Archive for May, 2007
Sunday, May 13th, 2007
91km Cendras - St Gineys en Coiron
Our pick of camping spots do tend to be on the rough side. The ground we picked this time in a field full of overgrown grass was a good hiding spot but a little bumpy, making for a night of rolling to one side or the other but never the most comfortable part of the mattress. Ah well, a coffee in the morning solves all things. Just as we got most things packed up it started to spit rain a little. Considering yesterdays hot weather, it was a welcome relief. As we entered the Ardeche the quiet, very rural countryside gave way to campgrounds and towns packed with tourists. What must this area be like in the summer? One of the obvious tourist hot spots was a bar with an English-pub style sign and the name Chelsea but a logo with the cartoon characters Tin-Tin and Snowy and an advertisement for German beer. A little confused, but it probably stops a wide range of tourists! (more…)
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, France, Journal Entries by friedel
Saturday, May 12th, 2007
90km Estelle to Cendras
If a day starts with a long downhill run, it can’t be bad. That’s our theory anyway so today was going to be an excellent one as soon as we hopped on our bikes and cruised down the valley. We were sad to leave our friends Yves & Ingrid (it will probably be several years before we see them again) but at the same time excited to be on our way to see more friends, Bert & Patricia, at their home in the beautiful Ardeche region of France. We’d been there last in November and promised to come back. Over 8,000km later we have now nearly completed our round trip. A quick stop in Vigan for groceries (no, we never seem to stop eating on this trip), a more or less flat cruise into Ganges and then the real work began: lots of little climbs through a twisty mountain road. It was turning out to be a very hot day so we took lots of breaks, first for cold drinks at a cafe and then we just sat in the shade under a tree for about an hour. We have to learn to do this more as summer brings warmer weather. In fact, we learned our bikes make pretty comfortable props for afternoon dozing. Andrew laid down with his feet up on the front wheel and fell asleep, while Friedel sat down and leaned her head against the back panniers and also was soon in dream land. This probably looked pretty funny to the car drivers going past and we would have taken a picture but that’s kind of hard to do when you’re asleep. Late in the evening we rolled into the city of Ales. Our map says there should be a campground here but we didn’t see any signs so we headed for another one a few kilometers away. That one also turned out to be closed so a field became our home for the night. The freedom of cycling, you can stop wherever you want.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, France, Journal Entries by friedel
Saturday, May 12th, 2007
Fun with friends
It’s such a treat to have a break from our bikes and the last few days with our friends Ingrid and Yves have been heaven. What’s this…. a real bed? It’s a bit like that when you’ve spent most of the last eight months in a tent. Little things count for a lot. Ingrid and Yves don’t do much by halves though so of course we didn’t just sleep in their house, but also feasted on fantastic food, drank far too much wine, saw a few of the local sights (the stunning canyon that is the Cirque de Navacelles) and generally laughed a lot and slept too little. Who has time for sleep when you’re having fun? Thanks so much to both of you. For everyone out there reading this, watch out for this couple as they shortly begin pedalling their way north through Sweden! We hope to see them next in Australia, a good incentive for us to keep pushing east.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, France, Random Ramblings by friedel
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
An audio flashback to Pamplona
With all the rain the last few days, we had enough time to put together our latest radio show, and even a few hours of sunshine where we were able to record it without the sound of water falling in the background! We hope you enjoy this interview that takes us back to Pamplona, where we spent a very enjoyable day in Aitor and Ibon’s bicycle shop. First we talk to Ibon and then to Txibi, someone who has travelled widely both by bike and on foot. The show is a bit longer than normal, but we felt their thoughts on bicycles and touring were well worth sharing.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, Radio Shows, Spain by friedel
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007
67km St Jean d’Alcapiès to Estelle
The sun finally made an appearance today. It’s no exaggeration to say we were thrilled! We barely noticed the weather before this trip. If it was raining we just took an umbrella along and hurried to work or home. Now the sun, or lack of it, really makes a difference to not only how far we go but how we feel every day. With the sun on our backs this morning we rolled through rural backroads, not far at all from where the famous Roquefort blue cheese is made. All through the region sheep filled the green fields, producing milk to make the cheese, and in the distance we saw the cliffs with their caves where the cheese is aged. The local cheese industry means there are a few more trucks than normal on these country roads, collecting milk from the various farms and taking it to Roquefort to be transformed. A few times we felt squeezed: a bike plus a truck makes for a tight fit on the twisty, narrow route. We lunched in La Couvertoirade, perhaps the only French town or village in the whole country where it’s impossible to buy bread! (more…)
