Razistan

In 2012, after nearly a decade of sweating it out in the kitchen, working as a chef, I decided to take the plunge and follow the call of the open road; hanging up my apron to set out on a mission to walk across Europe, from the UK to Istanbul. Nearly a year later, having walked some 4500 kilometers, I found myself at the edge of the European continent, on the shore of the Bosphorus straits in Istanbul. The 11½ months it had taken me were filled with tired knees, eyes and ears, 3 pairs of boots, 3 sets of trolley wheels, uncountable blisters; smiles, tears and pain; sunburn, windburn and chafing burn; thumbs up, thumbs down, human kindness, warm hearts, cold hands and so many more people than just me. But my little legs  carried me to Istanbul and you can see more about it here: http://www.offexploring.com/nicraz

Along the way I amassed a treasure trove of stories, memories and experiences from the people and places I encountered on my journey. I captured as many of these as possible in my journals, blogs and photos, and occasionally they also featured in newspaper and TV interviews that I stumbled into. I am now in the process of revisiting all of these wonderful mementos as I embark on writing a book about ‘The Walk’.