On the ferry from Ancona to Zadar we were asking ourselves when a trip starts for real (we still do not know, I guess). We were also thinking that it is almost impossible for us, now, to realize what we just started. So far, it’s just nice cycling in Croatia. But thinking about the long term, there are a few things we need to get used to and we need to adjust: mechanical and electronic details, the timing (like: how much time it takes to wake up, put our things and the tent away, cook some breakfast and get ready to go), managing spaces (not just the tent, but also in which pannier we put what)…

There are a few things that are sure, anyway: you always ride more than you’ve planned (so plan shorter days!), when you think a climb is over, there is always another stretch that you didn’t expect, the usb charger connected to the dynamo hub needs flat and downhills to have enough power to keep my smartphone in charge…

People stop to talk to us when they see our bikes, they ask us where we are going. To Mongolia, we say (ma va’ là!), but we just started. It’s nice how a fully charged bike can create connections easily. We do enjoy it a lot, meeting people is one of the most important thing we are looking for on this trip.