Chilly Italy

With poor weather affecting this north western corner of Italy as well as through Switzerland I had to adapt my plans accordingly.

The UNESCO recognised rolling hills and vineyards of Piedmont were indeed beautiful with many opportunities to taste the world recognised red wines produced in abundance. I headed to Saluzzo where a very well maintained aire near to the centre provided free overnight parking and a metered but very cheap hook up. It's been over a month since I was last on mains power and the leisure battery has done sterling work providing for all my power needs as well as firing up the heater which has seen regular use  in the cold conditions. Once running the power consumption is quite low as it purrs quietly in the background and it's best left running on low rather than cycling as the glow plug is heavy on juice (and costs £90 at service time) and the unit only uses 100ml of diesel per hour so perhaps half a litre over the evening and a quick early morning blast. The fuel take off from the vehicle tank is situated so that it won't leave you stranded and of course the leisure battery is totally separate to the starter battery for the same reason. As I'm not moving on many miles per day there is limited time for the alternator to top things up and the shorter, cooler days are limiting the use of the solar panels. However everything has functioned satisfactorily but two nights on mains gave me a chance to ensure everything was up to scratch whilst I walked up to the town's castle, historic civic buildings and traffic free centre.

A less attractive but equally useful parking spot in Giavenno offered a chance to cycle over in to the Susa valley and head west towards the border Alps with the lofty Monastero di San Michele towering above and reached amongst other ways by a very tempting looking via ferrata. It was a chilly afternoon and snow lay on some of the lower slopes whilst the tops had had quite a fall.

Heading to Susa and the Fort D'Exiles the following day heavy rain was falling and turning to snow so I decided to head away from the mountains and stay at Ivrea a town with strong links to the Olivetti family of typewriter fame. The Museum of Modern Architecture which included the original factory plus old and current headquarters rather passed over my head, looking as they did rather like Slough in the days of The Office.

Unfortunately en route on a section of motorway something struck and cracked the screen (fortunately not in the field of view) so I hope it will hold out for the rest of the trip. A couple of years ago I had the screen replaced whilst getting some rust treated and a couple of weeks later found the floor mats saturated so I would prefer to address the issue back in Sheffield next summer to ensure that there isn't a repeat performance.

The local canoe club very kindly provide a free aire (donations accepted) right by their slalom course on the river and it was good to see youngsters demonstrating their skills on the fast flowing waters. An hours train journey in to Turin seemed the best way to visit a large and busy city with no doubt a shortage of parking, especially for a longer vehicle not able to use underground or multi storey car parks. From the new central station I walked along the Po valley through parkland to the Auto Museum, grabbed a coffee and a cake and spent a couple of hours immersed in all things car related.
It was very well put together and covered history, design, manufacturing, sport, leisure and the future.

As I walked back through the city my decision to take the train was confirmed as a good one with the rush hour traffic crawling in a cacophony of horns and over revving. I am far from a city lover but these occasional forays do provide their rewards in this case I came across the week long Chocolate Festival with dozens of brightly lit stalls lining the main square and following Via Roma with its extensive high end cloistered shopfronts. I could have stood for hours listening to a saxophonist busking as well heeled shoppers thronged the streets but as always felt very humbled by the beggars and homeless who were ever present.

From Ivrea I headed towards the Italian Lakes and took a twisting road to a chapel high above Lago D'Orta with good views down across the lake to snow covered mountains and a very peaceful overnight stop. Unfortunately heavy rain set in overnight and continued the following day, the same weather system had left a lot of snow further west in Susa and Aosta so I was glad to have moved out of those areas.

With my return to the UK fast approaching I began preparations for leaving the van for 3 weeks with a packing list made, maps swapped in the GPS, old maps to be taken home put in the rucksack and all fresh food used up. I have parked up alongside Lago Di Comabbio where the lakeside hotel allows stays for £8 a night with unmetered power giving me a chance to charge everything fully once more, ensure the fabric and contents of the van are as dry as possible and on a grey but dry day enjoy 30 miles around this and Lago Di Varese.

Finally the WC tank has been emptied and cleaned thoroughly, water and waste tanks will be emptied in the morning and the fridge cleaned and turned off.
Parking and hire car arrangements are all confirmed and my health insurance renewed for a very reasonable £180 or so. 
For the first time Europcar have asked for a DVLA code - available online - as without the paper licences of old they have no idea of your driving history, but it is a straightforward procedure. I have also taken an annual policy with ICarHire 4 U to cover any claims during the hire period, a more cost effective solution than their own in house offering and so now just have a forty minute drive in the morning to the covered parking arranged near Malpensa airport and a flight at 14.00.

Back in 3 weeks with a possibility of an update from Cumbria so until then piccies are here.

South for some Sun and across in to Italy

A wet day in Sassenages allowed me to update the blog but things had cleared up the next day (a French National Holiday, All Saints) so I followed the Isere on a level cycle track covering 40 or so miles before returning and dealing with the van utilities as these are accessed through the rear tailgate that is a bit too heavy to safely lift and support singlehandedly when both bikes are on.
With the remnants of Storm Amelie that had caused damage back at Bordeaux sitting over my next intended destination : the Ecrins NP I decided to make full use of my flexible schedule and lifestyle and headed south to hopefully warmer climes.
In the Verdon Gorge I settled at a lovely aire above the Ste Croix Lake which the following day I circled on the bike dropping in to two picturesque villages and finishing with a heart busting climb out of Moustiere to the plateau back to Sainte Croix passing fields with rows of recently harvested lavender bushes. The 43 miles ended as the sun set and temperatures dropped under the clear skies so once again the cosy Eber did the job.

Following the Verdon Gorge east I stopped in Moustiere to climb up to the Chapelle but it was only later looking back at photos from the past that I discovered I had spent over a week in the village some 12 years ago - I don't think this is a failing memory but reflects how very full and varied the intervening decade and more has been.




