ReneKMueller.com: 2005: France & Italy *

Page << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next >>

2005/05/22 13:56

2005/05/22 16:56

2005/05/22 16:57

2005/05/22 18:43

2005/05/22 19:34

2005/05/22 19:56

6:30 awake, no rain, but cloudy. 8:30 departure, about 4-5km to La Londe, it is market day, I buy bread and drinking for the day, after further cycle route via Bormes les Mimosas, in the town entrances show the bike paths, and at the local outlets again, in between or no information signs, one has to know, so further to La Croix Valmer, then St. Tropez directly over St. Maxime, Saint Aygulf eventually to the adjacent St. Raphael seamlessly, very beautiful, touristic, I'm fast. I remember the inner picture of my sleeping place today, and it will where the rail line gets close to the street. At the outskirts of Antheor I see a small hill, where I want to reach for, but only narrow path leads up, nix bike, shame, I drive 50m further, I see an old street with two stone blocks, which leads to the place where I wanted to go (!!), the current campsite is found, Thank you! Clouds move from the north or east forward. The whole day was partly cloudy, which was good.

2005/05/23 10:25

2005/05/23 10:26

Nice
2005/05/23 13:26

2005/05/23 13:26

2005/05/23 13:27

2005/05/23 13:42

Villefrance sur Mer
2005/05/23 14:10

2005/05/23 14:11

Meeting Ron McGerity in Monte Carlo (Monaco)
2005/05/23 16:35

6:00 getting up, sunrise, no rain nor cloudy, by 7:30 departure, a bit hilly, then flatter to Cannes, where the film festival just ended, trucks on the edge of the roads, which are loaded, with huge cinema billboards, short breakfast, not a discounter found but a small village shop. On the coast continue to Nice / Nice, a village ends, another begins smoothly, nice Nice, much traffic, then very steep high, the bike I push by hand for the first time. Villefrance sur Mer behind it is very beautiful, almost all surface are constructed around the small bay. Next to Monaco, suddenly in Monaco, where I end in front of a hotel, about 50m back to the regular road, I drove even a part of the Formula 1 track downhill and uphill, just this past weekend was a racing event there. Shortly after the hotel I meet, what a surprise, another Fateba recumbent cyclists with flag from Geneva. His name is Ron McGerity , running publicity as a "Messenger of Peace" the Geneva Spiritual Appeal to the world, and now travels to Jerusalem, we are talking about three hours together, then together on the Italian border, to Bordighera, a little further still in a closed parking facilities on the sea, we each camp in our tent. Late 22:30 into the tent to sleep.

2005/05/24 08:49

7:00 getting up, Ron is makes a short swim in the sea, then we go and I have a rear flat despite the "Self Healing" gel in the tube. The rim has been making a hole into the tube, fixing, but then go to San Remo, where I buy some breakfast, and Ron at a McDonalds. There, we lose ourselves, and continue independently until the afternoon of beautiful rocky coast, with little hills. Later in the afternoon I meet him again, he was waiting for me. Together continue to Savona, we seek sponsored campsites, but they offer only discounts (Ron is used to have everything sponsored), but no full sponsor, hotels are full, very late at 21:45 sponsoring a campsite for both of us, we shower and discuss, I have difficulty to share my views and experiences, he obvious lives in a different world and we first have to find a common ground. After midnight we go to sleep.

Valley near Genua (Italy)
2005/05/25 15:12

2005/05/25 18:59

2005/05/25 19:00

2005/05/25 19:10

2005/05/25 21:07

We are late, 7:00, slow packing, 9:30 quickly to head Genua, where we arrive approximately 13:30 on the outskirts, soon after one of Ron's spoke breaks, which upsets him, 40min to ride into the center of the city, where we part, he goes fixing his spoke (expensive wheel and high-tech spokes) and I go ahead passing Genua. I need some time in order to pass through, especially Portofino Kulm Rapallo had steep ascent more I expected e.g. 300Hm to ride, and then all down, and uphill again, etc. no real coastal road, sea level in the villages, then approximately 100-200 meters uphill, this 2-3 times so far, plus the 300 meters in Portofino Kulm. And no sleeping places around, not even enough space to set up a tent, regardless where, each spot whether horizontal or vertical someone has occupied it and is fenced, after Zoagli after a tunnel is a small way, there I will stay, does not look very clean at entering, but a little further, it has just enough space to pitch the tent, 10cm more and it goes steeply down the coast. 20:00 tent set up, lay in the tent without a roof, good weather, looking at the the stars.

