Europe Avoided

[Percy]

Hi all

Just a quick note to say I've finished, for those of you who were perhaps following my progress through Europe.

Eight and a half months I was away in the end, through 17 countries, about 7500 miles, give or take. Here's the full list...

England
France (three times in total - West coast, South Coast, North East corner)
Spain (twice - two complete crossingsl)
Portugal
Andorra
Monaco (Ahem - it is technically a country!)
Italy
Greece
Bulgaria
Serbia
Romania
Hungary
Slovakia
Austria
Germany
Luxembourg
Belgium

Final blogging here: www.avoidingeurope.blogspot.com

Photo exhibition and some related writings now in the pipeline. I won't bore you all with random ramblings but am happy to talk about certain areas or places or whatever, if anyone wants to know stuff.

Cheers

Percy

 

[Cathryn]

Sounds absolutely brilliant - I'm going to pour another glass of a particularly nice red on a spectacular offer from Asda and work my way through it!! Congratulations on finishing...you should be dead proud of yourself.

 

[Dayvo]

Excellent, Percy. Good on ya!
I look forward to a more thorough reading as and when.
It's a great inspiration to us; hopefully some/most of us can/will realise our dreams and plans.
Good luck re-adjusting to a normal life; that's the hard part!

 

[Brock]

Welcome back Percy, well ridden sir!

 

[John Ponting]

Percy

Well done and welcome back safely.

I have followed your tale since I discovered it and have found it a "right rivetting read".

What are you planning next?

 

[Percy]

Percy

Well done and welcome back safely.

I have followed your tale since I discovered it and have found it a "right rivetting read".

What are you planning next?

Thanks John, and Cathryn, Dayvo and Brock.

I just realised I didn't put Turkey in my list, making it 18 in total! Forgetting it already!

Anyway, to answer your question John, I am fortunate enough to have a bit of money still put by (amazingly) so am taking a couple of months off to get the aforementioned photography project organised (not a conventional 'nice photos from touring' affair, but more based on a certain concept. Sounds confusing put like that but it will, hopefully, be good and attractive to a gallery). I am also going to write a book - something I had in mind before I went but I didn't set out thinking 'I'm going to write a book about this trip - I didn't know what would happen - it might not have been worth writing. I do think there is something worth writing out of it though. I'm not sure it will be a traditional 'travel book'. I've even considered a fictional slant based on the trip - some of the people I met, stories I heard etc etc. I'm still not really sure what I've learnt from it or how I feel about it all - it's not really sunk in yet. I guess I'll find out when I start filling up that first blank Word document!

I just realised you may have been talking about bike trips, and not really been after a long explanation of my literary aspirations! Well, you got it anyway.

Bike trips - not sure yet. Not even sure if I'd do another big bike trip, but I would look for some challenge in any travelling I do. I think that's what makes it exciting for me. I've done some canoeing expeditioins before. Dunno, yet. I've always fancied Canada and Japan though, so maybe I will get back on the bike for them.

 

[HJ]

Yep, welcome home...

 

[Brock]

Never mind the number of countries you traversed.. What I want to know is how many pints of guinness did you find in them?

 

[John Ponting]

No, not specifically asking about further trips, much more general. A book sees a good idea - hope you don't get block, it will give my grandsons something to buy me as a present sometime in 2008.

 

[Percy]

Never mind the number of countries you traversed.. What I want to know is how many pints of guinness did you find in them?

Ha ha! Yes, the good old 'G-Force'!!

I couldn't begin to put a figure on it Brock. Got a fair few of them bought for me though, which was a bonus. And it took me to some strange places where I met some weird and wonderful people.

I'm considering calling my book 'In Search of the Black Stuff'.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Serious respect from me mate! Bloody well done!

 

[mikeitup]

re:

Well done, Percy.

What an accomplishment.
Makes my planned attempt at the Hadrians Wall route next year look totally pants.

again, well done.

RESPECT

 

[will]

wow congratulations

 

[just jim]

Respect, sir! Welcome back.