Day 29 - 31/05/10
End Location: La
Linea de la Conception, Spain (Gibraltar)
Days Mileage: 18
Total Mileage: 3947
Had a leisurely morning as I had to nip into
Gibraltar to do a few chores. Unfortunately once I had mustered sufficient
energy to ride over I discovered that it was a bank holiday and , given that
the bank was one of my 'must do' chores I realised I was going to have to come
back tomorrow.
Commiserated with a tasty full English and then
sought out the internet cafe which was open. Realised as I was uploading some
pics that my camera had developed a fault and that a whiskery shadow was
blighting almost all of the photos!! Bollocks.
Back to the campsite to service the bike then off
to the Mercadero to get some alcohol. James was staying another night so he was
going to cook and I was to source the alcohol. Felt a bit stingy when I bought
the €2.99 bottles but when it came to it James accused me of getting the
posh stuff as he normally goes the €0.99!! Had a good long chat about all sorts
again. James quizzed me about morocco but I don't think he is quite up to the
necessary levels of enthusiasm.
What a pleasure it has been being able to share the great trip so far
with someone who knows where I am coming from, in the most literal sense.
Chores then on the road tomorrow.
Day 30 - 01/06/10
End Location: Desfiladero
de los Gaitanes, Spain
Days Mileage: 101
Total Mileage: 4048
Woke at about eight and showered. James was already
packed and ready to go so we said our farewells. Stuck camp and set off back to
Gib for the chores. Did English shopping at Morrisons, visited the bank and
changed money and then decided to get the fuck out of Dodge.
Set off on the
quickest route to Alora along the coastal dual carriageway but it was getting
very hot again - 35 °- so I headed inland to the Camino del Rey.
This is the ancient crumbling path beloved of You-tubers that climbs up and
through the gorge. When I found it the start of the path was missing - whether
by accident or design I don't know. With no chance to get onto the start of the
path it clarified whether I was going to try walking it. There were signs indicating
that it was going to be restored so that might justify a future return trip.
Even though I couldn't walk the path the location was lovely and the lake
seemed to keep it cooler than back on the road.
It
was just turning six and with the sweltering heat I decided to look for
somewhere to stop. As luck would have it just slightly further up the valley I
found the Bikers Paradise B&B. €35 for a room, dinner, a beer and bottled
water, along with use of their swimming pool! Done.
Had
a flounder in the rather skanky pool and spotted a rat lurking in the kitchen.
I should have tried to do more with the evening but the heat had fucked me up.
I must try and the Spanish way - morning and evening to do stuff, midday to to
rest and eat.
Day 31 - 02/06/10
End Location: Granada,
Spain
Days Mileage: 128
Total Mileage: 4176
Managed to be up
for breakfast at 8am and then on the bike by 8:45!!
The Riding was
lovely and cool so I rode back down to the gorge for another look and then
headed up into the hills. The landscape looked gorgeous with the soft morning
light really drawing everything in close.
The roads were
very windy and the bike felt very unstable - I really must ditch some stuff.
Rode down by the lakes on the other side of the gorge which were mirror smooth
and it all reminded me very much of the Lake District in the soft light.
Navigated to El Torcal without the 'assistance' of the satnav and it's useless
Spanish maps.
I was just parking
up at the visitor centre when a coach load of college students arrived so I
wangled an English map and set off to do the long loop round the karst
formations. Luckily they were not so adventurous so I had it all to myself.
Unfortunately I assumed that the mapped route would be some sort of path when
it turned out to be scrambling over rocks and through bushes for 2 miles.
Foolishly followed
the satnav to Granada along the dual carriageway which was shit. Stopped at a
service station where I struggled to obtain a sandwich from the worlds
grumpiest waitress. Luckily it was delicious so I lay outside in the shade
having a snooze for an hour or so.
Found the Alhambra
complex fairly easily and bought a timed ticket. Very busy but well organised
and it was never oppressively crowded. Initially I felt a bit Jaded with the
moorish architecture after Morocco but the Generalife and then the Nasrid
Palace were sublime. A fitting pinnacle to my string of Moorish gems. Easily
found a campsite and again they had a pool. Also discovered that I had a broken
tent pole, after I threw away the spare section back at La Linea yesterday!!!
Bugger.
Day 32 - 03/06/10
End Location: Penas
de San Pedro, Spain
Days Mileage: 233
Total Mileage: 4408
It has been very
hard today - one of the hardest so far, but has ended well.
Woke feeling ill
with a sore throat and my nose felt odd after the nosebleed that I had in the
night - the second one of the trip. I haven't had one for years. Consigned my
thermals and my cooking gear to the bin and discovered that my bottle of oil
had leaked into the pannier. Arse!
Satnav tried to
lead me through a parallel version of Granada so I resorted to following signs
and after a quandary over Cazorla for Lammegeiers or Spaghetti Western dreams
in the desert, I opted for Cazorla.
