and over we were greeted with a joyful “Hellooo!”, usually accompanied by joy-filled, beautiful smiles. (Is there really another kind?”). It just never got old. It aso kept a near permanent grin on my face.

Forty miles after setting out we arrived in Ph’av. Camping is not really an option in Cambodia, so we took the scary step of leaving our camping gear behind. We are 100% reliant on finding guest houses. Here in Ph’av – no problem. We easily found some lovely rooms. Sixteen dollars got us a clean, spacious room, comfy beds, AC, and a cold shower. Perfect.

Later we joined the throngs of locals (not a tourist in sight) perusing the food stalls. I found a tasty Num Pao – a savory dumpling type thing. Sharon, Katy and Steve chose rice dishes. I think it may take us some time to get comfortable with our food options.

Day 6 (Friday – 1/2/2026): Kickstands up at 6:50am today. One day on the road and already the weather is a force that must be reckoned with. It was already in the mid 70’s (on the way to 90+) when we set out. The first fifteen miles were probably the most interesting as we followed back roads. For a time we were part of a mass migration of school kids on scooters making their way to class. We saw similar scenes repeated throughout the day.

With headwinds and heat, the day grew long. It was late afternoon when we fell into the cool embrace of air conditioned rooms at the Glorious Hotel. It was aptly named. Unfortunately, we had little energy to enjoy the exercise room, or the pool, or any other amenities. We were content with the shower and the bed.

Day 7 (Saturday – 1/3/2026): We’re starting to get the hang of this. Another early start. We happily accepted the gift of a tailwind for part of the day. Plenty of stops to cool off in the shade with cold drinks. For me – getting soaked whenever possible.

It took some coaxing, but she got in the spirit!

There was a subtle shift in the landscape today. Hard to really pin it down. More trees perhaps? Once again, no shortage of interesting things to see.

Fascinating process of making ambok… toasted, pulverized, and sifted rice plants.

We were quite happy to arrive at Kampong Kdei. It was another long day, and while I think we’re adapting well to the heat, it still takes its toll. After cooling off a bit, we wandered the street stalls in search of food. Tasty num pao and more rice dishes hit the spot. We had a great time talking to Nye who has just finished 12th grade. His goal is university in Phnom Penh to study to be a doctor. If he achieves his goal (I believe he will) he stands to earn $400-800/month. Good luck Nye.

A few thoughts as this week winds to a close. -Many places we visit have looked remarkably similar to Wisconsin, or places out West. Not once has that thought occurred to us here. We wanted different – we got it!

-People here are entrepreneurs. The entire distance we’ve traveled from Phnom Penh has been like one long, 3rd world version of Milton Avenue in Flagstaff. Literally everyone is selling something. There are stands and stalls everywhere! Everyone, it seems has a side hustle or is engaged in commerce. At the same time, everyone is chill. No hawking. No high pressure sales tactics. Cool.

-Cambodia is a developing country. As in many such countries, paying money for garbage disposal is a luxury. As such, garbage is obvious and ubiquitous. Disappointing for sure, but understandable.

-The smiles! Oh, the beautiful, joy-filled smiles! And “hello” from almost everyone we pass. How can you not fall in love with a country filled with people like this?

So on that happy note, I will conclude this post. Until next week, Seize the Carp!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #11

On October 21, 2025October 21, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road5 Comments

Switzerland, Durango

Day 63: Sunday (10/12/2025). Chris and Patricia took seriously their responsibility to show us only the very best that Swizerland has to offer. Truth is – we didn’t know what we didn’t know. They could have taken us anywhere and we would have been happy.

Ultimately we ended up at the Diemtigtal Nature preserve nestled next to a mountain called Wiriehorn. This was to be no mere hike however. We started with a chairlift ride part of the way up the mountain. We proceeded to hike completely around the mountain. It was a grey, dismal day in Spietz. Here in the mountains, above the clouds, we reveled in bright sunshine.

Back at the chairlift, we enjoyed conversation, cards and adult beverages. Fat tire rental scooters brought us quickly back to the bottom of the hill. Later we met back at the house for the evening ritual of a shared dinner and conversation with the flat mates. As we looked across at the countless peaks of the Alps, I asked if Gerhard had climbed many of the mountains. “Every one you can see!” was the answer! That included the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Especially impressive considering the “modern” equipment he would have used back in the day.

Day 64: Monday (10/13/2025). Another day – another hike. From the house it again seemed unlikely that we’d see blue skies anywhere. And yet again, our hosts had a trick up their sleeve. We drove up to the village of Beatenburg on the other side of the lake. From there, we hiked farther up – and through – the thick layer of clouds blanketing the valleys. It was another in a long string of spectacular days.

With all that we’ve seen in Switzerland these last ten days, it was hard to imagine finding anything better. And yet…we continued to climb until a sea of clouds below us filled the valleys and stretched as far as we could see in all directions. To the south the Alps spread from horizon to horizon.

Alpine Ibex were hunted to near extinction in these parts. Starting in 1906, efforts were made to bring them back from the brink. If our experience proves anything, those efforts have been successful.

Back into the soup. Last view of the big peaks.

Our long, last day in the mountains concluded with our home made pizza, apple pie, a Swiss dessert called vermicelles, and home made liqueur. Fun stuff.

Day 65: Tuesday (10/14/2025). This is the beginning of the end. In two days we take to the friendly skies from Zurich. Today a train will take us on the next to last leg of our journey home.

We did not waste our final morning in Spiez. As has been our custom, we first enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Then we all wandered down to the lake to witness Patricia’s daily routine. Whenever possible, she starts the day with a swim. Water temps in the Thunersee this morning were a balmy 52 degrees. Air temperature – the same! Chris and a few other hardy folks joined her. Apparently there are health benefits. I’m sure it was “refreshing.” I was happy to count myself among the spectators.

We made a quick stop at a local cheese shop, then booked passage to Zurich at the local station. As our prepared to leave, we bid our friends a sad “auf wiedersehen.” This is now the third time we have reconnected and been able to spend time with cyclists met on previous trips. It is hard to fathom the almost infinite number of random decisions and choices that somehow led to Sharon, me, Chris and Patricia crossing paths on that particular quay, in that city in Turkey, on that exact moment. We consider ourselves incredibly blessed to have friends like Chris and Patricia in Switzerland, and so many others around the globe. I’m sure I’ve shared this elsewhere, but I love the comment from Tim Cahill. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”

Our arrival in Zurich and bike ride to the hotel were mostly unremarkable. What does merit a remark is Switzerland’s amazing public transport. Our train ride could not have been easier, or more comfortable. In Zurich especially, we were amazed by the masses who rode their bikes to the station en route to other destinations. Look at the picture below. Imagine the gridlock on the streets and the parking required if all these people were driving cars and trucks instead of bikes.

Commuter parking at the downtown Zurich train station.

Day 66: Wednesday (10/15/2025). Any flight home from anywhere in the world requires boxes for our bikes, and boxes for our clothes and camping gear. It is often a logistical challenge getting boxes, bikes, gear and ourselves to the airport. Fortunately there was a store selling bike boxes in the airport right next to our check-in gate. I took a quick ride to the airport early in the morning to check the route and verify that boxes would be available. All good on that front. We then made the rounds of local businesses trying to find something for our gear. No joy! Eventually I rode to a self-storage company to buy suitable boxes.

With those details settled, we rode the city tram downtown. When in Rome, right? We wandered the streets, poked around in a museum, and did all manner of touristy things for the rest of the day. It was pleasant enough, but the horses smell the barn. This close to departure, we’re now ready to just be on our way.

Day 67-68: Thursday/Friday (10/16-17/2025). We used our headlights for the first and only time on this trip. Sharon indulged my anxious desire to get to the airport super early. Predictably, everything went smoothly so we didn’t need the extra time. Still, it was nice not to be rushed. As has often been the case when we contemplate traveling twenty-four (plus) hours to get home, the thought of it was worse than the reality. The airlines were efficient. People, for the most part, were friendly and chill. And when we think about it for more than a second, the whole process is comically easy. So it was that in the wee hours of Friday morning we set foot in Durango and called this trip complete!

Postscript

The numbers: On this trip we cycled 1,600 human powered miles in 68 days. In Poland, Austria and Switzerland we used buses and trains to travel an additional 550 miles. Interestingly, in the last two weeks, we cycled less than 100 miles. We stayed in a relatively small area of Switzerland, and rather than cycling, we spent most days hiking. We tallied some fifty miles walking in the Alps. We split almost 50/50 between camping and staying in hostels, guest houses, and hotels. Uncharacteristically, most of our camping was in actual campgrounds. We only wild camped two nights. From Helsinki to Zurich, we passed through ten different countries. In the last few years, not counting the U.S., we have now cycled in 25 different countries.

