Europe « CyclingDutchGirl

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The Way It Is

July 2, 2011

What I like about Australia…?

… And I have great news…

A brand new visa and a brand new Multicycle bicycle.

Hurray!

To get those I took a little trip back to Europe where I got the chance to meet my two brand new nephews.

Tieme just suffered a bout of chickenpox when I met him. But that didn’t stop him smiling…

My niece was only a few months old last time I saw her, now she walks, talks & wears glasses.

They’re gorgeous and (obviously) very cute.

It’s great being their aunty, so I can come, give presents, spend time with them, and then go, get on my bicycle and be free

Also good about having two recently pregnant sisters was the fact I might finally be able to use their clothes, but as I discovered, the only clothes I could squeeze into were my sisters maternity pants. This didn’t make me happy so I opted for my own old rags that are still lying around.

What to expect after two years in the land of steak and beer…

Better get some exercise I figured.

So I got on my bike and rode around the country to visit various friends and relatives.

First up were my grandparents, they don’t mind a bike ride themselves. So the three of us set off on a little trip around their home town of Lelystad. Nothing major you might say. But my grandma is 83, granddad 86.

I visited Friedel & Andrew along the way. A Canadian couple who, for the moment, settled in the Hague. They cycled together through a million different countries (approximately) and keep an excellent website with all answers on any question you could ever possibly have about bike travel, and more.

I stopped off at Lars’s place. He just happened to have come back from a bike ride to South Africa. Before that he rode from Holland to Australia, leaving just a little later then I did. Yes, I’m not very fast…

Lars likes his cat.

I convinced mum and dad to go for a little ride to visit some relatives… or now I think about it, they might’ve been the ones convincing me.

85km against the wind later we arrived at my aunt and uncle, with who we happily continued riding bicycles.

I enjoyed checking out my country and seeing how we live here. It is different anywhere in the world but only after being away for ever did I start to find it interesting.

So I made some living-room pictures to give you an idea…

Ries

Kim

mum and dad

Dimmen & Judith’s

Tired of cycling against wind I thought of something else to do so I rang a friend and borrowed my uncle’s canoe.

We set off along a busy river and got attacked by a hail-storm. I did wonder for a brief moment if it would be wise to be on the water in a metal (aluminium) canoe while thunder and lightning smashed around us. But then I realized there’s very little we could do so I enjoyed the storm and made sure we wouldn’t sink by scooping the water out and trying to cover up with a sail. That worked.

And before long we were on our merry way into smaller creeks and streams where, exactly this weekend, the rest of the Netherlands decided to go sailing/canoeing/’punteren‘ as well…

We watched them while having a beer.

A few girls I used to work with happened to be in Europe at the moment. So we decided to catch up in Madrid and have a Sangria.

While in Spain we thought it be a good idea to see a bullfight. Not that any of us was particularly interested in seeing a bullfight but we did think it might be a good idea to see what it’s all about before judging… The arena was beautiful! But I think all three of us were rather happy to be far away from the actual ring. I was sure about this when my friends left the ring crying after the first bull was murdered…

I did find it interesting how, after a fight the bullfighter goes around the ring and people toss all sort of stuff at him. Not gifts, because he trows it straight back at them. I guess it might be for luck. Mostly hats, jackets, sunglasses but also a live chicken!

Apparently AC/DC played in this arena in 1996. I would’ve preferred to see that. But I can’t say this wasn’t an interesting experience…

So after two months cruising around Europe, catching up with old friends & family I got back on a plane and I will once again start following the red gravel roads in the wonderful land of Oz. Maybe I’ll find the wicked witch of the west, heading that way. If not a brain…(nah), heart… (ehm), courage… (maybe)… Let’s see what I find along the way this time

I still find it a little sad to be able to cover the same distance in 24 hours that took me four years on a bicycle. But I guess with my life-style this is just going to be The Way It Is…

Posted in Australia, Europe | Tagged bicycle, Bullfight, canoe, family, travellingtwo | 16 Comments »

the Good, the Bad and the pure Evil

August 2, 2007

You might be surprised this message is coming from Holland…
I am too. I should be in Turkmenistan.

