Invitation to travel. Sunset over Istanbul, Turkey, between Europe and Asia. Seagulls fly over the Bosphorus in front of a golden sky.

Travel diary

Perhaps it is no coincidence that I chose to start this page with a view of the Bosphorus. Indeed, when I think about traveling, it is always to the east that my thoughts wander. I feel an almost magnetic attraction towards the east.
The Bosphorus represents the final geographical barrier on the journey to the east, the last rampart before setting foot on the Asian continent. After crossing Europe and its multitude of cultures, Asia imposes a new dimension on travel. Crossing the Bosphorus is taking a step towards immensity, it is the promise of wide open spaces, from the mountains of Anatolia to the steppes of Mongolia, it is an invitation to adventure and freedom.

Adventures without bike

Travel diary in Burma - Silhouette of a fake ethnic fisherman on Inle Lake in Burma. The man is balancing on one leg on his boat, he is holding a traditional fishing net basket in this region. Shooting through a net.

Myanmar (2019)

Travel in Yangoon and Central Myanmar, Inle lake and Shan state.
The opportunity to shoot the short film “La Doyenne du Monde”

Grand Bazaar of Tabriz, artisans repairing traditional carpets, Western Azerbaijan, Iran

Myanmar (2019)

Travel to Iranian Kurdistan, western Azerbaijan and the north of the country,
from the Caspian coast to Badab-e-surt and Alamut in Elbrus.

2015-2016: 500 days of cycling

2015 : Europe by bike

Bivouac in the mountains in Slovakia, Recumbent cycling adventure in Eastern Europe, AZUB recumbent bikes and Exped Venus 2 tent in the Mala Fatra

Central Europe by bike (2015)

Heading east, from the forests of Bohemia to the rolling landscapes of Moravia,
from the High Tatras of Slovakia to the borders of the Hungarian Puszta!

Travel diaries in Eastern Europe - Portrait of a Gypsy violinist in Rosia Montana in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania. The man wears a traditional hat and plays the violin. With his eyes closed, he seems carried away by the music.

Eastern Europe by bike (2015)

The Romanian countryside delights the eyes as much as the heart. We happily let ourselves  dive in this chaotic and deliciously spontaneous vibe.

2015-2016 : Middle-East by bike

Exped Venus II tent illuminated at night on a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, bivouac under a star-studded sky near Fethiye, Turkey

Turkey: from the Aegean Sea to Lycia in Autumn (2015)

A gentle descent towards the sun to the southwest of Anatolia,
from Marmara via the Aegean coast to the Mediterranean shores of Lycia.

Silhouette of two AZUB recumbent bikes at sunset, Azub 6 and Azub Tricon, cycling trip in Iran, Adventure and bivouac on the edge of the desert

Iran: from North to South, along the Desert (2015)​

From the Dasht desert to the Persian Gulf, a human epic in a country where generosity is matched only by the diversity of landscapes.

Arid landscape of southern Iran, rock formations in a semi-desert environment on the island of Qeshm, Persian Gulf

Hormuz & Qeshm: Iranian Islands by bike (2016)

The Persian Gulf is home to two  hidden gems: Hormuz Island and Qeshm Island
where pink flamingos go alongside with geological wonders.

Paradise-like landscape typical of the Omani mountains, mosque and palm trees in Wadi Alhoqain, Hajar Mountains, Sultanate of Oman

U.A. Emirates and Sultanate of Oman by bike (2016)​

In the north of the Arabian Peninsula, we move from the materialistic madness of Dubai to the insane slopes of the Hajar Mountains, the Omani alpine belt.

2016 - Southeast Asia by Bike

Portrait of a woman from the Karen ethnic group met in the mountains in Thailand. She wears traditional clothing and jewelry and smokes a large pipe. She looks at the camera.

Thailand: Chao Phraya and Mekong by bike (2016)​

From Bangkok to Mae Sot via Ayutthaya and Sukothai, the ancient capitals,
our route runs along the Chao Phraya, the river of kings, then the Mekong.

Portrait of a young girl from southern Myanmar, Magnificent modest and mischievous smile of a girl wearing a traditional Asian hat

Myanmar: the rural south by bike (2016)

Getaway to the heart of rural southern Myanmar, a deluge of smiles, from the cave pagodas of Hpa An to the fishing villages of the Bay of Bengal.

Portrait of a young girl holding her little brother in her arms in the mountains of northern Laos, cycling trip in Asia

Laos: Cycling in the Northern Mountains (2016)

Crossing the North of the country via Vang Vieng, Kasi, Luang Prabang,
to Muang Khgua on the Vietnamese border.

Travel diary to Vietnam - The boy and the bird - Portrait of a boy who stares at a baby bird he is holding on his hand, in Northern Vietnam

Vietnam : Meeting the Ethnics of the North (2016)

In the northern mountains, meeting the Hmong and Dzao ethnic groups,
from Diên Bien Phu to Lai Châu, then from Sapa to Bac Ha, to Hanoi.

2011-2013 : A cycling adventure eastwards

2011 : Tours et détours en Europe de l'est

Rastibonne at night, a stone bridge crossing the Elbe in front of the Gothic cathedral of Regensburg, Germany. The reflection of the bridge and the cathedral is visible in the Elbe.

1 - Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic (2011)

Leaving Franche-Comté, I follow the Rhine to Bavaria, then I cross Bohemia towards Brno, in southern Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic.

Liberté et sieste au soleil au bord du chemin pendant un voyage à vélo en Europe, Vélo de voyage chargé dans la Puszta, Hongrie, Pejan Photographie

2 - Moravia, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland (2011)​

A 2000 km loop in Central Europe, from Brno to Budapest, from Puszta
Hungarian to the High Tatras of Slovakia, then in southern Poland.