Cazorla was pretty
enough with a dramatically sited castle but I misread a sign and headed up to
what I thought was a viewpoint but was actually a ludicrously steep off road
track. Ground to a halt only to have the bike slide back with the front brake
locked and me unable to reach the rear as I needed both feet to stabilise. No
choice but to turn it and try not to fall off the highside. Fucking moron. Got
the bike up and heading the right way but had lost all interest in sights or
anything else. Just ploughed on through the very green but progressively duller
national park with not a trace of any vultures.
I was still
feeling tired and rough so I stopped and was soon spark out under a bridge.
Appropriate to my troll like state.
I was woke after
an hour feeling worse if anything but soon found some lovely roads of almost
white tarmac winding through orchards and olive groves carpeted with
wildflowers. The road up through Ayna wasn't scenic on the map, unlike Cazorla,
but was a hidden gem, although I was more interested in pushing on that
stopping for pictures.
Eventually the
weather started to turn so I pulled into a petrol station to suit up just as
the thunder and the downpour started. Luckily in the next town I spotted a
hotel opposite a hilltop castle that I remember from my research. Lovely modern
room for €25 then once the rain had abated I was up the hill to check out the
castle. Had a lovely burger and chips and watched bullfighting on the TV in the
bar, chatting sporadically with the very friendly barmaid before bed.
Day 33 - 04/06/10
End Location: Morrella,
Spain
Days Mileage: 275
Total Mileage: 4683
After a hasty
breakfast and a shambolic loading of the bike I was on the road to the
'Chinchilla of Monte Aragon' for no reason apart from the rodent-y name! What I
got instead was a nice fortified hilltop town and castle, although the castle
was closed for building work.
Next stop was the
Castle de la Selva. Roads were generally awesome today and the riding was
really enjoyable as long as you ignored the protestations of the satnav. Again
not marked as scenic but much better than most of yesterdays, with ideal
conditions - cool, still yet sunny.
Passed two more
closed castles before heading through an out of season ski resort on the road
to Alcaniz, winding through dramatic karst scenery. Oddly enough all of the
pull-ins seemed to be exactly wrong to view the landscape, usually being
surrounded by bushes or just out of sight . Very frustrating. I stopped to take
a photo in Mirambec and got chatting to to dutch cyclists who reckoned that
Morella was lovely so I had a new destination.
Rolled into
Morella just before sundown and found a cheap hotel courtesy of the very
vivacious tourist office girl. Had a lovely meal and three LARGE beers before
wandering the streets until well past dark. My longest mileage so far and
easily my best day in Spain.
Day 34 - 05/06/10
End Location: Navarcles,
Spain
Days Mileage: 218
Total Mileage: 901
Bad nights sleep
and barely made breakfast, feeling that nothing was quite right. Finally topped
up the chain oiler and when I set off at least the bike felt smooth and
settled. The scenery was awesome with some huge molar-like volcanic extrusions
to one side and a twited spire with chapel on top on the other. Did a little
sightseeing before moving on to Poblet.
The monastery was
very kempt but only middling impressive, although a party of Americans with
some fluent Spanish speakers meant I got a better than usual idea of the
history. Had a coke in the cafe across the road, served by Spain's fattest goth
chick and then I was back on the bike to Montserrat.
Spotted the
appropriately named mountain from a distance and followed the road about being
impressed by the scenery and joining dozens of other bikers enjoying the
twisties. Eventually found the gate but couldn't work out how to get a ticket
so I followed another biker through and parked at the top. Initially I was
worried about my lack of ticket but then my draw dropped. What an incredible
place. Hadn't really researched this place so what a lucky choice. Checked out
the basilica but there was something going on so I didn't tarry. Outside I
discovered that the train, the funicular and the cablecar were all about to stop
for the evening so I had to content to walk down to the lower funicular stop.
Much easier than coming back up that is for sure.
After making
friends over an ice lolly I was back on the bike and headed for the satnavs
nearest campsite - 39km away along Spain's windiest road!! Unfortunately, once
found it clearly hadn't been open for some years. Cheers Tomtom!
I returned to the
last town and was directed to a cheap hotel by a quad rider - literally across
the road from where he was stopped. Once the manageress's English speaking
daughter arrived I secured a lovely cheap room but made up for it with a fairly
expensive steak dinner in their restaurant, although I had plenty of
conversation with her which was a real bonus.
Day 35 - 06/06/10
End Location: Latour
de France, France
Days Mileage: 142
Total Mileage: 5043
Dull drizzly
conditions so I dithered over breakfast before setting off in a very relaxed
state. Heading for Figueres along the dual carriageway through a series of
fabulous long tunnels the weather improved and I stayed relaxed. I easily found
the Theatrical Museum of Dali and parked on the pavement for my visit.
It was a really
interesting place; it is surprising how influential he has been. Not many great
paintings but the place as a creation in its own right was fabulous. An added
bonus was a complete set of Piranesi etchings in the stairwell!
Heading through the
scrappy and horridly busy border towns of La Jonquila and La Perthus the most
impressive thing was the prostitute who has set up an a plastic chair in no man's
land between the two countries!! Very enterprising.
