Bridge 9: Se-o-Se Pol, the 33 Arches Bridge, Esfahan, Iran

Se-o-Se Pol at night

Biked in honour of Janina Stepek, whose grave in Tehran I visited a few days earlier and whose grandson, Martin, has particularly sponsored this bike crossing.

This amazing bridge dates from 1603 and has 33 large arches below, with 64 little arches on the bridge level.  The bridge is pedestrianised now and is a place of picnic and leisure for Iranians, both local and visiting.  Sadly the river bed is currently dry, the water having been diverted, it is said, to Yazd.

There is no law against women cycling here in Iran but the Council-run city-bike rental place would not hire to a woman.  Doing a walking reccie of the bridge, we met some Iranian young men on bikes and persuaded them to lend me one of their bikes to do the crossing.  In spite of their grave reservations, as reported in my travel blog, the crossing was completed without any police interference. 

My support team - Fouad and Svitlana

Thanks to my super-guide, Fouad Vali, for persuading the Iranian young man to part with his bike and for doing the necessary photography and to Svitlana, my tour companion, for holding my bags (an essential support!).

Postscript:  The water was returned to the Bridge a couple of weeks later - see video and pics.

Bosphorus for Debbie D

The Bosphorus and its amazing Bridge

Now I have actually seen the Bosphorus Bridge and took this photo this morning.  Cycling over it doesn't seem to be a common hobby but I have some ideas as to how to make it possible and will get onto that once I am back in Istanbul on 6th April.  There's a bridge or 33 to be done in Iran first.

Iran and Istanbul

Last day of prep for my trip to Iran, via Turkey.  The plan is to cycle across the Si-o-se Pol or 'Bridge of 33 Arches' in Esfahan in Iran and then bike across the Bosphorus on the way home.  You can sponsor the individual crossings or just the whole venture!

Bridges that got away

At the Meeting of the Waters, near Avoca

Lovely bridges in Co Wicklow, Ireland, but no-one had a bicycle that I could borrow.  The blizzard conditions probably contributed to that problem.  So, none were cycled but aren't they lovely?

Derrybawn bridge in Laragh

Glendalough between blizzards

Signed route to a B&B, Glendalough

Bridge 8 - Crossing the River Trent

Nottingham - 4 bridges over the Trent

23rd February 2013

Had a lovely cycle today with Green Cllr Richard Bearman from Norwich. We crossed the Trent by one Wilford Bridge, then went along and crossed the Toll Bridge, which looks like Princes Street in Edinburgh (tram works). Fortified by chocolate brownies, the bringing of which raises Richard high in the ranks of my bridge co-bikers, we crossed the pretty suspension bridge and then the more scary Trent Bridge, where I saw the 'Welcome to Nottingham' sign and nearly caused an accident screeching to a halt for a photo.  Well worth it, don't you think?


After all that we had a nice ride along the canal, resisting almost all the bridges there and back to work at our GPEW Conference just as it started to snow.

After all of that I can only really count the escapade as one bridge (set).  Thanks for a great outing, Richard!

Bridge 7 - Cromarty

18th January 2013

The Cromarty Bridge crosses, guess what? - the Cromarty Firth.  It's not so easy to get to on a bike because the cycle route goes north another way.  That was one obstacle in my cold bike ride across the Black Isle.  I wanted to go to Dingwall but across this bridge.  I, sensibly, opted for the cycle route rather than the A9 dual carriageway but the bike lane on that route was covered in snow and ice, which was the main obstacle all afternoon.  So for a few miles I did have to cycle on the main road, but it wasn't the A9 - yet.  I took a lovely link road across to the A9 and that was a glorious ride with views of the Cromarty Firth and all the hills around.  There was then no option but the A9 - at least it was a freewheel ride down to the bridge.  Crossing the bridge itself was tricky as I had to be on the rickety pavement, while bits of debris were thrown at me by the speeding traffic.  At least the snow flurry had not developed into proper snow.

Ah well - safely over and I had a lovely ride into Dingwall along the sea.  After a welcome cup of hot tea at the Station tea room in Dingwall, the nice owner told me how I could get to the Inverness train platform without humping my bike across the footbridge.  By now I was very tired after the cold and scary ride from Inverness so I was very grateful for that insider tip, as well as for the tea and chat.

Bridge 6 - Kessock

Friday 18th January 2013

The Kessock Bridge goes across the Moray Firth from Inverness.  I arrived at Inverness by train and put on thermals and lots of layers and set off in search of the bridge.  In spite of the sub-zero temperature, I was quickly overheated and had to shed several layers - there's nothing like cycling up a hill to warm you up.  It was quite hard to find the bridge and I got over-involved in several roundabouts.  Met another cyclist who pointed me in the right direction but I still got onto a dual carriageway by accident.  However, no harm done and I made it to the bridge, as you can see.  I had a lovely cycle across and then I was on the Black Isle.  It's a lovely place and I must come back here on a day when the temperature is above 10 Celcius.  There is a brewery to explore - for starters.  The roads are a bit manic, but where are they any different?  My planned bridge in Istanbul will make the A9 look very tame,