The Croatian Coast by Bicycle Image: Mukti Mitchell
The Joy of Going Slow- England to Greece by Bike
Carbon Savvy’s founder, Mukti Mitchell, sets off by land towards Asia and discovers cycling can be a way of life.
There is an Indian tradition to go on a pilgrimage in your 50th year. I had waited 15 years, while working in eco-businesses, for the time to go to Asia by land. So it was with great elation that I set off down a Dartmoor lane last September, heading east. My plan was to go by train, but at the last minute I decided to cross France by bicycle to get more exercise and thinking space. Six months later, I would see a sign that says “Slowly is the quickest way to get to where you want to be.”
Wild-camping among the heather in France Image: Mukti Mitchell
England was as wet as could be and I arrived drenched but elated with friends along the South Coast. The Portsmouth-Le Havre ferry was smooth and in France wild camping was easy, cycle paths abundant and encouragement thrilling, with continuous calls of “Bon courage!” and “Bonne route!” as I flashed past. It was a great surprise to find snow in the Austrian Alps in late September. The Dolomites were very pretty and a cycling host educated me on the provenance of the best pasta and Parmesan in Italy. I stopped for three weeks in Pula, Croatia to work on my book at the city library. With just 50,000 inhabitants, Pula’s Colosseum matches that of Rome, and on nearby Brijuni Island I saw dinosaur footprints 125 million years old!
In the Austrian Alps Image: Mukti Mitchell
I had fallen in love with cycling – the exercise, mental space and deep immersion in landscapes – so I decided to carry on by bike. By that time snow covered the Balkan mountains so I kept warm by hugging the coast of Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, stopping for a week in the stunning, car-free citadel of Dubrovnik. After falling off my bike I took rest in Montenegro for 10 days, and found myself around the corner from a vegan café with 15 kinds of sugar-free cake!
The Infamous Wall of Kotor in Montenegro – The Venetian Empire’s most expensive fortification Image: Mukti Mitchell
I reached Greece after three months and 2,300 miles of cycling. Old Corfu was exquisite and after a ferry to the mainland I ate sumptuous bread, cheese and olives as I cycled south. In Athens I visited the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and after listening to Stephen Fry’s audiobooks began to appreciate how much Greek myths contributed to the foundations of European culture. I wandered through open markets and saw more nuts, figs and dates than I’d ever seen before, often at the best prices, with almonds at €10 a kilo! It felt like a step towards Asia, with its vibrant streets, independent shops and bustling markets. I sampled a scrumptious fruit smoothie from a street stall and later sipped decaf coffee in the Buena Vista Social Club Bar, bathed in late afternoon sunshine.
The Parthenon in Athens Image: Mukti Mitchell
I could have stayed longer in Greece, but thanks to Brexit I only had 90 days in the EU. Besides which, I was looking forward to Istanbul, where I hoped to be by Christmas. My aim was to stay there until the snow thawed in the Turkish mountains before continuing eastwards by bicycle or train – yet to be decided.
What I was discovering about myself was that slower is better and so is following my heart. Initially the cycling was all about speed, but my mood declined. In contrast, when I gave up dates and destinations, and did less miles, my mood ascended – often into rapture. I seemed uninterested in tourist attractions and enthralled by little back streets, quaint cafes, humble fruit-sellers and the most lived-in parts of town. It was something intangible that seemed to delight me, something I couldn’t name but could find by following a feeling.
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