The Story So Far...
Friday 28 October 2011
Milan to Singapore: Loving the window seat
I'm loving the window seat on my Milan to Singapore leg of the
journey. The flight was full except for the seat between me and Mr
Grumpy aisle man, so I even got lay down and rest my head.... read more.
Thursday 27 October 2011
Enforced boozing at Singapore Airport
Leaving Milan I picked up a lovely Limincello gift set for the
bride and groom and was told I would have no trouble transferring
at Singapore airport. It was in a sealed duty-free bag but... read more.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Milano: Reenacting 'The Last Supper' with Italian football fans
I went to the 442 Sports Bar in Milano, Italy, armed with Boxerchips and the challenge to re-enact
Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last supper' painting. The locals all got
into the spirit of it.... read more.
Wednesday 19 October 2011
FC Barcelona & Dirty Dancing: If you can’t beat em, join em!
Number of people at the FC Barcelona game:
101,038
Number of people ahead of us in line when hotdogs ran
out: 4
Average age of dance party attendees: 19
Number of taxis it took to get... read more.
Saturday 15 October 2011
From France to Spain and from Weeping to Wooping
Distance cycled: 92km
Number of times I fell off my bike: 1
Times I wooped on the downhill: 11
Times I weeped on the uphill: 14
From the moment I opened my eyes and saw the sunrise f... read more.
Friday 14 October 2011
Perpignan to Argeles Sur Mer: Six steps to sleep in a sandcastle
This decision was a little whackier than the normal
destination polls I post, this time y'all voted I build a
sandcastle on the beach and sleep in it for the night. So here's my
6 step tutori... read more.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Bordeaux to Gindou: This goes with that
Cycling on my own for nine weeks in four different countries
I've witnessed many things but just lately I've come to appreciate
the power of good teamwork. This weekend I took a break at Le
P... read more.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Narbonne: Meet the ugly dude I met in Narbonne with no legs and a tail
Here in France they call the Monkfish a 'Lotte'. I think that
means it got hit with the ugly stick a helluva lotte. I also quite
like fish expert Alan Davidson's description. He tosses thi... read more.
Sunday 09 October 2011
In bed with Indiana June: 5 nights, 5 beds.
A few people have been curious lately about where I sleep and
what I eat on this pick-a-path adventure so I thought I'd give a
run down of the past five days for a glimpse into my varied sleep... read more.
Saturday 08 October 2011
5 things I never thought I'd see at a chestnut fair in France
Cycling through France in Autumn you see a lot of falling fruit
and rustling leaves but every now and then you see something truly
surprising. Like the small village of Saint-Caprais who celeb... read more.
Wednesday 05 October 2011
The French: Rude, insular or just different?
The French have a reputation for being rude and zealously
protective of their beautiful language, often refusing to speak
English to tourists even if they're able. (I had th... read more.
Saturday 01 October 2011
Saumur: The town that celebrates fungus
I share this story as a late comer to the Mushroom Appreciation
Club. As a kid I used to pick them off pizzas and turn my nose up
when I saw my family eating them on toast. But since trying a
... read more.
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Chinon to Les Mortiers: A night in Poppas Cottage
Distance cycled: 115km
Number of snakes spotted: 1
Number of water bottles consumed: 6
Average temperature: 26 degrees
Highlight: Sunset in Chinon (see photo here.)
Lowlight: Find... read more.
Sunday 25 September 2011
Paris Catacombs: 12 million eye sockets looking back at me!
Distance cycled: 5km (On Velib bikes with
Jodie, Dave and Roz.)
Number of chills up my spine: 26
Number of metro journeys: 3
Number of spiral steps down to Catacombs:
130
Highlight... read more.
Saturday 24 September 2011
London to Paris: Who ate all the pies?
For more photos of Paris click here.
Distance cycled: 8km (My bike is in the
basement of the hostel so I hired a Paris Velib bicycle.)
Meat pies eaten: 2
New dance styles learned: Char... read more.
Friday 23 September 2011
Eurostar to Paris: Apparently I'm a camping terrorist
Distance cycled: It's hard to cycle when the
Eurostar forget to load your bicycle onto the train.
Number of boys wearing only jocks in my hostel
room: 3
Number of bags I had to carry up ... read more.