We’ve stayed a good few days in Karaj and met up with Teus-Jan and Meindert, another Dutch biker on his way east. I’ve actually met Meindert weeks ago in Diyarbakir in Turkey! The four of us went to Damavand by motorbike. It’s an experience getting through the Tehran traffic alive on the back of a motorbike…. I couldn’t drive there, lucky Teus-Jan could.
When we got there Meindert returned to Tehran and the three of us decided to climb up the big hill… without a guide. Shouldn’t be too hard, a prof guide had told us it was real easy;”don’t go right, don’t go left, just straight up..” So we did. It was beautiful! Walking up through fields of flowers past singing shepherds and their goat and sheep. First night we camped (the three of us in my tent, very cosy indeed) at 3200m, second night up to 4300 to wake up early and try to get to the summit. But when we woke up early the next morning we couldn’t see a thing cause of the snow! We were snowed in, July. Iran. A very strange feeling. We did attempted to get up that day but only left around 7. Much too late to return safely, also it wasn’t as straight forward as the guide had promised us and at an altitude of nearly 5000m Wilbert got altitude sickness and Teus-Jan had difficulties breathing too. So after ignoring me telling them it be better to get back down they decided themselves it be better to get back down (…)

Now, I should warn you. What happened next isn’t nice. Many of you know already but surely a lot of you don’t. The reason I’m in the Netherlands now;

————————————————————————————————————————–
9/11/2007
didn’t like some newspapers telling the world this story without notifying me, so I took it off, the people it was meant for read this months ago. If you wanna see how I’m doing and how much fun there is to be had in this beautiful world, have a look around the site.
love Mirjam
————————————————————————————————————————–

You understand I needed a bit of a break, although I do not want to stop my journey completely. Wilbert is already cycling again and apart from some bruised ribs he’s alright. I arrived at Schiphol airport a week after this happened and will spent some time with my family before heading back next Thursday. It’s a shame this had to happen in Iran, a country with people so friendly and helpful they keep amazing me every day.

But its great being back unexpectedly, all the little things that are so easy over here, walking the streets with short sleeves and enjoying PROPER coffee! No one staring and understanding what people say. Its my grandma’s 80th birthday this weekend so the timing is good. And I took my wheel with me to finally get it sorted out properly, turns out the rim is burst at places so the tension is of the wheel and it never be good again, I’ll take a whole new wheel back with me. And some other clothes. But for now. I’ll take it easy. And thanks for all the good reactions I’ve had so far.
Love
Mirjam

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Posted in Europe, Iran | 42 Comments »

Voor Mama

May 13, 2007

MAM!!!

50
Gefeliciteerd vanuit Peramos, zie… ik heb voor je gezongen (alvast)
kus Mirjam

Its my moms birthday! (the 13th)

Posted in Europe | 5 Comments »

Mountain Madness

May 10, 2007

This whole cycling business is pretty good for my geographic knowledge… There is a few things I should have figured out before I left probably.
Who knew that just about the whole Balkan is full of mountains? I didn’t. I’ve slowed right down, but that isn’t just because of the mountains. I have cycled up and over more of them then all my previous trips together. that’s for sure.
I also found out that ex-Yugoslavia is now 7 different countries. of which I cycled 6; Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia. That just leaves Serbia to be discovered.

I crossed the border into Albania the 1st of May. Wich happened to be a public holiday. So lots of people on the streets all smiling and waving at me and music and dancing… For no particular reason I changed my plan -well maybe ’cause it said 22% on my map just after Tirana - and I went across the north of Albania instead which I’m sure has hills of more than 22%….. but its gorgeous! If you just think away the rubbish that’s seriously everywhere…
Before I got to Albania people told me its a dangerous place and that the roads are bad. Ok, the roads are not brilliant and I do need new breaks… But I have never felt unsafe anywhere, even the night I camped on a mountain in the middle of nowhere with apparently bears and wolves and snakes around (I didn’t see them). All people where very helpful as well.
I did lose one bidon and my front light, but I blame it on the lumpy road.

Only the last-minute I realised I would cross the border into Kosovo and not Macedonia as I first thought… (told you this is good for my geography..)
So I crossed the border, found a nice quiet spot to camp just north of Prizren. Or so I thought. Untill I was about to have dinner and saw 2 little lights coming at me… A tank! At about 10 meter from me. I should have known since Prizren is the headquarter for the United Nation in Kosovo… Apart from that it was a quiet night.

