Cycling Simmons

Col du Tourmalet in the French Pyrenees

2009-10-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

18 kilometers/11+ miles of non-stop pedaling was my goal and I am happy to say I achieved it even though at one point I came to a crawl to wend my way through a herd of cattle and goats. The 6% average grade belies the difficulty of this giant of a climb. There are numerous 9% sections and the final kilometer is 10%. As I neared the top the Tourmalet was socked in with thick fog. What a climb. A dream come true for this touring cyclist. I have a feeling I will climb it again.

Col du Aubisque in the French Pyrenees

2009-10-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Look carefully and you see the tunnel the narrow roadway winds through as you transistion downward off the Col du Soulor to begin the ascent of the Col d' Aubisque.

L' Alpe D' Huez

2009-10-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many awesome views you see while climbing L' Alpe D' Huez. Bourg D' Oisans, where I camped, is the village at the base of the L' Alpe D'Huez. The climb is truly mythic, starting out at 12% grade, it goes up relentlessly for over 8 miles, passing through a couple villages before arriving at the ski village at the top.

Celebrating Slovenia

2009-10-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Celebration time upon reaching the border of Slovenia, the homeland of my paternal grandparents.

Lavender of Provence

2009-10-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

I pedaled past these fields of lavender between Mont Ventoux and the town of Die in the French Alps.

The Cross Against A Glacier

2009-10-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

I took this while climbing the Col du Lauteret in the French Alps.

September 3 Greetings To All Who Have Followed My Blog

2008-09-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know I am back in Greensburg PA and I have had my bike tuned up at the Greensburg Cyclery. Thanks Karl. I will be posting many photos over the next few days. It just didn't work out as I was traveling to do so. Also I will be posting the journal entries for the days I have left blank. I hope you continue to enjoy this blog. Let others know about it if you would. And I would love to hear from all of you at cyclingsimmons@gmail.com

August 31 Fly from London to New York City, Airport Bus to Time Square, Dinner at the ESPN ZONE, 11:15 Greyhound to Pittsburgh PA

2008-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic bicycle journey. I biked 3000 miles in 10 countries; England, France, Spain,

Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands. I experienced a mountain-top finish of The Tour de France (Hautacam), cycled up 20+ of the famous Tour de France mountain climbs in the Pyrenees and Alpes including the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, and L'Alpe D'Huez. Cycled across the Spanish Pyreneean wilderness, Pedaled through the Italian cities of Torino, Pisa, and Florence via Cinque Terra and Tuscany; Biked to the hometown villages of 3 of my 4 grandparents in Slovenia and Croatia and discovered the family tree back to 1500, I rode a train through the incredible Austrian Alps (think "Sound Of Music"), and cycled in 3 countries (GDR/AUS/SUI) in one day as I circled Bodensee (aka Lake Konstanz); I followed the bike paths that parallel the Romantic Road in Germany spending nights in Augsburg and Wurzburg; and finally arrived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands where I cycled the world-famous bicycle paths to Hoek van Holland. Let me know if you want to go with me on my next bicycle adventure.

August 30 Arrive Harwich England, Train to London, Cycle to St Paul's Hostel, Box up Bicycle for tomorrow's flight from Heathrow to JFK in NYC

2008-09-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

The boat ride over from Holland to England was smooth. There were about 900 passengers, mostly people with cars or campers. The ship, Stena Line's "Britannica" is 252 meters long, a big ship that has restaurants, shopping, cinema, and trucker's lounge. No passengers are allowed on deck during the journey. Immediately upon arrival I loaded my bike and rode down the ramps of the ship and through customs to the nearby train platform where I caught the train to the Liverpool St Station in central London. From there I cycled just a couple K over to St Paul's Cathedral where I secured a room for the night at the nearby hostel. Tomorrow, August 31st I will fly from Heathrow Airport to JFK Airport in New York City. While checking my email at the hostel I learn that my daughter Faith has gone into labor a few weeks early. I had hoped to home in time for the big event.

August 29 Hoek van Holland 35 K Cycling around, I Hit the 3000 Mile Mark / 4828 Kilometers, Boarding Ferry to Harwich ENGLAND for 10:00 P.M. Departure

2008-08-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

I arrived here, Hoek van Holland yesterday about 2:15 p.m. to catch the ferry boat over to Harwich England. But the ferry left at 2:00 p.m., and the 10:00 p.m. was booked as well as the 2:00 p.m. today. So I had to buy a ticket for today's 10:00 p.m. departure on Stena Line. It is a 9 1/2 hour trip across the North Sea and I arrive in Harwich England at 6:30 a.m. England time on August 30th. They are an hour behind western Europe. I then jump off the boat and onto a train to the Liverpool Station on the eastside of London. Stena Line sells a combo ticket, boat & train to London. Last night I stayed at a very nice, but inexpensive, pension right on the main street of this terrific little town of Hoek van Holland. The theme here is "Get Hoekt". Lots of nice eateries and bakeries. Yes, food here is appealing. I really like the Netherlands. And it is so much easier to navigate because English is like the second language and most everything is subtitled in English. Then there is the bicycle culture. Just an amazing system of bike paths and lanes, all well-marked. I easily found my way from downtown Amsterdam to Hoek without a map. Every intersections have detailed signage. I took a photos of the inside of a "not-so-big" Bike Shop here in Hoek. It only had 800 bicycles on display. Today I biked over to this library in the next town, s'Gravezande, three times, and also to the world-famous "Maeslantkering", the surge barrier that will hold back the ocean in the event of a massive storm. Well, let's hope they are correct!

August 28 Amsterdam NETHERLANDS to Hoek van Holland NETHERLANDS 93 K / 57 Miles

2008-08-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

August 27 Wurzburg GERMANY to Amsterdam NETHERLANDS By Train

2008-08-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

August 26 Augsburg GERMANY to Nordlingen GERMANY 107 K / 66 Miles, Nordlingen to Wurzburg By Train

2008-08-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

August 25 Lindau GERMANY to Bregenz AUSTRIA to Rorschach SWITZERLAND to Freidrichshafen GERMANY 100 K/ 62 Miles, Freidrichshafen to Augsburg By Train

2008-08-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

August 24 Round Trip Bicycle from Innsbruck to Hall Of Tirol 31 K, Train Innsbruck AUSTRIA to Lindau GERMANY via Munich GERMANY

2008-08-24T13:13:00.001-07:00

This morning I pedaled the 10K to Hall in Tirol because I had heard it was a fabulous town. Turns out the town is okay, but in a spectacular setting surrounded by snow-capped Austrian Alps. I decided to return to Innsbruck on the cycle path that runs along the Inn River. (FYI The Inn Cycle Path runs from Passau Germany to just south of St Moritz Switzerland. It is more crushed gravel than asphalt for over 500K.) Once back in Innsbruck I boarded the train for Lindau Germany and would have to take the long route via Munich because the route I wanted to take directly into Switzerland was denying bicycles for a few days because of construction on a tunnel. The train ride through the Austrian Alps was incredible. I took a bunch of photos from the moving train. I hope these show some of the beauty.