After a visit to
McDonalds (sacrilege!) mainly for the free wifi, I sought shelter in first a
hotel (closed 'til later)and then a campsite where there were two British
bikers in reception just in front of me. As it was raining I postponed setting
up the tent and got chatting to Brian and Chris from Inverness in the covered
barbecue area instead. They invited me to bring the bike in but the electrical
non starting gremlin had returned so It had another strip down. Running again I
celebrated with a run to the village for some beers and then spent the rest of
the evening chatting and drinking. Very pleasant. They are doing the same as me
tomorrow with the Cathar fortresses. I will doubtless see them about as I will
be staying another night.
Day 36 - 07/06/10
End Location: Latour
de France, France
Days Mileage: 143
Total Mileage: 5186
Woke early but didn't need to push on. Chris and
Brian set off and shortly afterwards I set off to the Cathar fortress of
Queribus which was atmospheric and un-restored, with a long and fairly
treacherous subterranean passage which I was able to tackle with my headtorch.
It was a bit of a slog up on foot and a treacherous ride down on freshly
gritted and steep hills but I was soon at my second destination of Peyreperteuse.
This was more like it - very interesting with lots of different time periods
and details. I passed Chris and Brain on the steps to the higher of the two
keeps and warned them about the grit before heading on to my big destination of
Carcassone.
It was a long ride on very windy back roads but I
arrived in the early afternoon and spend a couple of hours checking out the
possibly over-restored citadel. But very impressive for all that but not as
enjoyable as Peyreperteuse. On the way back I felt I could better the satnav
and cost myself an extra 20 minutes to get to the campsite. Spend the remainder
of the evening drinking and jabbering with Chris and Brian.
Day 37 - 08/06/10
End Location: Montagnac,
France
Days Mileage: 111
Total Mileage: 5297
Feeling pretty grim. Yesterdays short entry would indicate
that it was a fairly uneventful day but it actually had more to do with sitting
up drinking with Chris then dashing off a few words before sleep. Chris and I
got on very well and having them both to chat to has been great after Spain.
When I finally surface I found a postcard from Chris with his email address,
wishing me luck, which really cheered me.
After a friendly parting with the patron and a good
chat with some Canadian cyclists at the village shop I was on my way with the
satnav really not helping. The weather got colder and greyer so I stopped at
the Oppidum d'enserune which is a Celtic hilltop village. The excavations were
nothing special but the museum was phenomenal for a single site. Most
impressive was the 13thC drainage on the plains below, like a huge wheel of
fields.
Struggled to ride on in the grey weather so opted
for a municipal campsite at Montagnac, after several wild goose chases.
Day 38 - 09/06/10
End Location: Robion,
France
Days Mileage: 114
Total Mileage: 5411
A really good
nights sleep although my second snooze in the morning was destroyed by someone
mowing the neighbouring pitches! Weather decidedly iffy again and I eventually
hit the road at 11am!
An uneventful
journey to Nimes where the satnav did itself proud and let me straight to the
amphitheatre where I parked up with a host of other bikes. The amphitheatre
itself was very impressive (the most intact in the world apparently!) but they
had filled the arena with tarmac which did reduce the atmosphere somewhat!
After chatting with some Americans on a arts trip I made my way up to the
temple and hit the internet in the tourist office.
Back on the bike
to Pont du Gard I was pleased to find that bike parking was free so I was
straight in for nowt! Had a good walk around and up and over but they were
setting up a huge firework display on the bridge so some areas were out of
bounds. Still very impressive though, even in the rather grey conditions.
Back on the bike
the wind was getting up so the first campsite was checked out and the very
enthusiastic patron welcomed me with a free bottle of cherry juice. Tried to
ring Gill who I had met in Morocco but no answer. I have realised that the rear
tyre is totally worn out so I will need to source a replacement tomorrow!
Day 39 - 10/06/10
End Location: Robion,
France
Days Mileage: 79
Total Mileage: 5489
Decided to go back
to Avignon to get some new tyres fitted. Easily sorted if I come back at 2pm so
I spent the morning sightseeing and doing chores. I would have liked to spend
more time here looking about but the tyres needed to be changed so I headed
back and had the rear pads done too. No spares for these obvious wear items so
the total bill was BIG!! €388!! Daylight robbery!! Main dealer prices.
Should have just bought the tyres and done them myself.
Decided
to follow the suggestion of my patron from the campsite and check out the
Luberon, first to Gordes and then onto the dry stone houses of Bories. This
primitive and unusual building technique left little indication of age but
apparently these were lived in until the 19thC. Nice but expensive for what
there was.
Had
pizza at a lovely brasserie overlooking the valley in Bonnieux and then
returned home to my tent.
Day 40 - 11/06/10
End Location: Domain
de Verdon, France
Days Mileage: 204
Total Mileage: 5693
Well,
what a pivotal day as far as this trip goes! Nor sure where I go from here but.
. .
Much
nicer weather so I struck camp and headed off, stopping at Apt for breakfast
supplies. A lovely steady run through Provence in decidedly mixed conditions -
heavy cloud hanging over the hills but bright patches elsewhere. Overtook some
dawdling motorists right through a static speed camera at exactly the wrong
moment! Arse! Hopefully the interposed car and filthy number plate will see me
alright.
