Gloaming (n): twilight: the time of day immediately following sunset.

    As of 30 seconds ago, our trip is now titled “Albion in the Gloaming; a documentary bike_packing trip through Britain and The Republic of Ireland.” We’ve chosen this name for two reasons; our style of traveling and the idea some have that europe has declined as a civilization.

    A traveler’s style is as important as the location they choose to travel to. One can visit amazing places and see beauty, but not really experience it. The windows of a tour bus and confines of an organized tour stymie cultural understanding. Our style is in the gloaming; it’s the in between times in a day. The commute home from work, sharing a meal, the happenings in between obligations; those are the times culture comes out. Our style is to celebrate those times. The gloaming involves surface level observations and experiences, but it also has a deeper meaning.

    Has britain declined as a civilization? I read a book a few months ago that argued Europe has declined. It claimed Europe is committing a “slow-motion suicide.” Pseudo religions and the threat of an immanent takeover by Arabs, “Eurabia,” have tightened the self-tied noose already around Europe’s neck. Is this the case? Is Europe as a civilization really dead? Is Europe “in the gloaming?” Can two american students cycling across a country gain insight into the comings and goings of nation-states?

    These questions, big and small, will not be answered completely or soon. It is, however, possible to get more people to ask these questions. As two optimistic college students, we are in the perfect position to explore these ideas. What makes us perfect is the fact that what we are doing is not unique. Cycling across Britain has been done many times and documenting a journey is almost as old as traveling itself. What makes us unique is that our journey is doable by anyone able to ride a bike, put a pen to paper, or aim a camera.

- John Pfeil