From Nuremberg (Germany) to Barcelona (Spain) – 1800k or 14 days with flip-flops only

Dear readers, like frequently mentioned on this blog IRONMAN became lifestyle, posing and exaggeration of personality. It is not that those “iron-clowns” are idiots, more it is money-business they follow.

So for many years already I hoped to do something else as a hobby or as a semi-pro. The idea to go cycle to Barcelona with flip-flops has the origin in my fiancées family live there. Flip-Flops are the shoes on the Philippines. So I simply put it together and started with an old trekking-bike bought by my dad in the late of the Eighties.

For the route I used airplane-navigation mode (on sight). So I followed the Franconian lakes to the river of Danube, followed Danube to its source to go South from there until to the river of Rhine. Then I followed the Rhine till Basel, where I swam through the city and had an alcoholfree beer at the Suisse military base there after. From Switzerland I headed the French and not the Swiss Jura. French Jura is farer in kilometers but less in maximum altitudes. Following the river of Ain I by-passed Lyon in the East in order to south again at the river of Rhone, surrounded Montpellier in the North to break through to the French coast at Lespingon. From there I headed the Pyreenes having had the Mistral as a companion.

All the trip the weather was good but subtropical and sometimes tropical heat in degrees of temperature in the Mediteranean. Finally I arrived at Costa Brava for the final kilometers at tourist area, easy pace to Barcelona, where me I myself was welcomed very warmly. Thank you for this this way on here and friends also.

arrival in Barcelona (central)

here, this is the tours data:

M 31^st  of July: 131k / 7:14 hrs

T   1^st  of August: 148k / 7:53 hrs

W  2^nd: 133k / 7:31 hrs

T  3^rd : 137k / 6:51 hrs

F  4^th : 48k / 2:48 hrs (half day off / swam through Basel)

S  5^th : 128k / 7:02 hrs

S  6^th : 134k / 6:55 hrs

half-time at the region of Lyon, sum 1^st week:  859 k

M 7^th : 115k / 5:44 hrs

T  8^th : 61k / 2:55 hrs (half-day off  / struggled with thunderstorm)

W  9^th : 134k / 6:02 hrs

T  10^th: 124k / 6:10 hrs

F  11^th : 150k / 8:02 hrs

S  12^th: 127k / 6:31 hrs

S  13^th: 147k / 7:44 hrs

M 14^th : 81k / 4:04 hrs

sum: 1798k

All the navigation has not been done by any electronical devices. I asked soldiers, policemen, locals, travellers, tourists or let's simply say just people for routing. My map was not that much detailed, so in some areas compass (a compass with a needle made out of iron...) was useful to switch to. The loadings on the bike had been 20 kilogramm. The route was hilly mostly and flat areas had been very seldom. I slept in the open nature, four times at a camping-place. Meals were prepared by a simple cooker, sometimes I joined the good kitchens of Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain. Best kitchen in my humble opinion is the Philippinian...- like I had in Barcelona.

If you are wanted to be given an adivce, well, just do. All you need are three things: food, shelter and fuel… - and beer! 

Now back here in Germany paperwork is waiting to be done and also preparation for the marathon in Frankfurt on the Main late in October. My leg's muscle is ok now, so proper training should work again.