Palermo
“Here in Sicily, with it’s dreadful poverty, real life is never far from anyone’s mind. The mafia has been the only successful business in Sicily for centuries (running the business of protecting citizens from itself, and it still keeps its hand down everybody’s pants). Palermo – a city Goethe once claimed possessed an impossible to […]
Separate but Equal
Elysse Saugstad recently referred to the FWT’s decision to remove women from this years competition as ‘seperate but equal’. I inititally pulled back from this feminist referance, but after several hours of contemplation, I think she has hit the nail right on the head. It is no secret to my fellow competitors that I am […]
Rant: European Showers
People rave about the food in Europe. The cheese, the cold cuts, the sauces, wine, beer, dessert, gelato, mountains, beaches, and everything in between. However, absolutely no one raves about the showers. It’s not just because the water isn’t temperate, the water pressure pour of the minimal space of elbow room when trying to scrub […]
It’s All Fun and Games Until Somebody Starts Crying
“You’re riding your bike?! You mean, like, push bikes?” “Em, yes, push bikes. I am actually going to pedal” “Across Tirol? What are you, mad?” “I hope not, I didn’t think it would be that difficult.” If difficult is spending five weeks in different Tirolian hotel rooms with your mother, than yes, this trip was […]
Caffeine and Nicotine
Forget your wheaties, your protein shake or your glass of OJ; six cups of coffee and one Monte Cristo Cuban cigar and you’re there. Well, Jim’s there. I’m not quite sure I’d thrive on the same breakfast. Our signature ‘fat kid on a bicycle’ was the first to the top of the Grimsel Pass , […]
Photos!
Some of the latest pictures from the trip. The first big pass we climbed was the Timmelsjoch pass . As we descended for two hours into Merano, Italy, storm was brewing behind us. From Merano we took the train Zernech (it was pouring rain and snowing over the passes), spent a night soaking and in […]
Chicken Dance
It’s after dinner on a school night. The bar is still filled with apre skiers, donning boots and ski pants hours after the lift has shut. Their pilsners and salavtors resting casually as they laugh about the day on the slope. The accordion tunes blaring through the speakers above the fire place as my dad […]
Garmisch
After our adventures in the medieval town of Fussen, bicycling nuns and wine picnics on trains, the roads took us to Garmisch Partenkirchen. Garmisch has long been a place of tales, from parents and friends alike. Tales of snowstorms, apres adventures, and cycle tours, tales that have always intrigued me.
Copenhagen for an hour
Between London and Lilisand, we had a few hours to explore Copenhagen. Of course, our five hour layover turned into one hour of exploring. Here’s a short clip of what we saw. Untitled from Pip Hunt on Vimeo.