Received 30th April

Hi all,

The first month has flown by, 1550 miles and we are into Eastern Europe, I write this from a very warm Budapest where I am taking a couple of days break to rest, wash and repair gear and see the sights of the city.

Lots of stuff has happened since the first miles through Warwick and I thought I'd compile a list of some of the highlights. Some have already been reported and most have associated photos on the site, www.worldonwheels.info

France
- The hospitality of the Joffain Family in Pont Sur Soane
- Visiting Notre Dame Du Haut chapel in Ronchamp, designed by Le Corbusier, it is as fantastic as it's reputation
- The endless rollong hills, tiny villages, farmland and vinyards
- Buying food from a mobile shop in the heart of the countryside
- Adam's early knee strain and decisions about when and where he could start riding again.

Switzerland
- The massive snow capped mountains towering over the valleys
- Chilling out in Lusanne, next to Lake Geneva
- Fantastic cycling along the valleys, an efficient Swiss cycle network, tailwinds too!
- The food in Brig: wine soaked bread covered in melted cheese, with a raw onion and gerkin to top it off
- Going to breakfast in Brig at 7am to find people drinking beer at the bar
- Toiling over the mountain that is the Simplon pass and the 42mph adrenaline rush down the other side

Italy
- Wandering the narrow streets of Stresa and taking the ferry accross Lake Maggiore
- Andy's navigation, Nathans chat and Clares cooking as they joined us for Easter week
- Cycling through Como in rush hour
- Chatting to three other guys who had also cycled from the UK, on a very lightweight trip
- The winding cobbled streets of Bergamo old town
- Beakfast in the Excelsior Hotel in Bergamo, all you can eat, over looking the hilltop town
- The prostitutes touting on the roads into the Brescia
- The peninsular town of Sermione, more cafe's and winding streets
- Sitting in endless cafes drinking tea and taking in the sun
- Chasing mopeds at 30mph + down the hills around Padova
- A day sightseeing in Venice, exploring the alleyways and more sitting in cafes people watching
- Meeting Salvador on Easter Sunday, his suddenly remarkable English and his firm statement that he does not like cheese
- Lovely Ukrainian Victoria in San Fransesco campsite who translated phrases into Russian for me

Slovenia
- Camping on Alexander's site, below the mountains and a parascending paradise. Bivving out under a clear sky
- Ljubljana's grand streets, friendly atmosphere and street cafes
- Spending the evening with Thomas + Collette, talking bikes, travel and stuff (see http://www.tocovel.ch) Collette has a great recumbent bike which looks really comfy.
- Sorting out transit through Colombia in a chance meeting with American Embassy staff
- Quiet back roads through the hills to the North East of Slovenia
- Not knowing the German for nudist camp, and saying no just in time (old and wrinkly for those who need details)
- Adams early departure from the ride. With no schedule or definate goal he has far more time to spend in places, there has been a constant tension with my schedule required to cycle around the world. I hope he can go at his own pace now, good luck and have fun. Adam will be sending reports to the wbsite for the remainder of his travels

Hungery
- Whiskey with Julian early in the first afternoon, my German got us as far as he is a fisherman, in the morning and spends the afternoon at the bar.
- Beers from Michelle + Matt, chatting into the night
- Waking early to see the sun rise over the hills and Lake Balaton.
- the great cycle track around Lake Balaton
- morning rain, the second night next to the lake and the damp ride to Budapest.
- coffee with campsite owner, that rainy morning. I don't drink coffee, so the shock of a bitter expresso had me buzzing till lunch. Could have had something to do with a new top average speed!

The European leg was designed to be brief but I have seen a lot of the countries I cycled through and met some interesting and entertaining folk. 1 month out of 12 to cross the tiny European Union, bring on the Russian and Asian sections!

I certainly feel 'into' the ride now, the daily routine of packing, pedalling, finding somewhere to sleep and cooking is well sorted. I am feeling fit, with a 65 mile day being a lot less effort than a month ago, and really enjoyable. The weather and sceanery have helped, great all round.

The next leg is quite daunting across the Ukraine and into Rusia and Kazakhstan, solo. I always knew I would be doing a lot of the ride solo and I think I am ready for it, been getting some practice, what with Adams knee problem and his early departure from the ride. I will let you know as the madness set in!!

The time table for this leg is actually quite tight, as I am meeting Clare in Kazakhstan for two weeks 'off' relaxing in the Tien Shian mountains. I am aiming to be in Almaty for the middle to end of June, so I'll be notching up the miles. I've spent the last couple of days pouring over maps deciding weather to go through ROmania and catch a boat to Odeasa or to cycle north across the Carpathian mountains. Looks like the northern options the way forward, around the top of Moldova, preliminary plan is to be in Rostov in three weeks. Stay tuned...

Cheers

Matt

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