Very
fragrant riding through the cliched fields of lavender before stopping at a
closed fossil shop with huge plastic dinosaurs outside. Very surreal. The
clutch had been feeling odd so I adjusted it up and headed into the gorge de
Verdon. I stopped for one of my many photo breaks to capture the vivid
turquoise of the river below, and as I pulled away the clutch lever went slack
causing a sick feeling in my stomach. This was already my spare cable fitted in
Cordoba!! I chugged back up to the village to the local garage. This place was
a complete shithole but the mechanic found an emergency cable that he had
fitted in ten minutes for just €10! It looked dodgy though so I elected to find
a new one so I headed to the nearest town of Draguinan.
Astonishingly
it had a huge Kawasaki dealership but the Asian guy behind the counter, despite
speaking good English, was about as helpful as a Nazi in a synagogue. No cable,
no ideas. Clutching (ha ha!) at straws I went to the Honda dealer next door who
rang round and found me a cable in Frejus, despite there being no money in it
for them. Super service. The only downside was the extra 15 miles of journey.
Unfortunately
the satnav drew a blank on the address given but I stopped a biker who not only
knew where it was but lead me all the way there. In and out with new cable in
no time at all.
Relaxing
somewhat I rode back towards the Gorge de Verdon, only to realise that the
speedo had now failed as well!! To compound my feelings of despondency the
weather started to turn as well so when I reached the gorge again I had pretty
much had enough. I found a campsite and set up. It feels like a cop out to go
home at this point but how many breakdowns or mechanicals does it take?
Day 41 - 12/06/10
End Location: Latour
de Chevigny, Lyon, France
Days Mileage: 233
Total Mileage: 5926
Still undecided about what to do. Feeling surly and
down on the trip I decided to set off north and see what happens. Stopped at a
garage and borrowed a jack to lift the bike whilst I checked the situation with
the speedo - bonus - just a broken cable, rather than a fractured hub like last
time! Checked out the Citroen Museum which was like pristine examples of my
motoring history and set off up the Route Napoleon and spectacular scenery,
just following the satnav and racking up the miles. It got very cold as I hit
the mountains prior to Grenoble. What a spectacularly sited town that is. I had
set myself a target of 220 miles and this came just after Lyon so I stopped and
after some very bold enquiries about campsites I ended up with no joy but next
to an F1 hotel so I thought 'why not?' and booked in.
Spent the evening mulling over my options; I am
getting close to not having enough time to do the rest of the trip as planned.
Clearly the bike will break down again. How much more time do I need to lose
before the chance of getting to turkey is lost? Besides, I am jaded with
sightseeing and scenery and even great roads. Undoubtedly the real high points
of the trip have been the people that I have met. I will see how I feel in the
morning.
Day 42 - 13/06/10
End Location: Villeneuve,
Switzerland
Days Mileage: 219
Total Mileage: 6145
Had a terrible nights sleep and was feeling ill
will towards the world so I just set off in some very cold weather. Without
thinking too much about it I headed for Albertville which was very green and
pleasant compared with my previous (winter) visits. After that I tagged on behind
two french bikers but they were getting a tank on and I lost them in traffic. A
detour up into the mountains and I picked up a larger group of bikers heading
towards the Mont Blanc tunnel. Stayed with them for miles until the last off
before the tunnel where I headed for Chamonix.
Checked out an impressive glacier amongst dramatic
scenery and then decided to set the satnav for the Chateau de Chillon at
Montreux in Switzerland. Much more impressive scenery than coming through the
Jura! Wow. Rolled down a crazy long incline and through a long tunnel. Sensibly
avoided the motorway trap at the exit and easily found the Chateau.
Very impressive but busy. Spend a good while
checking it out before I noticed the rain beating down outside.
I finally couldn't delay any longer so I set off to
find a campsite, ending up next to the lake in Villeneuve. They would only take
Swiss francs cash so I had to go and hunt down a cashpoint before I could book
in. A great meal in local restaurant,
revisiting steak frites.
As I walked out the sun peeped through the clouds
finally so I grabbed my camera and headed out along the lakeside taking pics in
the evening glow.
Day 43 - 14/06/10
End Location: Goshenen,
Switzerland
Days Mileage: 169
Total Mileage: 6314
Rough nights sleep so I spent a half hour sat
outside the local co-op sat in the sunshine waiting for the ibuprofen to kick
in. The satnav took me any way but the direct route to Interlaken but the
journey round by the lake was gorgeous in the bright morning light.
The road up to Grindelwald was impressive, but like
Gavarnie, it got better the closer you got. I rode up, right through the town,
and up to the top of the road. I parked in the Wetterhorn Hotel car park and
saw a sign directing me to the foot of the glacier. Remembering the Ordesa
gorge I remembered to chuck a banana and some water into my rucksack and set
off.
