Voyage

Going to Spain

Maybe I will have time to write something if we are slower on bikes…

Voyage vers le nord de l’Europe

Durant l’automne 2015, j’ai fais un petit tour de vélo dans le nord de l’Europe.

8600 km de vélo, 700 km en train, une quinzaines de traversées en bateau…

France !

Je suis rentré en France !

Je suis arrivé à Sélestat, avec la pleine lune et une fine neige, le 24 novembre à minuit.

Allemagne

November the 8th, I cross the German border.

Campsote near the polish border - Schwedt, Oder — Campsote near the polish border – Schwedt, Oder

German bike routes indication - around Marienwerder — German bike routes indication – around Marienwerder

Hundertwasserhaus - Magdeburg — Hundertwasserhaus – Magdeburg

Magdeburg - Hundertwasserhaus — Magdeburg – Hundertwasserhaus

Creasy wind... Unpossible to bike west, difficult to go south... Kroppenstedt — Creasy wind… Unpossible to bike west, difficult to go south… Kroppenstedt

Flying west - Hohegeiß — Flying west – Hohegeiß

The view from the Harz plateau, on the south direction - Benneckenstein — The view from the Harz plateau, on the south direction – Benneckenstein

Good food for me ! - Witzenhausen — Good food for me ! – Witzenhausen

Usually I cook on my little stove, but under a little and cold rain I made a fire in the wet forest.

Arriving in the Rhein river watershed, 690m s l - Ulrichstein — Arriving in the Rhein river watershed, 690m s l – Ulrichstein

The descent to Schotten, the weather is foggy on this side of the pass

In Francfort , after more than 8000 km, I got my first flat tyre... I repair in the street. — In Francfort , after more than 8000 km, I got my first flat tyre… I repair in the street.

My last bivouac, near Egelsbach. here was a snow fall when I was setting up my tent ! — My last bivouac, near Egelsbach. There was a snow fall when I was setting up my tent !

Winter sun on the Rhein river - Neuburg am Rhein — Winter sun on the Rhein river – Neuburg am Rhein

La travercée de la Pologne

October the 24, I arrive in Poland just before night

Foggy morning - Wiżajny — Foggy morning – Wiżajny

Fog on the hilles - Barcie — Fog on the hilles – Barcie

The sun is just rising - Gołdap — The sun is just rising – Gołdap

The road is less and less hilly - Banie Mazurskie — The road is less and less hilly – Banie Mazurskie

The moon raising up of the Barciany church

frost and fog at the morning - Spytajny. — frost and fog at the morning – Spytajny.

Back to the baltic sea, back to the dunes... - Jantar — Back to the baltic sea, back to the dunes… – Jantar

Without common language, we communicate making drawings on the sand.

Peoples fighting against erosion... is it really the way ? - Ustka — Peoples fighting against erosion… is it really the way ? – Ustka

The cost... (somewhere around Sianożęty) — The cost… (somewhere around Sianożęty)

Kołobrzeg : the "promenade" — Kołobrzeg : the « promenade »

My last time on the polish cost - Mrzeżyno — My last time on the polish cost – Mrzeżyno

Going inland, with the fog... - Trzebusz — Going inland, with the fog… – Trzebusz

My last day in Poland was sunny ! - Kamieniec — My last day in Poland was sunny ! – Kamieniec

Have a look there : more picture of me biking with my Warmshower’s host arount the border betwenn Poland and Germany : http://tandemyogi.bikestats.pl/1402823,Do-Schwedt-z-Valentinem.html

With the winter, the days gets very short. As I mostly sleep in the forest and fields, I don’t write the blog at night… And when I stop during the day, it take on the day time which it already too short… So, there is few text about this part of my trip.

Lettonie

October the 18th, I enter in Latvia, the sun is going down and I camp at a fire place in Ainaži. There is some hoarfrost on the fields at the morning.

