TALKING TRAVEL
On the road again
Dave Myers The Hairy Biker talks to Angela Sara West about his two-wheeled adventures with foodie friend Si King
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rom wife-carrying and riding tanks in Finland, to sumo wrestling in Japan and music pilgrimages along the Mississippi, Dave Myers’ career is a travel agent's dream. As one half of popular TV cooking duo The Hairy Bikers, Myers is on the road five months a year – “It used to be more like ten,” he says. “But who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to travel to some of the most amazing places on the planet with your best friend on your favourite form of transport! The food’s pretty inspiring, too.” Freewheeling their way around the world in search of authentic cuisine and cultural experiences, the biking buddies (Myers and pal Simon King) have created a unique form of travelogue that is based around cooking, eating and partying with the locals. ‘Bakeation’ saw the biker boys embark on an epic two-month escapade; a 12-nation, 5,000-mile gastronomic trip taking in baking, bobsleighing, yodelling, truffle-hunting, tapas-tasting and gondola-riding across Europe. “Bakeation was so amazing. We both put on massive amounts of weight and then had to film The Hairy Dieters!” Venturing into largely-untapped countries, and some of the wildest places in Europe, ‘Northern Exposure’ circumnavigated the
The worst food I’ve eaten? Namibian mopane worms are bad, but a Vietnamese goat’s penis hotpot is worse!” 38
Baltic Sea, sampling a smorgasbord of Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. “Gdansk was interesting as we’re both from shipyard communities. It’s so beautiful; a great weekend destination with surprising architecture. We visited Treblinka’s concentration camp… such sadness in the air.” The duo delighted in discovering the land of their forefathers. “It was great to find out I was a Viking. I always thought my heritage was Jewish. Si had told me about his supposed Viking ancestry – his face was a picture when he found out he was Swiss-German with a hint of Italian!” Entering Russia on a post-war Ural bike complete with sidecar, they encountered flamboyant fashion designers and ruthless oligarchs, and indulged in the world’s rarest caviar washed down with fine vodka at St Petersburg’s Fabergé Museum. “One of the best foodie experiences of my life! The cold, the wait at the Finnish border and the Russian traffic were a challenge, though.” Other series have seen the boys rev up their Harleys for a mouth-watering mix of music ’n’ motorcycles in America's Deep South, and sampling the diverse flavours of Asia, where they discovered the roots of their all-time favourite food. “Sushi lovers must visit Tokyo fish market. It’s special.” The duo's forthcoming Mediterranean Adventure TV series celebrates French, Spanish and Italian cuisine. Multi-Michelinstarred Majorca was a must for Myers, especially the colourful Mercat de l’Olivar. And his favourite destinations? “There are so many. There are numerous foodie
capitals now, all offering something special. Chinese New Year in China has to be one of the best parties in the world. I loved Argentina and Mexico, but summer in the Mediterranean was stunning.” The boys’ biking expeditions not only uncover countries’ food secrets, but get under the skin of the local way of life. “I can’t pick a culture that’s been more welcoming than any other. We always look for the best in places and people, meaning you tend to have a great time,” says Myers. “Learning the minimum in a language is really useful; just ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘hello’. Beyond that, patience and a smile will take you around the world.” For world-beating authentic food and cutting-edge cuisine, Myers favours the Med. “It’s so varied, it has everything.” Any global dishes not to his taste? “Namibian mopane worms are bad, but a Vietnamese goat’s penis hotpot is worse!” Myers’ most treasured purchase on his travels is a 1,000-year-old Mayan chocolate pot, but the pals also collected a souvenir from Argentina – a tattoo of Che Guevara. “It was Si’s dream. There’s no show without punch, so I thought I’d have one, too!” His travel tips? “Chill out, don’t worry, and never get on a airplane without a book. I love Thai airlines. The service is fantastic, a real treat, as is Virgin Upper Class. EasyJet’s comfortable and really efficient. Wizz Air is good for travel to Eastern Europe.” Still on the menu? “More travelling in South America and I’d love to go into space! Travel broadens the mind and helps understand your fellow man and woman.”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
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11/22/17 05:22 PM