Im on the 0830 Dover Calais boat at the moment and the plan is to head for Bouillon near Sedan for an overnight today, so shall hammer down the A26 to Cambrai then drop onto N routes and take it steady.
Friday, 4 October 2013
He's off again.........a return to Germany
6 day jaunt to the Mosel and back. Out today (Friday) and back the following wednesday. Going solo ( Billy no mates), couldn't persuade IoM Nige or Steve 'The Squire of Epworth' that its a change from Scotland and it'll be drier and cheaper.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
Across the water day 8
And back across it is today as were heading back to Blighty and the one o'clock boat home.
A good trip and good company overall. Thanks go to Mike for sorting out the route and the digs - Mike used to do bike tours for a living, but now does it for kicks!! Find him here.
 |
| Turn right for Calais |
 |
| Straight on for Dover |
A good trip and good company overall. Thanks go to Mike for sorting out the route and the digs - Mike used to do bike tours for a living, but now does it for kicks!! Find him here.
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Across the water day 7
Heading over to Laon via a few stops, but first a ride around Paris looking for a Suzuki dealer for a spare part for one of the lads.
Al B sorts us all out and guides us to not one but a few dealers - mission accomplished and we get on our way to Chantilly.
Next stop is the Armistice Memorial in the Compiegne Forest. Theres a small museum there inside of which you can see the carriage used for the signing of the German surrender to the French (and us) in 1918 and the French surrender (but not us) to the Germans in 1940.
Or rather you can’t… but they don’t tell you that until you’ve paid your couple of Euros to get in. This is because Hitler nicked the original coach and dragged it back to Berlin, where it got burned. The coach in the museum is ‘a very similar one’. This is told to you after you’ve listened to about ten minutes of audio commentary telling you what a wonderful place in history the coach occupies.
Anyway don’t let it put you off, you can half close your eyes and pretend it’s the real thing, and the museum, after saying all that, is worth the entrance fee.
Next stop Laon, and we're staying here for our last night of the trip. The hotel is on the outskirts, and the town centre is on a hilltop so we roll out the bikes and get up there for a look around, something to eat and then back to the hotel for a beer or two.
 |
| Al B looking pleased with himself after leading a mystery tour around Paris backstreets. |
 |
| They didn't invite us in for lunch so it was sandwiches beside the moat at Chantilly |
Or rather you can’t… but they don’t tell you that until you’ve paid your couple of Euros to get in. This is because Hitler nicked the original coach and dragged it back to Berlin, where it got burned. The coach in the museum is ‘a very similar one’. This is told to you after you’ve listened to about ten minutes of audio commentary telling you what a wonderful place in history the coach occupies.
Anyway don’t let it put you off, you can half close your eyes and pretend it’s the real thing, and the museum, after saying all that, is worth the entrance fee.
Next stop Laon, and we're staying here for our last night of the trip. The hotel is on the outskirts, and the town centre is on a hilltop so we roll out the bikes and get up there for a look around, something to eat and then back to the hotel for a beer or two.
 |
| Parking up just outside the Laon town walls |
 |
| Our view of Laon from the hotel room...... |
 |
| .....but it gets better when you get up there |
Friday, 24 May 2013
Across the water day 6
Heading for Paris today and the plan is to dump the gear at the hotel in Vitry sur Seine then get on the train into the centre for a bit of sightseeing.
Its about 15:00 ish when we get to the digs and the plan works getting off the train near the Louvre for about 16:30.
Its about 15:00 ish when we get to the digs and the plan works getting off the train near the Louvre for about 16:30.
 |
| We found a big roundabout with this in the middle |
 |
A couple of hours seeing the sights and back on the train to the hotel via a 'turkish' bar for few nightcaps.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Across the water day 5
On the move again and for a change the weathers not too bad - dry initially for a trip over to Geneva via the Lac de Vouglans, over the dam and up the Col de la Faucille.
The top of the Col de la Faucille is a bit grim with abandoned buildings etc, a really cheerless place, but the sun is still out, so all is fine.
Down from the mountains and into Geneva and park up next to the Jet d'eau. Coffee and ice cream and then a wander over to the fountain which was 85m high today according to the measuring thingummy you looked through.
