Peter Stenhouse’s Cycling Journal
Summer in Europe 2009

I have just put Caroline in a taxi to take her to the Airport, after a night beside the Danube in out tent, after she missed her flight. Effortless kilometers along the River form Bratislava toward Vienna. Long straight path along the ridge of a levee.There is plenty of time to think about my time…

Early morning rise, sourrounded by slugs, in my central park hideaway. Empty streets at 7:00. Florian sees me as I wait for the Leopold museum to open. He is a cyclist too, he has that glint in his eye, and invites me for a coffee at his cafe, and then to stay at his house.…

I leave Florians house on the edge of the city, still tired and with a headache,. Immediately I am climbing hills that over look the river and Vienna. My head pounds with the effort. I rush along the Danube with the wind behind me, thoughst as muddy as its water, I swim in a lake…

I have a headwind that slows me down. But the way along the river is still beautiful. There is a strange throbbing through the frame of my bike. After close inspection I see that after 6700km the rear tyre is almost worn through, and is bulging slightly, that is causing a bump with every rotation.…

I wake up feeling good. I leave early. the family need to drive to Munich, to see thier daughter to a plane that will take her to the states for five weeks. Everyone is excited. I ride of, overnight rain, smoothes the road. I leave the Danube, cutting across its meander, to avoid passing through…

Its a beautiful fine day to wake up next to an alpine lake. Its some of the most incredible cycling, huge steep cliffs drop to pristine waters. I ride fast over the hills, to Salzburg, for a warm welcome by friends, Leo and John, who give me keys to their apartment. And there I put…

I leave Salzburg very well, full of a weeks worth of fine meals, and putting up tired legs. Its been a fine thing to have company. Leo and I plot my return to London, to do some exciting work. I stayed longer than I expected, and longer than the small touristic town of Salzburg justifies,…

The rain has been swept away in the night, and it is not too long, cycling along the river that I run into Jeroun, from Belgium, who by a rare chance, is cycling to Passau like me. a fellow cycle traveller, who has pedaled more Kilometres than I have over the last 4 months, from…

Sat on prague riverbank steps, a boat playing jazz motors past. I want to sleep, but don’t know where to do it. Smokey cheese and pickle, more bread and soup. I am not tired but want to put to rest the thoughts of Caroline, London, and work that have troubled me all day. The conflict…

On saturday I ride out from Prague, still aching a little from my time with Batrider. but it was very good to see them. Sarah, Sam and Steph came and picked me up in Prague. It took no time at all for realations to be perfectly normal (well as normal as can be) and the…

I am in Dresden.  have done the rare thing of paying for a hostel, but feel incredible after a good nights sleep, soft duvet, giant white pillow, and  a huge buffet breakfast that expands my stomach. I poisoned myself the night before  with day old feta, or river water from a drink bottle with a…

Dresden is a cool little town. In the new city cafes, bistros, bars and restraunts abound. Its a cute dozen bohemian blocks that I cycle before stopping to take coffee. And with a short ride I am in the old city, an impressive cluster of huge dark old buildings, ringed by new commerce and shopping…

Stopped about 30km from Berlin. I will make the final advance in the morning.  Fed an wrapped for bed. The smell from my tent tells me I need to pause in this journey, clean and refresh my belongings. I am not quite over my food poisoning of several days ago. When nature calls its more…

I arrive into Berlin at about midday, after a long 30 or 40km or so through its outer suburbs, trying to avoid major roads. I send a few emails , to arrange to pick up keys to the apartment I will be borrowing for the next 13 days. My phone has seized up since being…

Berlin was fantastic. I had almost three weeks there, of settling into a city, that one day I hope to live in. I had company for most of it. My friend Rebecca had just moved to the city and together we explored it. There is a great atmosphere in Berlin, especially at the end of…

As I write this the cars rush past the window of my hackney studio, sloshing the rain in potholes. Grumble of buses slowly moving around the city. I have been back in London for over a month now. And suprsingly its been great. Though getting into work has been tough, as I knew it would…

special thanks to Pepe and Helmut for their repairs, and to all the people I met along the way.