August 23 Ljubljana SLOVENIA to Villach AUSTRIA by Train, Villach AUSTRIA to Spittal AUSTRIA by Bicycle 51K, Spittal to Innsbruck AUSTRIA by Train

2008-08-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

I started the day at 6:45 after a lousy night of trying to sleep through all the riotous behavior of youth indulging in Slovenian brew and folks conversing in the hallway like it was 4:00 P.M. rather than 4:00 A.M. I hopped on the train heading for Villach Austria and plopped in a 6-seat booth with 3 college-aged Irishman and a 36 year old woman from Spain. Sara, the Spanish girl and one of the Irish youth and I had a terrific conversation all the way to Villach. Sara talked about her travels to Montenegro and Bosnia and The young Irishman spoke for himself and his sleeping friends about hopping from Prague to Bratislava to Budapest to the Croatian Coast. Now they were all heading for Vienna. Once in Villach I found my way to the Drau River Cycle Path which I would follow to Spittal where I would catch the train to Innsbruck. But before beginning the 50K ride upon the mostly gravel trail to Spittal I gave into the signs compelling me to eat at McDonald's. At home I never eat at McDonald's but since I was at a loss finding food I was familiar with I was willing to settle for chicken McNuggetts even though they are fried. The ride along the Drau Cycle Path was less than impressive. Of course maybe it was the overcast day that caused me to feel this way. This cycle path was mostly crushed gravel and I can only take so much off-road riding when fully-loaded touring. And I was expecting massive mountains and the ones nearby were nothing like I would see later in the day while on the train to Innsbruck.

August 22 Kočevje SLOVENIA to Ljubljana SLOVENIA by Bus, Biked 20K / 12 Miles mostly around Ljubljana

2008-08-22T15:36:00.001-07:00

Another incredible day of discovery. Many thanks to David Šušel for helping me discover the history of my ancestral home; the village of Gladloka, in the Municipality(Občina) of Kostel, in the south-central most region of Slovenia. We spent 2 1/2 hours researching. When it was time to leave for Ljubljana David told me I could take my bicycle on the bus to Ljubljana. It turns out that the road I was to cycle to Ljubljana was a very unsafe road for cycling. So I am glad I opted for the bus ride. Once in Ljubljana I purchased a train ticket for the next day from Ljubljana SLOVENIA to Villach AUSTRIA. I found my way to the Dic Youth Hostel and checked in. Then I cycled to what I thought was a Canon Camera Shop with a repair department. Turns out there is no repair person. I found the place closed, but knocked on the window hoping for a response. Voila, Špela Kališek (photo), account manager staying late to catch up on work let me in and informed me there is no repairman. But she made some phone calls and even checked the camera. The zoom lens would not retract, and it would just shut off a few seconds after turning it on. Well, as I was leaving, she asked if the camera had a certain function so I got the camera out again for her to check and when she looked at the camera it "got healed"!!! The camera just started working. In fact I took a bunch of photos as I biked around this very cool city of Ljubljana. The hostel I'm staying at, the Dič Hostel, is a giant 600 person capacity hostel which I believe had been a college dorm in the past. Free internet with the stay was so helpful. Oh, and I ate dinner at a Serbo-Croatian restaurant. A meat plate with a spiced up hamburger, sausage, and pork, and red peppers in olive oil and a loaf of bread(photo).

August 21 Tišenpolj SLOVENIA to Kočevje SLOVENIA 30 K / 19 Miles

2008-08-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

I departed Wayne Tuttle's in Tišenpolj about 9:00 and planned to bike to Ljubljana with a stop at the land record office in Kočevje. Once in Kočevje I had a series of unbelievable divine appointments and will camp here so I can continue research of the land records of Gladloka Slovenia and learn the history of my grandfather's 245 acre farm since he left for America in 1900. I have a 9:00 appointment in the morning to be escorted through the record books by David Šušel who works in the land record department and speaks English. There is camping along the lake on the edge of town. Photos will be uploaded once my camera is repaired, hopefully in the next 2 days in Ljubljana.

August 20 Tišenpolj SLOVENIA to Tišenpolj SLOVENIA 31 K / 19 Miles Cycled to My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather's Village of Srbotnik

2008-08-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to cycle through the village of Gladloka again to verify where my Grandfather's farm was exactly located. This I was able to do. Then I biked another 6K along the Kupa River to the village of Srbotnik where I wanted to see the Church of St Ana. You must see this church and the view from its' location high on a cliff overlooking Croatia and Slovenia. Srbotnik is the village my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Gregor Simonich lived in. (For those who would be interested there is a history lesson on the development of the Slovenian alphabet available at Štaško Južnič's. Just stop on by). It turns out that h's were used on the ends of names until the 1800's when the little marks (č or š or ž) above letters were introduced. My family name morphed over the centuries from Simonich to Simonič to Simončič. In the dialect of Kostel (Slovenian has 8 major dialects) my family name is Šmonč or Šmončevi. Šmončevi meaning "belonging to Šmonč". The old farm house in Gladloka, house #2, has been rumoured for many years to be the "House of Šmonč".

After my tour along the Kupa I cycled to Štaško's house for more dialogue. I left for awhile when he received a phone call and had the good fortune of being invited into the home of Slavko and Mira Janeš and their english-speaking daughter Natalija. What fun talking about my family history and their family history. Štaško and I finished up talking about cycling, the NBA (alot of Serbian hoopsters get to America by way of Slovenia), Oklahoma (where he spends time doing research), and bouncing around history lessons.