I go south along the sandy coastline, crossing pine tree forests. I follow the baltic sea european cycle road, but there no amenagement for cyclists have been done and the road is not so good… There is a big road with quite a lot of trucks, or some pathes more close to the sea. But those passes are quite hazardous, and more designed for mountain biking. Following them, I get to walk my bike on a rocky beach, and to cross sandy forests where my bike stop in the sand…

I arrive in Riga the 13 of October, there I am hosted by a nice young family that I meet through WarmShowers. I spend one and a half day in the city, visiting and giving a hand to local bikers association !

I am on the roud agein and go to the west to goin back the cost in Júrkalne, then I continu – south, along the sandy coastline – in the direction of Lithuania. On the way I visit the city of Liepāja, and I spend some time on wonderful sandy beaches, with nobody with the cold weather.

The picture is not the best, but I have to put the flag of latvia, then you will learn about flags !

Sandy trail - Lilaste — Sandy trail – Lilaste

Local food is good for travelers, smoked fish.

En Estonie

Le 1er Octobre, je prend un Ferry d’Helsenki vers Tallinn, et j’entre en Estonie ! Je passe une journée complète à Tallinn où je visite la ville. C’est la première grosse ville médiévale que je traverce depuis l’Allemagne !

je longe ensuite la côte, directions les iles. Je passe deux jours sur Hiiumaa, dont je fais le tour, puis un rapide passage sur Saaremaa et je reviens sur le continent, et… je longe la côte. Je passe à Pärnu, puis je fille vers la Laittonie, toujours le long de la côte.

L'abbaye ruinée de Padise — L’abbaye ruinée de Padise

Säärenina lõkkekoht - Sääre — Säärenina lõkkekoht – Sääre

Morning cristals...- Kõpu — Morning cristals…- Kõpu

Autoportrait - Kõpu — Autoportrait – Kõpu

The end of the day... - Triigi — The end of the day… – Triigi

Autoportrait - Orissaare — Autoportrait – The pass between Saaremaa and Muhu – Orissaare

The last light of the day, on the juniper trees - Kastna — The last light of the day, on the juniper trees – Kastna

Je me suis acheter une bougie - Kastna — Je me suis acheter une bougie – Kastna

Finlande

September the 16, I arrive in Fliland. I have contacted someone from CoushSurfing in Vaasa. She provided me a great welcome in Finland, talking about the country, basics of the languages, sauna and bath in the see, local beers… I decided to go and visit the Kvarken archipelago 30 km away. Those islands has a particular geography because the uplift caused by the melting of the glacier that was there during the last ice-age is there very quick (8mm / year ). These are formed by the front moraines of the glaciers formed where those ended into the see. This leads to straight lines of elongated islands.

When I arrive on the archipelago, the rain begins to fall. I go to a small open cabinet on the national park, and spend the night there. At the morning the rain is still falling and I can’t see the islands… I decided to spend a rest day here, hoping no rain for tomorrow. And on saturday morning the sun is shining !

Going to Kvarken Archipelago, with the rain.

Making a soupe in a national park cabin, rain is falling outside... — Making a soupe in a national park cabin, rain is falling outside…

At the cabine... — I spend a day at the cabine… just rain outside.

The bog in front of the cabin... at the morning. — The bog in front of the cabin… at the morning.

At the morning, the rain is gone ! — The rain is gone, the sea is blue and it’s windy

After staying on the Kvarken archipelago for two days, I am go east, inland, in the direction on the big lakes of Finland. After 10 days sleeping in the forest, I had 3 rest days with a guy meet through couch-surfing… In the countryside around lahti… Swiming, montain-biking, hiking, tolking…

The Päijänne Lake - Korpilahti — The Päijänne Lake – Korpilahti

Autumn colors - Putkilahti — Autumn colors – Putkilahti

Päijänne - Asikkala — From my camp, Päijänne – Asikkala

The road... - Asikkala — The road… – Asikkala

Pukkila, Finlande. Here it's now that we harvest the oat. — Pukkila, Finlande. Here it’s now that we
harvest the oat.

The winter is coming... I am going south with the gooses. — The winter is coming… I am going south with the gooses.

The cost of Catalogna