Norwegian firefighter Runar Eide has reached the Costa del Sol on the latest leg of a solo cycling expedition across Europe, making a special stop ... to meet fellow firefighters in Benalmádena before crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa.
Eide, who served in the Norwegian fire service for 15 years, decided to quit his career and sell all his possessions - including his home, furniture, and motorbike - to embark on a life-changing journey from northern Europe to South Africa.
Riding a 30-kilo bicycle loaded with 50 kilos of gear, Eide aims to reach South Africa in time to celebrate his 40th birthday next May on a beach with a cold beer.
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"I'd been a firefighter in Norway for 15 years and then one day I decided I wanted to completely change my life and do something different. I'd never travelled like this before. I sold everything: my house, the television, the furniture, the household appliances, my motorbike… Perhaps all this has something to do with a midlife crisis," Eide tells SUR over the phone from Gibraltar.
"Now I picture myself on my birthday on a beach in South Africa with a massive beer. I'm not drinking any alcohol during the trip," he says. By contrast, he admits, he isn't eating very well, as he's been living on a lot of pizza and burgers, but he wants to change that from now on: he's decided to start cooking.
A midlife reset across eight European nations
Having travelled through Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain, he knows that what lies ahead will be much more difficult. So although he is keen to fulfil his dream of reaching South Africa, he has also come to terms with the fact that he might not succeed: cycling across the African continent may be not only more complicated, but also more dangerous, than travelling through Europe.
Initially, he plans to cycle along the continent's west coast, where there appear to be fewer conflicts, but he will spend this month in Gibraltar preparing thoroughly for the journey.
Eide is enjoying the experience, but admits that it's tough and that every morning there's a moment when he regrets having set out on it, especially if it's raining or if he doesn't get the chance to take a shower. Fortunately, there's always something that happens during the day that makes him feel good about his decision.
"What I like most is that one day I'm in a big city like Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid, with huge buildings and boulevardsor I see a magnificent castle and the next I find myself in the heart of nature by a beautiful lake or facing the sea. Every day is different, but within each day there are also plenty of ups and downs," he says.
In every town he passes through, he visits the local fire station. It all started in Belgium by chance. There, he filmed some videos, uploaded them to his Instagram profile (@runar_sykler_til_sor_Afrika, which means 'Runar, cycles to South Africa') and they went viral.
He admits that his calling, his profession, still holds a strong pull for him: "When I see a fire engine on the street, my heart starts racing. I miss it." There's a chance that once his adventure is over, he'll go back to being a firefighter. But he says he's open to all possibilities, even the idea of never living in Norway again and settling anywhere else in the world. "Perhaps I'll start a new life."
The people he has left behind in Norway, his family and friends, have mixed feelings about what Runar Eide is doing. "They tell me I'm mad, but they also support me and wish me well," he says.
He has nothing but good things to say about his time on the Malaga coast. "It's marvellous. A great city by the sea is always a thing of beauty." Here, as in many places he has visited, he has already made friends.