Writer Tim Moore is no stranger to the unusual and unique. In his early days as a travel writer, he rode a container ship to Iceland, biked across Italy in a period costume, completed the Camino de Santiago with a donkey as his only companion, and more. So when Tim got a call out of the blue one day from his editor, asking if he'd consider biking the length of the newly established Iron Curtain Trail, he had two thoughts. One was that he was absolutely not in shape to embark on this journey. First of all, nobody had ever done it before. Nobody could tell him whether it was five or six thousand miles long. It also wound through some slightly uncertain parts of the world which, in Tim's mind -- having grown up during the Cold War -- were inextricably tied to nuclear annihilation. But two...was that he was absolutely going to do it. Follow along for an adventure that will take you from chaotic Russian streets to frigid Finnish backroads, through dive bars and ancient ruins and military checkpoints. Along the way, Tim's wit and humor gives a fresh perspective on a part of the world that is still struggling to define itself and write its next chapter. CONNECT Tim's book featured in this episode is called The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail, and you can find it wherever books are sold. Tim has also written several other books, so we recommend checking those out too. You can also follow him on X / Twitter @mrtimmoore. SOCIAL Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com. CREDITS This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices