May well do once I start planning proper
This is what we got up to.....
Day 1
We took this route from
Four Elms - Passy Grigny
Boarding the train.
Arriving in France
Let the riding commence
Overnight stop at Ferme le Temple B&B
Out the front
Day 2
We took this route
Passy Grigny - Reims Race Track - Bubble Hotel
Waiting at Reims Race Track for Waki, Lost and Yogi to arrive from the UK
They arrive to temperatures of 36c
Heading off on some nice roads
Pete and Kate look surprised at the lunch stop
The minor roads heading East usually single track and a little bumpy but good fun all the same
After and awesome last 15 miles on a fantastic road, we arrive at the bubble hotel
Checking the place out
Pete and Kate in their Bubble and about to take a shower
BOOBIES !!!
Top of the Bubble Hotel Bar
Day 3
We head down to the Swiss Alps using this route
Bubble Hotel - Lauterbrunnen
Paula
Vanessa
Svita
Lost
Waiting to go
The Bubble Hotel's biking mascot
The girls pose for a photo in the Vosges mountains
We have to say goodbye to Vanessa and Paula
Big Box & Little Box practice their moves before heading to Ibiza
Off to the heart of the Vosges Mountains
Waki on his bike
Just short of the Swiss Border
A high speed overtake
We hit the Swiss Motorways
and Tunnels
Exiting the tunnel in hope of a good view, we weren't dissapointed
The mountains looked amazing
Being 38c a dip in Lake Thun seemed like a good idea
Yes Kate... This really is the Jaungfrau Region
Fook me it's cold !!! Breath in......
and relax
Nice view of the mountains and paragliders from H(.)(.)TERS 8)
Day 4
Leaving Waki, Lost and Svita in Lauterbrunnen for the week, this was the route the Dolomites Group took
Lauterbrunnen - San Carlo
Looks like a good place to stop
A hearty Rosti breakfast in Murren.... perfect
Happier to be catching the train this year guys ???
Left Lauterbrunnen and heading up the Grimsel Pass
The Grimsel Dam
Now the Furka Pass
Time for a cuddle
A marmot gets in on the action
Heading down the Furka pass
More Furkin than Furka !!!
In to a tunnel and then up the Oberaalp Pass with its amazing sweepers
We arrive in Italy
and finally at Hotel San Carlo
Day 5
We set off for the Dolomites using this route
San Carlo - Arabba
Heading up the Stelvio Pass
Looking promising
We soon discover that the Italian hairpins can be really tight !!!
Top of the Stevio at 2700m
Looking down at the route ahead
Time for a group photo
and a breather at hairpin 46 on the East side
A chance to look back at the mountains
The awesome Jaufen Pass
In to the mist and it keeps getting better
Is that the Dolomites that Pete sees in his mirror?
Arrival at out Arabba Hotel.... complete with bikers garage and tools
Day 6
Duncan headed of to do the Grossglockner in Austria via my suggested route
Arabba - Grossglockner - Zell am See - Arabba The rest of us opted for a less intense tour 109 mile tour of the Dolomites.
Smiling faces and relieved bottoms
Yup that's Madam
The awesome Sella Ronda
Time for a bike pic
Looking back down the Passo Selva
Yogi on his way up
Misty and majestic
Day 7
Headed off to Venice using this route
Arabba - Venice via Passo di San Boldo Tunnels
An early start....
We arrive at Venice
We melt seamlessly in with our surroundings !!!
I acquire a new friend
Madam tries on a mask...... spooky
Feeding time for young Pete
The Grand Canal
Time for a rest
Please Mister... can I go on the gondola.. can I huh huh can I ???
Just one Cornetto.....
Almost romantic
The famous Rialto Bridge
Casonova's house
Nice frescos dude....
St Marks Square
A chance to cool off in the Adriatic
Madam in St Marks Square again
Chance for a post proposal snog
Nice colour contrast and composition for the art lovers out there
The scary San Boldo Pass hairpin tunnels
You can have no idea of how narrow or tight the bends are until you have done these...
Six hairpins stacked one on top of the other !!!
Day 8
Duncan set off on his own to do this route
Arabba - 15 Passes in a Day the rest of us did a big chunk of the passes and then ventured east of Cortina to do a couple more.... thus avoiding the torrential rain that hit Duncan :lbh:
Strange types, these mountain dwelling folk ???
