Around Europe in 80 Languages

How many languages are spoken in Europe? And how do people live in them? What makes languages come alive? The author sets out on a quest to traverse, on an ordinary touring bicycle, all the language regions of Europe and to be especially attentive to minority languages, multilingual situations and language border areas. He cycles from Scotland to Istanbul and from the Arctic Circle to Malta (ok, taking the odd ferry once in a while) to explore the linguistic landscapes of this historically rich continent, covering 15,000 km over six years. Oh yes, and there are some mishaps too, such as a fall off the bike on Tallinn’s wet tram rails.

Have you ever heard of Cimbrian or Sorbian? Ever wondered how the citizens of war-torn Bosnia talk to each other today? Or whether a Finn can understand a speaker of Estonian or Hungarian?

This account of dozens of encounters with diverse people along the roadside makes for lively reading. The photo galleries and audios allow the reader to relive a journey of a lifetime. The travelogue is complemented by extra pages of linguistic curios, language portraits and the alphabet of an adventurous tour, from ‘Allee’ to ZZZ.