August 19 Guče Selo CROATIA to Tišenpolj SLOVENIA 27 K / 17 Miles, Discovery of Paternal Family Tree

2008-08-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

I leave the apartment in Guče Selo about 8:00 and cross into Slovenia hoping to find this Štaško Južnič at home in Fara. If not I am cycling to Ljubljana. Well, I was meant to discover my family tree. Štaško was home and we sat and he took notes and said to come back in 4 hours and he would have info. When I returned he had print outs of my grandmother and grandfather's descendants, all the way back to 1494. The book he wrote, The History Of Kostel, 1500 - 1900, is published in English by a company in Mechanicsburg PA. Štaško has gathered all the data from the records of all the churches and castles etc in Kostel. There is an amazing abundance of records going back 500 years. I sat with Štaško for 5 1/2 hours discussing the history of Kostel, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, the migrations of people groups, history of wars in the region etc.

I took Wayne Tuttle up on his invitation to stay at his house in the small village of Tišenpolj (Sleltered Field) half way back up the mountain.

August 18 Srpske Moravice CROATIA to Guče Selo CROATIA 67 K / 44 Miles,

2008-08-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

I begin the day eating breakfast with Nedekko while listening to a cassette of American music from the 1970's. "I can't live if living is without you....".

Today I will cycle to my maternal grandmother's village, Donja(lower) Vuchcoviči. So Nedekko draws me a map and I am on my way. A quick lesson here: I learned yesterday that Srpske Moraviče is not just the railroad town but a small region comprised of 27 villages. Each village carries a family name, thus Vuchcoviči (my grandmother's village), Petroviči (my great-grandmother's village, Vučiniči, Careviči, etc. I also had learned that Serbian families assumed a knickname to distinguish themselves from other Serbians with the same last name. It was discovered that my grandmother's clan of Vuchcovič was known as Mateša.

I was interested to know, if possible, which house my grandmother had come from. Upon arriving in Donja Vuchcoviči I get the attention of the home owner. He doesn't know much English. He does know Italian and Dutch though. Anyway I am telling him my grandmother was a Vuchcovič from there, and he's getting the point. Then I mention Matešs and he lights up. He points up the hill and communicates that the 4th house on the left is Mateša. I cycle up a very steep lane and shake some people out, but no English-speakers. But we manage. And again, once I mention Matešs, they light up. And the woman speaking to me from the 4th house on the right is probably a long distant cousin. She says her house and the one next door are Mateša-Vuchcovič.

Next I move on to Petroviči, it is close by. Here I am walked by Branko Petrovič to the English-speakers. Here I meet Bob Vuchcovič from Englewood Florida via Croatia and Serbia. He lives part of the year at his father's homestead there in Petroviči. So Bob helps me through numerous conversations. Thanks Bob. I decide to cycle to Upper Vuchcoviči (which is actually lower). Here I find a much poorer village at, I think, a dead-end road. The people look at me like I dropped in from Mars. But again, once I utter the word Mateša, the whole village lights up. You must realize the village is maybe 10 houses. But still, they are very excited that I am identifying myself as Mateša. But the one man, the apparent chief, quickly lets me know that Mateša is Donja (lower) Vuchcoviči. Confirming that Donja Vuchcoviči is my Grandmother's home village. The people are concerned I find my way out of their village so one guy grabs a motorcycle helmet. I begin to leave and they all motion to wait. Soon I hear a motor scooter fire up and it turns out I am being escorted back to Moraviče so I do not get lost.

I then bike through Brod Moravice and back to Brod Na Kupi where I cross into Slovenia and head up the 10K climb to my paternal grandmother's home village of Nova Sela. Here I start up two conversations with very old ladies. The second lady motions to follow her to the English-speakers. Sitting around a table behind what used to be the stage-coach house are Wayne Tuttle (Canadien turned Slovene after 27 years), his girlfriend Lily and her sister. We have a wonderful chat and they encourage not to leave the area until I talk with Štaško Južnič. Štaško has written a book on the History of Kostel, the small region of my grandparents. And he is a founder of the Slovenian Genealogical Society. So since I don't get to Slovenia that often I coast back down the mountain to see if Štaško is home in the village of Fara just about 2K from the border crossing. His house is easy to find but he is not home. So I cruise through the border checkpoints again showing my passport. In Brod Na Kupi at the market I meet Zoran and Angela from Vancouver British Columbia. Zoran was born in Croatia and comes to Croatia often. A short time after we talk at the market we meet again at the restaurant and they invite me to sit and eat with them. It was a great evening and really good food.

August 17 Guče Selo CROATIA to Srpske Moravice CROATIA 34 K / 21 Miles, Visiting My Maternal Grandmother's Home village

2008-08-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today was the day to head to my maternal grandmother's home territory, Srpske Moraviče, Serbian Moraviče. It is interesting that my Slovenian granparents and my Serbian grandmother grew up in villages only 15 to 20 miles apart. My maternal grandfather, Jovo Kekich was from Gospič in Lika County 100+ miles south in Croatia.

From Guče Selo I cycled along the Kupa River for 10K and then the road went up steeply for miles, really steep. In Donja Dobra I met a Croatian man I conversed with who just could not figure out Americans. "Why would you want to live with so many different kinds of people?". I found my way to Moraviče, a good sized railroad town, took photos, but I was a little timid at this point because I knew there were tensions between Serbians and Croatians. And since the wars in the 1990's Srpske Moraviče is no longer called Srpske Moraviče, but just Moraviče. Anyway, on the way down to Moraviče I had spotted an Orthodox Church (St George) so I headed back up to it to shoot photos and check out the cemetery. While there I meet an old man who gives me a tour of the cemetery pointing out the family names I am giving him. He then leads me to the priest's home where the priest is not home but his wife and one son begin to contact half the village. Then a 200 year old book is brought out with the church records of births, deaths, and marriages. One man, Lazar Dragovich scans through the book for my family. Another man, Nikola Jaksič, (who has worked at Waltz Mill Westinghouse) speaks English and translates the conversation. Another man Branko turns out to be my God-Mother Mildred Vudragovich's first cousin. Since I knew my Grandmother's parents names were Simo Vuchčovič and Angelja Petrovič they could find my family line in the book all the way back to 1791.

