Don't turn back, I'm enjoying the report far too much. I suffered a shoulder injury a couple of months ago and I won't be able to ride again for the remainder of this year, so I enjoy reading about what you lads are up to. 
France. Again.
- Thread starter MikeO
- Start date
I'll swap you sitting on your arse since Wednesday cos some incompetent paperwork admin monkey wearing a badge & a Glock screwed up the paperwork, but wouldn't admit it until it was blindingly obvious & you're not getting your bike out of customs until Monday at the earliest, potentially screwing the trip right up
Still, worse things happen at sea
chad
Registered user
oh yes now we are talking 
keep at it mike Your mojo will return , just do it of us poor feckers stuck at home
keep at it mike Your mojo will return , just do it of us poor feckers stuck at home
Great photies.....was on a lot of those roads last week....I really should stop more and take pix....
Road surfacing here doesn't seem to have been a high priority.
For several decades.
Bit like the A47 then
I ride over the top of the Cormet de Roselend and descend one of the most scenic roads in the French Alps...
I'm liking the look of this road.
Found it on the map.
Good write up Mike
most ibis budgets after the rebrand seem to have those shower heads
mojo?? only cos its been a while?
bon voyage
dubster
Registered user
There's something very captivating about your report Mike, plus I must say the new bike looks no less than stunning! 
Please keep it coming
Please keep it coming
Great pictures, stunning scenery.
Regarding your mojo I fully sypmathise. The older I get the more often I wish I was back home when I'm away, no matter how perfect the holiday is in theory.
I've tried to figure out the feeling my self & cannot explain it. I should be having the the time of my life, I try to convince myself I am having the time of my life, but the truth is I yearn to be home. It's very odd & I do fully sympathise with you.
I am, however, throughly enjoying your trip so stick at it you selfish fecker.
Regarding your mojo I fully sypmathise. The older I get the more often I wish I was back home when I'm away, no matter how perfect the holiday is in theory.
I've tried to figure out the feeling my self & cannot explain it. I should be having the the time of my life, I try to convince myself I am having the time of my life, but the truth is I yearn to be home. It's very odd & I do fully sympathise with you.
I am, however, throughly enjoying your trip so stick at it you selfish fecker.
Here's the way back down...
...and here's what I decided not to attempt...
Yes,you couldn`t possibly expect an 1150 'Adventure' bike fitted with dual purpose tyres to deal with something like that,could you?
It needs something more suitable....perhaps the farmer`s wife`s Aixam or similar.
bob the grizz
Registered user
france
Seems you had some blue skies, had a trip across in France n P'nee's a couple of weeks ago w/c 17 June, it literally psssssed down for 7 of the 8 days, so good to see you had some decent weather, think I need to go back again
Seems you had some blue skies, had a trip across in France n P'nee's a couple of weeks ago w/c 17 June, it literally psssssed down for 7 of the 8 days, so good to see you had some decent weather, think I need to go back again
ps mount ferret - snort
Yes,you couldn`t possibly expect an 1150 'Adventure' bike fitted with dual purpose tyres to deal with something like that,could you?
It needs something more suitable....perhaps the farmer`s wife`s Aixam or similar.
I'm sure I could expect it to Tarka, although the tyres would be pretty useless in the mud that replaced the gravel beyond the treeline. But I'm not feeling at the top of my game at the moment, either mentally or physically, so I made the choice not to.
Stepping out of your safety zone, or becoming careless through complacency isn't a wise move. I would imagine this thought has taken the short walk across your mind in the last few weeks...