An old blue Skoda car and a wooden Orthodox chapel in the mountains of western Serbia, at Mokra Gora, near the Bosnian border.

3 - Moravia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina (2011)​

Back in Brno, I cycle with Mart’a towards the Balkans. After a brief crossing of Hungary, I reach Vojvodina then the Serbian mountains and Bosnia.

Abandoned bus in the Albanian mountains, the bus is rusty and full of hay.

4 - Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania (2011)​

Green valleys and deep gorges, the landscapes of the Balkans are a pure delight in Montenegro, Kosovo and the splendid Albanian mountains.

Church of St. John of Kaneo overlooking Lake Ohrid in the heart of the mountains on the border between Macedonia, Greece and Albania, Balkan Landscape

5 - Macedonia and Greece (2011)​

After some tough moments in the Korab massif, Macedonia and Greece
offer a little respite in postcard-like landscapes.

Silhouette of the minarets and mosques of Istanbul during the sunset, the contours of a seagull flying in an orange sky

6 - Istanbul and Western Turkey (2011)

Istanbul, cosmopolitan jewel of the Orient at the gates of Europe.
Here is the beginning of another world, Asia and the poetry of the Middle East.

Portrait of a Romanian woman, inhabitant of the Carpathians in Transylvania (near the Transfagarasan road). She wears the traditional scarf and smiles while looking at the camera

7 - Bulgaria and Romania (2011)

Back in Europe, I go from Bulgarian grayness to incredible spontaneity in the Romanian countryside where traditions seem to have spanned the centuries.

Pine forest in the mist in winter in the north of the Czech Republic, the ground is covered with snow and the whiteness of the mist envelops in cold.

8 - A winter in Moravia (2011)

As winter approaches, I continue my journey to Brno, in South Moravia.
I will stay there until the next summer for another departure eastwards.

2012: On the road towards the Caucasus​

Mountain landscape in southern Poland, view of the Tatras massif. On the other side of the mountains is Slovakia, Central Europe.

9 - Czechia, Slovakia, Poland (2012)​)

From the bucolic landscapes of the High Tatras to the tranquil valleys
of the Polish Lower Carpathians.

Mountain landscape in Romania, Bivouac near the Ceahlău massif, cycling adventure in Romania, Eastern Europe

10 - Romania, Moldova, Transnistria (2012)

A crossing of northern Romania (Maramureș and Moldova), then a few days in the Moldavian Republic and the obscure Leninist republic of Transnistria.

Rural scene, Geese cross a road in single file in a village in the Ukrainian Carpathians, Eastern Europe

11 - Ukraine: from the Carpathians to the Black Sea (2012)

From Lviv to Truskavets, then through the Ukrainian Carpathians,
the El Dorado for lovers of the rural east!

Portrait of a Georgian man with a jovial smile, joy and simplicity in the Georgian countryside, Caucasus

12 - Georgia: from Svaneti to Tbilisi (2012)

Crossing the Greater Caucasus Mountains is among my most beautiful moments of cycling travel. Huge crush on this oh-so-fascinating little country!

2013: From the Middle East to Central Asia

Desolate landscape of Kakheti near the monastic complex of David Garedja, on the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia

13 - Georgia: South Kakheti (2013)

After winter, a short detour via the semi-desert plains of southern Kakheti,
just enough time to get bitten by a dog before reaching Armenia.

Mount Ararat seen from Armenia, near the Khor Virap monastery, south of Yerevan

14 - Armenia: spring in the Little Caucasus (2013)

A north-south crossing in a defeated country but with beautiful landscapes
compensated well for the harshness of certain encounters.

Photograph of Naqsh-e Jahan Square at night, reflection of the illuminated mosque in a fountain in the square, Symmetry, Meidan-e Emam, Isfahan, Iran

15 - Iran: Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Lorestan (2013)​

From Tabriz to Esfahan, then from Yazd to Mashhad, between tradition and modernity, Iran enchanted me with its grandiose landscapes and limitless generosity.

Truck on a dusty road in Turkmenistan in Central Asia, the atmosphere seems covered in dust - A cycling trip across Asia

16 - Turkmenistan: Crossing of the desert (2013)

Five days is the duration of my visa to travel the 500 kilometers that separate me from the Uzbek border… On the agenda: dizzying heat and mosquitoes!

Recumbent bike trip in Central Asia, Cycle tourism in Uzbekistan, Cycling adventure on the borders of the Himalayas

17 - Uzbekistan: Bukhara and Samarkand (2013)​

At the crossroads of worlds, Uzbekistan is an emblematic country of the Silk Roads, the mere mention of Bukhara or Samarkand is an invitation to travel.

Crossing Tajikistan by bike - On the Pamirs Highway which runs along the Panj river, a tributary of the Amu-Darya on the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan

18 - Tajikistan: Dushanbe to the Wakhan Corridor (2013)

Walk to the confines of the Himalayas, on the chaotic tracks of the Pamir Highway,
a colossal nature of breathtaking beauty…

Mountain landscape in the Pamirs in Central Asia, Descent of the Ak-Baïtal pass, Adventure in Tajikistan by bike, Travel in Central Asia

19 - Tajikistan: the wilderness of the Pamirs (2013)

A route over the “roofs of the world”, the high plateaus of the Pamirs are surrounded by peaks reaching over 7000 meters… wow!

Bivouac in immense nature in Central Asia - A red tent in the Tian Shan mountains, near Song Kul lake, Travel to Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

20 - Kyrgyzstan - on a ride with a donkey (2013)

After crossing the Pamirs, I reach Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where I meet Justine.
Together, we buy a donkey and go walking to Song Kul Lake.