I was about to leave and cycle back to Guče Selo when the priest arrived with his other son and they told me to cycle down the road a 100 meters and a lady would be waiting for me. I head down the road and sure enough there is a lady who leads me into her house and introduces herself and her husband. They are Nedekko and Ljubica Ceravič, first cousins of my God.Mother Mildred Vudragovich(Nee Widich). Well, in comes Nedekko's brother Simo and wife, Simo's 2 grandchildren, and Simo's other daughter Marta and her Croatian husband Zlonko (who speaks perfect English as well as Italian, Spanish, and 3/4 French). So now I have a translator. There is alot of food, and laughs, and stories, and history lessons, and slivovitsa.

After nearly 12 hours of conversation I am invited to stay at the Ceravič's overnight.

August 16 Rijeka CROATIA to Guče Selo CROATIA 92 K / 57 Miles, First Visit to my Paternal Grandfather's village in Gladloka SLOVENIA

2008-08-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Today is a very exciting day of this bike tour for me and one of the main goals of the entire trip; to venture into the land of my ancestors and hopefully locate and visit the villages of my grand- parents. My Father's father and mother came to America from Slovenia in 1900 and 1903 respectively. The delay for my granmother was waiting for their second child to be born and for the girls to be old enough to travel. My grandmother went to America with my Aunt Katherine and Aunt Mary in tow. My Mother's father and mother came to America from Croatia but they were Serbian. (The Serbian people had lived in Croatian lands for centuries.) My maternal grandparents did not meet and marry(1912) until after they were in America.

I climbed for 24 kilometers to get from the seacoast in Rijeka to the interior. I stopped in Delniče, it was actually raining a little. Now begins a series of divine appointments, meeting people, that can only make you think you are being led by God Himself. I came out of a market in Delniče knowing there were no campgrounds or hostels in the area of my target town of Brod Na Kupi Croatia. So the first people I spot I ask if by chance they speak English. They do, they are from Holland. We discuss the lack of campgrounds then the wife tells her husband to get me the name of a pension that they are headed for near Brod Na Kupi in the village of Guče Selo. Turns out Guče Selo is adjacent to the Croatian village Gerbajel (seperated only by a very small stream). I had foreknowledge that Gerbajel is the village DIRECTLY ACROSS THE KUPA RIVER FROM MY GRANDFATHER SIMONCIC'S FARM in Gladloka Slovenia.

After arriving at the pension (apartment or private-room hostel) I cycled the 4K back to Brod Na Kupi where the border crossing is between Croatia and Slovenia and crossed into Slovenia and biked along the Kupa River 4K to Gladloka, my grandfather's village and where his farm had been.

August 15 Rijeka Croatia Rest Day - Pilgrimage to the Monastery Tsart

2008-08-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Zero miles on the bike but I happened to be near Tsart, a kind of suburb of Rijeka, where there is a 700 year old Franciscan Monastery and a famous Roman Catholic Pilgrimage destination (Pope John Paul II himself came there a few years back). And since August 15th is a National Religious Holiday, The Assumption of Mary, I decided rather than to bike to take in this Croatian cultural and religious experience. Photos will becoming shortly I hope. (I dropped my camera the other day and hope to get it repaired tomorrow In Ljubljana. I am in Kočevje Slovenia today.) There were thousands of pilgrims at the monastery throughout the morning. Services were outdoors and there was one Mass after another. So people continually flowed in and out of the outdoor worship area, then they would slowly stroll through the church to pray in front of the shrines. It was quite interesting.

August 14 Vranja CROATIA to Rijeka CROATIA via Vela Učka

2008-08-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today wasn't the longest of days but it contained a monumental climb, Vela Učka, The big Učka. I began cycling at 6:38 from my tent site in a farmers field in Vranja. Yesterday I ran out of daylight and couldn't reach my desired destination in Rijeka due to the miserable maps I had purchased. Thus I had no choice but to coast down into Vranja and ask the first folks I spotted about tenting. Good fortune smiled. The college-aged girl, I assume the farmer's daughter, spoke perfect English and I was pointed to the field across from there home. Anyway, after 200 meters the climb began, about 4K to where the Big Učka kicked in. I thought my legs were a little toasted from yesterday's roller coaster up and down 14% hills, but not this toasted. Then I thought this is really steep. Then I was comparing it to climbing Mont Ventoux with panniers. A few kilometers there was a sign (photo) proving the steepness. And it was even steeper before the sign. WOW, Whoa!!! Thankfully it was ONLY 5K. I guess a little fitness helps. All totaled the climb was 9K. Then a terrific downhill all the way into Rijeka where I holed up at the Hostel International. On the way down I stopped at a small market in Matulji where I met a cyclist, David, by asking him directions. He was about to the climb the Vela Učka. He spoke enough English to have a good conversation. He is Italian with a Croatian girlfriend. He asked me if I spoke French or Croatian or Italian before he talked to me in English. Since 1:00 this afternoon I've been strolling around City Center, gathering info from the tourism office and eating and figuring out my next moves..

August 13 Izola SLOVENIA to Vranja CROATIA 115 K / 72 Miles

2008-08-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. It was very cool to be in Slovenia and then Croatia. But I began the day on the coast and therefore the tourist traffic. On top of this Slovenia has a minimalist approach to oad signs. They don't bother with numbers. Then the maps turned out to be miserable. There were times the road turned to gravel. So I turn around because it was not passable. I'd ask directions and they would tell me to take a road, a paved road, that was not on the map. I would head backwards turn onto a road that was not on the map, and Voila, I was okay. But this added miles and slowed me considerbly. Next thing, about 2:00 P.M. I notice it is getting hotter than h-e-double L. It became deathly hot. The hottest of the entire tour so far. There were many, many, steep climbs. I did stop in some nifty villages; Korte Slovenia, Sterna, Oprtalj, and Vrh Croatia. I was crossing the Istrian Peninsula in August, cruising past wine vineyards and not much else, and it was H-O-T. When I reached the border between the two countries I faced my first border crossing check-point. Leaving Slovenia they looked at my passport and stamped it. A few hundred meters later I just showed my passport and was in Croatia. The line of traffic coming from Croatia was very long. Lots of Italian tourists I am told.

August 12 Florence to Trieste by Train, Trieste ITALY to Izola SLOVENIA

2008-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Man, I caught the train out of Florence at 4:35 A.M. I stayed up all night at the hostel so I wouldn't miss getting to the station on time. First, I watched Braveheart (in English) with a crowd of hostelers, then I used the computer to catch up on all the world news I've been missing. The world keeps twirling even when I go biking.