Entrevaux  in the Var valley provided the perfect aire : quiet parking alongside a quiet railway on the edge of a small village with the old medieval village across the river and dominated by a lofty castle. 
I set up and then paid the £3 to pass the turnstile and begin the steep series of hairpin bends that took the track up to the impressive semi derelict fortress. It was a dramatic place with several levels, hidden passage ways, gateways protected by heavy pivoted doors and a reminder of more recent history with some very miserable looking cells that had held German Officer POWs from the First World War. From the top battlements I watched one of the colourful two car trains that link Nice and Digne a couple of times a day chug along the valley floor and decided to take a trip the next day.
Down in the old town I was reminded of the souks and medinas of Morocco as I wandered through the maze of narrow walkways and alleys with the tall buildings almost meeting overhead.

Thus at 10.30 the next day I was hopping aboard the northbound train to Saint Andre les Alpes and enjoyed a trip reminiscent of the Ardeche steam train with stunning scenery and a steady pace. I'm surprised the line stays open as it has very few trains per day but £21 million was being spent on modernisation and upgrades to the 16 stations so I guess it is busier in the summer.

As a result of this engineering work the last section was by bus and left me 3 hours in St Andre to enjoy a superb lunch washed down with a couple of beers as I wasn't driving before the return train headed south as empty as before. At Annott I noticed one carriage wrapped up under blue tarpaulin that still failed to disguise its twisted, deformed state - a quick Google discovered that four years ago the train had been hit by a boulder the size of a house that derailed it and killed two people, one a Russian tourist.



With warm sunshine and clear skies I decided to head towards the Mercantour and Europe's highest road the Col de la Bonnnette so followed the impressively narrow Tinee Gorge towards Roubion diverting en route up a steep series of hairpins to Bairols beautifully straddling a craggy ridge. The streets were too narrow for cars and from the church the views were impressive. Alongside a memorial to the fallen of WW1 showed the devastating effect such carnage must have had on a small village and in particular two families who had lost several sons or husbands.
Above Roubion at a small ski centre I parked up on the lofty aire and then walked back down to the village which clung to the mountain side. The autumnal colours were stunning but the village very quiet apart from workmen digging up the cobbles to relay water pipes in what looked to be a very complex undertaking. The old wash house was interesting and many of the houses had carefully decorated doors and windows but seemed shut up for the winter. I walked out to inspect a via ferrata on the edge of the village but decided it would be foolish to attempt a solo trip and returned to the van for what would prove to be the coldest night so far - what would you expect at a ski resort...
Anyway with thermal screens in place, the heater for the evening and a double down bag overnight all was well.

However the snows left by Amelie had closed all the high passes so I dropped back via the remarkable Daluis Gorge passing through 17 tight tunnels before returning to Entrevaux for a shop and to use the laundry kiosk outside the store - all washing done and dried in under an hour for £8 - before I returned to Entrevaux station once more and admired a very clever two ball quad trailer that was secured rigidly behind a large camper - two castor wheels at the back rotated fully and incorporated suspension and loading was courtesy of two aluminium ramps.
Following the Dar Valley down to Nice I stayed off the motorways as tolls are surprisingly more for a high top van and enjoyed the coast road with its views of the sparkling Med.
Monaco was congested due to road works to the point that at one stage I turned round grateful to be only just over 5m in length as a road was closed off but I was soon over the border and in to Italy with no delay.
I then took two mountain roads across to Triora via Pigna and was again grateful for modest dimensions as some of the hairpins were too tight to get round on a first attempt. The 2.4l 5 cylinder engine that is so refined compared to my old 1.9ABL had plenty of power to cope with the long ascents and I was glad that my pre trip overhaul had seen new pads, discs and hoses for the brakes as they dealt with equally long descents.
Triora has a long history associated with witchcraft and more recently was a stronghold for the partisan resistance until Nazi troops succeeded in overpowering the cliff side village and destroyed many of its houses. Thus nowadays the narrow alleys and covered walkways have many collapsed houses but many people do live there and certainly properties were cheap - half reasonable doer uppers at £25k - if you fancy a challenge.
The aire above town behind I think a disused convent was simple and very quiet but more than adequate and I enjoyed a cosy night.
Again roads to the north were snowbound so I took the more direct route down to the Ligurian coast and joined the sea at San Remo. A nearby marina in Santo Steffano al Mare provided two cylinders of Campingaz at £23 each, not bad for a prime location but the cylinders have a different paint and labelling scheme to those in France and the UK so I hope they will be exchangeable elsewhere.
If my plans go as hoped I will be in Italy until early March after the last 8 weeks in France so it shouldn't be an issue for a while. Beyond that in Greece, Turkey and most of eastern Europe Campingaz won't be available anyway so I am likely to resort to the small genny I carry, hook up in the unlikely event that it is available or I have a plan to buy a local larger cylinder plus regulator and just keep that outside the van with the piping entering in through one of the drop vents in the gas cupboard that can then easily be linked up to the existing fixed pipe junction. 
Having dropped the thermostat down on the Truma from 70 to 50 (something I should have thought of ages ago) should mean each cylinder does a fortnight and warmer weather will mean less cooked food and less water heating. The option of a fixed refillable cylinder has been considered but I wouldn't want to reduce my already low ground clearance and the availability of filling points is something of a mixed bag in various countries so I guess the petrol in the genny is a useful catch all and will charge up the leisure battery as well.
Anyway back to the Med. where just outside the marina a parking area permitted overnight stays right next to the coastal cycle path for a very reasonable £8 (my first paid night in five weeks) so I pulled up overlooking the sea, pointed the solar panel to the south and took off on the bike for a 20 mile round trip to San Remo passing a marina on the way where a Saudi billionaire's yacht 'Kingdom 5KR was berthed dwarfing other million dollar and more vessels. The track passed through stylish San Remo and after a long illuminated tunnel finished at Ospedalettii that once held Grand Prix fixtures on a street circuit.

