In short, this website is about cycling the North Sea Cycling Route, and of course blogging about the experience. Additionally, every blog has a theme related to an anthropogenic environmental issue.
About the North Sea Cycling Route
The North Sea Cycling Route (NSCR) is one of the European cycling routes, also known as EuroVélo 12. As the name suggests, this cycling route follows goes around the North Sea. Officially it goes through 7 countries: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the UK. The exact length differs depending on your source. It is somewhere around 6000 km.
The route I intend to take starts at Bad Nieuweschans, at the border of the Netherlands and Germany. I will follow the route through Germany and Denmark and intend to cross to Sweden at Frederikshavn. From Gothenburg in Sweden I will completely follow the route into England, continuing cycling up to Bergen in Norway, and then – in absence of a ferry – take the plane to the Shetlands. With the ferry and by bike I will go to the Orkneys and cross to mainland Scotland. Because I have limited time (3 months), I do not yet know where I willl cross from England to either France, Belgium or the Netherlands. Keep following me, and you’ll know at some point!
About the blog themes
The reason to blog was easy. Many people have asked to keep them updated. On top of that, need to take a day off from cycling about once a week. So, that gives me the perfect amount of time to update everyone.
One of the main reasons to add a theme to the blogs is the increasing importance of bringing large anthropogenic problems into a local context. Subjects such as climate change, plastic in the ocean, and species extinctions often seem like a “far-from-my-bed-show”. But the changes are stronger than ever. Being somewhat active within Climate Express and Critical Mass Gent as a photographer only strengthens the feeling that action should be taken now. And to emphasize why action is needed, it makes more sense to show that all these anthropogenic problems are closer to home than you think. Then again, there is always hope. There is such a large community of people who work on making this world a better place, it is worth sharing good initiatives too.
About the name
The name has three different ideas behind it. First, it is because the coastline, which I am roughly following during this route, is literally the edge of sea changing into land. Inspired by the Red Lines action from Climate Express in 2016, it is also a place where global change will have a strong impact. This leads to the second reason: climate change. With the many protest, action and inactions from politicians currently ongoing, we are at the edge of change in how to deal with the climate. Finally, I myself am on the edge of change in my life. After 5 years of working in Ghent, I need to move on to a new job. This trip delays that a little, but my lif will change unavoidably.
About myself
In short, I am Irene Lantman, 29, ecologist, photographer and ready for a new adventure!
Cycling on the edge of change 