Thursday 22 September 2011
Tunnock's Biscuit Appreciation Tour: Uddingston
I skipped dinner on Tuesday night because I had a special date
with a Scottish legend - the Tunnock's biscuit Factory in
Uddingston, a few miles out of Glasgow. I was preparing my
tastebuds... read more.
Friday 16 September 2011
A gastronomic journey with the letter W
The problem with moving around so much is that I forget things.
Sometimes I forget what town I'm in, sometimes I forget where I
parked the bike and occassionally I forget what day of the week ... read more.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Stranraer to Ayrshire: Getting to know my G-Daddy, Robert Burns
Distance cycled: 82km
Cost of the new Robert Burns birthplace museum:
£21 million
Distance a miniature book of Burns verse travelled into
space: 5.7 million miles
Number of ales sampl... read more.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Stranraer: The Pooch Palace
The ferry from Belfast to Stranraer was pretty inexpensive,
speedy and if you're a dog a palace comes as standard.
read more.
Monday 12 September 2011
Belfast: Ducks in a row
Distance cycled: 10km
Mugs of lemsip consumed: 4
Times I heard my back crack: 3
Number of minutes I owned two bicycles: 23
Highlight: Calling into McCoveny Cycles and a young mechani... read more.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Indy's top 5 tips to beat a head wind
When you're facing a gusting head wind on a bicycle it can
be a demoralising invisible force like cycling with the hand brake
on. When I left Cushendall, Ireland this morning I had an easy 40k... read more.
Friday 09 September 2011
Derry to the Jungle: Zorbing the hills of Moneymore
I could have been pigeon shooting, or studying the gentle art of
archery but nooooo, you guys insisted and voted that I go zorbing.
So the lads and ladies at The
Jungle in Moneymore spent an ... read more.
Friday 09 September 2011
Portrush to Cushendall: Dangling by a rope
Distance cycled: 64km
Times I had to use the 'granny' gear up a hill:
6
Number of people allowed on the bridge at a
time: 8
Number of Amercians who annoyed me today: 4
Dubbed as th... read more.
Thursday 08 September 2011
Buncrana a no-go
Distance cycled: 50km
I was all set to cycle up to Rathmullan to get the ferry to Buncrana, I'd
checked the sailing times on the internet and then just before I
left I bumped into a couple ... read more.
Monday 05 September 2011
Glenties to Crolly: There's music in the water
Distance cycled: 51km
Number of Enya 'A day without rain' albums sold: 15 million
Number of roadworkers I had to talk my way past: 5
Lowlight: The skies opening 20 min before I reached the camp... read more.
Saturday 03 September 2011
Strandhill to Bundoran: Blogging is like peeing in the ocean
To see more photos of surfing in Sligo click here.
Distance cycled: 0km (Got lift to Bundoran last
minute due to big surf in Strandhill.)
Highlight: Finding out that standing for 10
seco... read more.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Clonbur to Westport: Keeping a close eye on things
Distance cycled: 57km
Number of touring cyclists I passed: 9
Number of scones eaten: 3
Number of old women who congratulated me: 7
Highlight: Cuddling a sheepdog puppy
Lowlight: Realising I h... read more.
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Mount Gable and a Friary: Flying solo
To see more photos click here.
Due to the nature of this trip I have to tell my story on a daily basis and the one thing that most people can't believe is that I'm doing it on my own. Solo travel... read more.
Saturday 27 August 2011
Galway to Clonbur: If the walls could talk
Distance cycled: 51km
Number of times I saw a wall being kicked: 32
Pieces of peanut butter toast consumed: 4
Time I've been called 'June' in the last 24 hours: 5
Total length of stone walls ... read more.
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Listowel-Lehinch-Doolin-Inisheer-Moycullen: What to wear?
Distance cycled: 156km (split over a few days)
Number of babies born on Inisheer in 2010: 9
Number of ballerinas busking in Galway: 12
Lowlight: Losing my camera and not realising I had left i... read more.
Sunday 21 August 2011
Listowel: Been there, got the t-shirt!
The Irish have the best of intentions. In fact, I'd say the average Irish man and woman has moon-walking, marathon-winning, heart-surgery performing abilities if he or she doesn't stop for 'one' p... read more.
Saturday 20 August 2011
Tralee: Pouring the perfect pint
I arrived in Tralee for the penultimate event of the year, not The Rose of Tralee but the Pouring of the Perfect Pint by Indiana June.