After returning to the van I watched a spectacular thunderstorm breaking out to sea and after dark walked around the marina where no one challenged me and millions of pounds of floating wealth sat rocking gently on the waters. Some were occupied and I reflected with some amusement that the presumably affluent occupants were still largely just sitting aboard with Saturday night telly for entertainment.

Yesterday I stopped in Albenga for a walk round its historic centre and on a fresh day was tempted by a cosy trattoria to indulge in an excellent pizza, profiteroles and coffee before heading a few miles up in to the hills to Zuccarello where I overnighted outside the village. The cloistered streets were deserted but surprisingly I did meet two old friends from near Brecon resting on a bench and walked up to the castello which lay high above the village.

Today I have left Liguria and entered the UNESCO titled part of Piedmonte so honoured due to its remarkable landscape of hills and valleys dominated by acres of yellowing vines. It has been a dampish day but tomorrow bodes well so I have taken advantage of a data passport to update the blog and will catch up on some TV tonight - I too can live the millionaire lifestyle!

Pics here.... enjoy.

Delights of the Ardeche, Heights in the Vercors

A cool cloudy day saw me labouring up to the top of Mt Aigoual passing a lean bare chested cyclist who arrived in a surprisingly short time after me at the 1567m summit. From there I descended to Florac and then left the Cevennes to enter the Ardeche region staying the night at Vosgues with its illuminated chateau. On the Tuesday (22/10/19) after the rain eased I took the VV down to Grosspierre the 40 mile trip being accomplished just before the weather closed in again.
I followed the Ardeche gorge through some torrential rain and dramatic thunderstorms before heading over to Le Cheynard where an empty lakeside aire was to be my base for a couple of days.
Sat almost at the junction of a Y shaped trio of VVs it was the perfect setting with just below me a massive weir resonating with the roar of the flooded river pouring over its edge.

However the next morning the storms had passed and a hot sun emerged encouraging me to cycle up to Lamastre on an enchantingly beautiful route.
Another fine day on the Friday gave me the opportunity to cycle right down to the swollen Rhone - a lovely almost constant descent through the gorge but of course a long uphill return.
On the Saturday I nipped in to town to get laundry done at the supermarket auto laundrette which even offered the option to be texted when the cycle had finished - is this the 'internet of things'?
Leaving the washing to dry in the van I then followed the 3rd arm of the trio to climb relentlessly up to St Greve, the reward being a 9 mile descent at a steady 18mph with no pedalling, I guessed this is what an electric bike would feel like so perhaps - one day. Current reservations around this move centre on weight - especially when lifting on to the rack and the need for mains power to charge up as an inverter off the leisure battery would soon stuff it!

Talking of weight I have been trying to minimise the overall weight of the van as it is near to its MTPLM figure of 2800 kg so left the spare larger and rarely used table and leg at home, some items of clothing, unnecessary books and other odds and sods but really I feel I am down to the minimum as I also carry quite a few 'get out of jail free' items such as the power pack, 12v winch, bottle jack, axle stands, trolley jack, generator, tools, service spares and the like. However I shed another few kilos by disposing of an unused insert cushion, replaced by a spare pillow and dispensed with one of the overhead bed boards that merely acted as a restraint for items in the overcab storage. I also now keep a few packets of dried food for emergencies rather than tins and endeavour to keep both water bottles full of clean water rather than keeping a litre of bottled water in the cupboard.

Over the years I feel I have refined the art of minimal living and feel confident that my low impact way of life is pretty environmentally friendly. My weekly water usage is about a tenth of the amount used per person per week in an average house, much of my electricity is from the solar panel, I tend to shop very locally producing little waste, most of which can be recycled  and whilst my gas costs are relatively high this is due to the exorbitant price of LPG rather than excessive consumption. Heating the van on the rare occasions it is required uses a very small amount of diesel and with the insulated windscreen and side window screens I stay very cosy. When cooking I tend to grill most food with saucepans sitting on the hob getting most of their heat from the grill below and much of the fridge power is generated whilst driving, although when parked up it uses a very small amount of gas. All my lighting is LED and the various devices I use are 12v USB rechargeable.
My annual mileage is slightly higher than the UK vehicle average but with an average MPG well above 40 in very mixed driving I feel that is acceptable as I have no other home based emissions.
My returns to the UK by air twice whilst away are hard to avoid, mainly as they are a condition of my post MI health insurance but I generally use Easyjet as they operate one of the most fuel efficient fleets and of course during those returns the van is sitting still.  I have looked at train travel but as an example Milan to Sheffield would cost £260 and take 20 hours each way - might be fun to do it one day though. Ironic though isn't it that I can fly home from Milan to Manchester for £20 but a train to Sheffield is then £28 and airport parking around £80....

Anyway that is for the future and after a very pleasant few days at Le Cheynard I moved down to Tournon back on the Rhone from where the Petit Train de l'Ardeche followed the gorges and valleys back up to Lamastre on the initial leg of my Y shaped cycling itinerary. The venerable steam engine was hissing away as people took photos and settled in to the wooden seating on the original carriages - I was glad to have brought a sit mat along although there were some very plush first class carriages available. In fact I rarely sat as you were able to ride outside on the carriage access which gave the best views as we climbed steadily through the mountains. The rhythmic clacking of the wheels and sedate pace made for a memorable journey with a half hour halt at the half way point. Here the bizarre velorail participants were waiting for us to clear the single track line before in a rather amusing and good natured convoy they all set off to pedal some 8 miles down hill in adapted carts.
Up at Lamastre we had 3 hours to explore the pretty town and enjoy a meal. I chose a smart bistro in the sun and later walked up to photograph an old Citroen I'd seen previously that looked similar to a friend's Morris Oxford.

The return journey was equally enjoyable and at the halfway point we stopped again and the mystery of how the pedal cars return was solved - in the funniest scene imaginable all the passengers return in one of two diesel powered rail cars with the fifty or so carts all linked together and trailing behind.