Clouds are coming in and the rain returns, so situation normal for this trip then. We're going along the lakeside road to Nyon and then cross country to St George and heading over the Col du Marchairuz to Le Brassus. Going over the top of the Col, the fun really started when it starting snowing heavily - not recommended on a bike going down hairpin bends constantly wiping snow from your visor. One thing in our favour is that its not freezing, only around 3 to 4 degrees so the snow is falling but not settling - its still bloody wet though and running water all over the road to boot.
We have about 40 minutes of this snow that eventually turns back to heavy rain with the drop in altitude, and we miss the view of the two forts on the way into Pontarlier as they were hidden in the deluge.
We're stopping for the night in Pontarlier, and its a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet and a few beers before bed.
We've had it all today - sunshine and dry roads on the twisties along Lac Vouglans, cloudy but dry up the first Col, overcast in Geneva, snow on the second col, and heavy rain into Pontarlier. Four seasons in a day I think the saying goes.
 |
| Sunshine & blue skies by Lac de Vouglans - we'll pay for it later!! |
 |
| We pass a waterfall by the side of the road- this one by the sign is not very impressive |
 |
| This one behind the sign and further to the right has a bit more going for it |
The top of the Col de la Faucille is a bit grim with abandoned buildings etc, a really cheerless place, but the sun is still out, so all is fine.
Down from the mountains and into Geneva and park up next to the Jet d'eau. Coffee and ice cream and then a wander over to the fountain which was 85m high today according to the measuring thingummy you looked through.
Clouds are coming in and the rain returns, so situation normal for this trip then. We're going along the lakeside road to Nyon and then cross country to St George and heading over the Col du Marchairuz to Le Brassus. Going over the top of the Col, the fun really started when it starting snowing heavily - not recommended on a bike going down hairpin bends constantly wiping snow from your visor. One thing in our favour is that its not freezing, only around 3 to 4 degrees so the snow is falling but not settling - its still bloody wet though and running water all over the road to boot.
We're stopping for the night in Pontarlier, and its a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet and a few beers before bed.
We've had it all today - sunshine and dry roads on the twisties along Lac Vouglans, cloudy but dry up the first Col, overcast in Geneva, snow on the second col, and heavy rain into Pontarlier. Four seasons in a day I think the saying goes.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Across the water day 4
A tour around the Jura region local to Lons-le-Saunier is on the cards today and its wet yet again, but not as heavy as previous days and it even stops for a while.
Not far is the Cirque de Baume, a dramatic gorge with the village of Baume-les-Messieurs at the bottom.
Attractions in and near the village include the Abbey, where we inappropriately preached from the pulpit and took confession
Not far is the waterfall, which was quite spectacular given the amount of rain fallen, and some caves. We gave the caves a miss - there was an entrance charge after all
Onwards and a visit to some more gorges and lakes. A stop for lunch at a pizzeria followed by a mystery tour up a track that hadn't seen much traffic recently judging by the grass growing up the middle - a mountain bike probably the best form of transport and we have one casualty who goes literally off road into a field and comes out minus a mirror and with dented pride.
Not far is the Cirque de Baume, a dramatic gorge with the village of Baume-les-Messieurs at the bottom.
Attractions in and near the village include the Abbey, where we inappropriately preached from the pulpit and took confession
 |
| Abbey |
 |
| Gospel according to St Mike |
 |
| Knock knock .....Who's there? |
 |
| 10th century abbey of St Peter |
 |
| Waterfall in a quite spectactular mood given all the rain in the last couple of days |
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Across the water day 3
There was me laughing my bollocks off at Nige & Steve's Scotland trip last week being done virtually underwater and they say what goes round comes round and guess what - its raining again. We're on our way to Lons-le-Saunier at the foot of the Jura, and the plan is to stay for two nights and have a run around the area.
So from Verdun its a virtual straight line south through Neufchateau, Langres & Dole to Lons le Saunier
Dinner tonight is a walk into town with a few beers in some bars afterwards. Like most French towns, everything seems to shut after nine, but we find a bar thats open late but so do most of the towns dodgier drinking clientele and its a bit of a rough old dive but o.k for all that.
Its a run around the local area tomorrow and I guess its going to be wet.
So from Verdun its a virtual straight line south through Neufchateau, Langres & Dole to Lons le Saunier
 |
| Lunch stop in the Middle of Langres You will note it is still wet. |
 |
| Dole looks like this.....in the wet. |
 |
| Dodgy drinkers in Lons le Saunier |
 |
| Makes a change to be getting wet on the inside on this trip. Large Kronenbourg sil vous plait. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)