Sooty09
Registered user
My wife and I have just returned from a wonderful holiday touring France. We had a few way points we have wanted to visit for several years and managed to link them in to a grand tour.
We started off form Leeds to Calais and then along the north coast to Hornfleur via the new bridge over the Seine.
We then cut south past LeMans to an old town called Chinon
and off to the coast for a visit to the Spooky island of Ile-d'Oleron which I imagine is like the swamps of the Louisiana Bayeau.
The run to the Pyrenees from here was very dull across Gascony and the Ardesh. Very flat and so hot. The ferry across from Royan saved us from driving into Bordeaux but at a cost of 25 euro each I should have re routed inland to save. Its an area I will avoid in future. Just as you start losing the will to live you see the Pyrenees rising in the distance.
We stayed two nights in a superb cheap camp site just outside Lourdes allowing us to explore towards the Atlantic coast and in to Spain.
It was so hot 36 deg+ Mrs Sooty09 (Judith) cut short one day as she was in danger of passing out.
Our next day to our camp at Ax Les Therms crossed the Col du Tourmalet + many others, a lot of the route is currently being used in the tour de France
The Pyrenees were now behind us as we worked our way to Carcassonne and the Millau bridge.
The next areas visited were the Gorges, one of the main reasons I wanted to visit this area. Just after Millau we entered the Tarn Gorge
and continued through mountains gorges and valley bottoms to stay at Die.
Heading north from Die we climbed the Col de Rouset hoping to get on to the Combe Laval, this was closed due to a land slide but from the opposite side of the valley could see why its probably the most dangerous road in Europe.
Heading north again towards Grenoble I was not expecting the fantastic Gorges de la Bourne.
Once past Grenoble we were back in familiar territory, still very enjoyable traveling through the Jura and Vossages. We camped at Saint Claud, kaysesberg and Verdun on our way back to Calais.
The whole tour was 2800 miles over 15 days, we had no problems of any kind except with the extra high temperatures the seat foam collapsed and they were agony after 20-30 miles each day.(worst seat I have ever used and I thought my rear had become used to it)
My 800 averaged 72 mpg and the F650 was 76 mpg. Despite the temperature my fan only kicked in when stationary in towns for a few minutes. The F650 kicked in every time we stopped at lights. We never adjusted the chains and lubed them evey two days using a pint brush to apply Scott oil after wiping the old oil and dirt off.
I would like to finish by saying only the BMW F800GS could have done this tour, but any bike capable of cruising at 60mph could make this journey, probably in more comfort if the seat is better.
We started off form Leeds to Calais and then along the north coast to Hornfleur via the new bridge over the Seine.
We then cut south past LeMans to an old town called Chinon
and off to the coast for a visit to the Spooky island of Ile-d'Oleron which I imagine is like the swamps of the Louisiana Bayeau.
The run to the Pyrenees from here was very dull across Gascony and the Ardesh. Very flat and so hot. The ferry across from Royan saved us from driving into Bordeaux but at a cost of 25 euro each I should have re routed inland to save. Its an area I will avoid in future. Just as you start losing the will to live you see the Pyrenees rising in the distance.
We stayed two nights in a superb cheap camp site just outside Lourdes allowing us to explore towards the Atlantic coast and in to Spain.
It was so hot 36 deg+ Mrs Sooty09 (Judith) cut short one day as she was in danger of passing out.
Our next day to our camp at Ax Les Therms crossed the Col du Tourmalet + many others, a lot of the route is currently being used in the tour de France
The Pyrenees were now behind us as we worked our way to Carcassonne and the Millau bridge.
The next areas visited were the Gorges, one of the main reasons I wanted to visit this area. Just after Millau we entered the Tarn Gorge
and continued through mountains gorges and valley bottoms to stay at Die.
Heading north from Die we climbed the Col de Rouset hoping to get on to the Combe Laval, this was closed due to a land slide but from the opposite side of the valley could see why its probably the most dangerous road in Europe.
Heading north again towards Grenoble I was not expecting the fantastic Gorges de la Bourne.
Once past Grenoble we were back in familiar territory, still very enjoyable traveling through the Jura and Vossages. We camped at Saint Claud, kaysesberg and Verdun on our way back to Calais.
The whole tour was 2800 miles over 15 days, we had no problems of any kind except with the extra high temperatures the seat foam collapsed and they were agony after 20-30 miles each day.(worst seat I have ever used and I thought my rear had become used to it)
My 800 averaged 72 mpg and the F650 was 76 mpg. Despite the temperature my fan only kicked in when stationary in towns for a few minutes. The F650 kicked in every time we stopped at lights. We never adjusted the chains and lubed them evey two days using a pint brush to apply Scott oil after wiping the old oil and dirt off.
I would like to finish by saying only the BMW F800GS could have done this tour, but any bike capable of cruising at 60mph could make this journey, probably in more comfort if the seat is better.