After a superb day I moved on towards the Vercors where at St Jean en Royans I stayed amongst 100 acres of walnuts at a free on farm aire where the following day I bought some walnut oil from the well stocked shop.
A stunning road through tight tunnels took me up Combe Laval to the Vercors plateau and my base for the next few days Font Des Urles a small village that has perhaps seen its skiing heyday.

I set off to walk over the limestone escarpment to the Ambles pasturage and took lunch at one of the mountain huts in the area. Similar to our much loved bothies back home these refuges are run by the local Department and provide free basic accommodation with a stove, compost loo and eating/sleeping areas. A generous supply of wood is provided and the interior felt very cosy as the previous night's inhabitants had had the stove lit. Across at the edge of the plateau was a simple shepherds hut - an A frame of timber and corrugated tin - but at this time of the year most of the flocks have been taken to lower pasture and the patou guard dogs with them. Thus over winter walkers are allowed to take their dogs to the area but only on leads as there is still the natural fauna of boar, chamois and deer to be protected.
I returned after 13 miles to the van where the solar panel had done its job leaving me with fully charged batteries and the prospect of a cosy night with the Eber needed for a couple of hours as we were at 1500m.
The following day was sunny and cloudless so I set off to a distant ridge and then its end summit with stunning views across the Vercors ranges - I had been here 30 years ago to tackle the Gouffre Berger away to the NE, at the time the deepest cave in Europe. I was lucky enough to capture a glimpse of a small group of chamois and a pair of eagles and returned as a chilly fog descended after 12 miles of energetic walking.

Yesterday I moved on to La Chapelle en Vercors to enjoy a lesser walk of 10 miles that took me up to a grand vantage point over the Grand Coulets - an impressive gorge with a now closed road that passed through more tunnels and under precarious overhangs. On the way down a cluster of fly agarics looked surreal under the pine trees. I had intended to stay at Lans en Vercors but when I arrived the aire's water and waste services had been removed so I returned to Villard De Lans and filled up from a very inefficient water pillar that required the use of an old washing machine flexi adapter sourced from a shop in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Down in the village the main run of shops was looking very festive with a combination of Halloween, All Saints Day, the onset of the winter ski season and Christmas all contributing to the scene.
I have now dropped in to Sassenages near Grenoble as unsettled weather has returned and seems likely to hang around over the holiday weekend. I hope to move up in to the Chartreuse when it clears as there are some 2000m peaks to be done but may squeeze in a bike ride along the Isere Valley tomorrow.
My intended visit to a friend's goat and bee farm in Italy may have to be delayed following damaging floods in the Alessandria area but if necessary I will call in after my return from the UK in mid December.
Beyond that we intend to visit Sardinia in the New Year as I continue a steady drift south.

Plenty more photos here and the odd location here.

Toulouse and the Haut Languedoc

After a pleasantly quiet aire mid way between Bordeaux and Toulouse and having followed the course of the Canal Du Midi I parked up alongside the Aircraft Museum and Airbus production facility and spent a few hours enthralled by the Museum's exhibitions. Two retired Concordes (one an original test aircraft largely kitted out with monitoring equipment and just a small section fitted out as passenger accommodation) were on display plus a military spec Airbus and an early A300. Perhaps the most intriguing exhibit however was the enormous Airbus Skylink, a modified Airbus that was hinged to allow transport of various Airbus components from around Europe. This has now been replaced by the Beluga which will be bringing wings from N. Wales that are currently shipped over and along the Canal du Midi.

The Airbus factory tour later that day gave us an insight in to the logistics behind such a pan European project with major components moving a number of times across the continent before final assembly in Toulouse. Whilst the A380 project has fallen well short of its planned sales the A320 has become the mainstay of no frills airlines such as EasyJet and future hopes are pinned on the A350.

I stayed the night and was lucky enough to see the Beluga taking off the following morning as I left for the Space Centre.

This provided a very entertaining day with mock ups of the MIR space station, lunar landers, and a Soyuz space capsule interspersed with an informative hour in the planetarium and a film covering the Apollo 11 moon landing.




Medieval Fanjeau en route to Carcassonne provided a spacious aire and a pleasant village to walk around and I spent time (to no avail) trying to rectify my squeaking bike brakes. In fact all pressure evaporated so the following day I dropped it off at Mondo Velo in Carcasssonne for their expert attention and returned to Fanjeaux to give Mandy's bike a good clean and check over as it will see less use over the next few months.



The following day I moved on to Mirepoix which has a superb galleried centre and was the starting point for a voie verte down to Lavelanat which gave me a good 53 mile ride interspersed by lunch in the sun at a small cafe run by a French/English couple.
Saturday morning saw me doing laundry at the supermarket machine and enjoying the food market in the village where a clever bike powered apple juicer caught my eye. 

Then it was a return to Mondo Velo where a new calliper and lever had sorted the issue for around £100. Later I disassembled the old calliper to find that one of the ceramic pistons had lost a section preventing the pads from retracting and the particles had damaged the seal.

A pleasant drive over the Montagne Noir through chestnut forests where hunters and their dogs were busy peering in to the mists brought me down to La Bastide for the night. Another VV took me west to Mazamet one day and then east to Bedarieux the next passing the start of the Gorge D'Heric to which I returned the following day for a spectacular walk up the deep gorge to a small buvette at Heric.

This inspired me to then tackle a walk up to Mont Caroux and across to the hamlet of Douch before returning via the gorge once more. The ascent was steep initially and then eased off as the plateau and a simple refuge were reached. At Douch there was a lovely bee hotel and an enormous stone slab made an impressive table alongside the village's communal bread oven that was available to all.









It was time to move on again and after passing through more stunning chestnut forests I reached Montclar above the Tarn where the tiny hamlet had provided a free aire with electric hook up and a panoramic view. However there was little else although at dusk I walked up to the water tower which served as a viewpoint over the rolling countryside and after sunset was beautifully illuminated by blue spotlights.

