Paphos, Cyprus to Guisely, UK (air & train) 22,366 Fit Bit steps but no progress eastward! Guisely is a small town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. When we walked out of the rain with our backpacks into the local tea shop, we knew that the proprietor was asking herself, who are these people and why ...

Thessalonika to Larnaca (Cyprus) – 1133 km (air) &  238,684   Fit Bit steps Our decision to come to Cyprus was an expedient one, but after 17 days here, we were reluctant to leave this fascinating friendly island, with its Byzantine monasteries and Greco-Roman ruins, wonderful wines and haloumi cheese, not to mention long sandy beaches and ...

Sofia to Thessalonika – 310 km (train/bus/train) & 20131 Fit Bit steps It took 4 1/2 hours by train from Sofia to the border. We could see the snow covered mountains that surround the city and watched the sun set over the hills bordering Serbia. At Kulata, we were ushered off the train to a bus, passed ...

Budapest to Sighisoara- 640 km (train)  Sighisoara to Bucharest- 280 km (train) Bucharest to Sofia – 380 km (train) & 63545 Fit Bit Steps On the overnight train that runs from Budapest to Bucharest, we were wakened by shouts and banging on the door of our sleeper compartment by Hungarian border police. A stern-looking female officer spent rather a ...

Vienna to Budapest – 240 km (train). 35175 Fit Bit steps If Venice is the City of Light, and Vienna, the City of Music, Budapest is the City of Baths. The city earned this title in 1934, but its rich spa heritage dates back to prehistoric times. Sitting on more than 120 hot springs, Budapest’s spa culture ...

Venice to Vienna – 580 km (train &  9061 Fit Bit steps)   &  33109 Fit Bit steps Our previous itinerary had us riding through Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina and Albania. Reviewing options now for travelling by bus and train made that route look less desirable. As our present objective is to head to warmer climes in ...

Paul’s reflections on life It is now 6 months since my bike and I were hit by a car in Italy and our cycling the globe trip was so abruptly interrupted. Although I still have bothersome symptoms from the shoulder injury, the neuropathic issues are resolving and I’m feeling more and more myself. Most importantly, I ...

Venice – 27,535 Fit Bit steps We first visited Venice at Easter in 2007 when we took the train from Geneva. It was no less magical the second time, now shrouded in mist and fog. To walk across the bridge over the Grand Canal is to enter another world of waterways, gondolas, narrow alleys, squares and ...

Padua to Dolo – 17 km (on foot, 31,969 Fit Bit steps) Dolo to Venice – 29 km (by bus and  17,995 Fit Bit steps) We needed to walk and the weather looked promising. We intended to follow (in reverse) the Romeo Leona, a path which connects Venice via another route in northern Italy to the Camino ...

Verona to Padua 81 km (train) &  17,368 & 2 days of 34,527 Fit Bit steps Padua was another gem. Even the dark chilly November rain couldn’t keep us inside, although we were grateful to be able to hop the trams to avoid the steady drizzle. Highlights of our visit include: The Eremitani civic museum for a crucifix ...