Day 90 – Final day in Europe – Sth America’s calling

Day 90 – Milan – That’s it – Off to South America

It was a pleasant 18 degrees today. It’s been strange seeing so much weather change in the last month. Cycling south has brought a little warmer weather since The Netherlands but it has changed daily after having one nice week in France. From 27 in some parts of France (strange for October) to snowing and then Milan had rain yesterday but today was 18 and beautiful.

I spent today walking and walking and walking. I just wanted to walk around Milan as much as possible and take it all in. I walked through the fashion central and had a few coffees at various places. The cafe’s here are amazing. They all look appealing and attractive with lots of old stuff in there and great coffee machines. Every coffee today was a………MAYZIIINNNGGGG – i’ll miss that.

I made sure to walk the outskirts too because that’s where the ‘everyone else’ people shop he he. Beautiful streets, old roads, cheap food (compared to Australia hah!) and culture coming out of everywhere – really nice to walk around today.

Although I didn’t want to take an advance out on my bank loan to purchase some shoes or clothes, it was nice pretending to blend in although I think i’d need a small dog, a really thin cigar, scarf, brushed hair and slicked back, no beard, a shower, and a masarati to do so.

Australia will always be my home I know that but there are so many nice places in Europe to visit, see and do. So much variety as soon as you cross each border and so much to learn. I don’t think I would live here because I feel spoiled and lucky being an Australian Citizen (although Aus food and house prices compared to Aus salaries can bite me) but I sure will be back with some great ideas on where to go next that’s for sure. I must say this trip has taught me a lot of things. A few main things come to mind. It has brought about more of an awareness on how everyone in the countries I visited work, live and play compare to Australia and that helps me appreciate what I have at home more. The other is more confidence in the fact that the hardest thing is having to just put your first foot forward in anything. I surpassed many mental barriers on this journey so far and I think I have a higher threshold of tolerance, patience and confidence – don’t know how high it actually is but it’s higher or more improved should I say. To not to worry about the ‘what if’s’ or naysayers and just do it if you want to do it – I have confidence in the fact that I wanted to do this, did my research and went out there and did it. Whether it be it a big hill, unsure of certain countries or people, unsure of directions, frustration in transport and accommodation, where to sleep, how am I going to cycle 4500km’s around 11 countries – I learned to trust my own initiative and creativity when the time arose. Mistakes or not it doesn’t matter – it’s all learning. You know when reading this back to myself, it sounds common sense doesn’t it – living it every day is a different story – I improved on that no doubt.

I am not sure when my next post will be as i’ll be in transit for a while and then in peru just chilling out until my ince trail hike begins which I think I will leave my laptop in the safe and just post notes on my iphone for my return so it might be a while … **hears tumble weeds** don’t all sigh at once geeez.

Night all. See you in the Andes.