Gear: No flat tires!! That might be a record! In February of this year I took possession of a new bicycle. It was built just for me by Eric Tomczak of Myth cycles right here in Durango. As expected, the fit was perfect. The pinion gearing and belt drive performed flawlessly. And best of all – no wobble from the front end. Last summer we replaced our aging REI Halfdome Plus 2 tent with their updated version. My concerns about durability were misplaced. It is holding up well, weighs less and continues to keep us dry. Couldn’t ask for more.

Thumbs Down on Old Town: The “Old Town” of many European cities is generally the original town site now surrounded by the modern city. Centuries old buildings rich with history and visually appealing often lie within ancient fortified walls. We usually made a point of visiting. We found that “free” historic walking tours were a great value. But we’re done now. We have grown tired of being part of the shoulder to shoulder mass of tourists shuffling along the streets. In many (most?) places, the history is a thin veneer, the beauty only skin deep. Inside those historic buildings one can browse the likes Versace, Prada, Rolex, Gucci, Hermes, etc. Short term rentals dominate the upper floors. We no longer wish to be part of the tourist “problem” plaguing so many areas.

People: Its always about the people! There are many appealing aspects about bike touring. Bikes offer the perfect pace to enjoy natural beauty as well as the towns and village we pass through. We love the physical exertion required, and seeing what our bodies are capable of doing. We love the simplicity of a minimalist lifestyle. But at the end of the day, it is always about the people. From all of our trips, our favorite memories and the stories we tell are about people we’ve met and friends we’ve made.

Now we are back home in Durango, blessed to be surrounded by family, friends and the mountains of Colorado. Thanks for coming along on this journey. Until we hit the road again (teaser: January in Vietnam) get out there and Seize the Carp!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #10

On October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Switzerland

Day 56: Sunday (10/5/2025). We woke to a fresh coat of snow on the local peaks. A raw wind made staying inside an easy decision. Fortunately, we had nowhere to go today and all day to get there. This marks the first time on this trip we’ve spent three nights in the same place. Obviously, we love biking. But we’ve really come to value these breaks.

Other than a short walk during a pause in the weather, this was a true rest day. Sharon did some laundry and worked on Polarsteps. I finished the blog. We played cards.We talked about the past and planned for the future. We watched a movie, read books, and surfed. All very mundane, but appreciated all the more for its rarity.

Day 57: Monday (10/6/2025). Our friend Abby recently raved about the beauty of Lauterbrunnen. We trust her judgment, so we had high expectations climbing south out of Interlaken. Laiterbrunnen lived up to the hype.

We took time to get situated at camp and immediately went for a walk. Lauterbrunnen is nestled in the bottom of a long, narrow valley. Waterfalls leap from the top of cliffs. The end of the valley is dominated by glaciated peaks. It is clear from the faces we see that people have traveled from around the globe to enjoy these views.

Because of the deep valley, “sunset” for us happened at 2:45pm. With the shadows came a drop in temperature. It would keep dropping into the 30’s overnight. Fortunately, the campground has both an indoor kitchen area and a warm communal lounge. Perfect for cold evenings and frosty mornings.

Day 58: Tuesday (10/7/2025). We face an embarrassment of riches in Lauterbrunnen. How does one choose where to explore when faced with jaw-dropping beauty in every direction? We settled on a cable car ride to the Grutschalp station above town. From there, we climbed above timberline and spent the rest of the day in awe. We had seen the Eiger and Jungfrau from Grindlewald. From this vantage point, they were looming large directly in front of us. In addition, a whole array of jagged, ice encrusted peaks were on display. I think I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Day 59: Wednesday (10/8/2025).

The early bird gets to see stars and reflected moonlight. What a brilliant way to start the day.

Before any bike trip, a basic question needs to be answered. Is the goal to see a little of a lot, or a lot of a little? In other words, in a given period of time, travel a greater distance with more limited exposure to the culture, history, and scenery? Or, spend a greater amount of time in a more limited area, and get to know that area intimately. There is no right or wrong approach, just different goals.

On average, we tend a bit more towards “seeing a little of a lot.” This past week we flipped the script. We spent two days hiking around Grindlewald. We rode fifteen miles and spent three days in Interlaken waiting out a storm. When it wasn’t raining, we explored and hiked around town. Today is now our third day in Lauterbrunnen, a mere ten miles from Interlaken. In those three days we’ve taken three hikes. We have seen quite a lot of a relatively small corner of Switzerland. We’ve come close to hiking more miles than we’ve ridden. It has been an enjoyable change of pace.

Day 60: Thursday (10/9/2025). Four years ago we met a young, Swiss couple in Bodrum, Turkey. That chance encounter led to a friendship and six weeks of cycling together. In Cappadocia Sharon and I turned west towards eastern Europe. Chris and Patricia continued east for another two years of an epic adventure. In the years since we have stayed in touch.

From the beginning of our current trip our goal has been to visit Chris and Patricia in Switzerland. Today after a short ride from Lauterbrunnen, we finally arrived at their home in Spiez.

Chris’s great-uncle Gerhard (91) still lives in the home he moved into when he was three. He shares this large home with Chris’s uncle Simon, as well as Chris and Patricia since their return. We spent a lovely afternoon/evening chatting, drinking local beer, and sipping wine made from Roman era vineyards outside the back door. We feasted on raclette, a meal that is a celebration of Swiss cheese. It’s been fun catching up.

Day 61: Friday (10/10/2025). Our hosts both had to work today. Using their suggestions, we took a casual bike ride through the countryside. We sampled backerei in Wimmis. We came across a picnic area in the forest and stopped for a snack. We strolled the old town area of Thun. Back in Spiez, we prepared dinner and dessert. Once again the evening was filled with talk of travels, life on the road, as well as life at our respective homes.

Day 62: Saturday (10/11/2025). Whenever we think about traveling, we dream about days like today. We slept in. Enjoyed conversation over an extended breakfast. Eventually we made our way high above Gstaad. Chris’s extended family has had a farm in the hills here for as long as anyone can remember (perhaps 1561). This entire weekend, they were celebrating the cows being moved down into the valley for winter. As guests of Chris and Patricia, we were welcomed to the large family gathering. We were treated to a variety of cheeses, goat and beef bratwurst, freshly squeezed apple juice and wine. Desserts galore. And while we had no clue about the content of most conversations, we enjoyed watching the banter and laughter. The hospitality was incredible.

As people started to drift away, the four of us headed into the surrounding hills to burn a few calories. There just is no end to the beautiful scenery. While we’ve enjoyed our entire trip, the mountains of Austria and Switzerland have been our favorite. Chris and Patricia have been perfect hosts. We’ve certainly saved the best for last!

That’s it for this week. Until next week – STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #9

On October 5, 2025October 5, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road5 Comments

Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland

Day 49: Sunday (9/28/2025). Turns out our happy place is often a hard place. Our happy place is in the mountains. The Austrian Alps are making us very happy…but they are also very hard. We left Flirsch with the goal of crossing Arlberg Pass, twelve miles distant and 3,000 feet above us. Several moments had us questioning our life choices. But it was glorious! It was stunning! It was worth the screaming thighs of death and every drop of sweat! We found a shelterd place in the sun, sat back and just drank in the views.

View down the valley from the top of Arlberg.

Interesting note about Arlberg Pass. It is home to the largest ski area in Austria. There are 186 miles of groomed trails, 120 miles of lift served backcountry routes, and 97 lifts. The scale boggles the mind. A tiny portion of that terrain was visible from the pass.

While gravity can be a heartless wench, as soon as we left the pass, she welcomed us back into her warm embrace. We gave almost no thought to pedaling for twenty-four miles. All told, we had over fifty miles under our tires when we rolled into our campground in Feldkirch. Without a doubt, one of our more challenging – and satisfying days of the trip.

Day 50: Monday (9/29/2025). Looking out the tent door, a heavy blanket of clouds rested on top of the trees. As the hours ticked by, there was no sign of the predicted clearing. When the first evidence of a sun finally appeared, we’d left Austria, biked eight miles through Lichtenstein, and entered Switzerland. We realized none of this until we checked our progress on the map.

We were right back in our happy place as the clouds continued to part. The route followed a blissfully flat valley floor with peaks soaring above on either side. The last few miles hugged the shoreline of the Walensee. The views made the Swiss campground sticker shock slightly more bearable.

Day 51: Tuesday (9/30/2025). The rain played cat and mouse with us today. We being slow, geriatric mice and the rain being an athletic farm tabby, well versed in the black art of catching and toying with mice. That is to say, we got wet. Rolling into Pfaffikon, the nearest campground was twenty miles away in the next valley over. We opted for a night indoors.

