August 26th, 2010, one way flight CARPATAIR Milano-Timisoara-Odessa, here starts the adventure!!!



Just one year ago, coming back from my cycle-trip from Le Croisic (Loire Atlantique) to Budapest along the cycling route EuroVelo 6, i.e. along the Loire, the Saone, the Doubs, the Rhine and the Danube, it came-up spontaneous to me to propose a natural extension of the journey itself to reach, one day, the Black Sea.
Initially characterized by a marked geographical approach, the project gradually assumed the awareness of getting ahead with a strong willingness to undertake a trip definitely alternative to the most common tourist patterns and, moreover, in order to see and know a part of Europe often veiled by too general and unfounded prejudices.
So, set aside the doubts, a certain fear and some uncertainties, I’ll fly from Milano to Odessa on the 26th.
Starting from there, south Ukraine, I will first go along the Black Sea shore and then the Danube till Budapest passing through Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia ... and finally Hungary.
I finally gave-up to enter the delta area, too risky to visit it alone, whereas, as far as the man-made dikes along the Ukrainian coastline are concerned, I'll prior try to investigate at the local police station, just to avoid the risk of falling into the sea!
Despite nearly an year of preparation, a deep and thorough consultation of maps, routes and borders crossings, I still do not know exactly what I’m going to experience.
Roughly it should be a 2200-2400 km journey but, very honestly speaking, I have only a vague idea of how long it will take to complete it. It will depend a lot on roads condition, on weather and forced stops.

Hope to be back by the end of September.