2005/05/26 09:36

2005/05/26 11:19

Passo del Bracco
2005/05/26 13:07

2005/05/26 13:09

2005/05/26 13:19

La Spezia
2005/05/26 15:32

2005/05/26 18:21

2005/05/26 20:02

Marina di Massa
2005/05/26 20:34

2005/05/26 20:34

2005/05/26 20:35

2005/05/26 20:36

2005/05/26 20:37

2005/05/26 20:38

Around 6:00 awake, get up, heared coughing, barely 10m away, a hiker also established himself here in the night. Spanish hicker, works for 3 months, and the rest of the year he travels by foot, with sleeping bag and some clothes, about 30-35km per day, he says that he stopped twice per week from the police and is asked for identity papers. He walked from Barcelona to Rome to the Pope, and is now on the way back, we part, I drive at 7:00 to Chiavari, about 5-6km downhill, flat next to Sestri Levante, which I already know from previous travels. From there quite uphill, I need 2 hours for 600Hm, at 11:30, I am on the Passo de Bracco, the last 5-6km are easy to pass, an older racing cyclists joins me we start to talk while riding uphill (!!), then he returns back to his friends once we reached the top of the pass, I ride downhill, then small slope uphill again, the rest pretty flat towards La Spezia, and then steeply downhill - curvy - what the brakes must endure! Approx. 25kg luggage, 18kg bike, and I, total more than 110kg, with 40-50km / h and then 5km / h in the slow curves. Fast, greet some motorcyclist with swiss plates with "Salüe", they are very surprised but don't react (very illustrative) - I continue in the direction to Pisa, go to the sea along ahead, I meet an Italian who speaks swiss-german, and gives me tips to ride to Lucca instead to "ugly" Pisa which has only the tilted tower but nothing else to see he says. Go for swimming the first time in the Mediterranean sea at the beach for locals (free & with shower), great to experience the sea. Washing my cloths even under the shower, leaving the beach at 19:00, searching for a campsite, not much choice. Around 20:00 I go near the beach again and go back into a small forest I saw before, between by two roads. Eat at dinner and wait until it darkens before I pitch the tent.

2005/05/27 11:29

Lucca
2005/05/27 13:11

2005/05/27 13:11

2005/05/27 13:19

2005/05/27 13:20

2005/05/27 13:21

2005/05/27 13:29

2005/05/27 13:37

2005/05/27 13:38

2005/05/27 15:56

6:30 awake, the sun seems to hit the tent, getting up immediately to pack up, 7:00, empty stomach, drink, eat later. Meet a cyclist who speaks English with me and gives direction to Lucca, he even leads me partially through the city, very helpful. Viareggio, Migliarino, about 10m highway entrance before the "old" road to Lucca, and earlier still buy something to eat. Very nice track, come 11:30 in Lucca to buy even more to drink, total 4.5L, will be hot today. Remain until approximately 14:00 in Lucca, get some sleep, a very beautiful city with the still intact city walls. Ride then to Pescia, Pistoia, then directly towards Firenze / Florence, around 18:15, I find a little way behind a hill, my sleeping place today, wait until 20:30 before I pitch the tent. How far it is to Florence I have no idea, let's see tomorrow. I am in the tent at 20:00, go to sleep early, but noise nearby let me sleep late.

Next Page >>

Page << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next >>

Content:

2005: France & Italy

22.5. La Londe - St. Raphael - Antheor 103km

23.5. Antheor - Ospedaletti 118km

24.5. Ospedaletti - Savona 122km

25.5. Savona - Genua - Chiavari 96km

26.5. Chiavari - Marina di Massa 126km

27.5. Marina di Massa - Lucca - Brozzi 119km