Random thought: We love Switzerland … mostly. Our ride yesterday featured amazing scenery. What we could see of it today was just as nice. The bike path along the lake this morning was an engineering marvel and scenic wonder. Almost all our miles in Switzerland have been on dedicated bike paths or scenic backroads with no traffic. People have been friendly and helpful. All huge checks in the plus column. So where does the mostly come from? Sticker shock! $45-$50 to pitch our tent! Really? Yes, there are showers, but really?? With the price of groceries, we decided that now might be a good time to start a diet. It reminds me of the joke, “How do you become a millionaire in Telluride? Move there with two million and don’t stay long.” I know. Look where you are and what your doing. Stop whining! OK.

Day 52: Wednesday (10/1/2025).

“You’ve come far pilgrim.”

“Feels far.”

“Were it worth the trouble?”

“Ah? What trouble?”

-scene from Jeremiah Johnson

The first day of October. Fifty-two days on the road. With today’s forty miles added to the total, one thousand five hundred meandering miles from Helsinki. It feels far. We have had countless hours of low gear grinding, overcast skies, unrelenting headwinds, chilly days and frosty nights. We have had countless miles of beautiful scenery, miles of glorious downhill coasting, tailwinds, sunshine, and warmth. Today was unique, and yet very much like all the others. “Ah? What trouble?”

Over the mountains and through the woods, along rivers and through fields, we arrived at Lucerne mid-afternoon. It is lovely. It is historic. Its setting on the shores of Lake Lucerne and straddling the Reuss River is stunning. This will likely come across as jaded and unappreciative – but we’re kind of “over” the big, touristic spots. The street level shops of beautiful, historic buildings offer Rolex watches and Louis Vitton handbags. Yawn! Long queues of tourists (like us) shuffle along crowed streets, all snapping the same photos and selfies. Over priced food and drink are on offer everywhere. Clearly, loads of people were having loads of fun in a magical place. We very much enjoyed the hour we spent sightseeing. But an hour was enough. We happily moved on to our camp for the night.

Day 53: Thursday (10/2/2025). Dilemma. Grindlewald is home to the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, famous mountains steeped in climbing lore. It would likely take two days of very hard riding to reach there. Current weather calls for two days of good weather. After that, three days of rain and snow. Solution: Three trains and half day of travel brought us to Grindlewald. A bonus of train travel was the pleasant company of a Swiss couple. They bought a day pass for the train, and were doing a huge, activity filled loop around their country – all in one day.

By noon, we were camped at the base of the Eiger. With blue bird skies. Unbelievable! We briefly pondered taking the gondola up to the Eiger glacier, but the $100/person price tag put us off. Instead, our fast forward gave us time to climb high up the surrounding hills to a point looking directly across at the Ogre. Cheaper, and much more satisfying.

Day 54: Friday (10/3/2025). Slushy water bottles and hard frost this morning. That’s our sign to head lower before the storm (and snow) come calling later today.

Traveling is its own reward and fills our hearts. Meeting other travelers makes our hearts soar. Dane’ and Louw are on holiday from South Africa. With their rental car, they are camping and day hiking their way across the alps. Their enthusiasm for life was infectious. A simple inquiry led to a lively exchange about places we’ve been, places we’d like to go, and adventures we’ve had. Dane’ and Louw were adamant! We must come to South Africa! Perhaps the universe is telling us something. In recent weeks, this is the third time we’ve been given a South Africa sales pitch. Well – why not? Of course, we did sing the praises of our little corner of Colorado. Like many of our other new friends, hopefully our paths will cross again.

Day 55: Saturday (10/4/2025). It was an easy (beautiful) fifteen miles downhill to Interlaken yesterday. After some overnight rain, we had a window of clear weather in the morning. We took full advantage. Without packs we took a relaxing ten mile ride along the Brienzersee. Later, we took a bench and watched as a steady stream of tourist carrying paragliders landed in a large green space in the heart of Interlaken.

One month ago Interlaken was home to the Jungfrau marathon. The route left Interlaken, ascended some 6,000 feet and ended at the Eiger glacier twenty-six miles later. OK! For those with slightly lower aspirations, there was the “Harder Run Race.” This trail race ascended 2,400 vertical feet over a very rough 4.4 kilometer trail system to the Harder Kulm overlook above the city. Just by chance, I found myself on this trail. I felt good and was rather proud of my time. The race web site, however, said that my time was the cut-off time for the slowest runners. Hmmm. Thanks for keeping me humble.

We ended the day, once again warm and dry as waves of rain washed over the city. Higher up, snow was accumulating on the peaks and ridges. We chose…wisely! Thus ends our week in the alps. Until next time – STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #8

On September 27, 2025September 28, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road2 Comments

Austria, Germany, Austria

Day 42: Sunday (9/22/2025).

I have no proof of this, but last night seemed like locals celebrating Salzburg. Today felt more like the tourist mosh pit found in every historic city in Europe. We’re torn. Just like everyone else, we like to see the sights. We also despise being part of the tourist hordes. It’s a figment of our imagination, but as cyclists, we like to imagine ourselves superior to the common masses roaming the streets. Although, as the saying goes, we’re not stuck in traffic – we are traffic.

We did stumble across a huge October Fest style beer tent. Well, not so much stumble upon as get drawn to it. We heard the music from blocks away. When we entered the tent our sense were assaulted by lively oom-pah music, groups standing on the chairs, steins raised singing drinking songs at the top of their lungs. What a hoot. What else to do but join the festivities. Well, the drinking beer part anyway. We started chatting with the family next to us. Many years ago, Herbert had done the bicycle Race Across America and had ridden through both Flagstaff and Durango. Small world.

Day 43: Monday (9/22/2025). We left Salzburg on a brilliant set of bicycle pathways. It is so nice not having to risk our lives on the “commercial strip” traffic nightmare found in every city in America.

G.L.O.W. Glamorous Ladies of Worldcycling

This morning we were given a slight reprieve from what was meant to be a wet day. We took full advantage. By afternoon, though, warm clothes and rain jackets came out. As temps dropped and the rain continued, a hotel started sounding attractive. What followed was a comedy of errors. Our first try was a self-serve hotel that could not get us a code to get into our room. After 90 frustrating fruitless minutes, we bagged it. Cancel that. Next, Sharon booked an inexpensive hostel in Bergen, three miles down the road. Oops! Turned out it wasn‘t that Bergen, but Bergen, Norway! Well shoot! Cancel that! Then we booked a nearby guest house. Oops. Nearby for a car, maybe. Turned out to be twenty-two miles away. In the rain? Late in the day? That was a nonstarter. Cancel that one! By then we were angry, laughing, frustrated, and slightly hypothermic. Sod it! We rode into town and checked into the first gasthaus we came to. We gagged slightly at the cost, but enjoyed lengthy, very, very expensive showers. Aaaah! The included breakfast the next morning helped as well.

Day 44: Tuesday (9/23/2025). We left Salzburg and connected with a popular cycling route suggested by Craig and Coralee. It was lovely and took us through some beautiful countryside. It also kept us at arm’s length from the mountains. After poring over the maps we decided to turn left and head into the Alps.

We hit our stride, and by 1:00 p.m., already had forty miles behind us. Thirty minutes after arriving in Kufstein, we were on a train heading another fifty miles to Innsbruck. Thankfully, the clouds cleared long enough for us to walk around town and get a glimpse of the peaks towering above Innsbruck.

Day 45: Wednesday (9/24/2025). Rain overnight meant a lazy lie in. During a few hour intermission, Sharon wandered Innsbruck and did some errands. I opted for an “easy” local hike – straight up a mountainside. Makes me wonder what manner of creature lives in these here parts! The views likely would have been amazing had they not been hidden behind a thick blanket of cloud.

Bit of a climb to get to the start of the climb

View across Innsbruck to the Olympic ski jump

The rain’s return gave us all the excuse we needed to laze around the rest of the day.

Day 46: Thursday (9/25/2025). Hard to know what to make of the weather. Based on the forecast, we prepped for rain again today. All day we faced ominous looking skies. We couldn’t help noticing the fresh snow on the peaks above the valley. Temps barely broke fifty. For all that, we had only the briefest of showers in the outskirts of Imst.

Feeling kinda “gangster” for crushing an 18% hill with the “comically” low gear on the new bike.

Forty miles after setting out from Innsbruck we arrived at Imst. We also arrived at the unmistakable conclusion…we chose wisely entering the Alps. Even with the colder temps and steep climbs, we love the mountains!

Day 47: Friday (9/26/2025). Woke up to heavy overcast and forty-three degrees. Come on clouds! We want to see the mountains. Also realized that a screw had worked loose – on my BIKE rack – not ME!

Fortunately I was able to dip into the parts bin. What could have been a royal pain was a minor inconvenience – and a good reminder to check the fittings occasionally.

Today we headed in the direction of Arlberg Pass. Thirty-four miles and four thousand vertical feet above Imst. A bit daunting. Not ones to be easily daunted, we slogged upwards. By mid-afternoon, we’d made it twenty-four miles and almost half the elevation.

