We're not sure there are many active travellers more well-travelled than Pat and Jo Black. Together they have been on 24 trips with UTracks...and have already booked in another 4 for next year. 

 

Read on to discover why Pat and Jo love being in the great outdoors of Europe and prepare to be inspired to get out there and explore.

 

 

We live in Alice Springs, in outback Australia, and enjoy many outdoor activities, including hiking and cycling. 

 

Self-guided active travel fits us perfectly and we embrace opportunities to see countries up close. We have visited a lot of the big European cities and they are fun, but after a couple of days of the crowds, the traffic and the constant noise, the peace and tranquillity of the countryside really appeals to us.

We have done a couple of walking tours which have been fun, but the faster and more flexible travel by bike is what we like best.

 

 

I had been reading a UTracks brochure prior to heading to Scandinavia in 2015 and we thought we would try one of the bike trips to see if we liked it. We picked the Sweden: Land of Lakes and Castles tour and were instantly hooked. The freedom to cycle at your own pace, stopping where you like, following maps, and exploring little country villages that you would never normally go to was just magic.

Since that first trip we have done another 23 tours, and have plans for another 4 in 2024.

 

 

We generally have 6 weeks, including travel time, as our time away from home. We prefer to spend minimal time in the big cities, so that gives us about 4 – 5 weeks that we can allocate to the tours. 

 

 

I then try to link the tours together so that they run one after another, generally travelling in the same direction so the in between travel days are kept to a minimum. This means that we have in the past signed up for tours that we were only moderately keen on as they made the logistics work better, but they generally turn out to be some of our favourites. 

 

You never really know what you are going to get and that’s the beauty of this type of travel.

 

 

Living in Alice Springs, we have some of the best mountain bike and walking trails in Australia, including the spectacular 223 km (138 mile) Larapinta Trail, so it’s easy to keep fit and active in our normal day to day activities. Leading up to our trips we may do a bit of extra riding, but make sure we keep up our regular gym sessions.

 

We have never used electric bikes so we choose rides that are graded 4* or less so that we know we can ride them without over-taxing ourselves.
 

My two favourite rides were the first 2 stages of the Via Francigena, from St Bernards Pass, through the Aosta Valley to Siena, as the scenery was just fabulous.

 

The Ancient Venetian Empire cycle tour was another great ride through 3 distinct countries of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. 

 

 

 

The Cycle the Western Front was also really special. The Sir John Monash Centre was a highlight to get a feel for what our Australian soldiers suffered and did in WWI.

 

There is nothing better, particularly after a warm day and a refreshing shower, than to sit at an outdoor café with a beer (big for me), a glass of white wine for my wife Jo, and some salty chips. The world is then in balance!

 

 

 

Berceto is a tiny stone village located just before the Cisa Pass at 1,040 meters, a pass in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. We rode from the lovely town of Parma towards the start of the climb up to Berceto on this section of the Via Francigena.

 

 

About half way up it started to rain and by the time we got to the top we were absolutely drowned. The lady at our accommodation demanded that we come in even though we were dripping everywhere. She took all our wet clothes, washed and dried them, dried our shoes and directed us to the adjoining bar while she did it all. 

 

She then cooked us a fabulous meal at her restaurant even though we were the only people there.

The next day we got to see Berceto as the rain had cleared and it was just a beautiful little village completely made of old stone buildings – very special.
 

 

Do as many trips and tours as you can AND – never stop!!!  

 

 

 

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>> View all cycling holidays in Europe

 

 

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