Cycling The Pyrenees and Andorra
The final hurdle from France to Spain.
The “Hardships” of Cycle Touring
The fact that I was in my tent was the only reason it didn’t blow all the way back to Switzerland.
From Rags to Riches (and back to rags)
A bicycle tour is what you make it. You can sleep in fancy hotels, or camp out on the beach.
Rhineland, Saarland and the French German Border
I found myself at the start of last week stranded in the small city of Trier in West Germany for a couple of days, near Luxembourg, until the rain finally lifted. I’d pitched my tent on a scenic hill overlooking the city, just behind a hedge, next to a church. It was so well hidden…
Paris to Luxembourg
One road. No turns. Great countryside. But lots of rain. After four excellent nights in Paris, I left on Friday morning, heading east towards Luxembourg. A few hours to break free from the urban metropolis of Paris and the landscape flared out once again into the beautiful French countryside with Autumn coloured sleepy villages –…
A bike tour within a bike tour
Yesterday I accompanied Dave to his work – a bicycle tour guide! Where we both have commutes through heavy traffic, I think my daily cycle to work was somewhat different to Dave’s. Mine – an old tram route across Glasgow, the most interesting sights probably being a small park, the murky waters of the river…
Paris
I think I’ve run out of luck with the sunshine. For the first time since I left Poland – over 3 months ago, it’s rained for 3 days straight. I’ve not had much luck with the roads on the way to Paris either. On Monday I found myself on a busy main road filled with…
Lyon
For the last few days, I’ve been in Lyon, the second largest city in France. It’s a really fresh city and rich in culture. And unlike Paris (so I’m told), it’s much easier to walk around. But it’s really no problem here anyway, because like a lot of the other cities in Europe they have…
Cycle Touring Ho!
First things first, Saint Tropez is overcrowded and boring. Celebs have no taste these days. Anyway, the last few days I’ve made my way through epic thunderstorms, rain and yesterday a horrible headwind towards Lyon. But today it’s finally sunny! The lack of good weather has also made for a lack of good scenery, and…
The best campsite ever?
Currently cycling down the south coast of France, from Nice to Saint Tropez. Last night I found an epic cliff-side spot for wild camping, with a hidden beach below. Can you see the tent? Going to the toilet in the middle of the night was risky business!
Nice is nice
Yip, it’s officially the most terrible pun ever. ‘Nice’ is actually a really nice place. It’s one of the oldest human settlements in the world, dating to at least 300,000 years ago, and could be as old as 2 million. And it’s only been French for the last 150 years, previously belonging to Italy, which is…
Cycling Monaco and the French Riviera
Yesterday I cycled the 25km back to Monaco from Nice, pannier free, along the coastal road, instead of the main road. It was one of the best cycles I’ve ever experienced. Not only was it 27 degrees on a quiet Sunday but the surrounding coastline is simply amazing here. The road hugs the cliffs, gently…
From Italy to France
The last few days have been tough. Waking from Lake Garda, after a thunderstorm during the night, I cycled 165km (100 miles) per day to reach where I am now – Nice, in France. The first two days involved cycling across the most boring farmland plains of Northern Italy to reach Cuneo. The traffic was…