My Suunto watch said that during two miles of climbing I’d averaged 2.1 and 2.4 miles per hour! Impressive right? That seems only slightly faster than the slugs we’ve seen crawling along. We did the math and realized we would not arrive at the top of the pass until 5:00pm. A bit late in the day. We had found a place to camp short of the top but weren’t thrilled to see snow in the forecast. Because this is supposed to be fun and we have no one to impress, we are now lounging in a spacious off-season hotel room.

Day 48: Saturday (9/27/2025). Over the last few days we’ve seen the snow line creeping down the mountainsides. Lovely to look at – especially in shorts and a tee inside a toasty room. Sunday looks to be a far superior day to bike over Arlberg, so today we’ve decided to celebrate “Explore Flirsch day.” Since that didn’t take long, we used free bus passes offered by the hotel and went a few miles up the road to Schnann. This entire valley is a hiker’s paradise. One of Schnann’s contributions was the Schnanner Klamm. How could you not want to do a hike with such a fun name?

Interesting “tiered outlet” flood control dam above Schnann

Cycling through the mountains this late in the season brings some added challenges. Yet, we have no regrets. We are in our happy place! Which seems like a wonderful place to bring this week’s adventure to a close. Until next week – STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #7

On September 21, 2025September 21, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

Austria

Day 35: Sunday (9/14/2025). “Every day is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” A cliche, yes, but today was a gift. We expected heavy rain all day, and on cue it started in the wee hours. Faced with the gloomy prospect of a soggy day, we said, “Let’s just have a lie in and spend the day here.” Decision made, we both got back to our books. Thirty minutes later the rain paused, the sky looked hopeful, and suddenly there was no rain in the forecast. Within an hour, we had packed, said farewell to Craig, Coralee, and an Irish lad backpacking barefoot from Istanbul to his home. (Sure, why not?)

Given our expectations for a soggy day, riding along a scenic (rain free) stretch of the Danube was certainly a gift. And when we arrived at a random campground for the evening, we were blown away. Across the river, perched on a hillside above the village of Durnstein, were the ruins of yet another 12th century castle. It’s claim to fame is that King Richard the Lionheart (of Robin Hood fame) was held prisoner there in 1192-1193. He had been captured on his way back from the Third Crusade. What a day!

Day 36: Monday (9/15/2025). Upstream, the hills close in and the Danube carves its way through the Wachau valley. Terraces dating back to medieval times are filled with grape vines. The wine produced here is apparently well known – by those who can afford to buy it. The seventeen mile route to Melk is dotted with castles, abbeys and quaint villages. It is a lovely ride.

Grapevines on medieval terraced hillsides

Since Vienna, we have followed the famous EuroVelo cycle route along the Danube River. What’s not to like about flat riding through mostly scenic countryside? After three days we are not bored exactly. But we have started to weary of the sameness. So, a few miles past Melk, we turned left towards the foothills of the Alps. Good choice. We were treated to quiet country lanes through rolling hills and small towns. Bonus points for being off the bike tourist superhighway that is the Danube cycle path.

Hike a Bike. Definitely not the Danube cycle path

Day 37: Tuesday (9/16/2025). On previous trips, we have averaged 600-700 miles each month. Since leaving Helsinki just over a month ago, we have traveled 1,100 miles. We’re tired. Our bodies are tired. Faced with another rainy day, we decided to hole up in Wieselburg for a day and do nothing touring related. Three loads of laundry in a proper washing machine. Stretch. Read. Write. Do some bike maintenance. But mostly, just rest!

Martin came by to chat while I was working on Sharon’s bike. He rather sheepishly admittted that he was staying at the hostel tonight because “my girlfriend – she does not like me much right now!” Ouch! In the evening, he came by our room and we had a nice chat. Clearly, though, he was a hurting, lost soul. He was desperate for company and even offered to buy us a beer in town. We obliged him for a time but retired much sooner than he would have liked. Later, we overheard his side of a tearful, impassioned phone call. We assume it was with his significant other. Hard to say whether or not he is back in her good graces.

Day 38: Wednesday (9/17/2025). Today was dubbed the “EKG ride.” A profile of our route looked like an EKG heart scan. Up a hill. Down a hill. Up another hill. Down another hill. Add to that a healthy headwind and you have all the ingredients for an extra special workout. This came as no surprise. The wind was forecast, and we are skirting the northern edge of the alps. Hills are sort of to be expected. But the narrow winding country lanes were blissfully free of traffic. The picturesque villages and countryside more than compensated for the hard work. This evening, we make our home on the outskirts of Steyr.

Riding the *“Most rad route”* dude! That’s how we roll.

Day 39: Thursday (9/18/225). “This looks vaguely familiar…” We had a deja vu moment as we rolled into Steyr. Then it clicked. We’d been here three years ago on a previous bike trip. We didn’t remember the name, but we could hardly forget the city. It is still just as lovely. We revisited a few sites. We poked into some previously unseen corners. We enjoyed our second breakfast from a local bakery then headed out of town. Yesterday had been a butt kicker, so we dialed back our ambitions and set modest mileage goals today. The hills and headwinds still gave our backsides another boot. And yet, it was a glorious day.

We rolled into Adlwang expecting a short snack break. Instead, Gerhard and Ava wandered over and struck up a conversation. They were curious about our trip. They graciously then took the time to give a brief history and tour of the village. Apparently, the 1300’s era church here is a popular pilgrimage site. In a few weeks, people from the surrounding towns will make the journey to Adlwang. They also led us to a small chapel with a small spring. Splashing the water on your eyes is meant to offer good vision and a good life. Ava’s mother spoke of coming to this same chapel when she was a small child. Lot’s of history here. Had Ava and Gerhard not stopped, we would have missed so much.

Gerhard belongs to a photography club and writes for the local newspaper. He asked if he could write our story. Of course! I guess we may become minor celebrities! (I’ll attached the link at the end). What a wonderful surprise. As always, people are the highlight of our day. Shortly after our tour guides left, we stopped by the local grocery. We ended up chatting with the grocer for another fifteen minutes. Such pleasant people.

Buoyed by those experiences, the final miles to our campground…still crawled by. One last hill brought us to a site looking out over the nearby town of Sautern. To the south and west, the expanse of Austrian alps. A bit intimidating knowing our route heads in that direction. We spent an amiable evening talking to a few of our campground neighbors. A cyclist riding from Salzburg to his home in Vienna. A retired couple from Denmark wandering Europe in their caravan. These are the days we will remember.

Day 40: Friday (9/19/2025).

It is a cruel irony that the mountainous landscape we love is also the most difficult to travel on bikes. Even the lumpy foothills are a challenge. Fortunately the headwinds relented today. And as we turned south towards and along the Attersee, we had tailwinds and some flat ground. Yay.

The Attersee is stunning. Crystal clear water. Surrounded by mountains and rolling hills. On this day, hundreds of sailboats were enjoying the fresh breeze. The 43K road around the lake is a favorite for cyclists. We saw hundreds in our few miles along the lake to our campground. Tomorrow the “King of the Lake” bike race will unleash many hundreds of cyclists all seeking glory and personal best times.

Dilemma…should we stick we around for the beer pong tournament???

Day 41: Saturday (9/20/2025). Our ride today was divided into three distinct stages. A cool, morning around the south side of Attersee and Mondsee. This came with a generous side of jagged peaks and fellow cyclists. Phase two was a very hot low gear grind through farm fields to a high point on our way to Salzburg. And finally, miles and miles of glorious downhill coasting to the outskirts of town. As Sharon noted, probably the easiest thirty miles of hard biking we’ve done.

Our visit to Salzburg coincides with the annual St Rupert festival. At this point, I know nothing about it. Apparently it involves large numbers of people dressed in traditional Austrian garb drinking lots of beer and eating what looks like amazing food. We gathered this from a bus ride and brief walk around downtown after dark. Tomorrow when we have more time, we intend to fully embrace the festive atmosphere.

Until next week – STC!

Here is the link to Gerhard’s article

https://www.meinbezirk.at/steyr-steyr-land/c-regionauten-community/mit-den-fahrraedern-von-helsinki-nach-zuerich_a7628035

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #6

On September 14, 2025September 14, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Slovakia, Austria

Day 28: Sunday (9/7/2025). Several years ago, we hosted a Swiss couple in Flagstaff. They were in the midst of a multi-year world trip in a customized Land Cruiser. We found it amusing that they wanted a “vacation” from the vacation that was basically their life. Now that we’ve been traveling for a few years – we get it!

After a week of challenging riding in the mountains, we were ready for a day of “vacation” if you will. We slept in (sort of). We had a decadant breakfast, lounged, loafed, surfed, read, wrote, did chores, but mostly accomplished quite a lot of nothing. We fully embraced the “off” of “day off”. We expended some energy strolling around historic Zilnia. A local Indian restaurant helped us avoid a caloric deficit. Our reaction to the flavors bordered on the restaurant scene from “When Harry Met Sally.” People wanted what we were having!

