Episode 2: Spa, Belgium | Cycling from Amsterdam to Nice

When meditating, I realized that the same ideas kept visiting me—circling like clouds. And somehow, out of that quiet repetition came a spark:
What if I cycled to Nice?

So I took my bike, gave it a few upgrades, and mapped out the journey. Cycling from Amsterdam to Nice through Alps, towards lake Como, to Portofino, Monaco and finally to Nice.

I’ll be sharing this trip—for future me, for past me, and for anyone who feels like watching along. Especially if you’re curious whether I’ll actually make it—I’ve never cycled more than a normal daily commute.

I was just kidding. I’ll take you as well. When you see one of this, you need to stop. Let me show you what this distribution uh machine for honey. Some sweet water. Nice strawberries. €84 for two juice. That’s a good refill for us. Some other fruits. Ah, lovely. Amazing. Stay here. It only accepts cash. 5, 10, or 20. I didn’t bring cash. Yeah. What shall we do? Let’s go get someone. I found this place where I can have a vending machines for food. Apple juice. Look at the strawberries. Wow. I was getting unexpected things that were going wrong. I wasn’t ready. I was stressing. Day one, I’m better prepared and I’m getting this kind of nice surprises. So one day is low, the other day is high. You accept what comes your way. Imagine all vending machines especially in schools will have this kind of products. Yeah. I follow you. So chance, do you see us? Do you see us? Do you see us? I don’t know. I don’t know. But there is an o overtake and we overtook the tractor. I’m midway uh to spa. One thing is clear, elevations are hard. I have no idea how I’m going to cycle that passage in Alps, which is 2,000 m elevation, 7%. At this moment, my I don’t think I’m going to make it. I think that will be very hard at this moment to make it, but maybe my skills grow while I get there because I still have 10 days to get there. This challenge as well with elevations. Get some info about the biggest the biggest one. The big challenge with hills and going over the mountains is not so much going uphill rather than downhill. When going downhill with these two paneers at my back, I’m gaining speed so fast. Total the the weight of the bike, me and the penurs is 120 kilo. And downhill like in no second I’m going already 40 50 km per hour. That’s scary. Bit of wobble and that can that can be fatal. That’s uh something that I also learned today that I need I need to be cautious. Don’t overdo it. Just stay calm. Go 40 marks. That’s it. That’s enough. And enjoy the scene. End of the day. Go uphill. Look at that. What a field. Amazing. Amazing. It’s worth it. Let’s go. Say hi guys. Hey. Hey. Hi. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you. 25 km per day. You are you are you’re cycling 75 a day. So yeah. And you are walking 25. So it’s also challenging. Nothing. So Good good luck to all of us. Yeah. Yeah. On trail. Yeah. So, have a good uh journey. Journey. Thank you. Thanks a lot. I mean, what was the what was the name of the city? Put I inh colors. I need to climb that. There’s museum the stairs. Easy for you. What am I doing? Look at this. I thought about going to a spa, but we’ll get that bedroom. I’m going to have my spot today. I’m in spa. I made it. I started 10:00 in the morning and uh entered spa at 5:00 p.m. 7 hours on the road. Actually, the real cycling time was only 3 hours 50 minutes. So, the rest was standing, having rest, having food, um mooing on the cows. M what’s up looking how horses were chewing grass enjoying the greenery. So yeah 3 hours of enjoying 3 and hours and 50 minutes of suffering. The learning of the day don’t ever chip out on bicycle glasses. Never. And to generalize, never cheap out on the things that are important on a long run and are important for your security and safety. These glasses Amazon uh are from Amazon. I don’t know which brand. They don’t even have a brand. And they only cover the upper part, but they leave a gap here. And this gap is enough for the wind, pollen, bees, small whatever animals and small flying stuff and it is to go into my eyes and that in 7hour ride makes a difference. This I haven’t chipped out. This is a great helmet and uh I hope it will never be necessary in an action but this is a good one. Yeah, day was great. enjoyed it a lot. Now I’m in spa. Spa is the original spa where the spice coming from. Uh there is a some natural water coming underground with full of iron. I’m going to check it out. Also spice known for formula 1 track for the formula 1 fence and my room is all in that mood and also people outside are in Formula 1 mood. So it’s a beautiful city. Let’s go check it out and have a dinner. This is the spa spa that I was talking. It’s like drinking mineral water from an old rusty pipe. You don’t want that. And I have a bit of iron deficiency. And there is a figolore going to the top of the hill. And I heard that there is another water source there. Uh I’m going to check it out. Having a 360 camera is great here. Majestic building and there’s some great people that have had breakfast here before me. lefto shopopen and some others. This is how much the Belgian baffle should be. Look at this. I’m I’m having a proper breakfast before the ride to Luxenberg city. The learning of yesterday was there is no way I can explain to you or I would be explain able to explain to me what it means to have 2% 3% 4% 7% elevation uphill I would say like 2% is nothing 3% I can do it but today I know how exactly it feels to have 3% elevation how how long my body can endure 7% And that’s just a feeling that I cannot put into words. You need to feel that burn in your muscles. You need to feel how it is to struggle midway and also don’t know whether you are going to make to the end and you don’t know what what then if you go back middle of nowhere what is then your next action. That’s a it’s an interesting feeling to have. And now I’m having a nice breakfast in a nice location. Just treating myself before the next ride. Just check out the building. I’ll leave it on for a few seconds for you to see the building. Wow. So beautiful. God for you.