After checking out the remains of the old
Wetterhorn cable car station (oldest in the world!) I followed the path to the
foot of a rough sequence of rickety wooden ladders leading up out of sight over
the rocks. Very dodgy looking, but solid enough, I estimated there were 800
steps in total, ending at a small cafe and a bridge suspended on a cable that
was strung across the chasm where the river of meltwater ran. It was no longer
possible to walk to the foot of the glacier as it had retreated so far (
demonstrated by historic photographs on a board) but worthwhile and impressive
all the same.
I retraced my steps and had a chat to a couple of
British women who had taken an interest in the bike. Suited up and moving on
towards Chur in awesome scenery when I spotted an immense and dramatic
waterfall tumbling over the sides of the glacial valley I was travelling along.
I thought of the Reichenbach falls where Holmes and Moriarty plunged to their
deaths(?) and then spotted signs for it about two miles down the road.
Unfortunately the funicular had closed an hour before I arrived so I just
pushed on again. I stopped for fuel and supplies so I could push on until I
found a campsite so I started riding up towards the Sustenpass in bright but
sporadically cloudy conditions. The most visually interesting pass so far with
glaciers visible below me through wispy cloud from the top.
However the journey down was drear and cold out of
the evening sun and the mountains ahead looked like a black wall. Quite a sense
of foreboding but after quizzing some
reticent locals I was directed to a campsite up the next valley. Climbing into
light mist I soon found a very barren looking campsite but loads of caravans so
I guess it must be okay. I booked in with the two guys in reception who looked
surprised to see me.
Immediately I paid up the shut up and drove off
leaving me with the realisation that I appeared to be on my own here. The
caravans were all permanent residents and were strapped down with huge ratchet
straps. I had to ride the bike through a river to get to the camping field but
it was okay. I set up my tent and then bumped into a middle aged lady called
Caterina with a camper van who offered me a hot chocolate. We ended up sitting
and chatting for the evening. It turned out that she was Dutch and was
retracing travels from her youth - and this was a place that she had great
memories of.
Day 44 - 15/06/10
End Location: Mustair,
Switzerland
Days Mileage: 144
Total Mileage: 6458
Woke early to horrid rainy conditions so I just
snoozed, waking properly at about 11am. Struck camp and rode back across the
now twice as wide and somewhat deeper river and parked up. Had a coffee with
Caterina and then set off up to the dam at the top of the valley for some
impressive views down on the campsite below.
Tagged along with a couple of German BMW riders
down to Flims where I peeled off over the Oberalpass and the Ambulapass which
was stark as fuck and very cold. Just a bare classic u-shaped glacial valley ending
up on a wooded plateau. Had a small amount of harassment by two total dick BMW
driving boy racers, highlighting the close proximity of Italy perhaps. Trying
to impress me with their speed and skill but just being dangerously
inconsiderate, leading to a mutual exchange of obscenities!
Eventually found a campsite at Mustair literally on
the Italian border, with a gang of German bikers. Washed some clothes and
retired for the night. Another mostly grey and unappealing day!
Day 45 - 16/06/10
End Location: Selva
di val Gardena, Italy
Days Mileage: 86
Total Mileage: 6544
Absolutely chucked it down all night - I knew it
was a mistake to hang my washing out!! Full waterproofs and then backtracked to
the road to the Umbrailpass in very low cloud. Was followed up by a large
convoy of Porsches and BMW sportscars that I let past given the shitty
conditions. I bet they were very impressed when the road turned into muddy
shale track for 4 miles where it was being resurfaced and more impressed when I
overtook them all again! An extended set of switchbacks climbed into the clouds
and the visibility dropped along with the temperature. The summit was like the
arctic with high snow banks either side of the road. I started down the Stelvio
pass in horrendously wet and cold conditions, with a string of classic jaguars
coming up the otherway, and passing three Brit sportsbikes riding very gingerly
indeed. I was on a roll though and left them like they were coasting. Naily
trailie beats ZX10!! who would have thought that!
I reached the village at the bottom, thankfully
below the cloud, and parked up. One of the jags had stopped here with an
overheating problem. I suggested bridging the fan switch but he wasn't
interested or listening so I didn't bother. The three Brit bikes rolled in 5
minutes after me - they were on a 10 day tour and less than impressed with the
Stelvio. To be fair the views weren't much!! Had a nice chat with the wife of
the jag owner though.
Had the rain return with a vengeance on the dual
carriageway to Merano so when I saw the wall of cloud ahead as I entered Selva
I checked out the tourist office who directed me to a very nice cheap B&B.
This area is nominally Italian but really I am Germany! The accents, the
architecture, the food; all clearly German. Was ceded to the Italians after the
war apparently; just not sure which one.
When the rain stopped I went for a stroll to find
the chapel and castle that were the main tourist attractions (apart from the
skiing obviously!) and then rode back as a most excellent sunset was gleaming
over the Dolomites.