The next day I went back in time as I entered the small village shop which I had missed the previous day to be served by an elderly lady who wrote down all the prices and used a wooden drawer as a till. There was a very limited range of products but I emerged with bread, saucisson and some Breton cider that ensured a snoozy afternoon.





Heading along the impressive Tarn gorge I reached Peyre which clings to the cliffs above the river just short of the graceful Millau viaduct. The old church is partially built in to the rock as are a number of houses and at this time of year I had the place largely to myself.

In Millau I stocked up on food and gas before following the Dourbie gorge towards the Cevennes and pitched up at Alzon from where I decided to combine two local walks in to one larger undertaking.
Initially I climbed steeply in to the Cevennes NP on a foggy day meeting a few hunters whose dogs sported collars with transponders. I then dropped down on to the Causses and walked in to Homs and over the dry barren limestone before returning to Alzon after almost 18 miles.

Today I have only moved on a few miles as torrential rain and impressive thunderstorms seem to be set in and have thus taken a days additional internet access (£5 unlimited) as my regular bundle isn't due to renew for a week. Using the internet has really opened up access to the walking, cycling and accommodation opportunities available - a far cry from soon outdated guidebooks and maps.
www.af3v.org provides an excellent interactive map for planning traffic free cycling (and in English!), www.ceventrail.org has  provided a number of walking ideas and the excellent Camperstop app has enabled me to stay in some memorable places at no cost. 
Campingaz is quite a large part of my outgoings at around £2 a day as a 907 cylinder at around £20 lasts 10 days. Diesel is a little cheaper than the UK although I am covering less than 40 miles a day on average and I use the Total Excellium which does give extra mpg and should prolong the working life of both diesel injectors and the Eberspacher which has seen only a little use but no doubt will come in to play as winter beckons.
I have a flight back home from Milan in a month for 3 weeks so now head across the Cevennes and in to the Vercors before veering towards Italy.

Other piccies sit here and I will start using the SPOT device occasionally so check here for random locations.

Along the Loire and South to Bordeaux

A quiet aire at Le Thoureil on the Loire provided an unexpected opportunity to watch what we thought initially to be beavers but turned out to be coypu fishing, washing, playing and relaxing around an old boat that had been moored out in the shallows to act as their lair. We cycled in to Angers stopping en route for lunch at a small restaurant with a sunny patio. It was the young couples first business and we enjoyed an excellent meal so hope they do well.

The castle at Angers was well worth a visit - the beautiful formal gardens lying at the base of the impressive walls whilst in a huge display area the remarkable 600 year old Apocalypse Tapestry depicts scenes from the Book of Revelations.





Further along we cycled in to Saumur to admire its castle and enjoy a Thai meal in the old town before heading south to Bressuire at the junction of 3 cycle routes. Here we got our first soaking as we returned from a ride but the Eberspacher soon had us and our clothing dried out.
The following day was much brighter so we headed south on the old railway line towards Parthenay then cut west to join another line that returned north to Bressuire passing at one point a huge barn roofed entirely in solar panels - it looked very neat and must surely be part of our low carbon future.

At La Rochelle the conveniently placed Aire de Pont Neuf provided secure parking with hook up for £10/night so we walked down to the main part of town to see the three towers that were part lighthouse and part defensive structures before enjoying the old streets lined with arches that provided shade to the many shop fronts. A display of pink umbrellas as part of a blood cancer campaign adorned one area whilst back on the harbour front buskers played a variety of music and we were amused at how the many cyclists and pedestrians just adapted to the traffic in a random manner. We dined well as the sun set and walked off the excess back to the aire.
From the aire we cycled over a graceful bridge to the Ile de Re and took traffic free routes right out to the lighthouse where for £3 we climbed the amazing spiral staircase to the observation platform for spectacular views out over the Atlantic. Ice creams in the cafe below set us up for the return journey which after a detour back to La Rochelle's marina added up to a hefty 63 miles.

South of La Rochelle we parked at Bourcefranc Le Chapus which used to be the quayside for the island boat and has Fort Louvois standing prominently a few hundred yards offshore. From here we cycled over another lovely bridge to explore the Ile D'Oleron which is a centre for salt production and again cris crossed by numerous cycle tracks. It was a sunny day and we stopped for a while on the west coast at a sandy beach before returning as we had a ferry to catch.

This was the link from Royan over to the peninsula north of Bordeaux between the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic. It was a short crossing and would avoid passing through Bordeaux itself later in the week and we were soon parked up in a new aire alongside the marina at Verdon Sur Mer. As this is a popular summer destination camping is very much controlled to protect the sandy dunes and pine woodland so aires are charged with a barrier system and card payment but the rates are reasonable enough.

Moving on down to Hourtin we cycled through the woodlands and dunes out to Hourtin Plage where a vast expanse of almost empty sands stretched away in both directions. Some kite surfers were enjoying the roaring seas and we enjoyed the warm sunshine before returning to Hourtin via the shores of the large lake.

So yesterday was the final day for Mandy on this part of the trip. An easy hour took us to Bordeaux airport from where Easyjet returned her to Manchester for the train back to Sheffield. I tracked the flight as in two hours it retraced the route we had taken over the last month and passed over the Peak District where we have walked and cycled many times. I will return in mid November, probably from northern Italy but will now enjoy six weeks heading generally east now I am down near Toulouse. 
I am booked an the Airbus Factory tour later today and will also visit the Space Centre tomorrow before heading to Castres for more cycling opportunities and then down to the Canal du Midi.

Photos sit here.

A Potted Summer Summary and a Little Brittany

After my farm sit above Brecon I joined Chris and Frank at a bothy work party at Moel Prysgau to reinstate barriers and fencing torn down by illegal off roaders before heading back to Sheffield from where the run down to Switzerland did indeed materialise and a very pleasant few days saw us cross from Dover to Calais, pass through northern France and a little of Germany before we passed Zurich and headed in to the mountains. Grateful that at this point Luke was driving the heavy Sprinter full of the family possessions we reached Zuoz in time to offload everything and stroll in to the village. 

