Slovakia: Crossing from Poland now Buff3y is into the splendid Tatra Mountains for a couple of days and the first proper gradient climbs. The locals are partial to a nice log cabin in these parts.

So many beautiful bicycle trails in northern and eastern Europe punctuated by these magnificent bike/pedestrian bridges.

These AI mock ups from Krakow are really convincing! The bike even looks like my ultimate touring weapon. Amazing! A road winding back into the Karakoram Mountains of northern Pakistan with the sun bursts through illuminating the ‘NUA Terra’ titanium Pinion 12-speed ultimate touring weapon, sitting poised to surge into the unknown ‘great beyond’. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Must get one.

This one was a cracker. Not sure why these little bridges amuse me, but there it is…

Slovakia/Austria Border crossing: High farce. Yes, on arrival at the Slovakia-Austria border, and learning that the small ferry boat was not operating that day, I thought I’d be so clever and just wade across into Austria. Unbeknown to your long-suffering correspondent at this video juncture, I had stupidly just soaked my laptop by leaving it in one of the pannier bags, thereby killing it. Brilliant.

Relaxing in Vienna, The Brooks saddle has snapped its tensioning screw along the way and had to be replaced in Vienna with an Italian foam jobbie.

Vienna back streets: Not entirely sure why Mozart (or is it Beethoven?) has inserted (or had inserted) an oboe into his back-passage but there, indeed, it is. Or is it a recorder?! Such profound questions. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Road snacks: So many times this has been the cycling food of choice. All essential food-groups represented here. Coffee, Coke, chocolate and bananas, with magnesium tablet at the end of the day to stave off a repetition of the cramps from hell I suffered in Austria one night.

Vienna: My favourite hotel of the trip. The magnificent ‘Hotel Am Brillantengrund‘. Just wonderful central courtyard and bike friendly.

Love this hotel. Easily my favourite of the trip. Always am drawn to these enclosed courtyard hotels with multiple balconies, but this one has a funky vibe and great food as well as a bonus. I, obviously being so funky myself, fully appreciate such places.

Ljubljana, Slovenia: This is a fitting backdrop for photographs of a touring bike. Such a wonderful riverside setting for hundreds of cafes and restaurants.

Caught up with a mate who happened to be travelling through Ljubljana for a few quiet ales along the river. Greetings James! Not 100 percent sure where he’s from. Must ask him.

Slovenia is getting a tad out of control with the gradients. Gets up to 18% at one point which is a bit silly. Little surprise that only the likes of Buff3y (and Pogs) are able to take on these gradients and live to tell the tale. I must admit that this is the first time that I’ve ever seen a sign with ‘18% Gradient’ written on it. What can you do? Undeterred I chug up the inclines at a snail’s pace and roll on down the other side, and repeat.

Never far from a pizza or a kebab on this ride through eastern Europe.

Crossing into Italy, only 20km from the end of the trip. Just time enough for a gratuitous shot of my bicycle; the human/machine bond having been achieved by this stage of the travel. The NUA Terra Titanium Pinion 12-speed bike now becomes my touring bike, possibly my forever bike!, such has been the pleasure of riding this beast the 5,000km to this point. I never sell bikes that I have shared the trials and tribulations of the long road on, so my lounge room at home looks a bit odd, as it is full of the things.

Man standing in front of his bicycle pointing at border crossing sign. Brings a lump to the throat.

Slip-sliding away (Paul Simon). Only 10km to go! Always feels so odd to be reaching the end of the road on any trip. Sad that its over but bliss to be atop the final huge plunge into the city of Trieste that sits on the northern-most coast of the Adriatic Sea. A perfect wheel-dip destination.

Wheel Dipping Ceremony: Upon arrival in Trieste it is time for the time honoured wheel dipping ceremony, the pay off for having made it from sea to sea without propulsion other than the leg pumping power that is Buff3y. Happily, I find a couple of passing tourists to snap me while I’m precariously sliding across some slimy steps at the city wharf.

Trieste, Italy: Addressing the heatwave issue in Trieste with lashings of ice cream. Managed to miss about four of the heatwaves that crossed Europe in the summer of 2026, but in southern Slovenia and Italy the heat finally got me.

Andre at ‘Fun Active Bicycle Tours’ in Trieste goes above and beyond in sending a car off some 30km to find me a cardboard bike box. Bicycle people are truly some of the kindest and most helpful people on the planet. So a huge shout out goes to Andre. You are a champion!

It is always a bit sad to see the bike semi-dismantled and packed up. The NUA TERRA has been the object of such admiration, joy, care and love and carried me for the last three months so so comfortably. Now all that touring power is packed up and confined to a cardboard box. [Happily I can report that Qantas managed to not crush it on the return flight to Australia].