after a hearing recently of a friend’ father popping his clogs at 64, two months after his retirement, the GF and i have been talking.

have both been travelling before (we met in Australia), but we were young and had no commitments, ties, etc…

ironically we haven’t seen much of Europe. but we would like to. we’re now planning on putting “life” on hold in a year or so’s time (once the van is sorted) and buggering off around Europe for a year or two in the van.

where in Europe is truly wild, remote (the woods behind Nationwide in Swindon are already on the list), beautiful etc?

we recently travelled two weeks through East Germany and along it’s eastern borders and were (at times) really impressed with the scenery and remoteness.

where would you go to get away from it all without going to the ends of the Earth?

look forward to your response…

Ariege, french pyrenees

If had this thought too. If you want ‘untouched’ wilderness. You’ll certainly find it in northern Sweden (look how few roads it has on gmaps) check out the Sarek national park although you won’t get a van in coz it was no paths or roads.

had obviously thought of Norway/Sweden, but was thinking somewhere nice and warm… coastal perhaps… somewhere we can mope around for days on end without a plan…

i know parts of the Algarve are pretty deserted.

Montenegro and the surrounding vicinity for warm and sunny ?
Georgia?

The Ukraine, according to Mrs Stoner who’s cycled across much of it, is amazing, but, you know, a bit tricky right now.

Personally as soon as my boys are old enough to be abandoned to the feral wolves I shall pack a bivvy kit bag and walk across france every which way using the GR routes. Its a wonderful country for getting out there but never being too far from civilisation.

Read the Nick Crane book Stoner?
Clear waters rising.
It’s superb.

had never heard of that one, Rusty. SO thanks, I will track it down.

Im assuming youve read: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=134003&v=13

Upstairs somewhere I think!

Let me know if you can’t find CWR – I’ll send it on.

Stoner – Member
had never heard of that one, Rusty. SO thanks, I will track it down.

Im assuming youve read: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=134003&v=13

Top book.

On subject. I don’t know about wild but I think there are many parts of northern Spain that can be remote and you could camp undisturbed for quite a while. Bloke at work is from Romania and he said parts of that are pretty empty too, some real nice mountains by the sound of it.

You can sometimes find some places that are quite “wild” or remote feeling but are not actually that isolated. I live near the new forest which gets heaving but yet can easily walk somewhere and the chances of seeing someone else can be very slim.

Galicia. The hilly eastern part of it anyhow.

I was going to suggest Galicia, too – though more the southern part of it bordering (and including) north Portugal.

Sweden is nice and warm in the summer, well the south is. It’s deserted too. I go riding near my flat and I see more elk than people .It’s just the summer is so short

If you can get a weather window and you haven’t been before then Skye, Knoydart, Torridon and Cairngorm should be on the list.

The last time I was in Galicia, I saw a gentleman tilling his field…with oxen and ploughshare 😯

Properly backward for a “western European” country,

But the beer was nice
Beech & beer, Galiica, 2006ish
[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-URCaK07s9Hk/Tgjns8XIM9I/AAAAAAAAJI4/qmuL5gqHFO8/s400/Pompino%2520Trip%2520060.jpg[/img]

I’d say that Romania is the last true wilderness in Europe. Definitely on my very visit list…