France
Hi
Came back from around that area last week,i was at and around lake annecy from 17th to the 22nd then onto black forest, Actually stayed at Le grand bornand in the foothills and at the start of col de la colombier, re your mo jo, on your own at least you can do what you want when you want,but you can get bored with your own company,i chat to everbody when i am away but with a few mates you can take the pee out of somebody who always makes a cock up on a bend, hairpin or whatever, just take your time to take in eveything around you,enjoy that scenery,kick back and think how lucky you are to be there,have a great and safe trip, I wish i was still there ,Went back to work today,now who is the lucky one
Dave
Hi
Came back from around that area last week,i was at and around lake annecy from 17th to the 22nd then onto black forest, Actually stayed at Le grand bornand in the foothills and at the start of col de la colombier, re your mo jo, on your own at least you can do what you want when you want,but you can get bored with your own company,i chat to everbody when i am away but with a few mates you can take the pee out of somebody who always makes a cock up on a bend, hairpin or whatever, just take your time to take in eveything around you,enjoy that scenery,kick back and think how lucky you are to be there,have a great and safe trip, I wish i was still there ,Went back to work today,now who is the lucky one
Dave
1st July 2013
I wake fairly early - the curtains here are muslin and the sun is shining directly onto the window. I have a shower and then pack up some stuff and stumble down to the garage...
...where I see a few more bikes arrived during the evening - all Germans (and one Swiss) - sorry about the quality of the pic - I only had my 'phone with me.
Right - Breakfast...
There is an excellent spread...
...but the kebab I ate last night means I only need coffee and fruit...
I pack the bike and set off into the crisp sunny day. As I ride through Bourg-Saint-Maurice, it occurs to me that most of the people I'm sharing the road with are probably commuters - on their way to work on just another Monday...
I get held up briefly during rush hour...
...as these ladies make their slow way to today's pasture...
...but soon I am past them and making my way back up Cormet de Roselend...
The roads are deserted...
I keep seeing Marmots at the roadside, but they are far too canny to get photographed this morning...
...so you'll just have to put up with landscapes...
Time to move on...
There's still plenty of snow as I approach the top (1968m if it's important for you to know)...
This must be bleak in the winter - no ski lifts here...
I'm soon descending towards the lake...
...and taking the long, winding road back down to Beaufort...
At 10:00 I stop at the Beaufort Intermarché to refuel and buy some provisions...
I pack the shopping in the top box (I've never had one before and I hate the look of it, but it's proving handy for things like this - it's coming off straight after this trip and will be refitted for long trips ONLY)
It's a beautiful morning...
...as Bettie steers me up a road I find vaguely familiar...
I'm in Montmin - where regular readers may remember I got split up from my riding buddy Peter and spent half an hour chasing down a German GS I thought was him...
I crest the Col de la Forclaz (1157m) and start the long descent to Annecy - getting tantalising glimpses of the lake - impossibly turquoise - thorough the trees on my left
All too soon, it seems, I'm riding along the 'Riviera'...
...a stop/go nightmare that lasts several kilometres...
It's almost a relief to get on the A41. I start heading north and then stop at the first Aire I come across, to have some lunch...
I have a check around the bike and notice that the lady commuters left me a present this morning...
After a meal of ham, lettuce, apricots and nectarines, I pack up again and continue heading north on the A41. Traffic is light and the weather perfect - about 82° F with no wind. I set the speed at 130kph and, drinking regularly from my CamelBak, watch the world go by…
I slow whenever I see a radar camera warning sign (weren't they going to do away with those?), but otherwise keep a good speed up...
The sun's high and I'm glad I've planned an early finish today...
In no time at all, it seems...
...I'm approaching Dijon, where I have booked a room in the B&B for tonight...
I check into my slice of air-conditioned heaven...
...and Jules, the receptionist, gives me a cold 1.5L bottle of Nestea (iced tea) - "They delivered the wrong stuff and - hey - it's a hot day!"
He also insists I park the Adv on the disabled slot, just outside my room. What a nice chap
Good end to the day.
I wake fairly early - the curtains here are muslin and the sun is shining directly onto the window. I have a shower and then pack up some stuff and stumble down to the garage...
...where I see a few more bikes arrived during the evening - all Germans (and one Swiss) - sorry about the quality of the pic - I only had my 'phone with me.
Right - Breakfast...
There is an excellent spread...
...but the kebab I ate last night means I only need coffee and fruit...
I pack the bike and set off into the crisp sunny day. As I ride through Bourg-Saint-Maurice, it occurs to me that most of the people I'm sharing the road with are probably commuters - on their way to work on just another Monday...
I get held up briefly during rush hour...
...as these ladies make their slow way to today's pasture...
...but soon I am past them and making my way back up Cormet de Roselend...
