| France 2009 |
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Day One I left home (Bedford) at lunchtime to ride to Rye in Sussex. I wanted to be on the South Coast near to the Channel Tunnel Terminal so I didn't have to ride overnight before the long daytime ride through France. My brother agreed to let me stay the night at his house in Rye so I could be up early and take the short trip to Folkestone for the train through the Eurotunnel. I wanted to be in Calais by 8am for the long ride to Basel in Switzerland where I planned my second nights stay. This is the first time I've been on the Channel Tunnel and it was great - so much easier than a ferry! I was soon disembarking in Calais and heading south on the autoroute. I had about 470 miles to do and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of breaks. I arrived in Basel at about 4pm, which was perfect and found my hotel easily - the Dorint. A great hotel with loads of places to eat and drink nearby and underground car park for secure storage of the bike. Luckily I'd realised I needed a special vignette to ride on Swiss Motorways and had purchased it in advance, which saved me some hassle at the border. Day Two This was going to be one of the highlights of the trip as I rode from Basel in Switzerland, into Italy and onto the Stelvio Pass. The journey started with a bit of motorway riding (well I had to make the most of my vignette!) before turning left at Mastrils and heading straight into the Alps. The road from the motorway to Stelvio was awesome. Don't let your satnav persuade you to stop at Klosters and get the car train to Sagliains (on the Vereina line) via the 19km Vereina Tunnel. If you do you'll miss the best bits! The long, fast sweeping bends, tight hairpins and stunning views that melted away my tiredness and any aches I had from two days in the saddle (I had ridden nearly 900 miles at this point!). Every motorcyclist has to ride this road at least once in their lifetime! I finally found myself crossing the border from Switzerland into Italy (through the amazing Lavigno Tunnel) and riding along the top of the dam at the Lago di Livigno (Munt la Schera). Once into Italy it was a relatively short ride to the start of the Stelvio Pass and the amazing ride up (film is in three parts 1 : 2 : 3). At the top I found my hotel - the Albergo Quarto Pirovano - which turned out to be adequate. I think it was more Ski School accommodation than luxury hotel with its plastic garden chairs in the dining room and plastic table clothes! However, being a ski resort the hotel was suitable for bikers and I was able to put my bike in the garage next to the ski store (and, had it been raining, I would have had ample space to dry riding gear, etc.). Day Three This was the day I was looking forward to most - when I could ride on the Stelvio Pass proper! All 48 hairpin bends! Staying in a hotel at the top meant I could be one of the first on the pass before the daytime traffic arrived. So my first ride down was traffic free and, with the weather being perfect again, I was able to make the most of the experience (film is in two parts 1 : 2 ). It was an exhilarating ride and with 48 hairpins you can really perfect the technique after a while!! The road surface is generally ok with no major surprises, but it does get bumpy in places! It only takes half an hour or so each way so you can play as many times as you've got time for! I spent the morning and some of the early afternoon just going up and down the pass before I headed off to Bormio to explore the area a bit more. Day Four It was time to leave the Pass and travel on into France to Briancon. I only stayed one night here but should have stayed more and explored the hills in this region. I passed through this area before when I rode the Route Napolean so I know there are lots of good roads in the area! The hotel was good and the town beautiful. The ride from Stelvio to Briancon was better after I entered France. The Italian side was a rather choked up A road. Day Five/Six From Briancon I headed to the South Coast at Montpellier. The weather was still being kind to me and I rode in glorious sunshine all the way down via Avignon. The hotel (Kyriad Prestige) appeared, at first sight, to be a fairly uninspiring building on an industrial estate. However, once inside, it was a top notch business hotel. Not suitable for families (which was a plus as far as I was concerned) but very comfortable and high class. The underground garage meant my bike was secure. The most memorable thing was the restaurant. The food was outstanding and the staff impeccable and professional. I spent two nights here so I could explore old haunts along the coast (like Vias, Sete and Beziers), which I did the next day. I also did a ride out inland around Montpellier and the roads were superb. Long sweeping bends (quite refreshing after the hairpins of the Alps!). Again, I found myself riding over old routes I'd done in the past around St Chinian. Day Seven/Eight/Nine Day 7 saw me heading north to visit my daughter, Claire, in Sarlat. This took me over the Millau Bridge (done that before too!) on the autoroute before leaving that and heading west across country. The roads were superb and the day disappeared into one long "Sunday rideout" of corners, views and speed! I soon arrived at La Palombiere and met up with Claire. Most of the time in Sarlat was used catching up with Claire and exploring the area by car and bike around Bergerac. I also identified a problem with the bike which turned out to be a loose battery connection. Day Ten On day ten I left Sarlat for the return home. First leg of the journey was to the West coast town of La Rochelle, which turned out to be surprisingly nice with fantastic restaurants and shops! The hotel was another business one in the Best Western Group - but was perfectly comfortable - The Masque Hotel. Day Eleven From La Rochelle it was a blast up the autoroute to Rouen, and the start of something out of a comedy as we struggled to find the hotel in the maze of one way streets and pedestrian areas!! The hotel (The Mercure Rouen Centre Cathedrale) was 'interesting' and did the job! Nicely situated near the city centre but a nightmare to find! Day Twelve The final leg of the journey was Rouen to Calais, through the Eurotunnel and back home - 2,600 miles but every one of them brilliant! |
