ReneKMueller.com: 2005: France & Italy *

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2005/05/07 14:52

2005/05/07 15:43

2005/05/07 17:49

2005/05/07 18:12

2005/05/07 18:13

2005/05/07 18:30

2005/05/07 18:31

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2005/05/07 19:10

2005/05/07 19:14

2005/05/07 19:15

2005/05/07 20:20

2005/05/07 20:21

8:30 to pack up, it's foggy and cloudy, good sleep yet some strain on hip and neck, uncomfortable sleep - starting then, quickly approach Chalus, breakfast, and I call Melanie so she can get me some refill for my prepaid mobile, we talk 30min (public telephone booth from now on), she has a lot to tell, I am not so much. Chalus, just shopping, then, still hilly, but not so steep and often as before. Coming into Nontron, the town is beautiful, then Brantrome, very beautiful, very touristy and renovated old buildings, I like it very much, buying liquids, then about 5-10km, in a forest, I see a small road leading to a round field, where I pitch my tent, I thank for the beautiful place. Meal remains of yesterday, tastes very good. 19:00 am put to rest and sleep.

2005/05/08 10:37

2005/05/08 11:17

2005/05/08 14:11

2005/05/08 14:12

2005/05/08 17:47

2005/05/08 17:59

St. Emilion
2005/05/08 19:00

2005/05/08 19:00

2005/05/08 19:01

2005/05/08 19:05

2005/05/08 22:36

2005/05/08 22:37

Very good sleep, wonderful sleeping place. 8:30 to 9:15 departure to Riberac, flat along Donne, very nice area. Continue to Montpon, on the N89 to St. Medard de G., rather than to Libourne I ride to Lussac, again hilly, full of vineyards, beautiful. St. Emilion, old city, fast, too fast, very beautiful, full of tourists, 2-3 photos. Continue to Branne, and looking for a place to sleep, starting at 18:30, approximately 5-6km outside, between two small villages, in the midst of vineyards I find a place, already 20:00, eat the remains of yesterday, bread, and drink plenty. Have been driven long, 7:30 hours, long "velotag". A local policemen is interested in the recumbent, I get a few tips for the route, this is how it works!

Bordeaux
2005/05/09 13:06

2005/05/09 13:15

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2005/05/09 13:41

Pyla sur Mer
2005/05/09 19:37

2005/05/09 19:37

2005/05/09 19:38

2005/05/09 20:47

2005/05/09 21:01

2005/05/09 21:03

2005/05/09 22:25

2005/05/09 22:27

7:30 awake, but wait until the sun on the tent that all moisture is dissolved, 8:30 therefore departure, about 20km to Bordeaux, still hilly, wider roads, and just buy breakfast, Bordeaux with the magnificent promenade, I love it, really. I stay for 20min, and enjoy the view, then further into the city, which is easy, but finding the right place is more difficult to get out again, after 2 hours and little detour, I am on the road (highway) to Archachon, and I ride fast, with a tailwind. Bignanos and Archachon direction, but without the sea, away just 500 meters from the street. La Teste de Buch, then on to Pyla sur Mer, then the sea in front of me, 12 days through half Switzerland, the whole of France to the Atlantic, I done it! The sun is still high, 18:30, reflected in many facets of the sea, warm air, cold sea (about 10C) - great vision and outlook on Cap Ferret at the opposite. Shortly after shopping, water, and tomatoes, to the dunes, where admission is expensive, too expensive, I let it and ride further, 1-2 attempts until I found a place to sleep, in the middle of the forest, the left side of the road (away from the sea), behind the turnpike. The commercial campsites are not particularly appreciated, even with 12-14 euros expensive, and soon I must again wash clothes and hair. In the forest, almost like on La Gomera, moss on the entire floor (including sand), small but old trees, I feel very fortunated, I hear the trees speak to me ... I have eaten enough lunch without dinner to bed, 21:00 still studying maps, then speaking more with the forest before I go to sleep. Thank you for the beautiful campsite!

2005/05/10 13:19

2005/05/10 14:19

2005/05/10 14:42

2005/05/10 19:25

2005/05/10 19:26

2005/05/10 20:06

Good sleep, 7:00 up, packed up, 7:45 departure, after Biscarrosse Ville, shopping, continue to Mimizan, made good way, meet a cyclist with Cannondale and trailers, Paris - Dax - Paris with French and English we can talk to each other a bit, further after Lit et Mix until D652 Leon, short to the lake nearby, very beautiful. I want to ride as far as possible to Biarritz and Bayonne, so I'm fast there tomorrow, wash, repair etc, and in the evening in the city. After Leon there is a good cycle route after Soustons in Seignosse, I go after Seignosse, it is 19:00, sleeping place, or further, it drives me, but the good sites are gone, I still remember the cycle route Hossegor - Capreton - Labenne, the last chance for a place to sleep in the open space, anywhere "Camping Interdit" (camping forbidden) signs - finally on the cycle route only 2-3m from the path in the woods, I pitch the tent at 21:00, not quite dark yet. 21:30 I write these lines in the tent. It trickles a bit on the tent. Feel well, although a long day and driven much, I feel well as I am in the woods, in nature.

Bayonne
2005/05/11 11:00

2005/05/11 11:42

Biarritz
2005/05/11 11:59

2005/05/11 12:00

2005/05/11 12:40

2005/05/11 12:41

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2005/05/11 12:46

2005/05/11 12:47

2005/05/11 18:49

6:30 awake, 7:30 descent toward Bayonne, somewhat hilly, over the bridge to Bayonne, right heading almost to a cycle route to Biarritz on the river or sea, where one head then north to Biarritz. Before I eat in front of a casino breakfast, then further south almost out of the city on Camping de Biarritz, 11:00. Immediatly set up the tent so that it can dry, shower, washing clothes and sleeping bag. Cooking a nice meal, eat, hang out in the tent, I enjoy these half-day vacation. Later afternoon around 18:00 light rain, cloudy - I stay in the campground tonight, and will not go into the city again.

2005/05/12 11:43

2005/05/12 11:44

2005/05/12 14:20

2005/05/12 20:19

2005/05/12 20:20

2005/05/12 20:21

Late in the evening and early morning, it rained slightly, up 7:15, 8:30 departure, the tent is wet, it trickles a bit - I drive the coast north out of Biarritz, phone with Melanie again, then Bayonne, all along the river, and then along the Adour or Gaves de Reunis, small villages, hardly any traffic, friendly people. Everything is a little more open, kiwi plantations, funny. Eventually I meet a German cyclist of pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, in part to typical German complaining about minor things, and then everything is open for all - mixed feeling about him. Then continue on the N117 with a bit of evening traffic to Lacq where I detour from the petrochemical industry there, a bridge, and a small diversion of a small place in the river with two small wide waterfalls. Shortly sun so I pitch the tent so that everything can dry. Soon going into the tent, noise of the small waterfall nearby.

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Content:

2005: France & Italy

7.5. Chalus - Brantrome 82km

8.5. Brantrome - Branne 125km

9.5. Branne - Bordeaux - Pyla sur Mer 125km

10.5. Pyla sur Mer - Capbreton 145km

11.5. Capbreton - Biarritz 38km

12.5. Biarritz - Lacq 108km