The Italian train system is pretty friendly to cyclists. Alot of the regional trains have a designated car for bikes. You must buy a bike pass, about $5.00 for the day, along with your ticket. I took the train from Florence (Firenze) to Bologna, then Bologna to Venice (Venezia), the Venice to Trieste.

HEY, THIS GREAT INTERNET CAFE IS CLOSING. AND I'M GETTING THE BOOT. More soon.

August 11 Barberino Val D/Esel to Florence / Firenze 43K

2008-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Italy-s roadsigns lack in detail. More later. It was up and down and quite a nice ride into such a big city. I realized my trip is a work of art and my plans a work of art in progress, pun intended. At 4.30 in the morning I catch the train to Trieste Italy, switching trains in Bologna and Venice. Only regional and inter/city trains take bikes. So you gotta make changes. Trieste is nery near the Slovenian border. Tomorrow night I plan to be in Koper Slovenia at a youth hostel.

P.S. Sorry about no photos. Again thwarted by a computer without the ability to upload photos. The hostel manager says they do not pay for the service. Whatever that means. As soon as I can I will upload photos.

August 10 Viareggio to Barberino Val D-Esel 146K / 90 Miles

2008-08-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

A day to fulfill a dream. To lean on the leaning Tower of Pisa eating a slice of pizza. And I am now in Tuscany. And it is hot. The first 90K today was flat, but then 9K short of the hilltop town of Volterra the road went up. The last 4K being very steep. I walked around an hour and a half, ate some ice cream bars. Hey, it was really hot.

August 9 Levanto to Viareggio 41K

2008-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Wow,what a day! Did I say I have had only 2 days of rain in 48 days. Blue skies again. Cycling through Cinque Terre turned out not be a good idea. Seeing Cinque Terre is a great idea. There are 5 seacoast villages snugged away in coves at the bottom of seaside mountains. From Levanto I climbed a steep 6K, then dropped a steep 4K to Monterosso al Mare, then climbed back out only to go up another steep 5K, ride along a ridge aways then drop 6K straight down to the sea, to Verzanno. The towns are a combination village/seaside resort with beaches, marinas, and bakeries. Did I say bakeries? On leaving Verzanno I spotted the train and decided that-s the best way to see Cinque Terre. So I got a ticket to Riamaggorie, the southernmost of the 5 towns. From there I trained to Viareggio.

August 8 Rest Day/Travel Day Torino to Levanto by Train, 16K of Cycling

2008-08-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

I always wanted to try this bicycle/train thing in Europe. I should have tried it in France. I would have come up from Spain sooner, catch the train in Andorra and take it to Avignon. Anyway, its all good. I sat at the train station eating salame on hard roll sandwiches and chocolate muffins at Mr Panino. Hey, the Olympics began today.

August 7 Torino ITALY Rest Day

2008-08-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I'll get some photos on for all you guys soon. I spent the day walking/relaxing in this amazing city. And I don't say that about cities usually. One young Canadian said he's been all over Italy and Torino is his favorite city. He also said his favorite spot was Cinque Terre which I will be at the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow on Rest Day 2 I will be taking my bike for a train ride down to the Mediterranean Coast to the town of Levanto just north of Cinque Terre. Anyway, you just gotta see Torino someday for yourself. A city full of those European plazas. Really big spaces that are car-free zones, space for people to just mill around and bounce from one museum to the next and one restaurant to the next. And that reminds me. The food seems familiar here, the pizza resembles pizza.

August 6 Le Rozier FRANCE to Torino ITALY 131 K

2008-08-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

An exciting day for me, I made it to Italy. You could be here too. Ha! I biked 36 days in France, did alot of climbing, and wouldn't you know it, France had one more climb for me, the Col de L Chelle. A 2.7K climb that was really steep. Or maybe it just felt that way since I've cycled 12 straight days. 20K into the day I spotted the cement post (photos) that divides France and Italy. Then it was all downhill, literally. A very steep descent to my first Italian town, Bardonecchia. And then I just mostly rolled down through Susa, Rivoli (I got excited when I thought they named a town Ravioli), and into Torino. Torino, for being a big city was very easy to get into on a bicycle. In Rivoli I ducked under an awning to avoid a downpour and met two cyclists, Mario & Giorgio, who treated me to a Coca Cola after hearing about my tour. Much fun. Here in Torino I got the "Tour of The City" whether I wanted it or not as I searched for The Tourism Office and this great hostel. I will take a day or two off and blog and relax and plan the next section of my tour.

August 5 Bourg D Oisans to Le Rozier (8K east & north of Briancon) 76 K, Col du Lauterat

2008-08-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

As I was about to pull out of Le Bourg D'Oisans, after my obligatory stop at the boulangerie and supermarket, I met a cyclo-tourist from Caneda. Carlo Roman was his name and we kind of biked together as far as Briancon. Had some good conversation at the top of climbs, and met a family (Mark, Martina, Matthew, Alis, see photo) from near Lyon France who were out on a backpacking trip. The D'Oisan region, famous to cycling fans for the climb up to L' Alpe D'Huez, has 6 valleys and nine major peaks including some glaciers. Truly a magnificent area. A must see, but not in July or August. Today I had more traffic go by me than the last six weeks combined by far. The mountains are so extreme here there are few roads and fewer highways. The only way to go is the main route. The Col du Lauteret is one of the famous TDF climbs which is overshadowed by its' next-door-neighbor, the Col du Galibier. I decided to save Good Ol' Galibier for the next tour so I can climb it from the north ;) The scenic beauty made up for the automobiles whizzing past.

August 4 L Alp D Huez 30 K

2008-08-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

August 3 Die to Bourg D Oisans

2008-08-06T13:37:00.002-07:00

Wow, another INCREDIBLE day of cycling. What can I say, I'm blessed to be a cyclist biking through this fabulously beautiful terrain. I decided to bike directly to Le Bourg D'Oisans and the L'Alp D'Huez. Tomorrow, on my rest day, I would climb THE ALP. The Alp made famous most recently by Lance Armstrong when he Time-trialed from the bottom to the top in 39 minutes. That is about 9 miles UP at just under 15 Mph. Simply amazing! I started the day climbing the Col de Menne and finished descending the Col d'Ornon. Two Cols, two beautiful experiences. Climbing Col de Menne was 21K at 5% or easier at times, but the terrain had turned to Pine trees and it was like riding uphill in front of a big air conditioner vent. Spectacular. Later in the day the climb up the Col d'Ornon was especially beautiful with really cool villages. But what made the day special was the astounding descent off the Col d'Ornon. 12K of indescribable cycling glory. Hey, all my cycling friends, plan a group trip to Le Bourg D'Oisans, and I'll show you the sights.

