Category: Europe

  • A note from Francesco on Cycling through Denmark and Germany

    A note from Francesco on Cycling through Denmark and Germany

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    Sometime in early June 2020, Francesco wrote me a message about planning a cycling trip in Europe. He had read some of my blogs on my Berlin – Copenhagen cycle tour and had some additional queries. We were in the COVID lockdown here in India so I was really happy to get some cycling vibes…

  • Abandoned Railway Tracks for Cycling & Hiking: The Vias Verdes of Spain

    Abandoned Railway Tracks for Cycling & Hiking: The Vias Verdes of Spain

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I heard of abandoned railway tracks converted into cycling and hiking routes when I was touring Australia. At the time I was exploring a different route. I then visited Portugal and Spain in winter, 2017. As I researched possible routes, I found out about the rich Vias Verdes network in Spain.

  • Q: Paid Camping is costly, Wild Camping may not be legal. How do I keep my camping costs minimal?

    Q: Paid Camping is costly, Wild Camping may not be legal. How do I keep my camping costs minimal?

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    “I have been thinking / contemplating cycling Europe and looking for any pointers. I came across your travelogue during my search and found out that it can be done.”  Received an email with a bunch of questions from this person looking to cycle tour in Europe. One of the Qs is about camping, Q: Free…

  • The Historic Centre of Córdoba in 28 Pictures

    The Historic Centre of Córdoba in 28 Pictures

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I found my way to Córdoba in Andalucia, Spain because it was a good base for hiking and cycling in the countryside. I earlier wrote about these various nearby trails one can explore. But something needed to be said for the historic centre of Córdoba. This old town area is a UNESCO heritage site and…

  • Griffon Vultures are Awesome! That Crazy Hike in the Subbetica, Andalucia

    Griffon Vultures are Awesome! That Crazy Hike in the Subbetica, Andalucia

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    (I didn’t click this pic, it’s from Pixabay.com :) ) I had that solo hiking situation in Andalucia, Spain where I eventually got lost and had to be rescued. Well, yes, the latter part of it – getting lost, accepting it and then getting rescued –  was totally crazy and I had to write down…

  • Vegetarian Girl in Lisbon

    Vegetarian Girl in Lisbon

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    In general, Lisbon isn’t considered very vegetarian-friendly. This is what the few people who had some idea about it told me. People generally don’t know much about Lisbon because it is not one of the top must-visit cities in Europe. But after spending over 3 weeks here, I wouldn’t really call Lisbon particularly difficult for vegetarian or…

  • Lisbon Oceanarium

    Lisbon Oceanarium

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I came to Lisbon for some work meetups. And everyone in this work team had to vote for one fun group activity. This is how I landed up at the Lisbon Oceanarium :) If you are wondering about the difference between Oceanarium and Aquarium (I was *geek alert*) – any aquarium that provides an ocean habitat for its marine life…

  • 13 Black And White Photos Of European Cities

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I recently have a new found love – Black and White photos! It started with an impromptu black and white Taiwan Street Photography series. And couple of weeks back I started a series on European cities on Instagram. The idea was to create vintage type shots of a common city scene. Not particularly landmarks or…

  • Solo Cycle Touring In Different Corners Of The World

    Solo Cycle Touring In Different Corners Of The World

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , , , , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I prefer slow, immersive travel experiences. In the Summer of 2015, I went on my first trip to Europe, and tried out solo cycle touring. It was amazing and I found it very well suited for my tastes. Since then I have been on more cycling adventures in other countries and within India too. Writing…

  • A Month In Modern Day Germany – How Travel Changed My View

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    When I first started researching Europe for my first solo international trip last year, I looked at many countries France, Spain, Scandinavia…. But Germany wasn’t really a country I considered in particular. Then I zoomed into going on a long distance cycling & camping trip. This brought Germany into my radar. Because it is the best place…

  • Budapest In 15 Snapshots [Photos]

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I have so much to write from my trip to Europe last year. I have just scratched the surface of it. A month and half was a good amount of time to understand their culture to some extent. However, the long distance cycling & camping nature of my trip has also left me quite wordless.…

  • Solo Travel & The Schengen Visa – FAQs, India

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    “You will never get the schengen visa!” That’s what 3 well-recommended travel agents said. And then I managed to get a multi-entry (I had asked for single entry) visa for the number of days I had asked. I applied on my own! And then as usual – I blogged about it :D Since then a lot…