Day 46 - 17/06/10
End Location: Lienz,
Austria
Days Mileage: 95
Total Mileage: 6639
Yesterdays decision to stay the night in Selva paid
off as I was rewarded with a perfect cloudless view of the Dolomites in the
morning sun. Had a leisurely breakfast and thanked my hosts for their excellent
hospitality then back on the bike. Fabulous roads round the Sella circuit with
loads of bikers. Held up a pair of hooligans on KTMRC8s on very loud pipes - I
was riding like a tosser but what awesome roads. The run down to Arabba was
probably the best of the trip so far. Easy to read, great tarmac and they just
flowed for mile after mile. I wasn't holding anyone up on this one as I nailed
all the turns.
Heading on towards Austria I caught and stayed with
two guys on KTM 990 Adventures until they peeled off so I followed and had a
coffee then a look at the local castle. Habitable but tatty and locked up.
Moving on towards Lienz when the weather took a
real turn for the worse again!! Pulled off to re-plan and ended up watching TV
in a local cafe for an hour or two. Located a campsite in town and booked in to
find it overrun with British people! Apparently they were all there to compete
in the European kayaking championships. Got chatting to a young lady resplendent
in a tutti-frutti minidress and shiny black leggings who was invalided out of
the competition then spent the rest of the evening in the bar watching TV.
Day 47 - 18/06/10
End Location: Glanz,
Austria
Days Mileage: 86
Total Mileage: 6725
Better weather in the morning with a fabulous view
of the dolomites along the valley in the sunlight. Decided to hit the
Grossglockner as I was so close. Weather deteriorated as I pulled up towards
the tollgate where I tucked in behind a huge group of Italian bikers. No rush
though - all very chilled. Got a map and
a 50th anniversary sticker! I was afflicted by photo fever all day and had to
stop just about everywhere I could to get some snaps. Not the best weather but
what a phenomenal road! As I pulled through the tunnel at the highest point on
the first climb I was presented with a magnificent vista along the valley. This
truly is scenic alpine road!
Checked out the sights and the museums, including
one with the most awesome huge crystals I have ever seen! Single amethyst
crystal over 18 inches high and a foot across. Beautiful. Did numerous runs and
re-runs and watched lots of old bikes nailing it up the hill and then coasting
back down.
It was getting cold so I decided to drop back down
to the Franz Josef Glacier on the other side but just as the rain/sleet started
in I had a weird loss of power from the bike and it wouldn't pull up the hill
to the high point. After some fretting and re-starting it ran enough to clear
the crest and then as soon as I could coast it cleared and I was away again.
Fucking heap of shit.
Hit the visitor centre and then took teh
astonishing walk through the mountain along the glacier, emerging every few
hundred yards to get a look from a fresh vista. Walked down but stopped short
of taking the funicular right down to the glacier. The crazy thing was there was nothing to give
any sense of scale. The start of the glacier was over 7miles away but it looked
so close.
Spotted some ibex and then decided to go down the
way that I had come and continue towards Slovenia, rather than Berchtesgaden.
Lovely campsite, great cafe and a good night.
Day 48 - 19/06/10
End Location: Bled,
Slovenia
Days Mileage: 89
Total Mileage: 6814
Another bad nights sleep and another uninspiring
cloudy day. I set off towards Slovenia but the road over the pass was one long
steady but steep incline through pine woods. At the top I saw a sign for the
bunker museum so I stopped for a break. This pass had been a 'live' border
until the break up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and was littered with dug
in tanks and gun emplacements. Quite impressive
reminder of recent history. I was crossing the Iron curtain! After a
Dumb and Dumber moment using the facilities I was back on the bike and rolling
down into another storm. . . . Welcome to Slovenia!
Stopped in a very rustic cafe just after Kranska
Gora and watched the clouds rolling over the Julian alps and down into my
valley! Bugger. I bided my time until it eased off with a tasty strudel and the
world's smallest cup of coffee but it was cheap I guess!
Back on the bike it chipped in heavily again as I
rolled into Bled, and I failed to find a place to stay courtesy of the useless tourist
office. Back on the bike I became aware of a horrendous rattle from the engine
as the engine idled in traffic. Feeling that familiar pit of the stomach
feeling I realised that if mechanical investigations were needed then a
campsite would be better than a hotel. Found one half way round the lake and
was rapidly booked in.
Did some chores and even watched some of the world
cup whilst having a few beers. Yet another horrendous downpour! I am sure this
year must be setting some sort of record! Internet weather says it's here to
stay for three days! Great.
Day 49 - 20/06/10
End Location: Bled,
Slovenia
Days Mileage: 3
Total Mileage: 6817
The foulest weather all night and all morning.
Breakfast, showered then back in the tent reading until 3:15pm when it eased
off enough to take a short ride to Villa Bled, Tito's holiday home. Checked out
the internet to find a message from Chris from Inverness, and replies on the
KLR forum suggesting that I check out the balancer chain and tension. Easily my
laziest day yet on this trip. Need to do something before I die of boredom
though!
Day 50 - 21/06/10
End Location: Bled,
Slovenia
Days Mileage: 9
Total Mileage: 6826
Woke to yet more shit weather and felt rough,
waking regularly through the night, yet managed to miss the camp breakfast!