Our return was a slightly more relaxed affair on a different route that passed through Luxembourg and Belgium before we returned the van to Tamworth on time after around 1600 miles. Having seen a mountain bike in the area that Mandy found ideal we picked it up, had a few adjustments made and then returned to Sheffield where the following day after my recent overhaul of major components the van flew through its MOT. 

We then headed in to Derbyshire to cycle the High Peak route starting with the steep Middleton Incline and spinning round Carsington Water before joining Pete and Nina in Dethick where she is still recuperating from their scooter crash in Spain. We took advantage of the superb comfort of their RV whilst Pete rustled up an excellent dinner.

I then headed south for the impending Bank Holiday to stay in Brecon from where I tackled a favourite mountain bike route over the Beacons to Pontsticill and back via the Gap road. Low cloud and drizzle made it something of a challenge but then things hotted up for the weekend. On a sweltering Saturday Crad and I chased around the MTB circuit at Abergorllech before enjoying a much needed beer and good food at the Black Lion before I left on the Sunday to tuck away at a favourite location above Aberystwyth. En route I returned to MP bothy on the bike and was disheartened to see our efforts of a fortnight ago had been trashed again, fortunately the bothy was in good order and appreciative comments in the book were a tonic.
Monday saw me calling in to the Elan Valley bothy which was also in good order, similarly Nant Rhys the following day which I visited after a night at the peaceful Glangwy campsite where as usual Sue kept the place as neatly as ever.

A busy week at home saw us preparing for our journey south but also included a few days up in Northumberland calling to see family in York en route and then enjoying some excellent riding on the quiet lanes and a trip across the causeway to Lindisfarne. Dunstanburgh castle looked very impressive as we cycled the coastal route before joining family at Paxton House for the weekend. 

Here Robert and Morag entertained us royally in their comfy motorhome as we caught up with the tales from his successful LEJOG ride. 
Near to the Chain Bridge we visited the eponymous honey farm and were fascinated by the explanations of the bee keepers world and the large and quirky collection of vehicles, machines and memorabilia acquired by the owner over the years.



Thus in early September we began what for me should be another lengthy trip away with a run down to Priddy on the Mendips for a good ride over to Chew, around Bristol Airport and back though Nailsea followed by an excellent meal in the cosy Queen Vic.
After a morning in Glastonbury we passed the huge construction site that is Hinckley C nuclear power station before arriving in Lynton to see friends who moved there almost two years ago. High quality workmanship was evident in the large rebuild along one side of the house and Greg and Alex have achieved much elsewhere with their shepherd's hut looking very cosy and much work on the garden.
A birthday meal at the Thai restaurant in town was delicious and required a good coastal walk the following day to walk off the excess - having had a high fasting blood glucose result a couple of weeks earlier, possibly an early indicator of diabetes but in fact more likely due to excessive sweeties the night before - a fact confirmed by a normal result a fortnight later, I have lost 8 kilos and aim to lose another 10.
We caught a train from Barnstaple to Eggesford and then cycled over to the Tarka Trail to return along the coast before moving on to Hartland Point for a couple of days walking the stunning coastline including picturesque Hartland Quay and the lighthouse. Views across to Lundy reminded me of a lovely trip there 5 years ago and I also recalled my walk through the region as part of the SW Coastal Route in the early 80's. Crackington Haven reminded me of a dramatic incident when staying there whilst living in Bristol around that time when a friend fell off the cliff path late at night. Port Isaac was busy but still an attractive location nestled along the dramatic coastline.

Down at Bodmin we spent 3 nights on a recently opened C&CC Certificated Site that allowed us to enjoy the Camel Trail down to busy Padstow and cycle through the grounds of  the Lanhydrock NT property.
We had a final day on the beach at Seaton in hot sunshine before taking the Torpoint ferry over to Plymouth for a look around the city. It was the university graduation day up on the Hoe so proud families were celebrating en masse as we dined well in the Waterfront Restaurant as our ship arrived from Roscoff.
Under a full moon we set sail later that evening and slept well in a comfy cabin having chatted to a lad George who was setting off on his first trip in a self converted Sprinter.

Within two hours of arrival we were at a riverside aire in Huelgoat and heading off to a voie verte that linked Morlaix to Carhaix. We headed north to Morlaix and enjoyed  drinks in the shade of the large viaduct before returning across country using the excellent Satmap 20 and its 1:25000 mapping of the NE of France. A few off road links were taken in its stride by the Scott Scale and we returned in time to enjoy local wine and cider (served in a china tea cup!) by the lake. The following day we took the southerly section to Carhaix and then moved on to Lac Guerdelan which sits mid way along the Nantes Brest Canal that we had enjoyed in 2017.
After a couple of rides there we moved on to St Agnan to a very peaceful aire alongside the church and followed some of the canal route which was as beautiful as we remembered.
Moving on to a campsite at La Gacilly we had a bit of a service stop with hook up for two nights and some laundry done. It turns out to be the centre of the Yves Rochers cosmetics empire and a classy boutique was offering their full range at very good prices.


 The village itself was also well worth a look and as a bonus we were there in time to enjoy the last week of a major photographic exhibition covering subjects as diverse as climate change, international boundaries, life in the far north of Russia and the invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The almost empty site had some novel forms of accommodation and at 13 euros a night was good value.
We are now at Messac-Guipry in an aire next to a marina on La Villaine a river which is navigable and has a good towpath. An early ride this morning saw us escape most of the afternoon rain and we were both hugely relieved to see via a Whatsapp video call that Mandy's brother is up and about, albeit wearing a scary neckbrace, following a cycling accident on Sunday. He faces a few months of inactivity but should make a full recovery so we will endeavour to see them in November when I return although Mandy will probably go up after her return in a fortnight.

