RBR 27/7/09

Dragged the Pan out for a 308 mile trip in the rain to bag 4 landmarks in Norfolk, Cambs,
Beds for the Round Britain Rally. This is the third year I've done this. It's a really good excuse for a ride out throughout the year, taking you to places you perhaps wouldn't think of going to and seeing alot of hidden corners of the UK as you do so. Can't show the actual landmarks as
it's against the rally rules until it finishes in November, but the attached pics
are in the vicinity of some and on route.

Top to Bottom;

Wet corner in Castle Rising near King's Lynn.

The War Memorial in Elveden Forest right next to the A11. Said to be the tallest war memorial in Suffolk, it is situated where the parishes of Elveden, Eriswell and Icklingham meet. Regulars to Center Parcs will know it well (even if they don't know what it is!!)

Old village lock-up in Harrold, Bedfordshire. Apparently from 1824 for chucking the drunks and other petty criminals into - judging from the empty bottles on the nearby green when I was there, it looks like it should be put to use again.

This post was done from my Iphone but the problem with using the 'sharing' function for attaching photos on the phone using email is that the resolution gets reduced down to 800x600. (double click on a pic and see what I mean compared to pics in the Alps posts) Apparently to upload full resolution photos you copy and paste into the email - the downside being it then makes the email a larger file and thus longer to send. You can 'share' up to 5 photos in one email, or copy and paste as much as you like. Did a few tests and the time to send with full resolution pics is longer but inconsequential unless every second counts in your life.

Another test, Pic sent by email from iPhone - It works!!!!!!

Got a new toy

Trying out Doing an entry with my new iPhone!
Still trying to work out how to upload pics from the phone itself. You have to email or mms them to the blog!! Have got to set that up yet.

Alps 2009 Tuesday 23rd June - Back to Blighty

Well, we're back. Left Briancon 07:30 and arrived back in Lincoln 21:15 - 848 miles, 13 hours driving, 2 hours stopped for fuel & tunnel, average 65mph.
Tunnel booking was for 18:20, we got there 17:45 and went virtually straight on.
Steve did a few more miles than Al on the way home - we normally turn north on the M11 at J27 of the M25, but apparently he hasn't been south on the M11 from there and decided tonight was the night for seeing something new!!! Al gave up waiting at Stortford services and we made our own way home.

Overall an excellent trip, weather could not be bettered.

• All the hotels we stayed at we'd use again and we'll certainly be back to the Residence de Temple & Spirit Bar in Briancon.
• Total miles 2744 and about 25 passes with Col Agnel the favourite.
• We also found out once again that 850 miles days are possible but not something you want to do every day, but worth it to gain that extra day in the mountains.
• You can't beat tesco clubcard tokens to book the Channel Tunnel - cost us £1 cash and £15 worth of tokens for a £61 return ticket booked about a month in advance.
• You can turn off on the A16 at Eurotunnel in France and be on the M20 in England 65 minutes later.
  

Doesn't look too happy to be going home?

On our way

Alps 2009 Monday 22nd June - Last day & miles galore

The bar next door didn't shut till 06:00 this morning, but that didn't stop us getting on the road for 09:30. We weren't drinking in that bar may have something to do with it. Drunks were littering the churchsteps when the cleaning lady turned up at 07:00 but that's how it goes - it was a special occasion and you make the most of it.
An early check of the pass status website shows Col Agnel now open so thats a must. Today we went back over Col d'Izoard,the into Italy via Col Agnel which was probably the best of the trip. Once in Italy, along the road to Casteldelfino where we stopped for a coffee at a petrol station/coffee shop/old folks home/sex emporium. Three archetypal Italian old fellas already half cut, drinking wine and taking the piss out of us at 11 in the morning, but very nice with it (we think).


Turned off this road on what eventually seemed to be a footpath with grass growing up the middle!! Apparently it's the Colle di Sampeyre, and well worth the trip up for the all round panaoramic views at the top. Down the other side (which is marginally better) and a run in with the law at Stroppo!!!!

Steve was the guilty party - he had blocked in the local Chief of Police's cruiser with his bike and resolutely refused to move -shouting "you'll never take me alive copper". (actually we pulled up behind a Fiat punto and a very nice man in a police uniform asked us if we would be long as he needed to be somewhere else shortly).

