Category: Around Europe
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Day 100: Church of Agios Nikolaosto to Porto Timino
Ok, I’m a bit behind on this blog. If I’m honest it’s been a chore to write and I’ve even thought about stopping. Right now I want to be as free as possible, and my duty to write feels like shackles. But I’m scared I’d regret it and scared to break the chain. I’ll employ…
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Day 99: Arkoudilas Beach to the Church of Agios Nikolaos
The thunderstorm passed and I got a couple of hours precious sleep. From Italy I learnt that a lack of sleep makes my blood sugars really difficult to control, so sleep is now a priority. The sea was wild when I woke and not a person was to be seen. It felt as exotic and…
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Day 98: Igoumentisa to Arkoudilas Beach (Corfu)
So much to tell. I travelled from Portugal to Italy, feeling free but alone, my friends now gone. I went straight to CUS Bari and sorted out my kit. Antonio and Mimmo, two of the most generous men you’ll ever hear of, had booked me a hotel. I questioned whether I’d do the same –…
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End of a chapter – Day 97: Torre Canne to Bari
If you’re new to my blog and are wondering why this is the end of a chapter, here’s a quick explanation: On the 20th of August, I’ll be starting the INSULIN 360 challenge – a 360km mountain bike ride across the Haute Alps region of France with T1D mountaineer Jerry Gore, with the aim of…
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Day 96: Campo di Mare to Torre Canne
The wind blew in, whipping up the sea, and I hung out at the Calidoski beach club all day. The youth of Campo di Mare gathered there too, sitting around tables chatting, playing cards and meeting new people. While I’d prefer a beach free of deck chairs, the beach clubs in Italy do provide a…
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Day 95: Spiaggetta dell’Orte to Campo di Mare
Coming to the end of Italy, my mind has started wandering to the next thing, the journey to Bari just the road to get there. Yet at the same time the knowledge that this will all end has made me hold on to it, and appreciate it more than ever. With a strong headwind forecast…
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Day 94: Santa Maria di Leuca to Spiaggetta dell’Orte
Firstly thank you to Gaetano who has arranged for my boat to be stored in the University of Bari sports complex while I do the insulin 360 challenge. Bari is about 200 kilometers away, so the end of this chapter is fast approaching. I think it’s come at the right time – my diabetes is…
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Day 93: Torre San Giovanni to Santa Maria di Leuca
When I arrived in San Giovanni all I wanted was a shower, safe place for my boat and somewhere nice to sleep. Unsuccessful, I ended up sleeping on a thick bed of rotting seaweed in the harbour. In the morning I woke feeling awful, my mouth parched and vision blurry. No wonder – my sugars…
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Day 91 & 92: Capo Rizzuto to Torre San Giovanni
Me having a wash is such a significant event that Elana marked it by playing God Save the Queen as I walked out of the shower. An enormous breakfast followed, Elana feeding me more and more delicious food. An espresso and cappuccino got me buzzing, and I learnt that it’s against Italian culinary law to…
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Day 90: Squillace Lido to Capo Rizzuto
July 21st – my 23rd birthday today. I’ve always been a bit self-conscious about my birthday, I remember one year being invited to another party on the 21st, and making my family swear they wouldn’t tell anyone it was my birthday. So being alone in a foreign country is a dream come true for me.…