Europe 2.0 Summer 2024

Almost two years have passed since we turned our backs on Steyr and, eventually, Austria and the EU, to ride our bikes into the world in June 2022.

The plan was to push further east. India was the first major destination. Nepal also seemed promising at some point. And then what? From Vietnam, we want to cycle through several countries in Southeast Asia. But the monsoon is approaching. We are not very fond of rain in general and heavy rain in particular. Therefore, the idea arises to spend the summer in Europe.

And so, on a Monday in early June, barely 12 hours pass from leaving a guesthouse in Kathmandu/Nepal to arriving at the airport in Istanbul/Turkey.

It's late afternoon when we unpack the bikes after the flight, assemble them, and pedal westward towards Europe in early summer heat.

The air is clear, the colors of the landscape and the sky are vibrant - a condition that will provide us with many moments of deep breaths and smiles in the coming days and weeks.

After only about 20 km, we spend our first night back in a tent on the edge of a mown field. Our hearts leap with joy when a stray dog eventually joins us to share the night at our campsite.

It's thrilling to immerse ourselves in true vagabonding again after the luxurious travel life in Central Asia, complete with daily showers and washing clothes.

Once a suitable sleeping place is found, the routines quickly return, and the tasks are well divided between the two of us. The daily stages remain approximately the same length (about 75 km on average), but they now span the entire day again, with longer breaks at lunchtime.

As in our first year of travel, we are once again charmed and touched by Turkey as a cycling destination. The landscape is beautiful and diverse. The people are inviting and friendly. The initial distrust of the dogs we encounter quickly dissipates. A welcoming attitude is enough for them to joyfully share their space with us.

The traffic on the roads we choose is sparse, and larger vehicles maintain a good distance from us.

The route takes us on a direct path to the nearest border crossing by the Black Sea. Hill after hill, we ride up and down. After just three days, we show our passes again and roll into Bulgaria.

This country presents itself to us in incredible beauty. The forests shine lush and green. The fields stand out with contrasting shades of yellow against the blue of the sky. The reserved nature of the people we meet feels familiar.

We briefly ride along the coast of the Black Sea. The coastal strip between Zarewo and Burgas is mostly reserved for the rich and