'I went to the Alps but they were closed' trip - 2008

garfield

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Friday

It started as one of those strangely nervous days. Don’t know why, big trip ahead I suppose, what was in store for me?

I had got home from London late last night and was up at 5 a.m. to get the last few things sorted (dumping some clean clothes in the panniers as well as loosing the tent – was going the hotel way). I also had to stop at the Post Office on the way South to pick up my Zumo power lead which had just arrived from Touratwat, thinking of Earthmover and whether his had arrived too.

I was well on the road when the first text came through from my mum (“did you pack your toothbrush” followed quickly by “you forgot your door keys”). I remembered the toothbrush, stuff the door keys but most happy that I had packed my mum’s sausage sandwiches :D

The journey from Dalkeith to Dover was uneventful really, 490 miles covered with only a 10 minute stop for fuel, I managed to catch the slightly earlier ferry.

Arriving at the ferry I parked at the front and struck up a conversation with Andreas. He had popped over to England from Cologne to see a friend who has got married up the road. I had been struggling to get at the canbus socket to plug in the Zumo, Andreas being a brilliant German ‘AA’ patrolman snapped it all into place into a minute or so (my stupid fingers wouldn’t work). We sat besides each other on the ferry talking about everything and anything, swapping phone numbers as we parted, Andreas promising to show me some off-roading in his Land Rover when I was next in the ‘Ring’ area.

I ended the night at the Formule 1 in Calais briefly saying hello to a Swiss couple who had just completed their grand tour of the UK on bikes and allowing enough time to start a fight with the security guard at the Calais ‘flunch’ because I didn’t use the proper exit when I left….

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Saturday......

Saturday

Generally speaking I got a good nights sleep punctured by every now and then jumping up to check the bike was ok in the car park. First job of the day was a visit to the BMW dealership behind the Formule 1 to get my back tyre changed, (it had been destroyed at the Baskerville weekend, the 500 or so miles to Calais not helping – still happy that I was getting the tyre changed at 8,000 miles).

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I used the peage from Calais to Troyes (Troyes was a bit disappointing) before hitting some fantastic country roads (D49 and eventually the N71 if I remember correctly with a couple of diversions to explore stuff). There were plenty of sweeping bends to keep me happy and I found my way into a small town, time was ticking on and I needed a hotel. The first place I stopped was fully booked but the kind hotelier phoned ahead and found me somewhere in the village of Blaisy-Bas. I would never have found the hotel on my own and was ecstatic to see the power shower in my room, just what I needed after a hard day's riding

Pre dinner I went for a walk into the village, swallows dancing about my head. I also went into the local pub and indulged in some Edelweiss blonde beer. It was lovely and cold, going down a treat. At the bar some old boys were drinking an assortment of potions, one of them, old enough to have seen the Armistice, left the bar sideways at 7 o’clock

A few beers later my French was improving and I left the bar sideways too, heading for a gourmet dinner. I had a narrow miss on ‘frogs legs’ opting for the ‘head of the beef’. Early to bed, I had been on the go quite a while today
 
Photos from Saturday.....

Photos from today......

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Photos from Saturday.....

apparently, the car transporter train is really well known, several rumbled through the town whilst I was there.....

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Sunday.....

Sunday

An early fog bound start to the day, I resolved to find the Alps today. Travelled through Dijon nearly having a moment with a car as I confidently went the wrong way down a one way street.

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The N5 was fun and shortly after Poligny the road climbed, a portent of good times to come.

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I soon swung a left, entering Switzerland by the back door, playing on some twisty roads as I headed South to Geneva. The place reeks of cash and I was soon skirting round the lake on my way to Thonon Les Bains.

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It all started getting a bit desperate though with a number of roads in the Alps closed for roadworks. I run the gauntlet of a number of diversions plunging up and down hills along the way (some of them so steep I worried about stopping, so not that many photos sorry). Impending rain and nightfall aided by a surly Frenchman and I found my way to Beaufort and a really lovely little hotel.
 
Photos from Sunday.....

Photos from today.....

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Photos from Sunday.....

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Photos from Sunday.....

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Monday

Monday

I woke to a wet Monday. At breakfast I met with two septogenerian Californian swingers, Larry and Randy (apparently Randy was more than a name), who had hired a couple of bikes in Geneva and were on the way to Florence through the Alps. They told me that the highest passes were still closed. I decided to head back towards Dijon heading through Albertville and over the Col Du Tamie. Along the way I was first on the scene to a car/van accident, both drivers were ok, there was little I could do but hit the road.