I feel very fortunate to be back on the road again, away from the chaotic political events back home which may or may not affect my future plans but as I have learnt from the serious injuries to two very lovely people politics are rarely the architects of misfortune , sometimes life just sucks.

Additional piccies sit here.

Back home through history.

My slow meander north enjoying some of the best that France had to offer continued as I crossed the Loire and picked up a number of voies vertes that provided memorable rides. A mystery with navigation in the van was solved when I realised that as I was inputting the Lat and long coordinates for overnight aires I was forgetting my proximity to the Greenwich Meridian which meant I overlooked the E/W element of the location!

The spectacular TGV was enjoyed from a bridge vantage point before I reached Normandy where with the 75th D Day celebrations approaching there was much activity - numerous historic military vehicles were assembling in the area as world leaders were due to gather later that week and along one cycle route there was an interesting display of old photos relating to the liberation of the local area.
A VV out to spectacular Mont St Michel was a long day (80m) and the destination in its modern form came as something of a shock - when I last visited 32 years ago in a Morris Minor van the shore was a hauntingly beautiful but desolate expanse of low lying marshland with the iconic village in the distance - now there is a massive tourist infrastructure of accommodation, eateries and massive car parking plus the frequent shuttle buses that run visitors across the short causeway - whilst no doubt MSM itself has been preserved I think the new developments have taken away from the mystical atmosphere.

A day sailing to Portsmouth was smooth and enjoyable with a good view of the English preparations for the same event and the various ships around historic Portsmouth plus the latest addition to our fleet looked sublime under a setting sun. With no issues at Customs I headed north, a journey enlivened by the van smoke detector shrieking for half an hour as trapped by roadworks in a contraflow I was unable to silence the offending device. Once home a blow out of Moroccan dust restored the thing to working order.

After a good sort out of  the van - much needed after 8 months away - we headed down to Clyro where the 2019 Horizon's Unlimited UK gathering was a great success despite unsettled weather. Some inspiring presentations and the excellent venue made for a great event and my humble submissions seemed to attract favourable comment.

Back in Sheffield I ordered various parts for the van before taking off to Snowdonia, Lake Vrynwy and the bothies of mid Wales for a look round. With two new bothy projects on the horizon it is an area I will no doubt return to in the near future. The existing bothies were in good order and after a couple of days at Llangurrig I headed to Brecon and then Abergavenny to meet Mandy off the train.
This was in preparation for an RV with friends from Bristol at Rhandirmyn where in sweltering conditions we enjoyed good walks including a visit to Moel Prysgau to clear rubbish and check things out prior to the August work party. We even enjoyed a dip in the river as the sun beat down. A tough bike ride through the Cambrian Mountains was hugely enhanced by meeting up with members of the Elenydd Wilderness Trust who had had an AGM at the Dolgoch hut and were happy to offload teas and cakes.

A quick trip to the Upper Swansea Valley allowed a catch up with friends from my old neck of the woods before we crossed the Western Brecon Beacons and headed up to Tregaron for a walk round the Cors Carron bird Reserve.

Two nights at my favourite hideaway gave us a chance to cool off in the ponds before heading north to call in on Penrhos bothy before staying on the shores of the Trawsfynydd Lake. This is another very special place, now with new owners, and we enjoyed the perimeter cycle ride, reflected on the lengthy timescale required to decommission an ageing nuclear reactor and enjoyed refreshments at the waterside cafe before heading back to Yorkshire.

A busy weekend was spent clearing the house in preparation for a complete rewire and once our plans had been given to Andy and his team we headed off to a simple field campsite just a couple of miles away leaving them free rein on the house. A day trip to Cleethorpes was a treat for Mandy's Mum and cousin and with work well underway on the wiring we headed over to Pocklington east of York for a long weekend. Here we met a friend for a peaceful bike ride through deserted lanes heading towards the coast and after diverting to South Dalton to admire its 208' church spire discovered the excellent Pie & Glass pub with its amazing herb gardens - definitely one to go back to.
Due to a music festival in the town the site was quite busy as we cycled over to York to meet family and they in turn came over on the Sunday after most people had left to enjoy a picnic and buffet outside the van.

By Wednesday the wiring work was more or less done including replastering so we returned to tidy up and wash down before finally I packed up for a return to Wales.
Here outside Brecon I fitted new pads, discs, rear springs, rear shocks, handbrake cables and all flexi hoses to the van whilst keeping an eye on a friend's small farm. The brakes were bled and air and diesel filters renewed and with 4 new tyres fitted yesterday I hope for a clean bill of health at next week's MOT.

Somewhat unexpectedly there is now the chance of a brief run to Switzerland next week over 6 days as friends are moving there so that may well be the focus of the next blog.

Until then the latest pics should be here.

A Drift (Not adrift) North Through The Pyrenees & Across France

We enjoyed a couple of days crossing Aragon with its empty vistas stopping at one point where fallen livestock are left for the birds of prey to feast on - the mirador had a braille landscape interpretation map - which was a first for me. We also pulled up alongside one of the giant turbines of a nearby windfarm to be enthralled by the sheer scale of these installations.

At Cretas we stayed two nights giving us the opportunity to visit Valderobbres where a country fair and market added to the charm of the place.

An overnight in the short stay car park at Barcelona airport put us conveniently in place for Mandy's return flight to Manchester which via the Easyjet app I tracked as it passed over me late that morning and then across my favourite area of mid Wales where I am also heading albeit at a much steadier rate.



Leaving Barcelona I set off for the Garrotxa National Park which covers an area of dormant volcanic activity characterised by numerous volcanic cones (puys), old lava flows and abundant tree cover - mostly beech, the famous fageda scenery. Historic Santa Pau was remarkable with a central square and streets little changed in centuries and on the edge a small aire provided a base for a couple of nights and two good walks. These included visiting the small church nestled within a puy and the former quarry that created an inside view of the cone's structure - really quite remarkable.