  • Cycling To Stege on a Very Windy Day, Denmark #Berlin2Copenhagen

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    The second ferry of my cycle trip takes place at a quaint Danish town called Stubbekobing to another Danish town called Bogø. This was a very small ferry route. 15 minutes from one island to another. As I reached the other side, I didn’t see much of Bogø because I got off the ferry and…

  • Faxe Ladeplads, Denmark: Coastal Towns #Berlin2Copenhagen

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    After couple of weeks on the road – cycling & camping I found myself getting used to the lifestyle and loving it. Hence, it was a really grievous matter that I had totally only 17 days on the road, which meant just 2-3 more days to go before I head to Copenhagen (either reach it…

  • Fanefjord Church on a Really Windy Day! #Berlin2Copenhagen

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    As I have mentioned earlier in my Berlin to Copenhagen cycle story that from Stubbekobing to Stege was the maddest day in the entire cycling trip! I wanted to cycle 70-80 km that day but managed a very hard 25 km. It was too windy! Later when I checked the weather, I figured the winds had…

  • Travel Switzerland – Walking Trails, Ferry Rides & Quaint Towns

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    I had just finished my first long distance cycling trip. Solo cycling & camping from Berlin to Copenhagen, 550 kms in 17 days. 17 days in the European countryside, a dreamy solitude. I was to now spend a week with my parents in the country they really wanted to visit – Switzerland. Having enjoyed and…

  • Cycling Berlin to Copenhagen Day 1: Leaving the Roost

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    Quite a while and I haven’t written much about my Europe trip. Lot of posts need to be written, a lot of people want to know about my expenses and budget and all that. Today I am more in the mood for prose, so writing about Day 1: Cycling Berlin to Copenhagen…. This was the…

  • Travel Friends: How I made a German friend Conversing via Google translate

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    Leaving Berlin to be on the road solo-cycling was a crazy feeling. The most unusual feeling was of not having a specific accommodation booked for the end of day. I was really thrilled but also curious how this trip would pan out. I cycled away chatting with strangers and getting attention as not only a solo…

  • Cycling Berlin – Copenhagen: Santa is in, Himmelpfort, Germany

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    Ride 3 from Zehdenick to Furstenberg Havel. One of the most scenic routes so far. A little overwhelmed with the beauty and solitude on the road – hunger was a constant companion (because I was keen on an early start so left without eating anything). I pulled in for food at this little town called…

  • The Enigma of the Vegetarian Pizza in Germany & Denmark

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    Vegetarian. Vegetarish. Vegetar. Vegetarian is Vegetarish in German and Vegetar in Danish. I used these words frequently on my Europe trip, along with actions saying ‘No Egg’ too. Because Vegetarish includes Egg, while we Indian vegetarians don’t have egg. Some kindly soul suggested that it would be easy for me to get a vegetarian Pizza. &…

  • Buying Camping & Cycling gear in Berlin, Germany

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    This post can be relevant for anyone who plans to go to a foreign city and buy stuff for the next leg of your travels. I had 12 days. I had to buy camping & cycling gear in Berlin for my long distance trip from Berlin to Copenhagen – 750 km. I had spoken to…

  • the Refugee Space at Keleti Station, Budapest #SyrianRefugees

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    What is happening at Keleti (Background): With the ongoing 4 year civil war and the push from ISIS-islamic terror group from neighbouring Iraq, there is a huge flow of normal people wanting peace in Syria moving towards Europe. They are trying to get a bit of decent life for themselves and their families. Almost 4,000 are…

  • Berlin to Copenhagen: 550 km in 17 days. Solo Cycling & Camping

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    So yes this big trip happened. *Pinches myself to wake up* ;D After planning on paper and speaking to select, relevant people to get insights and tips I was off to make this trip happen. I was concerned that there maybe a gap between all my research and what was needed on ground, but it…

  • Cycling Berlin-Copenhagen – The Almost forgotten Umbracke Concentration Camp Story #Germany

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    This was the most poignant moment in the entire cycle tour. Berlin to Copenhagen. 550 km in 17 days. I was cycling as usual, in one of my initial days. Absorbing the experience, fresh and truly enjoying the solitude. Coasting down a small dirt road through German forest. Green trees on either side and every…

  • Why I am Solo Cycling & Camping on my First Europe Trip

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    by

    Priyanka Dalal
    in , , , ,

    contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience

    A lot of things to write, about this Europe trip which is already underway. I am lazing around at a campsite this Sunday afternoon. My tent is well shaded by surrounding trees so I can spend time in it without getting baked. :) One of the common questions a lot of people have asked is…