Day 29: Monday (9/8/2025). Two things generally guide our daily agenda. Are there sites of interest ahead? Is there camping to be had within a reasonable distance in the direction we are traveling? The town of Trencin ticked both boxes.

As expected (and hoped for) riding felt good after a day off. Slovakia kindly provided silky smooth bike paths along the Vah River for a much of our route.

What civilized people…sustenance available right on the bike path.

Nothing dramatic today, just pleasant riding with interesting sights. We had an unexpected surprise as we entered the outskirts of Trencin.

After we met in Poland, Victor and Valentine took a different route through the Carpathian mountains. As we entered Trencin we were surprised and delighted to be hailed by our French friends. The previous night they had stayed nearby with a Warmshower host family. When we met them, they were suffering from an excess of hospitality the night before. They had hoped to travel farther, but opted instead to call it a day and camp with us in Trencin. We were happy for it. We camped along the Vah River, in the shadow of Trencin castle. An inscription on the rock below the castle has been dated to a Roman battle against Germanic tribes in 179 AD. My brain melted picturing Roman legions camped in this same area.

Late afternoon we’d washed away the sweat and grime from a long day in the saddle. Dinner was done. All that was left was several hours of pivo and pleasant conversation with Valentine and Victor.

Day 30: Tuesday (9/9/2025). “Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. This quote is often attributed to Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. Our new friends are less than half our age. Together, we had agreed on a destination almost sixty hilly miles closer to Bratislava. As Valentine woke up and looked through her tent door, the first thing she saw was Sharon and Dave riding away on the opposite bank of the Vah River. Given their youth, we decided we needed a head start!

The ride was not unpleasant but was also unremarkable. We have no pictures from the day, which probably says all you need to know about this part of Slovakia. Showing the wisdom of age, we also chose a different route from the youngsters, thus avoiding a plethora of hills. We were showered, fed, and rested by the time Valentine and Victor arrived. Since we appear to be in Slovakian wine country, a local red wine fueled the evening repartee. (Very passable, I say, very passable).

Day 31: Wednesday (9/10/2025). We’ve learned often that making plans based on a weather forecast is a fool’s errand. The forecast today, though, was hard to ignore. Severe flood warnings in the Bratislava area suggested we prepare for rain. We left early together and made a dash towards Bratislava to hopefully avoid the worst. We arrived only slightly dampened.

By the time the heavy rains did arrive, we cared little. By then, we had parked ourselves in the corner of a friendly pizza place. The storm raged outside, but we barely noticed as we lounged over dinner. In Europe, a meal is not to be rushed but savored. It is an opportunity to while away the hours in the company of friends. And so it was.

We learned from Victor, that someone in his family traced their ancesty back to the 1500’s. In all that time, it seems few in his family had strayed more than a few kilometers from their hometown! Remarkable! Valentine’s grandmother remembers hearing gunfire from the D-Day landings. Valentine grew up idolizing an Aunt’s godmother who fought in the French resistance. Only when the staff began to close for the evening did we think to brave the rain back to our respective homes.

Day 32: Thursday (9/11/2025). We started the day with a walking tour of Bratislava. Like so many small countries in this part of the world, for much of their history, Slovakia found itself at the mercy of the big players on the world stage. That seldom worked to their favor.

Agatha, a natural healer burned as a witch outside the city gates in 1603

After the tour, we strolled the city before meeting with Victor and Valentine for another night on the town. It was a day well spent pursuing knowledge, and enjoying food and friendship. La vie est belle!

Day 33: Friday (9/12/2025). Forty miles separate Bratislava and Vienna. A route of mostly dedicated bike paths brought the four of us to the outskirts of Vienna.

Although we played tag with rainstorms from time to time, it wasn’t a grueling day. Still, by the time we arrived at our campground, none of us felt motivated to do much more than clean up, eat and retire for the evening. Due to traffic, train, and related urban noise, the campground lacked charm – and it was expensive. But it’s location was convenient, as evidenced by the dozen or so other cyclists camped in the tent area.

Day 34: Saturday (9/13/2025). It was a sad morning. Valentin had washed all their clothes and hung them to dry. Heavy rain overnight made a mess of that. Then we said good-bye to our traveling companions. We’ve grown comfortable very quickly and will miss their company.

For years, we’ve heard Vienna spoken of in hushed, reverantial tones. We were looking forward to seeing the sights. After an hour of being jostled about in historic downtown, we said auf wiedersehen to Vienna. It was nice enough. It just did nothing for us.

We actually enjoyed the street art on the way out town more than we enjoyed the city.

A few hours along the Danube brought us to Tulln for the evening. I was prepping our bedroom, and it looked to be an early evening. Then Craig and Coralee rolled in next door. They hailed from the Lake District in the UK and were biking toward Budapest. When we met later to chat we learned about bike trips and a six week canoe trip down the Loire River in France. It quickly became apparent that we are kindred spirits. We shared stories and beer until well after our bedtime. What a happy end to another week behind (handle) bars. Until next week – STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #5

On September 7, 2025September 7, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road4 Comments

Poland, Slovakia

Day 22: Sunday (8/31/2025). Today we sought out hidden gems and random sights around Krakow. Loved riding and walking around town with no agenda.

Day 23: Monday (9/1/2025). Be careful what you wish for. We have thus far (perhaps foolishly) throughout the flatlands bemoaned the topographical sameness. That changed today. As soon as we left Krakow, the roads pitched up, and the hills just kept coming. Our legs burned. Salty sweat burned our eyes. In spite of that, the landscape, the views, and the downhills had us grinning all day.

Late afternoon, the map said we had arrived at the campground that was our destination for the day. We weren’t sure. There was a fenced in field of nicely tended grass with one gentleman sitting under a pavilion. With a computer assist, he assured us that this was his campground. He very kindly accepted half price for the night (the remainder of our Polish cash). The site was perfect. The only sound was gentle white noise from a nearby stream. We had a hot shower, a cooking facility, and electricity. And when he left a bit later, he asked me to lock up for the evening. How cool.

Even better, shortly after we arrived, Valentine and Victor rolled in. They are currently two months into a twelve month hiatus from work. They left home in Normandy, France and are taking a grand tour of Europe, and east through Turkey. Good for them for making it happen. So glad our paths crossed, and we had the opportunity to make new friends. Bonne chance on your journey, Valentine and Victor! Hopefully our paths will cross again.

Day 24: Tuesday (9/2/2025). Such good company, and so many interesting stories! It was hard to leave this morning. It would have been easier had we known what glories awaited us. Sure, the first climb started immediately and continued for ten plus miles. And yes, it was muggy. And yes, there was a headwind. But the hard stuff paled in comparison to the riding. We pedaled through an area known as Gorczański Park. Then we skirted east of the High Tatras mountains which form a portion of the border between Poland and Slovakia. At appropriate intervals, interesting villages appeared. We traveled on lightly traveled roads and dedicated bike paths. The last several miles were along a path following the Dunajec River through a Slovakian National Park. Stunning, and even better because it was unexpected.

Day 25: Wednesday (9/3/2025). Rain was in the forecast overnight. Sure enough, in the wee hours it came knocking. Our little tent took a beating, but did its job admirably.

Lying comfortably warm and dry in the tent, neither of us was eager to head into the soup. Some sites said it was going to rain all day. Some sites forecast it to end by 8:30am. In this day and age of picking “facts” to suit you, we picked the “rain ending soon” weather site. Good call. Right on cue, the celestial sprinklers turned off. Still, it was a foggy, soggy day. The air was so thick we needed Moses to part the waters in order for us to pass through on dry ground. Low gears got another workout today – and it was glorious.

Very often this is what “riding” up steep hills looks like

The same site that correctly predicted an early end to rain, also predicted dangerous thunderstorms in the afternoon. We were very aware of dark clouds quietly lurking behind us on our way to Poprad. With no campground available, we sought refuge in a guest house before the skies opened. The storms were a bit underwhelming, but we felt smug having dodged another drenching bullet.

Day 26: Thursday (9/4/2025). Today we moved out of the mountains and headed west through a broad valley between the High Tatras mountains on our right, and the high forested ridges mountains of Nizke Tatry National Park on our left. A lengthy bike path along the Poprad River led us out of town. Then we fell into a predictable pattern. We rode through a series of small towns separated by large hills. Mountains all around kept us entertained while we fought gravity.

We ended the day near the small town of Vavrisovo in a hostel/campground. For the princely summer of $13 we had showers, a full kitchen, a comfortable sitting room, and what I value most – silence. Some workmen were staying idea in the hostel area. Google translate allowed us to satisfy the curiosity of one gentleman. It also allowed our new friend to extoll the virtues of his country.

Day 27: Friday (9/5/2025). Four days in a row of hot, hilly, hard days of biking had us thinking “rest day?” Might that day be today? We discussed it. By day’s end we were fifty miles farther west. The answer was “no!”