Felling very down and no idea what to do. Just couldn't get out of my negative
frame of mind. Dozed and read in my tent until about three when it brightened
up enough to visit the Vintnar gorge. A nice boardwalk and a powerful flow but
I wasn't in the right frame of mind, although it did lift my mood somewhat.
Found and stopped an oil leak but no improvement on the rattle. Swatted up on what
to do via the internet but as I need to remove the side case I need dry
weather.
Got chatting to a young Italian couple camped next
door who had done the run down the Dalmatian coast but on pushbikes doing 140km
per day! Decided to get stuck in and removed the near side engine case to check
out the balancer chain and tensioner. Chain and spring were okay so I adjusted
it and put it back together. A short ride down the road and the rattling was
gone, and no oil leaks either. Postojna tomorrow then!!
Day 51 - 22/06/10
End Location: Gemona
del Fruili, Italy
Days Mileage: 166
Total Mileage: 6993
Sunshine! I was up, packed and ready to go in no
time. Had a final conversation with Sergio / Bal (the Italian/ Coventry camping
couple) who said they were sorry I was leaving so soon which was lovely of
them. Stopped for stores then after some satnav shenanigans I was headed out
through tiny winding roads through wooded rolling hills with lovely vistas. Saw
a lovely girl cyclist and turned to look back at her after I passed to see her
doing the same. Luckily she couldn't see the crusty old letch inside the crash
helmet!
Closed roads necessitated an early lunch and some
amusement as two Aspencade riders had to navigate about the same obstacles with
much more difficulty. I did about 4miles of dirt rack and eventually ended up
traversing a lovely gorge but still wasn't really in the mood.
Then I was in Postojna and, my god, the scale of
the place! It made every other cave I have ever been to look like an amateur
operation. Having said that when I queued up for a ticket it was €25.
Holy mother of crap! You robbing bastards! despite that it was hugely busy with
two whole train loads of people going down at a time! A 2km trip through
tunnels only just high enough in open carriages - you'd never get away with it
in H&S UK!
We were grouped up by language and I got chatting
again with the Japanese tour guide that I met yesterday in Bled. The tour
leader was barely fluent but the caves spoke for themselves. We did a 1km long
walk through a serious of impressive and huge caverns culminating in one with a
shop in the middle and a huge sluice. Another slightly hair raising ride back
and we were back where the subterranean river emerged. Stunning, expensive but
easily the most incredible caves that I have ever visited.
The main eason for this researched stop was the vivarium
of subterranean creatures. In particular this was the home of the proteus
salamander or olm. I was fascinated in these creatures as a child thanks to one
of my many wildlife books so it was the culmination of a long held ambition.
But just me apparently as the vivarium was practically deserted. I was
fascinated and eventually had to drag myself away before it got too late.
Back at the bike I geared up and got ready to ride
away. As I clicked it into gear the bike just died! Arse! I just wanted to kick
the fucking thing over and leave it but the car park was nearly empty and soon
to close. I stripped it down and fiddled with all the wiring, battery,
terminals, connector blocks etc. No sign of any fault! Praying to the gods of
all things mechanical, I re-assembled it and it started.
But that was it. The last straw. My will to
continue had gone. Fed up with the breakdowns and delays and the rain. I set
the satnav for Innsbruck and, sensing my mood the satnav headed straight for
Trieste at rush hour. Really not what I wanted. I plodded on and eventually
found a campsite in the shadow of the
alps at Gemona de Friuli.
Set up my tent and texted my friends to say I was
coming home. I immediately had a call from Dot trying to dissuade me but I
explained that my timescale had slipped and that I would be better off coming
home and using the remaining time productively, rather than fixing my bike in
every campsite in Europe. A frustrating day but realistically my enthusiasm
hasn't recovered yet. We'll have to see what the journey home brings.
Day 52 - 23/06/10
End Location: Schwangau,
Germany
Days Mileage: 228
Total Mileage: 7221
Up early to an almost empty campsite! Went without
a shave for only the second time on this trip! Bizarrely the packing seems to
have finally came together as it just flowed. A bit late!
Took a stunning and fairly quiet road through the
dolomites, notable only for the ski resort of Sappada. Beautiful vistas but no
idea about the skiing. It looked a bit drab as all these places do out of
season so I opted for a cafe stop in Dobbiaco instead.
The satnav was heading for the Brenner pass (I
was a bit sniffy as it was just 1374 m)
and I retraced my tracks between Dobbiaco and Bruneck before upsetting an Italian road-worker by
ignoring his red wand. When he finally let me go I met cars coming up the other
way. What a shambles. But despite its
relatively low altitude the pass was dramatic and quite cold.
It is probably my frame of mind but there have been
a lot of arseholes on the road today. Italy definitely gets the award for the
worst drivers in Europe. Four times I have had people do crazy overtakes to get
in front of me when I am just moving along with the traffic. Of course I then
just overtake the whole queue once the road is clear and leave them all behind.
One guy overtook me three times and was clearly getting very pissy about it.
Innsbruck was beautifully situated with snow capped
mountains all around and lovely sunshine once off the pass. I tried to find the
required speedo cable but to no avail.
