What’s that saying, perhaps coined by Ted Simon?
“Travelling in a car is like watching a road movie, travelling by motorcycle is like starring in one.”
So what’s travelling by bicycle like? Narrating a BBC4 documentary? And what’s travelling by plane like? Perhaps actually watching a road movie, if one happens to feature on the in-flight entertainment playlist.
Whatever it is, hopping around between airports is too goal orientated. There’s no meandering, and to really see a place one must meander. Cycling through a landscape takes you wherever you go, and you stop where you fancy. You don’t just see places near airports that you’re on a specific mission to see – you see random interesting things in far flung places only locals generally know about.
Travelling in a plane isn’t travelling – it’s going on a holiday. Ruskin might have had a point:
“All travel becomes dull in direct proportion to its rapidity.”
But then he did divorce his wife for having a hairy faff, so do we really want to be listening to him?
I genuinely think two wheels is the best way to see the world. Pedalling for for intimacy and experience, twisting throttles for distance and variety.