Have you ever had a moment? For me, it’s an otherworldly feeling and happens only rarely when a sight so transcends my normal, I can’t help but gaze with awe and wonder. Well, I had one of those in the Sahara Desert!

Salam Alekum, welcome back to Morocco! Come mes amis, delve deep into the alleyways of spice-scented souks, loose yourselves in the star-studded Sahara skies and experience the share-worthy wonders of this exotic kingdom with me….   

Morocco, a kaleidoscope of colours, cultures and mind-twisting contrasts! This North African country lies across the Strait of Gibraltar, only thirteen kilometers from the southern coast of Spain, but trust me - it’s a world away.

It’s the Spain of everyone’s dreams: groves of shimmering olive trees; the scent of bougainvillea; the swish of fiery flamenco dresses; ancient mosques next to Moorish palaces; and white-washed villages perched atop distant craggy hills. Andalucía…

I beg to differ. Italy’s answer to the Alps was certainly high enough for our group of twelve friends.

For one week we trudged kilometers up ever-ascending trails full of twists and whip-lash turns…

"Gidday, mates. How ya’ going? Straight up, we’re knackered! Just cycled the Coast, sweet as! Beaut of a ride…took nine days. We almost got buggered by Cyclone Gita... 

Remote and rugged, magical Milford knocked our hiking socks off. I understand now why it is one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks, routinely touted as “the finest walk in the world” and has UNESCO World Heritage status.

Meadows, mountains, glaciers, geysers, fiords, forests, volcanos and 15,000 km of stunning coastline. Beauty is served up raw in New Zealand. No part of this country is more than 128 km from the sea.

Wave upon continuous wave of troops stormed the coast of France at the crack of dawn on June 6th, 1944, a day known in history as D-Day (or Jour J to the French). They braved everything from heavy seas, machine gun fire, mines and grenades, to clamber ashore and fight their way inland. . .

Simply stated, coastal Norway is stunning. There is something mystical - even spiritual - about the fjords as they plunge deep into the interior through mountain walls towering close to two-kilometres above the sea . . . 

Pedalling through the petals, an experience much like tip-toeing through the tulips but on big-ass bikes weighing at least forty pounds. An umbrella and a basket of blooms out front and voilà, we would have passed for a peloton of Mary Poppins!

When he proclaimed, “Cheese – milk’s leap toward immortality,” American writer and media personality, Clifton Fadiman must have been referring to France’s iconic Roquefort. Cholesterol, salt and fat be damned...

The Gorges du Verdon is France’s answer to the Grand Canyon! Like a giant saw, the rushing blue-green waters of the Verdon River have cut and carved a jagged limestone gash in the Provençal landscape. The largest canyon in Europe, it’s vast. . .

“Carpe diem"....Latin words to live by! Usually translated as “Seize the day”, the Roman poet, Horace, exhibited the gift of insight when he penned that phrase. It just happens to be carved in the cornerstone of the rock manor-house we are renting... 

In our continuing quest to experience as much of France as possible in our year “Away, eh!”, we’ve moved! We’re now living in the village of Vaison la Romaine, about 140 kilometers north of coastal Marseille. It’s perfectly Provençal and in Côtes du Rhône Country, a region famous for its namesake wines.

Entering through the north gate, the watch tower thrusts defiantly upward, daring dark forces to attack. The first images I see are the primitive Templar castle and the solid, square bell tower of the adjacent church...

Big bonjours, festive greetings and a joyeux Noël from Pézenas, our heavenly home away-from-home for the next three months. Oui, “heavenly”! Compliments of a house exchange, we are living in a convent constructed in 1679.

“Nous voudrions une bouteille du Château Virant Rosé, s'il vous plaît …” We were dining in a wonderful little bistro in the medieval heart of Aix-en-Provence in Southern France and I had assumed the responsibility of ordering our wine.

I love France! The French inject passion into every aspect of life. The phrase, “joie de vie”, may well be a cliché, but it perfectly expresses French exuberance for family, friends and lively conversation, fine food, wickedly wonderful wine (ahhh, the wine)...

It’s October. A chill is creeping into the autumn air and scarlet leaves the colour of blood blow from skeletal trees in a final, desperate flight - beautiful, but dead! How’s that for setting the tone for this post?

Aaah, Budapest! The Grande Dame of Central Europe, Pearl of the Danube and blissful end of our 1,100 km cycling odyssey from Warsaw - through Poland, Slovakia and into Hungary...

We made it! All sixteen of us on Dave’s Best Quality South India Bicycle Adventure - from the Bay of Bengal to Fort Kochin on the Arabian Sea!

First, about the people. Not once during the entire trip did I feel threatened or at risk...

Warmest of greetings from the middle of Southern India...

And I do mean warm! We have been cycling in temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees at close to 100% humidity. I didn't realize my body could produce that much sweat. And this is winter in India!