A via verde heading towards Girona provided a good bike ride before I moved on to St Joan de les Abadesses which had a beautiful mediaeval bridge just next to the overnight parking. From here another VV took me down to Ripoll with its spectacular monastery in the centre of town.

A lovely road over the Cadi range brought me in to France for a good shop and a bottle of gas before returning to Spain via the dramatic Tunel de Cadi that passed beneath my next destination.
The foothills of the Pyrenees provided a stunning landscape to pass through as I headed to the Cadi Moixero National Park where I intended to tackle Pedraforca at just over 8,000' whose giant bulk dominated the valley. I drove up to the start point to get the feel of the place where over a decade ago a winter attempt with Bill and Amber was thwarted by icy conditions. With perfect weather forecast in two days time I decided to drop back to Saldes and then take the road up to the starting point for Gallina Pelada, another fine summit.
This was reached by a steep climb through pine forests that emerged on to an alpine plateau where near a spring lay a mountain refuge. From here a long ridge with extensive views south took me to the summit - the distinct ridge of Montserrat near Barcelona very visible in the distant haze.
Moving along the Sierra Blanco, a narrow ridge of limestone gave me access to the start of an alternative descent that was at first quite challenging, settled in to steep scree and then rejoined the pine woods at the tree line. From here on a craggy bluff I watched an eagle soaring before descending to a forest track that eventually returned me to the van meeting en route a small chamois.

I parked up with a perfect view of Pedraforca in a forest clearing and checked the planned route and weather before an early night.
An early start saw me back at the Mirador de Gresolet below Pedraforca and on my way by 10.00.
Passing another mountain hut the footpath wound it's way up steadily through pine forests on the north side of the mountain whose gullies still held plenty of snow and ice several thousand feet above. At my level many of the gullies held huge boulders and debris as the area had been hit hard by heavy storms last summer and in places the path was washed away. However I eventually reached the col at the point where we had turned round years before and whilst it was warm and sunny a gusty wind blew. The final route up to the first summit was steep and rocky with large icy patches that would have merited an axe and crampons but by scrambling on some rather exposed rocky outcrops I eventually reached the top using the fixed ropes for the last few metres. Up here it was strangely calm with 360 degree views and a route onwards marked by yellow dots that initially descended slightly before finally bringing me out on to the summit of Pedraforca itself. I had seen no one all day and took time to enjoy the remarkable vista over lunch. I was reluctant to return the same way as I figured the scrambling would be a challenge and knew a route to the south was marked on the map. Shortly I heard some cursing and a Spanish guy emerged sweating profusely having taken that route up. Thus reassured that it was possible I dropped off on steep rocks and eventually reached the col between two of Pedraforca's lower tops. From here ninety minutes of tedious scree dropped precipitously down to the tree line -no wonder the other guy had found it hard work. Another ninety minutes through the pine clad slopes had me back at the van and I returned to the previous night's base very pleased to have ticked off a substantial top. The following morning a Spanish VW van pulled alongside and the driver's daughter explained that her dad had recognised me from Cretas a week previously and was keen for a chat about van life. She acted as interpreter and seemed intrigued by my unusual lifestyle.

After spending the night on the aire at Sort I took the minor road north and then branched off on a rough track - only open from May to November that took me through high mountain scenery to the remote church at Montgarri which during WW2 had offered shelter to many thousands of refugees fleeing the Nazi onslaught in France. It was a place to reflect on such a stark history that took place in such superb surroundings. The van had coped well with the track but unfortunately on a raised cattle grid left exposed by erosion , and despite using my ramps to compensate the final bar put a hole in my fresh water tank and dumped 70 litres of water on the ground.
Still it looked repairable so I headed in to Vielha, stuck a wash in at the laundrette and went off to the DIY store for ideas. Later that evening I stopped on a quaint campsite by the river - the owner had yet to cut the grass so amongst a carpet of wild flowers I sealed the hole with  sealant and then added strength by using a two part plastic repair compound - by morning all seemed to have set so I filled up and headed south through the 3 mile long Tunel de Vielha then heading west to Ainsa where a spacious aire on the edge of the village made a perfect base. I walked in to the traditional village on a sunny evening and was lucky enough to spot a robin's nest hidden in the church cloisters. The eco museum made an interesting diversion but as I returned to the van the long line of dark cloud that had loomed away to the north approached steadily. Around 2am I was awoken by a single magnificent thunderclap after which it rained torrentialy until dawn with more sound and light effects. I noticed a couple with their young child and 3 dogs occupying a SWB VW T4 with a pop top had at some point moved well away from the electrical transformer  for the village.

With diesel being cheaper in Spain than France I filled up before taking the road north, passing through the Bielsa tunnel and emerging rather surprisingly in to 4 inches of snow - the northern (French) side of this range obviously having seen a more wintry version of last night's storm.
Anyway after descending several thousand feet things improved as I began this final leg of my 8 month trip.

The small aire at Condom made a good base for the voies vertes that headed east with visits to another historic village - Laressingle - and a bridge well known to pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostella.
Then it was on to the Lot Valley for two days cycling on sections of the Veloroute 86 - the latter taking me down to Cahors with its beautiful turreted bridge and Albas providing another quiet spot to stay right by the river. 
Moving north again to the Creuse Valley  near Le Blanc saw more cycling along almost deserted cycle tracks with the magnificent viaduct at Le Blanc a main feature. The old stations and crossing keepers' cottages are largely restored and occupied and seem to be a bargain at around £100k.

Lencloitre near Chatellerault gave access to the Green Line a 40km route that was again almost deserted  - the whole area is largely agricultural with most old stations having grain silos in the marshaling yards. The flowers were superb whilst most of the track was shaded by trees whose blossom created a white carpet to ride on.

I am now in the Loire Valley and will move on tomorrow as I have a ferry to Portsmouth in just under a week - there are more VVs to do across Normandy and I expect to post again after the HUBB event in three weeks time.

Piccies here CLICK