Pretty sure this is what tourists come to Slovakia to see

With an earlier than normal start, we took our time and poked around little towns like Svit, Strba, and Vazec. We wandered bike paths, dirt two-track, and even some gnarly single track. We saw the Slovakian version of “Wisconsin Dells-esque” touristy shlock. And still, by noon we had covered thirty miles. The rest of the afternoon we enjoyed payback for all the climbing done in the past week. We followed the Vah river on its gradual path to the sea all the way to our campground outside Turany. We celebrated being alive at the end of this glorious day with a cold beer, a frosty radler, and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Yay us!

An unexpected highlight of the day was meeting Pavol. A trail we were following ended unexpectedly, and we had to backtrack through the town of Stankovany. Our second visit in town seemed like a good time for a short break. A friendly gentleman rode over on his bike and attempted to chat. We had few words in common yet communicated well enough to have a heart-felt moment. One of the joys of travel is making those connections – however brief. Thank you Pavol! (happily he emailed us the next day and we’ve been able to talk some more).

Day 28: Saturday (9/6/2025). Rain overnight into the morning hours. Nature gave us a good excuse to laze about in our bags, until the other nature rudely forced us out into the rain. Rest day today? Weather radar showed clearing later in the morning. We packed, had breakfast in the common lounge area of the campground. Once the rain did, in fact, clear, we set off again. No rest for the wicked, apparently.

The Vah River valley continues to delight. At one point the valley steepened and deepened, and the ruins of an ancient castle suddenly loomed above us. Even as we were making plans to explore that one, another even more impressive castle appeared. We had to stop. In doing so, we stumbled upon a whole medieval themed children’s festival. The castle itself dated back to the 1200’s. The only way to see it, however, was in the company of very nice, very Slovakian speaking tour guides. That yielded surprisingly little useful information. It also made us painfully aware of our foreign-ness. The guide spoke, the group nodded thoughfully, asked questions, and laughed at all the appropriate times. We stood to the side silent and clueless. Still a worthwhile visit.

A bike path continued from the castle along the Vah River all the way into Zilina. Sharon found us a lovely (and inexpensive) guest house for two nights. We have decided that this will be the site of our elusive rest day. We are looking forward to doing laundry, making phone calls, finishing the blog (me), updating Polar Steps (Sharon), reading or listening to our books, surfing, eating, etc. May not sound restful, except for the salient feature – no bikes. We love riding, but absence even for one day really does make the heart grow fonder.

Four weeks on the road. Eight hundred miles. Six countries. This is starting to feel like a real trip! Until next week- STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #4

On August 31, 2025August 31, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

Lithuania, Poland

Day 15: Sunday (8/24/2025). A quiet room. No miles to travel. No reason to rush out of our comfy bed. A full hotel breakfast awaiting our arrival. A city waiting to be explored. Books to read. Blogs to write. Breaking bread, sharing stories, laughter, and serious moments with our new friend Andre. Time to reflect on our forty years together. Time to be grateful that we have the health and means to dream about future adventures. LUXURY! It was a very good day in Kaunas.

We clean up well.
Enjoying ethnic Georgian food and beer. AWESOME!

Day 16: Monday (8/25/2025). It was meant to be an ambitious day. We found a campground fifty-two miles south of Kaunas. Well within our range, especially after a rest day. As we were packing our bikes, however, it started to rain. Then it poured, drizzled – paused – then misted, sprinkled, deluged. Well, you get the picture.

Speaking of pictures – wall art as we left Kaunas.

Generally, we find the idea of riding in rain worse than the reality. When you’re in it, with the right gear, you can be mostly comfortable. But after several hours of non-stop moisture, we stopped to evaluate. We certainly could have done without the cold walls of water sent up by passing vehicles. Weather radar showed storm cells moving through the area all day. We were chilled sitting inside a grocery store, plotting our next moves. The vote was unanimous. Sod it! Let’s be done for the day.

A few miles later we rolled into the resort town of Birstonas. We were welcomed to Vila Liepe by the friendly, albeit non-English speaking, proprietor. Showered and warm, we actually enjoyed listening to waves of rain play their thunderous melody over our heads. From the comfort of our beds, we could imagine cycling long distances and arriving in Poland tomorrow. We shall see.

Day 17: Tuesday (8/26/2025). For most of us, most of the time, weather is a minor concern, sheltered as we are in our homes and cars. On bikes, we feel naked, exposed, and at the mercy of the elements. A tailwind gives us wings of an angel. Wind on the nose slows us to a soul-sucking, thigh burning crawl. Blue skies lift our spirits, and rain has us questioning our life choices.

Yesterday’s non-stop rain gave way today to sullen skies that dampened our spirits, and random squalls that dampened everything else. Still, the countryside was pleasant enough, and we had a goal. Late afternoon saw us crossing into Polska. Success!

Day 18: Wednesday (8/27/2025). Ah, Polska! Land of silky smooth roads (mostly), beautiful lakes, forests, and fields. A constant refrain is “I feel like we’re in Wisconsin!” Small wonder that close to 10% of Wisconsin’s population claims Polish ancestry. Early settlers must have felt right at home.

After two soggy days, sunny skies and friendly people brightened our mood considerably. Even Komoot’s insistence that we take dirt tracks through the forest didn’t bring us down. We ended the day watching the sun set, beer in hand, in the pleasant company of other touring cyclists. We met the Muller’s from Germany in our campground near Augustow. As always, it was enjoyable hearing their adventures and sharing stories.

When mosquitoes chased us into the tent, we did some math. Total distance yet to travel divided by number of days left equals – oh crap! – more miles than we want to ride every day! We pondered. We Googled. We discussed. In the end, we devised a plan to have a bus deliver us to Krakow after a stop off day in Warsaw to see the sights. We will miss a large swath of “Wisconsin-esque” countryside. But the trade-off is a more realistic pace for the remainder of our ride.

Day 19: Thursday (8/28/2025). Augustow lived up to its billing as a “touristy” town. Entrepreneurs offer endless opportunities for visitors to have fun. Much of it is centered around the chain of lakes surrounding the town. With summer winding down and kids heading back to school soon, people were out in force enjoying the warmth. We enjoyed it as well prior to our bus ride south.

After a few moments of panic trying to find our bus, we were whisked off to Warsaw. The busy-ness of Warsaw was a bit jarring at first. It seems like we’ve seen more cows than cars since arriving in Poland. (I exaggerate). Now we have to contend with cars, trucks, buses, trams, hordes of pedestrians, bikes, electric scooters, road construction, and signs that remain stubbornly unprounounceable.

It all reminded me of a quote by author Bill Bryson, “I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly, you are five years old again. You can’t read anything. You have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work. You can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”

Very quickly, though, we settled into this new urban rhythm. We found our home for the night. We joined locals in their evening stroll along a pedestrian walkway. We enjoyed three P’s…piwo (beer), pierogi, and people watching.

Day 20: Friday (8/29/2025). Imagine walking around any city in America as a first-time visitor. You might walk past or poke into some tourist shops, if you happen to be in the right part of town. You might see some interesting buildings, parks, or historical plaques. Without local knowledge, you would leave that town really knowing very little about the people or the place. How different it would be if a local showed you around.

Today, Taisa told us about her city. How her grandparents fought in the tragic Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis late in the war. How, in many parts of the city, 80-90% of the buildings were reduced to rubble by German bombing. How her father was “volun-told” by the Soviets to spend summer break from school clearing that rubble from the city. How no money from the U.S. Marshall plan went to help Poland, because, definitely through no fault of their own, they were under Russian control. Mixed in with all the history, she shared stories of modern life in Warsaw and Poland in general.

Old Town 2025. Shortly after the war, this area was rebuilt to look as it had prior to its destruction.

A 1950’s “gift” from the Soviet dictator.
It is known by many here as Stalin’s penis

We are huge fans of “free” walking tours. The cost is whatever participants choose to give the guides. I am sure Taisa was well compensated for two and a half fascinating hours.

After the tour, Sharon and I parted ways for solo exploration. Later, we found our way back to the pedestrian mall for slightly different P’s … Pączki, piwo, and more people watching. Well done Warsaw!

Day 21: Saturday (8/30/2025). FOMO is a real thing for me on bike rides. Saying “yes” to one route, de facto means saying “no” every other possibility. I want to know what is down the roads “not taken”. So taking a bus almost always triggers a severe FOMO reaction – but not today.

There were some lovely stretches between Warsaw and Krakow, but enough scenes like the picture above to feel good about our decision.

We felt even better about our choice when we left the bus and rode downtown. Krakof (as the locals pronounce it) felt comfortably worn and welcoming. The buildings (not the people) escaped the devastation visited upon other Polish cites. Here, as elsewhere, Jewish people suffered terribly at the hands of Nazi murderers.