Guinness is an Irish Stout beer that has been brewed at St J... read more.
Wednesday 17 August 2011
Dingle to Castlegregory: Life-saving kindness
Distance cycled: 47km (Over Conor Pass!)
Height of Conor Pass: 1300ft
Number of photos I took of Fungi that ended up just being water: 17
Price of a pint of Guinness in 1960: 8 pence
Price of ... read more.
Monday 15 August 2011
Skellig Michael
Distance cycled: 6km
Number of days it took me to get to Skelligs: 4
Percentage of people sick on my boat: 18%
Lowlight: Overhearing a tourist say 'Oh, it's just more of the same.' When he saw ... read more.
Sunday 14 August 2011
Cahersiveen & Church Island: Surfing in all weather
Distance covered: 0km
Number of ancient forts visited: 2
Fresh shrimp consumed (10 min out of water): 7
Times I won LUDO: 1
Times I swore I hated LUDO: 5
-----------------------------------... read more.
Saturday 13 August 2011
Glenbeigh: Feet up with a cuppa
Distance covered: 20 metres (to the local café)
Number of people sleeping in my room: 4
Consecutive days my shoes have been wet: 3
Cups of tea consumed: 6
Number of raindrops that fell: 198875... read more.
Saturday 13 August 2011
Ballinskelligs: Basking in the creative light
Distance covered: 32km
Rainbows spotted: 2
Times I was 'found' playing hide and seek:
4
Number of artists that have had residence in
Ballinskelligs: 750
Spoonfuls of powdered pota... read more.
Friday 12 August 2011
Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen: Not the island I was expecting
Distance covered: 54km
Number of people I saw paddling wheelie bins: 4
Bugs in my tent at this exact moment: 14 (that I can see)
Number of gannets on Little Skellig Island each summer: 52,000
... read more.
Thursday 11 August 2011
Abbeyfeale to Killorglin: Pucking hard work!
Distance covered: 59km
Hours the plastic bags on my shoes kept the rain out: 3
Number of people on stilts: 2
Number of times I was called an Australian: 4
Lowlight: Coming face-to-face with th... read more.
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Granagh to Abbeyfeale: This little piggy went to a piggery
Distance covered: 46km
Births witnessed: 1
Jelly snakes consumed: 8
Highlight: Bonding with bacon
Lowlight: The realisation that a cycle tan is from the knee to the mid thigh. Sexy!
---------... read more.
Tuesday 09 August 2011
Birr to Granagh: Miles and miles of smiles
Distance covered: 110km (My legs are no longer speaking to me.)
Number of waves I received from tractor-driving farmers: 7
Number of toes that resemble small pickles: 10
-----------------------... read more.
Monday 08 August 2011
Newbridge to Birr: Tractors, pigeons & vintage attire
Distance travelled: 85km
Road kill counter: 12 (8 birds, 1 hedgehog, 1 mouse, 2 unidentified.)
Highlight: Riding on a restored 1948 tractor.
Lowlight: Learning the hard way that I have to uncli... read more.
Sunday 07 August 2011
Dublin to Newbridge
Distance covered: 45km
Bugs swallowed: 2
Hours of torrential rain: 3
Highlight: Being called a little duckling and a sweetheart in one day
Lowlight: Missing the cycle lane and chasing Roz acro... read more.
Saturday 06 August 2011
Support Crew Party
I'm pleased to report that Indiana June and her support crew
have almost recovered from the launch party last night - thanks to
lashings of eggs benedict, gallons of ginger ale and a few deep
... read more.
Friday 05 August 2011
LAUNCH PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT - WHERE WILL I GO?
It's 5.21pm and only 39 minutes until the Indiana June Support
Crew party kicks off at the Bernard Shaw pub. Weirdly, for the
first time in recent history - I have nothing to do.
After 5 mo... read more.
Friday 05 August 2011
IJFFAQs: Indiana June's fairly frequently asked questions
How did you come to be cycling the globe at the mercy of
the general public?
I was living and working in Dublin, Ireland as a copywriter in an
advertising agency and while I loved my job I h... read more.
Saturday 23 July 2011
What's the Rush
It's only two weeks nowuntil I start pedalling away from
Dublin so it seemed like a good idea to do a touch of cyclocamping
practice this weekend. In true Indiana Fashion, I googled 'camping
... read more.