August 2 Bedoin to Die 128 K

2008-08-06T13:37:00.001-07:00

Today was a fabulous day of cycling, transitioning from the southern Alps to the northern Alps, from Provence to the High Alps. My first lavender fields were sighted and photographed. And I met a wonderful family from Grenoble that I shared lunchtime with at the top of the Col de Edy. Hello to Thomas and Clare and their two beutiful children. We had a fun conversation, thanks to Thomas speaking very good English. He is a cyclist and we talked about all the famous TDF climbs and much more. I also climbed the Col de ????. It was another scorching hot today so I took an ice cream break in La Motte ??? at an internet cafe I didn't use the internet. Crazy, they want from $7 to $13 an hour for internet in this region. I made it to Die (pronounced Dee) in time for a grocery store stop. The campsite was nearby.

August 1 Mont Ventoux 45 K

2008-08-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a day! What a mountain! What a climb! Mont Ventoux is everything you've heard and more. If you are a cyclist, Mont Ventoux is ranked as the most difficult climb in professional cycling. For sure, the most difficult climb in the Tour de France. I chose to climb the infamous, more difficult side from the village of Bedoin. It is 22 kilometers from the centre village. The first 6K are at about 4-7% with a 100 meter flat spot just before the famous hairpin turn to the left and the beginning of the wall. At 15K from the top there is a sign, The Geant Of Provence. 10%, and I think more at times, it goes up, up, up, never an easy kilometer. Truly an incredibly difficult climb. I have respect for all the recreational and club riders who can claim they've climbed Mont Ventoux. And my repect for the pros who race this mountain has gone up a zillion times. I tried to imagine being in the TDF and approaching Bedoin after 120 miles of racing in the heat and facing Mont Ventoux. Awesome. I took some photos at the top and got my just rewards fo climbing, I got to roll down one of the greatest mountains in the world. I was smiling and whistling all the way down. Not a car or a cyclist passed me.

July 31 Boissoron to Bedoin 135 K

2008-08-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today was my "Roquemaure" day, my laundry day. Going through this town I spotted a laundrymat and my clothes needed a laundrymat. Smell the point??? But as I attempted to read the directions I couldn't figure it out so I flagged a young guy down out front and, VOILA, he spoke English really well. So he helped me do the laundry by reading the signs for me and also typed a blog post to let you all know "I was alive and well in Roquemaure". After cycling through France for 5 weeks I will never take a dryer for ??? This afternoon I met a Swiss cyclo-tourist named Nicole who is 2 weeks into her first ever bike tour and loving it. We road together for an hour (photo) until we went different ways. It was nice to have a good conversation in English. But don't these people who speak 4 or 5 laguages fluently tick you off : ) . And too I was buzzed by two fighter jets today. That was shocking, cause you don't hear them coming. They just appear.

July 30 Clermont L Herault to Boissoron 135 K

2008-08-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Who won the Tour De France? I'm in France and I haven't been able to follow the Tour. Back home I'd be glued to the tube watching the daily highlights and enjoying commentary by Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwin and even Bob Roll!!! My bike repair was complete and I was pulling away from the bike shop by 11:30. Today I had a French road cyclist come up alongside on a big climb and we ended up riding and talking for an hour to St Martin (???) where he continued on and I got me an ice cream bar. It was another extremely hot day. Oh, did I tell you, every day has been blue skies and bright sunshine and hot!!! This part of France reminds me of the Southwest USA. A mix of arid & semi-arid climate, even cactus here and there. Vineyards for days I've been passing. I also stopped for a walking tour of St Gilhem of the Desert, a very old town with a women's monastery. St Gilhem was Charlemagne's cousin, I believe, who walked away from his Nobility to answer the call to be a monk. The town is listed as a UNESCO sight.

July 29 Laurens to Clermont L Herault 59 K

2008-08-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today the ol' Volpe, my 8 year old Bianchi bicycle, woke up with an ailment. Turned out the front derailleur broke. I think it may be the original, So it had about 20,000 fully-loaded miles worth of shifting. I was able to ride without shifting the front gears to Bedarieux where I had been told there was a bike shop. Turns out this bike shop is closed on tuesdays AND today it was tuesday. So I made a change in my route plan. Instead of continuing north to visit an Orthodox Monastery near Le Bousquet d'Orb and cycling the Tarn River Gorge and the Ardeche, I headed straight east to Clermont L'Herault and the bike shop there. I hustled and even got there before the bike mechanic closed for his 2 hour lunch. But he said he could only work on it tomorrow. So I settled for a shorter day. I needed some easy days anyway. Oh, in Bedarieux I went against one of my "Cardinal Bike Traveling Rules". Never allow an amateur, no matter how well-intentioned, to work on your bike. A guy in front of the closed bike shop wanted to try to fix my derailleur problem, but you guessed it, only made it worse. My day in Clermont saw me eat an "American Sandwich". Oh brother!!! Cheap burger (I hope) with french fries on top stuffed into a hoagie bun. And the internet cafe was closed on tuesdays as well.

July 28 Narbonne to Laurens 67 K

2008-08-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had a nice 4 hour stopover in Casten???. The reason being it was like 100 degrees and I just sat in the plaza watching the people and writing. The terrain was a real mix of flat, roolers, and a few nice big climbs.

July 27 St Cyprien- Plage to Narbonne 98 K

2008-08-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

The route turned flat for me today, but the route also was filled with coastal traffic on some bigger roads. Thankfully there was usually a bike lane. I met 3 English guys trying to tour on fancy carbon fiber bikes. Shortly after we talked I passed them, ON MY MAVIC 719's, as one of them crumpled a wheel. Oh, it was nearly 100 degrees today, way hot! I also tried a cycle track on spotted on the Michelin map. Oooops, bad idea. It was really rough, but I had to go that way once I was there. Narbonne turned out to be a real nifty town. The TDF frequents Narbonne I believe.