Portion of wall surrounding the Jewish ghetto in Krakow. The walls were purposely built to look like Jewish tombstones to further demoralize Jewish people trapped inside.

Once again we are reminded of what happens when a country’s leadership makes it “OK” to hate ‘other’ people. Removal of basic human rights. Inhumane treatment. Concentration camps. Hatred of whole classes of ‘others’ leads to the same place, not just eighty years ago and not just far away. (e.g. Alligator Alcatraz) Shame!

Being flexible with our “no plan” plan has served us well in our travels. Occasionally, it jumps up and bites us in the butt! “We’re in Krakow,” we said. “We should visit Auschwitz and Birkenau,” we said. Good idea! We even arranged transport to make it a day trip from Krakow. Who knew that the Auschwitz Memorial site limits the number of visitors? Who knew that tickets are spoken for weeks and months in advance. Not Sharon and Dave!! That’s who. Oh well. As Forrest Gump would say, “That’s one less thing!”

We arrived in time to take a walking tour of Old Town. Apparently, taking a stroll around Old Town Krakow on a balmy Saturday afternoon sounded like a good idea to thousands and thousands of other people as well. Understandable. It is beautiful, and as always, filled with amazing twists and turns of history, political intrigue, a fire breathing dragon, even Mongol hordes.

Thus ends another week on the road. These past three weeks and 600 miles have been challenging, entertaining, and enlightening. They have also given us a very different experience than previous trips. It’s hard to pinpoint any one reason. Circumstances. Decisions. Regardless, we are both feeling more like a part of the “Touristing Hordes” than the “adventurers” we fancy ourselves to be. We are learning much, but connecting little. Hard to say what the next week(s) will bring. Whatever comes, you can read it here next week. Same Bat time, same Bat channel. (I’m dating myself). Until next week. STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #3

On August 24, 2025August 24, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road5 Comments

Latvia, Lithuania

Day 8: Sunday (8/17/2025). Sounds of nature: Waves crashing on the beach. Wind whooshing through the trees. Raindrops pattering on the tent. THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP of techno music from the party site rocking hard until the early morning hours. The really nice (free) Estonian Forestry campground came with one big downside – weekend warriors curating their playlist for everyone else to hear. If ever I were to find myself behind bars, people like that would be the cause.

We added a third country to our trip early this morning. Other than some unused border control infrastructure and an EU sign, there was little to mark the crossing.

*I don’t often enjoy an “Arizonas” burger, but when I do – I get mine in Latvia!*

After several miles though, the three foot wide shoulder shrank to eight inches. Heavy traffic on a narrow road equals stressful riding. Unfortunately, in Latvia, few options exist. Our only choice was to put our heads down and grind out twenty or so miles until the shoulder widened again, and eventually we were able to get off the main road.

Food and rest breaks are a regular part of every day. Bus stop shelters, beach picnic areas, or even a handy road sign works in a pinch.

After showers and dinner at our campsite, we shared a beer and stories with Walter. From northern Italy, he has literally traveled the world by bicycle. As so often happens when we hear stories from a fellow traveler, we are inspired to follow in his footsteps and explore new parts of the world.

Day 9: Monday (8/18/2025. Today we set Riga in our sights. In an effort to avoid busy highways, we may have overcorrected a wee bit.

The dirt track was actually the best part of getting into Riga. We arrived via an industrial portion of the city gridlocked with heavy traffic and made worse by endless road constructon. Once past that, though, we were immediately taken with the city. Calming parks. Street performers. An old town area begging to be explored. A funky bar serving up local brew and Boomer classic rock. Prieka!

Day 10: Tuesday (8/19/2025). Up until this morning, we had judged Latvia as consumers of experience. We judged and had found wanting an entire country based on our poor experience as privileged cycling tourists unhappy with the roads. Then we visited the Museum of the Occupation. It chronicled in chilling detail, the brutal reality of being caught between two megalomaniac dictators bent on world domination.

Before the war, Hitler and Stalin secretly agreed to divide up the world, and not play in each other’s sandbox. Per the plan, Stalin muscled his way into the Baltic states. But then Hitler reneged on his deal. Latvia paid the price as German troops rolled through in his ill-fated campaign against Russia. Near war’s end, Russia fought its way back into Latvia and the Baltic states – and then didn’t leave until 1991. Words cannot describe the horrors visited upon the Latvian people during those years. Stalin and his successors used every cruelty known to mankind to subjugate the nation. Yet, through all that, the hope and determination to be a free and independant nation never died. That day finally came in 1991 as the Soviet Union’s flawed system disintegrated.

The video of this act of defiance to Soviet rule brought us to tears.

Two takeaways from our visit. First is the realization that this country does not exist to provide us with a tourist “experience”. The Baltic countries are filled with real people, living real lives, doing their best to overcome a history more traumatic than any of us can possibly fathom. That knowledge has led to a deeper appreciation of this country and our time here.

The second takeaway is more disturbing. When Joseph Stalin took power, he systematically dismantled the institutions of government and assumed those powers for himself. Stalin demanded absolute loyalty by those around him and was surrounded by sycophants who heaped praise on his every word and action. During the war, and after, during the occupation, citizens were fed a daily helping of obvious lies and disinformation. “The shelves in the stores are all bare!” Stalin’s reply? “Fake news! Under my brilliant leadership, perhaps the best leadership ever, you live in a paradise!” Those who took exception to the fantasy being peddled by Soviet authorities were ‘disappeared’ to distant gulags by nameless, faceless minions in the KGB. “Due process” be damned!

It is impossible not to see the current U.S. president doing the same things. And even worse, to watch so many blindly following the presidential pied piper leading people to a dark place. A dark place that so many hundreds of thousands here fought and died trying to escape. I say this as I would to a friend who smokes. Please stop. I know it’s hard. I know it is an addiction – but it is ruining your life.

I thought these thoughts during a long, introspective solo stroll around Old Town. Appropriately, I ended my walk at the Freedom Memorial. Symbol of Latvian national unity, freedom and independence. It was a good day! It felt like an important day.

Day 11: Wednesday (8/20/2025). We bid adieu to Riga, and Komoot guided us safely beyond its borders. Perfect conditions today: cool, mostly sunny, and tailwindy. We stopped for lunch in the beautiful city of Jelgava, and stocked up on groceries for tonight and tomorrow. With no campgrounds along this stretch, we managed to find a hidden spot tucked away in the woods near Uzini. We felt certain we would go unnoticed. Naturally a woman wandered by shortly after we had crawled into the tent. She said nothing to us, but now we shall be pondering the possibility of follow-up visits. Hopefully not.

Day 12: Thursday (8/21/2026). We got an early start this morning. Seemed prudent given that our site wasn’t quite as hidden as we’d hoped. As we packed we were surprised to see our breath. This far north summer hasn’t quite left, but you get the sense it’s bags are packed and stacked by the door. Hats and gloves made their first appearance.

Along a lonely stretch of gravel road we crossed into Lithuania with only a small sign to mark our passage. Country number four in less than two weeks.

In Lithuania we again faced a difficult choice…highways or back roads. Secondary roads were rough gravel and had heavy farm activity kicking up rocks and dust.

The main roads were worse. Drivers from behind were generally considerate. Most pulled over gave us a little space. Although, like drivers all over the world, no one would think of slowing down if a safe pass wasn’t possible. The worst though, was when *@#$% oncoming drivers would cross into our lane to pass. Time and again we dove for the ditch to avoid the fate of bugs on a windshield. Our middle finger salutes and screamed profanities had no effect on those trying to kill us. In the end, we opted for the farm roads and pieced together a bumpy route south.

Two highlights today. During Soviet occupation, the practice of religion was heavily restricted. In defiance of Soviet oppressors, locals planted crosses on a small hill. The Soviets would burn, bulldoze and knock down the crosses. And every time, the crosses would reappear. The Lithuanians refused to let the Soviets take away this imporant part of their culture. The Hill of Crosses became a symbol of freedom, defiance, and national unity. The Hill we saw today was a pale touristy shadow of its former self, but the history behind it is inspiring.

The second highlight came during a walk around Siauliai. We met Andre, a fellow cyclist from Colombia. As one does, we shared a beer while sharing stories. After attending a cousin’s wedding in Tallinn, she decided (again, as one does) to ride her bike to Bonn, Germany – solo. We immediately fell in love with her zest for life and made plans to meet again tomorrow.

Day 13: Friday (8/22/2025). Yesterday will be remembered for the beating our bodies took on rough back roads, and the mental toll from riding the highway of death. Today will be remembered for the blossoming friendship with Andre, insightful conversation, sunshine, rainstorm pizza, and a the “exceeds expecations” campground at the end of a long day.

