Since then we’ve visited twenty two countries together

“I bought this bike in Geneva last year. Since then we’ve visited twenty two countries together. I used to work as a fisherman in Alaska, but my mother got very sick so I came home to take care of her, and unfortunately she died soon after. She had this big house down in Wicklow, and it’s way too big for me, so I decided to sell it. I thought while it’s up for sale that I would go see the world. And that’s what I did.”

“What was the most important lesson you learned travelling on a bike?”

“Well, there are two big ones. First is to be light. I don’t even have a tent and I’m not rich enough to pay for hotels or B&Bs. If you’re on a bike and it’s raining, there’s no way you can dry up in a small tent. The secret is bridges. Forget filthy city bridges, they’re full of rubbish. But out in the country where it’s nice and clean, the wind blows under them and it’s always dry. When I plan my travels I also plan the bridges just like you would plan your hotels. The second trick is to have a cheap bike. My fancy bike got stolen on the third week of my travels and my second fancy bike on the fifth week. A simple bike with a fairly comfortable seat and easily replaceable parts do the job just as fine!”