FAQ

How are your legs?
My legs are fantastic! A bit stronger and browner than a month ago but - other than some minor niggles early on and mosquito bites - they're in great shape. On the other hand, I seem to be losing dexterity - my hands are really tight so my ability to use cutlery and type is diminishing.

How's the bike?
It's okay. It's failed twice, both times quite seriously - the first the pannier rack broke, ruining the only available holes on the frame for mountaing a new one and the second issue was that I wore out the rear cassette, making the bike completey uncyclable. Each of these problems resolved itself with only minor delays and not too much expenedture. Rerospectively, the ease with which I got back on the road is moreorless empirical proof for the existence of a guardian angel of cyclists.

Are you sure you're eating enough?
If I do a full day's cycling I'm eating about 5 meals a day with inbetween-meal snacks of whole packets of biscuits. That said, I think I've lost a little weight, though not too much.

What are you eating?
Everything. I now know my way around German and Polish bakeries well enough to write a phd on them.

Where are you sleeping?
Occasionally in a hostel or campsite but for the most part I'm wild camping in forests, in farmer's fields or on the beach. I'm happiest away from civilisation but occasionally the lure of a cold beer or the need to wash my clothes (and I mean need) exerts a certain pull.

Oh yeah - and the ambassador's residence in Berlin. Obviously.

Aren't you lonely?
No. I like my own company (as Dr Leary said when they put him in solitary "Great! I have the undivided attention of the most interesting person I know") and besides I seem to constantly attract people that want to talk to me (even if we don't have a common language).

How far have you cycled?
3004 kms in the month of June.