Mileage: 2503km!! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to our little corner of the Internet.  We have made it to the end of Japan! We're a little sore, but no worse for wear. I gained a couple more bruises (no surprise there)  but we aren't meant to make it to the finish line in perfect condition.  … Continue reading Lessons learned

"If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes, or at least eat their food, is a plus for everybody. Open your mind. Get up off … Continue reading On the Subject of Mountains, Tunnels, and High Speed Trains

When we last left you, Moe the cow and Tweak the woolly mammoth - our good luck travel companions - were enjoying some sun out on the deck of the ferry.  Steve has been keeping Tweak in the bottom of one of his panniers, while Moe normally rides up front on my bike.  After spending … Continue reading Debauchery of Mammoth proportions

"A guy came to Fight Club for the first time, his ass was a wad of cookie dough. After a few weeks, he was carved out of wood." - Fight Club (1999)   "No dress rehearsal. This is our life." - The Tragically Hip (Ahead by a Century)   Distance cycled: 1124 km Number of … Continue reading Hokkaido Business

Most interactions start out the same: Where are you from and where are you going? Once those two questions have been answered, it's completely unpredictable what will come out next. Sometimes it's a comment on the weather, or maybe they'll tell us what part of Japan they're from (if they're travelling), but with one feller … Continue reading Taking Care of Business

Greetings, my excellent friends. It's a been a while. Well...don't just stand there. Come on in. Pull up a chair. If you're sitting comfortably, then I'll begin. Last time we spoke was in 2019. I had just quit my job and was riding my bike around Norway. Fast-forward a bit to 2024, and Rachel and … Continue reading Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

17 July SAS flight 4546: Oslo to Alta. I'm in a window seat. A young feller takes the middle. He's maybe 13 years old. We take off. The kid pulls out a sketch pad and a pencil. He opens his phone to a photo of a Japanese boy and starts drawing a portrait. He starts … Continue reading Random Journal Notes: Never Get Off The Bus

Total Distance Pedaled: 1045 km 1 Aug 2019: I'm seated in a café in front of a large window, looking out onto a compact town square. Soft jazz plays on the speakers. A quintet: bass, keys, drums, trumpet and sax. I don't know jazz well enough to recognize the piece or the players. The coffee … Continue reading Island Hoppin’

What you mean, "Walk the Earth"? You know, like Caine in Kung Fu. Walk from place to place, meet people, get into adventures. - Pulp Fiction You may find yourself, in another part of the world. And you may ask yourself: How Did I Get Here? - Talking Heads (Once in a Lifetime) Total Distance … Continue reading Where am I again?

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike" - John F. Kennedy "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling" - James E. Starrs Greetings! Welcome back to our tidy little corner of the World Wide Web of the Internet. Well, friends...this is it...The End.  Fall is almost upon us and it won't be long before … Continue reading Moving at the Speed of Life