Top 5 cycling itineraries of A European Journey

I figured out that you can't be a cool (travel) blogger if you don't write useless lists like "the 27 places you ABSOLUTELY have to visit in your nineties" or "the 13 attractions you can't miss in Portobuffolè". So this is my personal way to enter in the olympus of travel bloggers.
(seriously, the use and abuse of the term "travel blogger" is disturbing)

Here is the top 5 list of the road I enjoyed the most while wandering around Europe with my bicycle:


5) Bayonne - Mimizan, France

Part of Eurovelo 1 (Atlantic Route), this itinerary runs for almost 100 km away from any major road, in the middle for the Landes forest, the biggest maritime-pine forest in Europe. The sounds and the smells that I felt during that ride trasmitted me a sense of peace that I can't describe.

4) Lausanne - Geneva, Switzerland

If I could afford it, I wouldn't mind living in this area of Switzerland. For sure it has to do with wealth, but also with the natural beauty and the very high quality of life that can be perceived at first sight. The cycle itinerary that follows the north shore of Lake Geneva is part of the Rhone Route and is ideal to explore the region.

3) Rotterdam - Delft - Den Haag - Leiden, Netherlands

As far as bicycle culture, no country can be compared to the Netherlands: perfection in every detail. Amsterdam is a world-famous destination with its channels, but charming little cities like Delft and Leiden are perhaps even more special. This itinerary connects four cities in less than 40 km and is the dream of every urban cyclist. Observe, admire and try to import the model back home: the era of the bicycle has already begun.

2) Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

The view from the top of the fortified walls that surround Kotor reminds a Norwegian fjord. Biking around the bay is even better: the buildings of the little towns (Kotor, Perast and others) have a unique style that dates back to the years of the Venetian Republic. The snow that covered Lovćen (1750 m) made up for a great contrast with the sea.

1) Itea - Delphi, Greece

About 15 kilometers uphill, from 0 to 600 m of elevation. Starting from the Gulf of Itea, you begin climbing slowly but steadily on a large road: in the summer it might be too hot and busy with tourist cars and buses, but when I was there at the beginning of November it was simply perfect. On one side the mountain range including Mount Parnassus, on the other side a huge valley covered by olive trees, with the sea at the horizon. After 2 hours of pleasant uphill riding, I reached Delphi and it was the only time in the whole trip in which I was sorry that the ascent was over. The visit at the archeological site and the amazing sunset completed an amazing day.
Sea, mountains, sun, olive trees, history and mythology all at once: hard to ask more than that.

European toponymy* and synecdoches**

* Toponymy: "the study of place names"
** Synecdoche: "a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa [...]"

The following post wants to address an important issue, because, as Chris McCandless said, it is important "to call each thing by its right name". As Mandela said, it is also important not to randomly quote famous people, but that's another issue.

"Bosnia"

Level 1: Bosnia is a geographical region, but it is not a country. Bosnia and Herzegovina IS a country. Herzegovina is also a region. The region of Bosnia and the region of Herzegovina together form (guess what?) Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Level 2: People from Bosnia are called Bosnians. People from Herzegovina are called Herzegovinians. People from Bosnia and Herzegovina are generally called Bosnians, even though if you say "Bosnian" to a person from Mostar you might be corrected to "Herzegovinian".
Level 3: Bosnia and Herzegovina (abbreviation: BiH) is divided into 2 entities, Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (or simply "Federation"). Republika Srpska of course IS NOT the Republic of Serbia (which is the formal name for Serbia, by the way). Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina obviously IS NOT Bosnia and Herzegovina, just one of its two parts.
Level 4: The official capital of Republika Srpska is Sarajevo, but the National Assembly and the Government are based in Banja Luka. The capital of the Federation is also Sarajevo. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is... (drum beats) ...Sarajevo!
Level 5: In Bosnia and Herzegovina there are 3 "ethnic groups", which mostly reflect the religious affiliation of the Bosnians: Bosniaks (= Bosnian Muslims), Croats (Catholic) and Serbs (Orthodox). Republika Srpska has a majority of Serbs, the Federation has a majority of Bosniaks, although some cities (especially in Herzegovina) have a Croat majority.
Level 6: Bosnian Croats are Croats (of course!). Croatians are also Croats. If I understood correctly (it's level 6, guys!), a Croatian is a citizen of Croatia; "Croats", on the other hand, defines the "ethnic group". But in Italian, Croatian and Croat are both translated with "croati"...

"Macedonia"

- The Republic of Macedonia is the formal name of the country that is called Macedonia by most people in the world.
- Macedonia is also a region of Greece. Its biggest city is Thessaloniki.
- Macedonia is also an historical region which includes Macedonia (region of Greece), the Republic of Macedonia, and parts of surrounding countries.
- The Republic of Macedonia IS NOT called Macedonia by the Greek people. Instead, it is called "Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia" (FYROM).

Last but not least, macedonia is the common word used in Italy to indicate the fruit salad...

"Holland"

HOLLANDE IS NOT A COUNTRY! (caps lock required...)
This funny video explains the whole deal:

"England"

Although this blog specifically deals with Europe, this is als... What? Oh yes, "England" is actually a part of Europe, they told me.

"Friuli"

Andate a Trieste e rivolgetevi ad un triestino chiamandolo "furlan". E capirete.