July 26 Girona Spain to St Cyprien-Plage France 126 K

2008-08-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Day No. 32 since I began cycling toward France and I'm heading there again. I will spend a big chunk of my tour on the roads of France and it has proven to be a cyclists dream. But that doesn't mean every part of France is a cyclists dream. I decided to bike to the coast today and see the Mediterranean Sea for the first time ever, which was cool, but cycling the coast meant what all coastlines mean to a biker, tourist traffic. Tons of cars who aren't local and they are just screaming around. I did enjoy seeing the beaches and the coastal hilltop towns. But sand can be a rear derailleurs worst enemy.I had a climb to the French border, the Col de Baynuls. Shortly before that climb I met Ed Duggan, a young English (Brighton area) cyclo-tourist and we had a great time swapping stories.

july 31 Roquemaure

2008-07-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

alive and well and mont Ventoux is in my view . more soon !!

July 25 Girona SPAIN Rest Day

2008-07-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Actually I haven´t rested at all yet. I´ve been up until 4:00 A.M. updating this here blog for your viewing and reading pleasure. It is not often I have access to a computer that is friendly to my camera and basically free. The hostel I´m staying at has 2 computers and I´m free to stay up and use one of them. Hey, you all gotta go back as far as July 15th and catch all the photos I´ve added, including the Col du Tourmalet. I think I added about 40 photos. Tomorrow I will update July 14th, the day of the Tour de France on Hautacam. And please, please, email me at cyclingsimmons@gmail.com . I´d love to hear from you. PART 2: I did the walking tour of Girona´s Old Town including the Wall around half the old town : ) , the Jewish Quarter, the Arab Section, and the Cathedral where I think I walked into an ordination service. Very few people were out this morning because of the holiday of St James. Most everything was closed. While blogging I met Catherine and Andrea from Montreal (photo). How nice to have a conversation in English. God really knew what he was doing back at Babel when he wanted to confuse the languages. So it was nice to have a conversation. Don´t get me wrong, I do often speak with people, but it´s hardly a conversation. It´s phrases with sign-language and a little, what do you call that game, you know....

July 24 Olot SPAIN to Girona SPAIN 62 K / 38 Miles

2008-07-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Today was, you guessed it, another beautiful day. Perfectly blue skies and warm. Today I was rewarded for all my climbing efforts the past 3 days with a mostly downhill run to Girona. I am approaching the Mediterranean Sea from the high mountains so it should be down, right? I´ve planted myself at the International Youth Hostel in the Old Town part of Girona. Tomorrow I´ll be like any other tourist and stroll the famous old streets, and walk the old town wall. It just happens that tomorrow, Friday July 25 (one month since I cycled away from London), is a big holiday in Spain. It is Saint James Day and everything is closed. I hope Bocatto is open. Spains version of Burger King. But I doubt it. Oh, by the way, there has been another sighting of Inspector Couseau. In his search for the slippery Pink Panther, he has disquised his car!!!

July 23 Sant Llorence de Murony SPAIN to Olot SPAIN 122 K / 76 Miles Coll de Canes & Coll de Coubet

2008-07-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Beautiful blue skies greeted me again today contrasting with the dark green pines I would be cycling through all day long. I didn´t have the super big mountain passes today just a few 7 & 8 kilometer climbs that were very beautiful. Again it was wilderness with very few towns and very few people all day. I ended the day entering the "Natural de la Zona Volcania" and a simply unbelievable 15 kilometer / 9+ mile downhill into Olot. Upon arrival I stopped an older road cyclist on his beautiful Colnago to ask directions. Good fortune, he spoke English pretty good and helped me on my way. Then he preceeded to head up the mountain I had just rushed down at 8, 9, and 10%. He was probably 65 years old. I see it all the time. Older guys on expensive roadbikes out climbing the mountains.

July 22 Sort SPAIN to Sant Llorenc de Morunys SPAIN 118 K / 74 Miles , Coll del Canto & Coll de Jou

2008-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Another perfectly blue sky in the Spanish Pyrenees. In fact I would be blessed with 4 perfect days in a row. Not a cloud. In the afternoons it would get pretty hot. But at the high elevations I was cycling at the air was cool. At the 6 or 7 tunnels I passed through I could stop and the air was coming through the tunnel so it felt like standing in front of an air conditioner. Cool, eh!!! The Spanish campgrounds are not as nice as the French ones. And they are not in or near the center of town. They are placed on the outskirts. I love the way the French system melds so well with cycle-touring. EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. France, as well as Spain, and I guess all of Europe, shun the dryer. You know, as in washer and dryer. Not one campground has had a dryer. And many have no washing machines. They all have plenty of wash basins to do your clothes by hand. Then you hang them to dry. This may work well with car campers who have 2 weeks worth of clothes for a one week vacation. If it rains you just grab some clothes from deep in your car trunk. But a cycle-tourist has 2 cycling shorts, 3 shirts, 1 hiking pants, 2 pair socks....get the point. You gotta clean ém and DRY THEM. But you can´t. So what'ya do? Enough ramblings! Today I had two Cols to climb. I started the day drifting for about a mile through the town of Sort taking in the noises. The Spanish are noisier than the French. Kind of like Americans. Or is it that the French are just quiet. Once I drifted across town I turned left and started a 21K / 13 Mile climb. Good Morning Spain!!! It was at the top of this climb I realized I had entered hardcore wilderness. High desert, very few towns & they had no stores. The descent off Coll de Canto was gorgeous. I stopped in Adrall for water, asked a young lady for the supermarket so I could get water, she says there is no market but "uno momento" and runs into her place and comes out with a 1 1/2 litre bottle for me. Nice people. The next 20K was on more of a main road/C-14, but its´ saving grace was that it had a 3 foot shoulder and was downhill. A super scenic route. A few times the sheer rock faces would encroach on the roadways and the 3 foot shoulder disappeared so I had to be extra diligent not to allow myself to get caught in a blind spot to traffic. Thankfully there was not much traffic. Then I turned onto an especially spectacular road, L-401. It started with a 10K climb to the village of Alinya where I found 8 Russian cycle-tourists shading themselves from the sun & heat of the day. We joked about who I was & who they were. And they invited me to sit with them out of the sun. Most of them spoke with me in English, and very well at that! I took a picture of Dima and Sveta by the village water spout. If you read this Dima, send me an email!!! I pulled out of Alinya about 4:45 and WOW, what a ride. Like the Blue Ridge Parkway with almost no cars for 42 kilometers only I´m in the Spanish Pyrenean wilderness where the road hangs off the sides of mountains and it is straight down for 100.s of feet. Sometimes there are guardrails, other times there are 6 foot long stone walls with 3 foot gaps in between (see photo). I guess they figure a car won´t fit between the stone walls, BUT A BIKE WILL !!!!!!!!! Did I mention I saw an "El Pollo Loco" back in Esterri d´Aneu. Like the ones in Southern California. I´m serious. I wish I had stopped now. I arrived at Sant Llorenc de Murony and my least favorite campground yet. Don´t you just love those gravel tent sites? Church bells do something a little different in Sant Llorenc. They ring 4 times to warn you they are about to ring out the time. And as in France the process is repeated 1 to 2 minutes later. ALL NIGHT LONG!