And then it started to rain… again. But still my road was beautiful even in the rain, with snowy tops coming out of the clouds, waterfalls and all shades of green, great place to go hiking apart from the landmines a German soldier warned me for…
I was working my way up another mountain (surprise) when a red car stopped, the man told me I can get a lift to the top wich was still 5km away and was very surprised when I refused. So he told me I should come and have a coffee in the hotel/restaurant on the top where he worked. That I didn’t refuse and when I got there they let me stay in the hotel for free! And Veton rang his friends who live 75km across the border into Macedonia to tell them they’ll have a guest next evening…

On the way I stopped in a small cafe to dry up, a boy came running and gave me a pen, a map of Kosovo and some badges from Uck, the Albanian army… better not to show then to any Serbs, or Macedonians… and when I went to buy some bananas and chocolate in his shop he wouldn’t let me pay.
So I arrived in the small village of Gloggi. Soaking wet since my ‘raincoat’ doesnt stop the rain… There I was welcomed like a good friend by Burhan and Berlinda who live there with their 2year old son. They know Veton ’cause his family stayed with them in the war. I was told a bit about Albanian history and apparently the country is much bigger then the borders on the map, wich explains the trouble in the area. Although I heard a whole different story drinking with Serbian people at lake Ohrid a few days later.

Burham and Berlinda send me on to a friend of them, where again I was welcomed as a friend, and again they send me to another address…
When I arrived at lake Ohrid I put my tent up at Sv. Naum, just before the Albanian border. When I was about to start cooking some people came to tell me it was ok to sleep in the house.. so I came with them and had a lovely meal (the best BBQ!!) and a few pints..

The south of Albania is a world of difference with the north, there seems to be a lot more money, the roads are better and the houses bigger… in the north sometimes the only way you could see people actually live in the half fallen apart houses are the satellite dishes at the windows… The only thing the same where all the little bunkers that are all over the country, and the smiley friendly people.

And then, two days ago I crossed into Greece where just after the border I met Romanie, A french girl who lives and works with a bunch of european volunteers in Sv. Germanos and told me if I could make it there I was welcome to come and stay with them for the night. So I did.

Now, I normally don’t mind truck drivers too much, I find them generally better drivers than bus drivers. But they shouldnt pass me, stop the truck and start wanking in full view while watching me cycling… which is exactly what happened just across the greek border. The feckin’ eejit should’ve known though, that 1km ahead there was a police post. So I got them to go after him and I believe they held him up for a good while… try to explain that to 8 Greek police men who don’t speak english….

So far Greece is lovely as well, very warm and I had a good place to sleep in some ones garden last night where I was only kept awake by dogs barking all night…
So, I’ll keep going.. will let you know the craic when I get to Turkey!!! (how exciting is that!)

-xxx-

ps: 3604km… but who’s counting…

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Posted in Europe | 11 Comments »

What happened next…

April 29, 2007

It’s not that long ago I last wrote, but I just want to let you know what happened next…

In Split I took the ferry to Hvar, a pretty island full of olive trees, cactus and silly little beetles with a death wish. If I was thousands of beetles I’d make sure not to crawl on the road… Anyway.
Lovely Island. The road goes up and gives you great views for about 25km and then back down. I arrived around 4pm and cycled until Zastrazisce where I stopped to ask 3 old men who were enjoying the afternoon sun where I could put my tent. One of them, Petar, got all excited when I told him where I was going. He lived in Australia for 15 years, his two sons are still there. I had to be his guest and stayed in the house he built with his dad in the 50s. I joined him and his wife for dinner and had a great comfortable sleep. As I left he told me I’m like a granddaughter to them, it did feel like that. I’ve got many grandparents.

Back on the mainland I cycled along a road surrounded by fruit trees, and every 10 meters a little fruitstall. I just happen to stop at Marco’s stall, first thing he said; “I give you two apples for free”. Turns out he travels a good bit himself and only two days ago a Japanese men stopped at his stall too, he’s been cycling for 6 years! I must’ve just missed him. But I got the two apples, and some juice, and 4 oranges too.

I planned to cycle to Dubrovnik the same day. But it was a little further then I thought so after I crossed Bosnia Herzegovina, where the border guard where very curious and interested in me and my bike, I met Marina, who’d just been out fishing with her parents. They let me stay in the basement that used to be a restaurant before the war, that was lucky because it just started to rain. All my things dry! They had caught a lot of fish, mussels and oysters out on the sea, which ‘mum’ prepared and we had a great meal together.

Dubrovnik is a good place for a break. My legs and knees were screaming for some rest so I’m staying in a room right in the middle of the old town. Wondering around town I met Colin from Montreal, I’d already seen him hitchhiking on the road earlier that day. He told me it was his 21st birthday so obviously we went for a pint… or 4 or 5…. That Japanese bike-dude had stopped in the same pub too.
Straight back into the backpacker-scene…

I’ve been trying to find a proper map of Albania which seems more difficult than I thought. I’ll be on the road again tomorrow. I’ll be crossing Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia in the next week or so. I wonder what awaits me.

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