The roads are deserted...
I keep seeing Marmots at the roadside, but they are far too canny to get photographed this morning...
...so you'll just have to put up with landscapes...
Time to move on...
There's still plenty of snow as I approach the top (1968m if it's important for you to know
)...
This must be bleak in the winter - no ski lifts here...
I'm soon descending towards the lake...
...and taking the long, winding road back down to Beaufort...
At 10:00 I stop at the Beaufort Intermarché to refuel and buy some provisions...
I pack the shopping in the top box (I've never had one before and I hate the look of it, but it's proving handy for things like this - it's coming off straight after this trip and will be refitted for long trips ONLY
)
It's a beautiful morning...
...as Bettie steers me up a road I find vaguely familiar...
I'm in Montmin - where regular readers may remember I got split up from my riding buddy Peter and spent half an hour chasing down a German GS I thought was him...
I crest the Col de la Forclaz (1157m) and start the long descent to Annecy - getting tantalising glimpses of the lake - impossibly turquoise - thorough the trees on my left
All too soon, it seems, I'm riding along the 'Riviera'...
...a stop/go nightmare that lasts several kilometres...
It's almost a relief to get on the A41. I start heading north and then stop at the first Aire I come across, to have some lunch...
I have a check around the bike and notice that the lady commuters left me a present this morning...
After a meal of ham, lettuce, apricots and nectarines, I pack up again and continue heading north on the A41. Traffic is light and the weather perfect - about 82° F with no wind. I set the speed at 130kph and, drinking regularly from my CamelBak, watch the world go by…
I slow whenever I see a radar camera warning sign (weren't they going to do away with those?), but otherwise keep a good speed up...
The sun's high and I'm glad I've planned an early finish today...
In no time at all, it seems...
...I'm approaching Dijon, where I have booked a room in the B&B for tonight...
I check into my slice of air-conditioned heaven...
...and Jules, the receptionist, gives me a cold 1.5L bottle of Nestea (iced tea) - "They delivered the wrong stuff and - hey - it's a hot day!"
He also insists I park the Adv on the disabled slot, just outside my room. What a nice chap
Good end to the day.
Beautiful pics
I always enjoy your write-ups and pics Mike. If you can do this without your Mojo then it can't be too hidden beneath your surface. It'll come back.
Enjoy your trip.
Enjoy your trip.
I've hated top boxes since I learned to ride bikes (1975, that's when they first started to appear) but I got my first one six months ago for a two week trip to France and Spain and it's soooooooo useful I haven't taken it off since. Stunning pics BTW.
Well,sounds like a wise decision then,especially with you being alone...and a fair distance from home too.
It was probably a lot more daunting in real life than the photo suggests,as well.
Stepping out of your safety zone, or becoming careless through complacency isn't a wise move. I would imagine this thought has taken the short walk across your mind in the last few weeks...
It may have crossed my mind once or twice since May 24th.
Mike,regarding this mojo thing and not being at the top of your game at the moment...despite your photos being incredibly good as usual (and where you are being a stunning part of the world),there`s something a bit lacklustre coming through when reading your words.....something 'dead'.
It`s almost like you`re hunting a ghost yet not finding it.....like the whole trip is mundane and almost a chore.
I`m not criticising or taking the piss here,but your other trips (although photographed and written superbly well) seem a bit 'samey samey' and this one is like a phantom of them.
Maybe time to do something totally different as soon as you can?
Something without all the planning,the booking,the apparent 'schedule' ?
Maybe on a seemingly unsuitable bike too?
A crazy,madarse,just for the hell of it fun trip?
Just a thought mate.
Keep this one going though...it is good.
GS.Jack
Registered user
Nice one.
Great photos and could the weather get any better. As I follow the trip at work, I can’t help but feel I’m enjoying the journey more than you. Definitely inspired me to ‘’go and do one’’ at the end of summer. Looking forward to the next report. Brgds GS.Jack.
Great photos and could the weather get any better. As I follow the trip at work, I can’t help but feel I’m enjoying the journey more than you. Definitely inspired me to ‘’go and do one’’ at the end of summer. Looking forward to the next report. Brgds GS.Jack.
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