Strolling again from Skopje’s Turkish bazaar, I crossed the previous stone bridge that separates the previous and new areas of this spectacular Macedonian capital metropolis. And there, on the finish of the well-known stone construction, I noticed a person with a fully-loaded bicycle.
He was writing in his journal and doing his finest to disregard the kid pickpockets operating round him and his bike. He had a full beard, was rail skinny (identical to me), and had clearly completed a protracted day of using. One other touring bicycle owner for certain!
I approached and requested, “Do you converse English?”
“Sure” he replied. And for the subsequent jiffy I talked with this twenty-three-year-old from Canada who was touring on a Dutch passport for 3 months by quite a few European nations.
Barend Dronkers was his identify and he’d be in Skopje for simply two nights earlier than persevering with on to Bulgaria and Turkey.
Every of us having seen not a single different solo touring bicycle owner for the previous few months, we determined to fulfill up the subsequent day and discover town collectively.
After assembly with Barned the subsequent day and seeing the key sights of Skopje, we strolled again to the condominium I had rented within the heart of town and carried out an off-the-cuff interview wherein I requested Barend:
What has it been wish to journey all this time by your self?
What do your dad and mom consider you doing this journey?
What has been your favourite place you’ve got visited up to now?
The place have you ever been sleeping at evening?
What sort of meals have you ever been consuming?
And do you assume you’ll ever go on one other bike journey like this once more?
To listen to what Barend needed to say about his first three-month lengthy solo bike tour by Europe, simply watch the video under.
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