A European Adventure

I've being doing a bit of research and sketched out a bit of a rough plan for a potential route self-supported ride from Seville, Spain to St Petersburg, Russia, and whilst I haven't necessarily committed myself to it, it is a concept I am very much considering doing. 

I mean I haven't done anything in the way of identifying specific tourist sites or what have you, other than perhaps some of the iconic one's that I already had in mind to (re)visit "one day" anyhow.... 

I've examined what's achievable on a day to day basis, from a cycling perspective, for the the first couple of months or so, which will come to about 5,500 kilometres of riding and 50,000 metres of climbing, but I haven't checked out exists as far as what's available in the way of camping sites or hotels or what have you, on the route between Gibraltar and Berlin.

That'd be way too detailed for my way of traveling.

I mean my intention, if I do undertake this journey, is to do so at a leisurely pace, stopping to enjoy the sites and scenery along the way. Riding faster & further when the mood takes me, yet also having the freedom to also stop for a few days if the atmosphere or vibe of a location strikes a chord.

So what does the route I've plotted so far look like, I hear you ask, well.....

Gibraltar to Pamplona via Lisbon & Porto

Pamplona to Monaco via Toulouse, Avignon & Mont Ventoux 

Monaco to Berlin, via Milan, Passo dello Stelvio, & Innsbruck

Whilst I'm not sure what the logistics of flying into Gibraltar with a bike are, it's ultimately where I'd like to start my journey, rather than Seville, which is just up the road but which I do also know has the facilities to handle people arriving with bike boxes, etc. 

Obviously I am just going to have to do a bit of research. If not in a worst case scenario, I'll "commute" from Seville down to Gibraltar before starting my ride "for real"! Now, why the obsession with Gibraltar, I hear you ask, well:

• It's a "country" that I've not visited previously;
• It's somewhere that should be an easier spot to get over my jet lag, than Seville. I mean it is a fairly long flight from the Australian East Coast to Europe and if I can spend the first couple of days recuperating & getting myself organised before having to adapt to a foreign language the easier it makes things!

Once I do "hit the road" as it were, I am anticipating / planning on riding an average of about 75KM a day for the first month or so....In speaking with a couple of good colleagues Brian & Deb Bennett, who are very keen touring cyclists, it would seem that 100 - 125KM per day is also quite achievable, though that does depend of course on the terrain and the amount of gear being carried, etc.

Ultimately my aim would be to just take it one day at a time. I mean, it's not like I have to be anywhere by a specific date (except maybe St Petersburg for the return flight home to Australia), nor do I have to fit with anyone else's schedule or requirements.....

I'll update the rest of the route details / profile, in due course, though I already have in mind where I'm aiming to go, what the route looks like and so on. I just haven't "plotted" it out, yet!