The rain persisted for most of the morning as I wound my way towards Annecy passing the lake. After that I picked up the A40 peage which was just fantastic, some lovely tunnels (700m and 1300m including quite a few viaducts all the time shrouded by tree encased mountains. For the first time in my life I was driving along a motorway that captured my imagination).

I stopped to dry out at lunchtime, those little €1.50 Cup A Soups hit the spot by lifting my spirits (I was suffering badly from hayfever and could barely go on).

Back on the peage, I soon saw a sign for a town called Semur-en-Auxois. The motorway board made the town look inviting and because I was feeling really awful I figured an early finish was the way to go.

I went for a walk once I had settled to pop into the local Chemist (who also sold veterinarian drugs) to get something for the hayfever, Claude the Chemist had a wistful look in his eye as he bundled a bunch of pills into my hands, neither of us properly spoke each other's language so I didn't really know what I was getting, I headed back to the hotel, putting a chair up against my bedroom door as I swallowed the pills in my possession......

Beaufort -

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secure parking at this hotel.....

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Photos from Monday.....

Photos from today.....

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Tuesday

Tuesday

I woke up in Semur, having had 10 hours of very deep sleep, yesterday’s hayfever had knocked me back pretty badly. Over breakfast I exchanged pleasantries with the hotel owners (their English was impeccable unlike my French). I resolved over breakfast to stay a 2nd night. I love Semur, it’s so French.

I had dinner last night in a local bistro and looking around the breakfast room, there’s a reunion on the go, most of the people I saw last night were sitting around me. There’s piano music coming from the room, I well up a little as one particular song plays, it’s my mum’s 59th birthday today and I suppose I should really be at home taking her out to celebrate. I soon drift to happier thoughts, our hosts are so theatrical and I start to imagine a dashing, confidant young rehearsal pianist courting a beautiful soprano and the rest as they say is history.

After breakfast I set off around the town for a bit of sightseeing, broken up my frequent coffee stops, the rain was a little bit persistent but it didn’t stop me. Best bit of all was the afternoon nap

Lunch was great, I enthralled the locals with my own gourmet creation, ‘le chip butty’.

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That afternoon I sent a text to my friend Jan in Ghent and a plan was made to go visit him, I would be heading that way tomorrow
 
Photos from Tuesday.....

Photos from today.....

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respect to the ladies....I never knew..... :eek

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Photos from Tuesday.....

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Wednesday

Wednesday

Am up early and I hit the road to Ghent, pretty uneventful journey really. Had a good day’s riding and always good to see a good friend again (we did Norway and Sweden together last year)

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I think I'm still in France..... :nenau

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slipping quietly into Belgium

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Ghent

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Thursday.....

Thursday

Great day out with my friend Jan who is now a Belgian celebrity after appearing on a TV show with a supermodel called Phaedra (do a search for her on google if you want).

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Most of the day is spent in the Porsche which has been bought for a trip later this year to China, Jan’s website addy is on the car, keep up to date with his travels (some of you on ADV rider might remember a trip he did a little while back on an Africa Twin to Tanzania)

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Friday

On the road to London to see some friends….

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great bike facilities on this ferry.....

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I meet up with one of my friends at his work and agree to deliver a package for the courier firm he works for – I’m soon pulling wheelies from every traffic light as I ride like a lunatic through the streets of London (bike is fully loaded), in the end I do the four miles through rush hour traffic in about 10 minutes. (no photos for this) having a near miss with a real courier who gets clipped by a bus (but saves it nicely) and having a real desire to stand on the pegs and put my boot onto the side of the head of the scooter rider who has just made a right hand turn across the front of me, not once doing a life saver or using his mirrors, never mind the bike's horn has him leaping out of his seat with fear…..



Saturday

And it’s back home…..2300 miles done in a few days, chuffed and happy, I've had fun.....:eek:onyack
 
Great write up, I enjoyed reading that. There's something special about doing a solo trip. Thanks :thumb2
 
Only what a month overdue :blast We might get his comments about GOTC by about Christmas at this rate :blast

Seriously though, I really enjoyed reading this report and especially the photos.. some of them are so moody... perfect :bow :clap:clap A really good report with excellent visuals, however there is something seriously lacking in all of this....

You promised me by text message that you would include photos/details of your experience with the web footed Belgian transsexual :confused:

Or is that in Part II :nenau :D
 
well worth the wait.;) :clap :clap

Great write up, I enjoyed reading that. There's something special about doing a solo trip. Thanks :thumb2

thanks for that.....:eek: ........:thumb



You promised me by text message that you would include photos/details of your experience with the web footed Belgian transsexual :confused:

Or is that in Part II :nenau :D

I had no luck on my trip......I think it will always be a dream......:(
 


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