Pete pointed out that there was a strange goat wearing sunglasses
and it head stuck through a wall
and its arse hanging out the other side.... oh and it's was wearing a skirt..... I didn't believe him and still don't !!!
More tunnels
Our favorite little refuge at Malga Ciapella
Mean and moody
and fookin cold
Valley of the boulders
Looking back at the Sella Ronda Massive
Last time I saw that pose, I was dressed up as Santa and dancing with Athos
Pete on a rock
Day 9
Time to head back home following this route
Sat 28th Aug (Arabba - Sergonazano Piramidi - San Carlo)
As it was a beautifully clear morning, we decided to head up the Arabba Cable Car before we left the Dolomites
The view was simply amazing !!!
The Marmolada Glacier
and surrounding peaks
So it seemed a good opportunity for a photo call...
but wait..... someone is missing ???
No not Duncan.... he was having a high altitude
oo:
Yes.... Ola wanted in....
No Yogi.... the camera photographs us, not you photograph the camera
:
Yogi and Ola took a real shine to each other
Unfortunately, altitude can do funny things to a lady and she needed to have a sit down in the cable car operators seat
The church at Arabba
One last glance at our hotel before we left.
Yogi kindly offers to look after Ola on the ride to San Carlo
The Sergonazano Piramidi was an interesting place to stop... quite odd what erosion can do...
The boulders protect the loose rock from underneath getting eroded. You can see how they form on the cliff edge to the right :spex:
Pretty amazing really and a fun trip on through a mountain village to get there
Time for yet another cuddle
: :lol:
and a bike photo
and another one
The utterly awesome and brilliant Paso Gavia just got better and beter.... sheer drops and countless hairpins
Did someone mention barriers?
A giant marmot
The road starts to break up
high altitude twisties
Majestic views
And a final meal at San Carlo
PS...... I would like to thank Kate for all the 'on bike' photos which have also been included amongst my own pics to make this compilation possible :airkiss:
Now for some more pics...
Lucern
The bridge at lucern
The Jungfrau and Silberhorn at sunset
The waterfall at Lauterbrunnen
Looking up the Layterbrunnen vallay
The Eiger and the Monch
Hello
My new friends
Nosey
What's you looking at?
Jungfrau and Silberhorn through the trees
An attractive moth
OK last couple of days at Lauterbrunnen so went to Gruyeres yesterday.... well worth a visit for many reasons
Rode down the Simmental Valley and over the Juan Pass.... a lovely pass if taken at a relaxed pace :biker:
Arrived at the Cailler Chocolate Factory (Part of the Nestle group)
It would have been rude not to go in and inspect the raw products........
and the 'work in progress ones'
OMG :dribble: :choc1:
Yup........... help yourself !!!!!!!!
Got to confess that I only managed a lame 24 out of 27
I must also confess that I would have managed all 27 if I hadn't been eating all the noisette ones from the earlier machine :lol:
Then off with bloated tummy for the uphill walk to Gruyeres....
Nice Chateau
Then the H.R. Gigger museum... he is a Swiss surrealist artist who was famous for the special effects on the Alien movie.....
Pretty weird stuff.... no wonder Va Va and Crazy Horse raved about it
hmmm...
Inside the Giger Bar............ would have expected to see more goths in here...
Oh hang on.... goth orange is the new black...
and finally some Gruyeres cheese........... well 7000 to be exact 8)
We had a good return trip to the UK via Reims.... never thought I would enjoy Motorway but after 3000+ miles of mountain twisties the occasional use of the two lane motorways on the way home was a rare treat
:lol:
We've always wanted to see Reims Cathedral and Paula's pics from her and Vanessa's return trip, clinched it for us, so we cancelled the Bubble Hotel found a great place to stay in Reims centre.
Building started in the 11th Century and finished in the 14th Century
Famous as a gothic masterpiece and amazing sculptures can be found everywhere.
The stained glass windows are also spectacular and date from the 15th Century right up to 1970s
Even the flying buttresses are adorned with sculptures as well as being a technical marvel
Really enjoyed Reims and will do a weekend trip there at some point in the future as the twisty route to Reims from Calais on the way down was very good indeed. :kd:
