Just back from first trip abroad

czwotzit · Oct 1, 2009

Just got back from 2 weeks ridings to Millau and the Gorges and I would just like to say thanks to all those who gave their advice on riding in France. Being my first time over there on a bike I was a bit aprehensive to say the least.

My comments for what they are worth are:-

No problems at all with buying petrol with a card either during the day or at night at the card only pumps at any of part of my route.

Brittany ferries pack bikes and cars too closely together for my liking.

LD ferries give you plenty of room - top marks here.

Wish I had an airflow jacket as it was too hot.

I can thoroughly recommend 'Riders Rest' near Limoges as stopping place as Tony and Wendy are great hosts and the prices are very reasonable. A great time was had there. I'll certainly be going back and probably stay in the area to explore.

Only take half of what you originally pack on your bike.

Hotel du Bowling in Millau is basic but does have a fenced parking area and has petrol and a supermarket only yards away.

Learn how to reset your Garmin before you go as mine froze when I was in the middle of nowhere. Thanks Tony for showing me the solution.

So thanks again for helping make my inaugural trip event free.

Andre

G.C. · Oct 1, 2009

Had to be said.

dave hendy · Oct 1, 2009

czwotzit said:
Just got back from 2 weeks ridings to Millau and the Gorges and I would just like to say thanks to all those who gave their advice on riding in France. Being my first time over there on a bike I was a bit aprehensive to say the least.

My comments for what they are worth are:-

No problems at all with buying petrol with a card either during the day or at night at the card only pumps at any of part of my route.

Brittany ferries pack bikes and cars too closely together for my liking.

LD ferries give you plenty of room - top marks here.

Wish I had an airflow jacket as it was too hot.

I can thoroughly recommend 'Riders Rest' near Limoges as stopping place as Tony and Wendy are great hosts and the prices are very reasonable. A great time was had there. I'll certainly be going back and probably stay in the area to explore.

Only take half of what you originally pack on your bike.

Hotel du Bowling in Millau is basic but does have a fenced parking area and has petrol and a supermarket only yards away.

Learn how to reset your Garmin before you go as mine froze when I was in the middle of nowhere. Thanks Tony for showing me the solution.

So thanks again for helping make my inaugural trip event free.

Andre

Glad you had a good first trip, I was unsure before my first time

Once you've done it once you can't get enough :clap

Ow er misis. Ye pictures would be nice.
The French seem to be getting their petrol pumps sorted I didn't have any problems this year in July although I believe there are still a few pumps not changed yet :nenau

Roll on next year

dave

Wapping · Oct 2, 2009

Excellent.

Glad it all went well. :thumb2

Riders Rest · Oct 2, 2009

Andre, good to see you made it home safe - you forgot to mention to check your luggage before you leave the B&B for your next port of call :blast

to ensure you don't leave that all important wash bag and meds behind.

Like G.C. said though where are the pictures given all the camera's you were carrying I would hassard a guess you have thousands :type

czwotzit · Oct 2, 2009

Yup.. lots of photos. Just read up on how to post in this forum so heres a sample.

After getting off the ferry the first port of call was Mont St Michel. The weather wasn't the best but its the first time i had seen it in the flesh so to speak and it was one of the photo spots on my route.

Chateau du Val. The weather wasn't too bad. This is where I discovered that I had left my overnight bag with meds, book etc at riders rest. As I was returning in a few days there was no point in returning. Should have remembered to put call roaming on my phone though :blast

.

These are some of the hairpins in the Gorge du Tarn by La Malene. They were a bit of a challenge. The one thing i learnt is that you don't look down at the view whilst riding as you tend to veer towards the edge.

The Viaduct. The main reason for my trip. Very impressive from any angle and i have enough shots to prove it.

Finding the different points of view was a challenge but rewarding.

In order to find a place to park up at the eiffel tower I used www.bing.com in it birds eye view to find the bike bays just by the tower.

This is the sort of shot i was after - the viaduct at night. It looks great at full size and will eventually be up on the wall.

As Tony said I have literally thousands of shots to wade through and will post a few more later.

Andre

er-minio · Oct 2, 2009

Excellent pics!!!

Wish I had an airflow jacket as it was too hot.

A cheaper option might be Spidi's Netline jacket.
Cheap, works perfectly in hot weather: travelled more than 7.000km in Portugal summer 05 with 40 degrees celsius wearing it.

patzx12 · Oct 2, 2009

The night time shot is one of the best pictures i have seen of the viaduct.
good job.

Kiwi66 · Oct 2, 2009

again we meet !!

Both Faye and I met up with you at Riders Rest, over one of Wendy's special home cooked feasts, and Tony’s copious amounts of red wine (Faye is still talking about that puzzle)
Great photo of the Millau, just as we remembered it on our first sighting descending from the north. Unfortunately by the time we had savoured the moment the sun had set and it was 100% reliance on the zumo to get us to our B&B which was at the “edge of civilization” – still worth every moment. It is one very seriously provocative bridge especially at that time of the day.

And now I know whose tyre tracks were left at Chateau de Val, AND the Gorge de Tarn.

Glad to hear that the rest of your trip was just as enjoyable, and hope out paths will cross again soon.
Dean & Faye :kissy2

+ :cool

G.C. · Oct 2, 2009

Nice shots, thanks :thumb2

I still use this as my screensaver at work. November 1st 07

NA1959 · Oct 2, 2009

Super pic's :thumb2

What type of camera were you using? :aidan

bladerunner · Oct 2, 2009

The Millau bridge picture is ace.

Millau was spectacularly horrible before the bridge. Even on a bike it could take an hour to thread your way through - at 40'c with trucks on each side it were no fun.

czwotzit · Oct 2, 2009

NA1959 said:
Super pic's

What type of camera were you using?

Aidan

I took two camera bodies with me a Canon 5d mk2 and a canon 1d mk3 with a number of L series lens.

Photogaphy is my main hobby and I use the bike to get to the various places.

Andre

ILMV · Nov 3, 2009

czwotzit said:
I took two camera bodies with me a Canon 5d mk2 and a canon 1d mk3 with a number of L series lens.

Bartard

Nice cameras, thanks so much for posting your pictures, I am planning a trip for next year and this bridge is one major destination (nerdy? perhaps). Definetly need to make sure I stay near by

Cheers, Ben

cookie · Nov 3, 2009

no beginner at photography :clap

Mucky Helmet · Nov 3, 2009

And another...

Cracking night shot of the bridge. Was that taken from the viewpoint at the services?

Here's another from a couple of weeks ago...

I stayed here, Domaine de Saint-Estève. Nice enough place, lots of wooden cabins that are very comfortable, decent restaurant on site and a view of the Millau Bridge from your patio!

czwotzit · Nov 4, 2009

Yes the night shot was taken from the northern side service area. But you can access the service area without having to go on the motorway. At the roundabout to the north of the viaduct there is a road that takes you to a public viewing area where you can park up. Then you can walk through an access tunnel into the viewing area.

Quite a lot of my photography is of the british superbikes at the northern circuits

Both of these were taken at Oulton park this year.

Andre

tdn · Dec 25, 2009

nice pics, anyone got a grid ref for the viaduct? or map ref please as going to france nxt yr and fancy a ride over it, thanks in advance

Sleepy · Dec 25, 2009

tdn said:
nice pics, anyone got a grid ref for the viaduct? or map ref please as going to france nxt yr and fancy a ride over it, thanks in advance

Try This...

tdn · Dec 25, 2009

Sleepy said:
Try This...

cant open file?

Just back from first trip abroad

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