We met Andre on the outskirts of Siauliai and rode south together. As a solo traveler, I think Andre appreciated the company. For our part we enjoyed hearing stories about her life in Colombia. Her love for her country was infectious, and we appreciated her opening a window for us to see a slice of Colombian culture. Perhaps a trip to Bogota is in our future? Perhaps we will get to play Colorado tour guide to a delightful individual? One never knows.

Day 14: Saturday (8/23/2025). We are fully engaged in working our “No plan plan”. Within the space of hours we had decided to head southeast to Kaunas to take a bus or train into Poland. Looking ahead, time might be an issue and this would save a few days. Then we decided just to bike straight south towards Poland. Then we decided to bike to Kaunas with Andre, take a rest day, and celebrate our anniversary (40 years!!). We decided to decide later whether to continue via human power or public transport.

Today could have been a brutal day. We’ve left the flatlands behind and are now crossing an area of rolling hills. We expected a low gear struggle fest against headwinds. Pregnant clouds suggested the possibility of rain. Instead, the miles fairly flew by with the sun (mostly) on our faces and a breeze at our backs. We dodged one vicious rain squall in a dodgy abandoned building. We conquered La Autopiste de la Muerta, and Google Maps thinking we could ride down hundreds of steps. We made a good team, we three. Yay us.

The glamorous life of long distance cyclists

Thus ends our second week back behind (handle) bars. We are looking forward to a celebratory rest day. We have cycled nine of the last ten days and covered over 400 miles. We are ready for a break. We are also looking forward to new countries, new friends and new experiences ahead.Until next week – STC!

Europe 2025 – Back Behind Bars #2

On August 17, 2025August 21, 2025 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

Helsinki, Estonia

Day 2: Monday (8/11/25) … After what seemed a long night of sleep, I awoke and checked my watch – 11:15pm!! What!! Clearly, jet lag was messin’ with me. I woke again at 1:00am to find Sharon also awake. Curses! We were exhausted, and yet we hopscotched in and out of sleep all night. After breakfast, I lay down to rest my eyes for a moment and woke up two hours later. You may now officially revise your image of us (me) as rugged adventurers.

Eventually we went exploring. Helsinki, and Finland in general, have some interesting history. For 500 years Finland was under Sweden’s thumb. In the early 1800’s Russia won some war, so their thumb replaced Sweden’s. By 1917, Finland was ready to move on and broke up with Russia. They changed the locks and unfriended them. In 1939 Russia said, “I want you back! You belong to me.” (a la Ukraine). Finland said, “Nuh uh!” and fought a bloody war to keep Russia at arm’s length. They succeeded but decided to date Nazi Germany just to make sure Russia left them alone. In 1944, Finland had enough again broke up with Germany. “Really, it’s not me – it’s you! And no, let’s not be friends.” Since then, Finland has been happily single. That is until Russia got stupid in Ukraine. Then Finland said, “We’ve seen this before!” In 2023 they swiped right on NATO and has happily been in a relationship since then.

YAWN! I get it. Unless you’re a history nerd (like me) all this old timey stuff is pretty boring. Here’s the thing though. History tells you something about the character and priorities of Finland. When you know what they did to fight off the Russians in 1939, you learn something about the toughness of these people. You understand why it’s no big deal to jump from a steamy sauna into freezing water through a hole in the ice. You perhaps understand why, after having been bullied by others for so many centuries, they make such a big deal about protecting people’s human rights today.

*Some days you’re the sea gull,*
*some days you’re the statue.*

There is much we admire, and some aspects of Helsinki that we love. Overall though, Helsinki is a big city. We hold no special love for big cities. Tomorrow, we move on.

Day 3: Tuesday (8/12/25). The plan: Get up early. Bike a 10 mile loop on a bike path around the downtown area. Have breakfast. Take a leisurely ride to catch the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. The reality? Have another weird night of interrupted sleep. Rise to pouring rain. Punt the bike ride. Eat breakfast. Check the ferry schedule and (oops!) realize we have to scramble madly to pack and race across town with just barely enough time catch the ferry. (It was technically closed, but they took pity on two elderly and clearly confused senior citizens).

*Kova and Peter saying good-bye to Helsinki.*

Surreal scene: On the two–three hour ferry between Finland and Estonia – live music by a Romanian band singing Elvis Presley covers and “Take Me Home Country Road”. In another room, hundreds of people intently playing Bingo.

As we whiled away the hours on the crossing, we talked. Neither of us feels that we’ve started our trip yet. We feel like tourists. We’ve walked around with other tourists doing the usual touristy things in touristy places. I guess that makes us tourists. We don’t like being tourists! Moving to Tallinn did little to change our status.

Old town Tallinn is lovely. It is a beautifully preserved medieval walled city filled with cobble streets winding between picturesque old buildings. Like so many historic sites though, the buildings are filled with shops designed to separate boat loads of cash from a sea of tourists. These places feel hollowed out…more like a Disney recreation of a historic city than a real historical place.

Day 4: Wednesday (8/13/2025). We are beginning to think that my lack of energy is more than just jet lag…a virus perhaps?? After breakfast, while Sharon wandered the streets, I slept the morning away. Unheard of in my world! I did manage to get my act together in time to take an excellent walking tour. Our guide dressed in period clothes and shared the history of the region through an engaging series of stories. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice to say that the details of how Tallinn became one of the most important trade cities in Europe was fascinating to me. And for a time, it even had the honor of having the tallest building – in the world!

In more recent times, Estonia is beyond thrilled to have gotten out from under the Soviet boot. They gained their independence in 1991. Talk to anyone here – there is no love for their former malevolent overlord. Nor is there any love or respect for a modern world leader who panders to Russia’s dictator.

After an evening stroll to see unseen parts of the city, we retired to our room to organize and pack. After yet another day of “touristy” stuff, we are very ready to hit the road tomorrow.

Day 5: Thursday (8/14/2025). It is amazing to me that we could exit a city of almost half a million people and almost completely avoid city streets. In fact, most of the day we rode on dedicated bike paths…through cities and towns, as well as for mile after mile along rural highways. How civilized! Sharon grows weary of my exasperated questioning of why we can’t come up with anything close in the richest country in the world. I shall henceforth endeavor simply to enjoy, rather than compare.

Speaking of our ride, it was simply…lovely. Not spectacular. Not take your breath away beautiful. As our grandson used to say, it was “just very good.” No worries about traffic (see rant above). Sunshine. Forests and farmfields. Neat, clean and orderly towns and villages. And perhaps most appreciated, pool table flat. A perfect first day of actual biking. Topped off by a snug little wild camp in a mystical grove where Estonian chieftains held meetings 800+ years ago. I arrived with little knowledge and no expectations. A few days on I am liking Estonia very much.

Day 6: Friday (8/15/2025). The curse of civilization – information overload. The weather forecast warned us that we would face bloody awful headwinds all day long. (We did). Our map app told us we’d be gritting our teeth into said headwind for exactly fifty miles (it was) to the city of Parnu. We rode through the same lovely landscape as the day before, but had to work very hard to remain positive (we did). Incessant headwinds have the capacity to suck the joy out of life.

In a triumph of technology, however, we also knew that a strong weather system would reach Parnu around 8pm. Long before it arrived, Sharon had worked her online magic and found a cheap, very adequate hostel where we could weather the storm. We found some good eats, local beer, and were back in our room, showered, snug, and smug before the storm raged.

Day 7: Saturday (8/16/2025). It sounds strange to say this in the middle of August, but this morning felt like a crisp, fall day. Not surprising I guess, for a city at the same line of latitude as the Canadian village of Inukjuak on Hudson Bay (look it up).

We were too tired to enjoy Parnu when we arrived, and then the storms arrived. By the light of a new day, it revealed itself to be a beautiful city. An especially fetching portion of it nestled between the Parnu river and the Baltic sea. We took breakfast in one of the many parks, and were surrounded by all kinds of busy-ness. We had stumbled onto a celebration of Estonian Literature Day. The woman who appeared to be in charge bustled around handing out hugs, smiles, laughter – and directions. The energy was infectious. We briefly pondered staying for the festivities, but realized that most would be lost on non-Estonian speakers. Breakfast complete, we headed down along the Baltic coast.

With another storm on the way, the wind was strong and fickle. It couldn’t decide if it meant to be friend or foe. A slightly shorter day through the same pleasant countryside brought us to camp a short walk from the beach. It is slightly embarrassing to be writing this wearing pants, three layers on top, my down jacket and rain shell – while locals are out frolicing in the surf. I guess anyone who can endure a harsh northern winter (as evidenced by the massive woodpiles surrounding every home) relishes whatever passes for a balmy summer day.

Tomorrow morning we will say “huvasti” and and “suur aitah” to Estonia (“good bye” and “thank you very much“). It been nice getting to know you. We wish you all the best! The end of this portion of our trip is also a good time to end this week’s blog. Hope you enjoyed it. Until next week – STC!

Seizing the Carp!

Author: KBGearDave

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