After that, around Cuneo and back over the Col de la Lombarde again (it was sleeting at the top, 8c), over the Col de Bonnette (again - but this time it seemed even better 17c), and then towards Col de Vars (again - but this time it was shut 'till 18:00 so we had to wait behind a chain barrier), then back to Briancon via N94 - 251 miles all in.

Briancon on a Monday night resembles a town that has recently suffered a germ warfare attack - no living souls on the streets after 19:00 - or perhaps they had all been in next doors bar all last night.
Thank goodness the bar at the digs was open and friendly and we'll certainly be back.





Col Agnel


Steve as Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music!!


Miserable git wants to know why we've stopped

Alps 2009 Sunday 21st June - into the Vercors

We're within 50 feet of the biggest church in town and it doesn't seem to have bells - how lucky is that? We actually got a bit of a lie in.
Today we covered 250 miles having a look around the area south of Grenoble. Went through Gap on the way,then up the Route Napoleon to Poligny and then up the Col du Noyer, over Col (Uncle) du Festre, and over to Veynes and heading for Col de Grimone , Gorges des Gats (this has manicured hedges along the roadside - topiary is practised in these parts according to Steve, I thought he was being rude)
Col de Menee was next which didn't have more than 20 meters of straight road on it on the North side - we couldn't stop grinning for ages.
Through Clelles and Mens to la Mure over the Col d'Orno and a blast along the N91 from Bourg d'Oisans to Briancon. The area around Mens is smooth tarmac and fast sweeping bends - so a mecca for literally hundreds of sportsbike riders and you get to witness the craziest overtaking manouvers and hard braking into corners and scratching as only the French bikers can do.
Overall, the Drome area is very scenic - woods and valleys etc with single lane roads and nice and quiet. Worth another visit.
Things we found out today - Don't let air out of your tyres on top of a mountain without some means of pumping them up again. Don't trust anyone elses pressure gauge without a calibration certificate. Don't eat raw chicken. Always check your bar bill as you may have been undercharged and will no doubt wish to inform the bar of their error. Jazz gets on your tits.
(To make this all clear, we had a dodgy bbq whilst a local jazz band played and didn't get asked to pay for all that we drank in one of the bars!!!!)

Alps 2009 Saturday 20th June

What is it with French towns - church bells again at 07:00 plus someones bike alarm going off for 10 minutes,, then the bin men followed by street sweeper - on a Saturday? Als up and showered by 07:45, Steves pretending to be asleep and eventually rouses himself shortly after. We're last out for breakfast and the old biddys have to relay the table with much French muttering. Come to think of it the yoghurt didn't taste the freshest. We're off to the Col d'Izoard then Combe du Queyras gorge, Col de Vars, then over the Col de Larche to what seems the arse end of Italy (it was horrible),but ten miles down the road it improved. The turn off for the Col de la Lombarde was just before Vinadio, and this col was one of the best so far - sneaky little road and a nice detour up to Santuario de Santa Anna where we had a coffee and counted the crosses on all the peaks - some major religious activity in this area me thinks. However, the crosses didn't seem to work according to the amount of avalanche damage we saw on the way. Back into France and up the Col de la Bonnette and the Col de Restefond - the loop at the top of the Bonnette was still shut.( the Cime de la Bonette). There are several claims as to the highest tarmac pass in the Alps, but this one actually wins at 2802m, because the French cheated by building an otherwise useless loop above the actual pass. This actually makes the road another 87m above the real pass. There we met a Belgian guy (Eddie) by informing him his Pan's radiator was leaking. He already knew this, and then started to relate his numerous other misfortunes on this particular trip. We gradually kept backing away so that nothing would rub off on us - poor sod!!! Steve must have not got away quick enough as his clutch is staring to give a few problems. Back to Briancon and our luxury penthouse - Al knew his way to it, lets say Steve took the scenic route after trying to negotiate a roundabout english fashion, but then opted to follow Al along a foot path!!!



Col d'Izoard

Al doing riverdance at Col d'Izoard

It don't matter how many crosses you have, you still get all this crap on the road

Col de la Lombarde with proper GS in foreground


'Our' luxury apartment - two windows on right above the bar