Archives: November 2008
In Which I Hear A Short History Of Biking In Ukrainian
November 15, 2008 by Mike in Diary
K-9 Route: Odessa - Uzhney - Mikolaiev - Kherson - Armyansk - Krasnoperekopsk, otherwise known as K-9 [Ukrainian readers of a sensitive disposition should kindly note that I am transposing the names from my Ukrainian map (Cyrillic script) to the Latin by myself -- with a wing and a prayer...
In Which I Come Over All Norman Tebbit
November 14, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Odessa It's like being in Roosia. When I venture to say 'Thank you' in Ukrainian, people laugh: this is most disconcerting. I have worked out why. They aren't laughing at my accent when I say Djah-kaw-yow; they're laughing because I'm trying to speak Ukrainian, here in Ukraine's fourth largest city....
In Which I Finally Get An Answer
November 13, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Odessa When I set out on this little jaunt, I had no idea how long it would take (872 days so far) or how far it would be (38,000 miles, give or take, so far.) And I had no idea where I would finish: either the Roosian-Georgian border -- make...
In Which I Get In Steppe
November 11, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Odessa Route: Izmail - Tatarbunary - Bilgorod-Dnistrovskiy - Odessa [Ukrainian readers of a sensitive disposition should kindly note that I am transposing the names from my Ukrainian map (Cyrillic script) to the Latin by myself -- with a wing and a prayer and a tenuous grasp at best of the...
In Which I Get To Tick Off Moldova
November 10, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Izmail Route: Isaccea - Brăila - Galaţi - Giurgiulesti (Romania) - [1.4 miles of Moldova] - Reni (Ukraine) - Orlivka - Izmail I explored Isaccea early this morning before fleeing. There is a memorial to the war of 1916-1919.. just shows how different our perspectives are. As well as 'Romanian'...
In Which I'm Speechless -- But Manage To Write Lots About It
November 9, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Isaccea Route: Constanţa - Mamaia - Istria - Tulcea - Isaccea Checked out. Went to a bank machine to get some more lev out. Card in, tap-tap-tap-tap: YOUR TRANSACTION IS BEING PROCESSED And that's where the screen stayed.. and stayed.. while I scratched my head and wondered.. do I stand...
In Which I Hear Echoes Of The Past
November 8, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Constanţa So.. what of Romania? The land of the Romans. Descendants, I have been told proudly, of retired Roman Legionnaries who retired to the delta of the Danube. I'd like to thank them. I'm back in a land of the Latin alphabet, and more than that, a Latin language. Have...
In Which It All Smells Like 1973
November 7, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Constanţa Varna - Kavarna - Krapets - Durankulak (Bulgaria) - Varma Veche (Romania) - Mangalia - Constanţa I'm racing round the Black Sea because it's bloomin' chilly and it's only going to get colder. That's why I'm already writing from Romania, having spent... [counts on fingers and toes.. only four...
In Which I Whinge About The Whingers
November 6, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Varna Route: Burgas - Nesebar - Sunny Beach - Varna I was sad to say goodbye to my British chums in Burgas. The folks at the London are generous, inclusive and funny. It hasn't all been easy for them, starting a new life in a new country. For what it's...
In Which The Winner Is...
November 5, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Burgas I lounged all day and fetched up at The London in time for this: And very good it was too -- especially the topical 'Bond themes' round. Now then. I'm mentioning this quiz. So.. who do you think won? Despite the cheats who were quoteunquote 'marking' our answers. Who...
In Which I Gate Crash A Soap Opera All Stars Reunion
November 4, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Burgas Route: Tsarevo - Sozopol - Burgas So there I am riding along quite happily, wondering to myself, as y'do, if today will be a quiet enough day for me to have space here to relate the story of When I Was Arrested In Bulgaria For Spying. It takes a...
In Which A Triumph Bonneville Actually Manages To Break The Speed Limit
November 3, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Tsarevo/ Bulgaria Route: Istanbul - Bahçeköy - Arnavutküy - Vize - Dereköy - Malko Turnovo (Bulgaria) - Tsarevo Up the Bosphorus, through Beşiktaş and Bahçeköy, then Kemerburgaz to Göktürk, a series of diversions to Bolluca -- I wouldn't make that up, promise -- and Arnavutküy. Aren't these names great? I...
In Which Raindrops Are Falling On My Head
November 1, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Istanbul Several days in Istanbul. Thousands of thoughts, sensations, images, faces, distractions, smells, smiles, perspectives, glances, windows, paces, flags, reflections, sounds. Thousands of years of history. Millions -- no, make that gazillions -- of raindrops. Heavy, hot, thick, insistent raindrops, all in the space of a single two day period....