Lots of photogenic castles and churches on the way
out of town but I was still in a 'can't be fucked' mood. More stunning alpine
scenery past the Zugspitze and then I was in Germany. Easily found
Neuschwanstein but last entry was 2hours ago although it was still heavingly
busy. Come back early tomorrow they said. The lovely Germanic girl at the
tourist office found me a cheap B&B in the local village and I got settled
before heading out for food and nighttime shots of the castle in the moonlight.
Day 53 - 24/06/10
End Location: Saverne,
France
Days Mileage: 236
Total Mileage: 7456
Ate like a ravenous wolf at breakfast! Gosh I was
hungry. Discussed my journey with my hostess and then set off after thanking her
profusely.
Got a ticket for the first English tour as long as
I walked up to the castle so I was away. Hit the trail, helped some lost
Germans, and then reached the top to find it overrun with Japanese tourists.
Got chatting to an American lady who was fulfilling a lifetime ambition who
luckily realised that I was about to miss my time slot so I was in. A good English
speaking guide but my god did she speed us through! 25 minutes. But it was beautiful;
like a huge, over the top version of Castle Coch in Wales. Each room was beautifully painted and themed
to a Wagnerian opera. Not to mention the grotto! No wonder they called him the
mad king! Who builds a cave indoors? Totally barking. I dawdled purposely to
get my money's worth and felt it very worthwhile, even though it was so quick.
I walked up to the Mariensbruck and after getting
my leather trousers eyed up by tasty Japanese lady woman I was on my way back
down. Threw al my change into a non functioning toilet turnstile and then
simply stepped over it in a fit of pique leaving a queue of frustrated short
people waiting outside.
I set off for Baden Baden just because it was in
the right direction and had lovely flowing roads before getting special
treatment by a gorgeous blond waitress in a cafe stop in an otherwise
unmemorable town. We really hit it off and it was a shame to have to move on.
A run through the black forest and then I crossed
the Rhine. The bike was feeling rough as a badgers arse but was pulling okay so
I just pushed on back into France. I arrived at Saverne at about 7:30 and
easily found a campsite with help from the world's fastest French speaker.
Impressed some of the snobbier caravanners when I
returned to the campsite with water, beer a burger and chips. Get back in your
mobile isolation chambers losers! Had a good day today after all but it hasn't
changed my mind.
Day 54 - 25/06/10
End Location: Rochefort,
Belgium
Days Mileage: 204
Total Mileage: 7660
Up early and into
town. Booked my return Eurotunnel ticket for the day after tomorrow and had
breakfast before heading up to chateau Haut-Barr which was very ruined but had
good toilets which I tested thoroughly. Headed for Trier on the autobahn thanks
to the satnav and pulled off when it started to rain, only to find them closing
the road I wanted to take. Bugger! I whipped through the gap anyway and found
absolutely nothing wrong with the road. That's German efficiency for you.
Entering Trier,
which seemed a nice leafy city, I soon found the black gate and very impressive
it was too with its monster blocks of cyclopean masonry. Looked around then hit
the cathedral and enjoyed the carnival like atmosphere but I needed to be away.
Visited the
Luxembourg national military museum which has a good collection of vehicles and
wartime memorabilia but was soon on the road looking for a campsite, which I
found in Rochefort.
Had delicious
burger et frites at a roadside shack and gathered supplies in town before
spending the evening chatting to my neighbour in the campsite. A nice little
town.
Day 55 - 26/06/10
End Location: Gravelines,
France
Days Mileage: 192
Total Mileage: 7852
Had
breakfast in a lovely cafe in the town where the waitress panicked when she
heard my English accent and went off to fetch the manageress, despite my order
being entirely in French. Oh well. Probably Flemish speaking types. Straight
back on the bike towards Beloeil passing Dinant and finally finding a new
speedo cable!
Arrived
at Beloeil early only to find that it wasn't open for another hour and a half!
Retired to a very friendly and idiosyncratic cafe with a heavily stocked fish
tank and a life-size sculpture of a very sexy looking Betty Boop astride a
motorcycle. Had a lovely lunch and then was literally the first guest at the Chateau,
greeted cordially by a gentleman of Asian extraction from London. It had a
lovely faded glory and a lived in feel, much like Highclere castle in the UK.
The gardens were huge but dull so it was time to move on.
Hit
Ypres only to find that all of the roads were closed so I parked up and walked
in anyway. The cause of the closures was the Ypres Rally. What are the chances
of that? Last year when Roger and I visited the roads were all closed because
of. . . correct, the Ypres Rally!! Had a good wander and checked out the
Flanders field museum that was closed on the last two occasions.
Cracked
off the last forty or so miles to Gravelines just over the French border and
found a nice campsite near the beach. Celebrated with a final steak at the
beachfront cafe and mulled over the ups and downs of my trip in the cool
evening light.
Day 56 - 27/06/10
End Location: Bournemouth,
UK
Days Mileage: 196
Total Mileage: 8048
Back
via the Eurotunnel. Stopped for a proper full English as soon as possible on
the other side then a relaxed run cross country back to Bournemouth. Home.
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