Yesterday, I bushwhacked into a space near a giant lake. The tree branches above me made a wonderful archedcanopy and the ivy vines around me made a soft bed. I passed out almost immediatly, but my spot was so secluded, there wasn’t a chance of anyone ever seeing me. I could have stayed for days… Continue reading…
Last night, I was trying to make up time, so I was riding late. At around 22:30, it started raining. I was on a fairly busy road with a shoulder that kept disappearing. I decided to ditch it, as riding at night in th rain is my limit. I happened upon a forest and a Continue reading…
Last night, I savauged it in the absolute middle of the town of Bois d’Amont (I think) next to a bunch of camping cars that were obviously parked there. I see this a lot, where camping cars are just suspiciously parked in the center of the ville with windows covered in reflector stuff and it’s Continue reading…
Oh, there it is. Yesterday was a wash. I went about 60km absolutely dead. The day before though, I did the Marmotte ride. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Marmotte From Wikipedia: La Marmotte is one of the toughest one-day cycling events in the world. The route is 174 km long, but features more than 5180 metres of climbing. The event Continue reading…
Sorry, no time for a *real* post, since I can’t find an outlet in this place, but I’m in Aix Les-Bains, en route to Basel, Switzerland. Cheers,
I’m currently outside the office d’tourisme in Bourg d’Oisans, at the foot of the legendary, alp d’huez, nicking their wi-fi and checking up on things – like ya do. It’s too sunny and my battery too low and a full load of excuses to tell, but yesterday’s ride was one ofo the most exhilarating of Continue reading…
Yesterday, at around 21:00, I decided to just stay where I was. I scoped the town and found a McDUH and a Decathlon. One can get my on the intarweb, the other… a new wheel? The old one was on its last legs – imaging pedaling, but not having the wheel engage for about one Continue reading…
Hmm. I lied, here’s some photos from the little camera – the big camera has Arles stuff but it takes forever and a day to upload (And sort and all). Yesterday night, the encampment was covered in… snails! Which are everywhere, after dark. I kill about a thousand a day on the road – you’re Continue reading…
Yesterday, I scanned around Arles – I read they have a little tour of the places Van Gogh painted – there’s a reprint of the painting, right next to where he might have stood. This was sort of fun, but there really were only two places that actually still exist that you can see – Continue reading…
Well, yesterday it was a full month of touring. I’ve gone from Paris, to Brest, Amboise, Sarlat, Bordeaux, Spain, the Pyrenees and now I’m a day or two to Nice and then, well Italy. Current mileage is: 3742.4 km (2,325 miles) Current mood is, stressed out at French tourists (and a really bad place to Continue reading…
Hello Everyone, It’s an overcast day today – and the last few days have been a bit rainy, but I’m a good boyscout that has cut their teeth while pleasure cruising off the coast of New England, so it’s no worries. This morning, I camped a few km from the Pont du Gard and that Continue reading…
Last night, I slept in a wooded area, after riding around 200km from around Lannemezan. That night, I spent in a cemetery, right next to a crypt and a giant church, with even giant..er bells gonging every 25 minutes. That day was around 100km, but included 2 mountain passes. I am pretty much spent, so Continue reading…
Cyber Cafes are so cool, since they almost live up to what I’m supposed to think they are, after reading Snow Crash. For example, I can be traveling in a foreign country by bicycle, sleep in the woods, visit a 400 year old cathedral – and then, go down an alleyway and hook up my Continue reading…
Three mountain passes yesterday: Don’t have much internet time, but they were extremely steep and it was extremely warm. In a nutshell. Taking a break today and have two more HUGE passes tomorrow and then I’m out of the Pyrenees. Sad. Yesterday, there was a freak rain storm that collapsed my tent, and some of Continue reading…
And, quickly – on the border between France and Spain, 50 meters before a mountain pass, I found a center for contemporary sculpture and architecture – And here’s the sign to the place – my guess is that it’s in the Basque language, which is amazing to think that such an old culture has such Continue reading…
While I’m still here, Some strange Basque signage: It’s a Basque Swastika made out of Jai alai Baskets. The Basque culture, like MANY cultures uses a swastika like symbol – no sure exactly what the basque type means. “Jai Alai” (or the basque term for the same game” means, “Merry Game”. I see a lot Continue reading…
Whoops! Broke a spoke not 20 minutes after ending the last post. I was in traffic in Centre Ville and I was waiting for a light. I started pedaling and, “Crack!” That’s it. Sheesh. All fixed now, just recharging batteries and then, onward. I guess every 1500km, expect a broken spoke. Wish me luck!
Hello Everyone, A couple of days ago, I pushed into Spain! Crossing the border gave me the sense of being knocked out and not knowing my name. Again. One side of a river – France, the other: Spain and it’s a totally different world. I went west until I hit a part of the road Continue reading…
After getting off the internetcom’s yesterday, I found a campsite and made camp and picked up a flier for… bull games! Think a bull fight – but they don’t kill the poor thing. Most excellent, I thought, but the problem was, you get tickets at the tourist office, and they were probably about to close Continue reading…
So, I freakin’ turn the corner in the road and it’s Southern California. I park my bike next to a sand dune and an ice cream shop, pass the surf school stand and up a bluff and I see this: LE MER! The scene looks like San Diego, except the water is warmer and not Continue reading…
And a small note to say that you all rule and thank you for all your help (however small) I’m in McDUH, and JUSTICE comes on the radio, which is funny enough. I almost bought their CD at the hypermarche I just passed to give to Shannon, just to have the French pricing but thought, Continue reading…
Hello Everyone, I’m somewhere between Bergerac and Bordeaux, France, heading toward Bordeaux, with not much interest in checking out the city. I’m hoping South of Bordeaux will be beautiful. The current scenery is dismal. Yesterday was a day off! From cycling and I took the opportunity to get up really bright and early and get Continue reading…
Hello everyone, I’m in Amboise at the moment, taking a much-needed rest. The “half day” ride I thought I was having turned into quite a long, “full day” – about 160m at around 24km/hour, as I was trying to beat the setting sun. Such speeds aren’t what I’m trying to go for, and I’m def. Continue reading…
Well, good news, I couldn’t have picked a better place in France to break down. Slept about a block away from where I’m typing this, although there’s (I find now) a million campsites in town. I slept in a wheat field – terribly hard to get the stakes in the ground – the ground itself Continue reading…
Ne marche pas. Ne marche pas. Ne marche pas. That is the theme for today. I’m heading Southeast towards Angers, but I have no interest in *going* to Angers, so I pick a route that goes around. No problem. Just turn off that one road. Road never comes and bang – I’m in the middle Continue reading…