July 21 Bagneres-de-Luchon FRANCE to Sort SPAIN 113 K / 70 Miles, Col Du Portillon & Port de la Bonaigua

2008-07-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

I just had to do it. Take on the Spanish Pyrenees. I was just going to Climb the Col du Portillon into Spain and 20 kilometers later be right back in France, but I decided to cycle across the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. Wild, spectacular, high desert, wilderness, with very few towns, lots of incredibly challenging climbs and scintilating descents. I started the day climbing Col du Portillon under overcast skies and the climb is mostly in the trees, so it wasn´t a favorite on my list of climbs but it did have a few 10% sections that got my attention. 5K from the top I´m in cloudy mist and once at the top I had to put on my front lights for the descent. And there was not one sign saying you were leaving Fance or entering Spain. What´s that about? The road N-230 & C-28 had good shoulders all the way to Baqueira where they disappearded as the climb up to the Port de la Bonaigua began. What a climb. The first sign I spotted said 12K and 6% to the top. What a beautiful climb. About 2K from the top a carload of folks going slowly past on a hairpin turn broke into applause for me. I just smiled. The descent to Esterri d´Aneu was 20 kilometers of just fantastic and glorious scenery. Even though the Spanish Electric companies have thrown up a gazillion power lines, it just couldn´t ruin the specially carved out mountains. In Esterri I stopped at a Spanish version of a Boulangerie and had "something". It looked like pizza without cheese. It had a bunch of diced up "somethings". And it was topped with a big sausage link. It was good. I had 2 pieces. I made it to the town of Sort where the campground had more French & Dutch vacationers than Spanish.

July 20 Bagneres-de-Luchon Rest Day

2008-07-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

I started my day of rest attending the Roman Catholic Mass. It was in French of course and I understood 4 words I believe. No pun intended. They were; Hallelujah, resurrection, Adonai, and Amen!!!! What more do you need to understand. Afterwards I sat on a park bench watching the cyclists go by and the French buy there daily bread at the Boulangerie across the street. Man, the French take there "Daily Bread" seriously. "Give us THIS DAY our Daily Bread". An older woman just pedaled by on her bike with one pannier and a handlebar bag, out shopping. I´m trying to picture where I would see that in America. In the evening I discovered the Creperies had the Tour de France on TV so I planted myself at a table and enjoyed a buckwheat pancake stuffed with ham & cheese. Really good eats. Tomorrow Spain!!!

July 19 St Lary-Soulan to Bagneres-de-Luchon 55K, Col d' Val Louron d'Azet, Col d'Peyersuorde

2008-07-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

A fabulous day. Beautiful weather, perfectly blue sky. I began the climb of the Col d'Azet at 7:40 A.M. so most of the way up the 10K climb I was in the shade of the mountain. My legs needed a day off, but I wanted my day off to be in Bagneres-de-Luchon where there are two bike shops. I stopped twice climbing Col d'Azet for photo opportunities. Incredible beauty. One photo, 2K from the top, is back at St Lary and entire climb of Pla d'Adet can be seen. I had some good and fun conversations on top of Azet with some French cyclists. I received some "bravos" for making it up with my panniers. A fantastic downhill run into Loudenvielle watching paragliders as I rolled along. Once in Loudenvielle I stopped for a break when I hear, "do you remember me?". It was the road cyclist from yesterday who had guided me into St Lary. We had a fantastic talk, his wife and an older gentleman were in on it as well. Sorry to say I never got his name. There are photos of these wonderful folks. The older man in the photo rides his bike 50K or so every third day including one of the Cols (big climbs). Get this! He is eighty years old!!! I hope to add to this later. I am now in Bagneres-de-Luchon where I'll stay for two nights, taking a zero day tomorrow(Sunday). Then on monday I'll cross into Spain for a few miles and one big climb, the Col du Portillon.

July 18 Pailhac(Arreau) to St Lary-Soulan 15K and Pla d'Adet

2008-07-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

The valley from Arreau to St Lary is really special. Mountains rise all around, rolling hills of farmland, water rushing here and there. I knew from this short, and mostly flat and rolling terrain that my legs were toasted. About 4K from St Lary a French cyclist on his Specialized road bike pulled alongside and we began to talk. He spoke good English and he asked about my tour and he led me to the Office of Tourism in St Lary. (More to this story tomorrow). I got all the requisite information for my stay in St Lary and acquired my campsite at the 4Star Municipal Campground. A really nice setting in somewhat of a resort/skiing town. Anyway against my better judgment I decided to do a climb since I didn't want to let such a beautiful day go by. Besides the Pla d'Adet only had an advertised 7.5% gradient and I wouldn't have my load. What's the big deal? Well, the big deal is that the info on gradients don't tell the entire story about a climb. By the way, George Hincapie won on the Pla d'Adet a few years back. It is a 10K climb, but the first 7 kilometers are 9% and 10%. The last 3 kilometers are 5%, 6%, and 8%. It was/is a killer climb.

July 17 Luz-Ardiden, Col du Tourmalet,Col d'Aspin, Luz-St Sauveur to Pailhac(Arreau) 93K

2008-07-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Three BIG climbs in one day. Where do I begin? I started the day planning to do two climbs, the Luz Ardiden without my panniers, then the famous and very difficult Col du Tourmalet. The weather had been great, sunny and warm, but it didn't hold true for my day to climb the Tourmalet. The Luz Ardiden was pretty difficult. The middle 3K was 9% gradient. Half way up I entered the clouds. By the top I was in thick wet fog. Visibility was maybe 20 meters/yards. I took photos and threw on my rain gear and took off down the mountain. I know I missed out on some beautiful views, but that goes with touring through high mountains. But it's still an amazing experience. I did manage two photos on the way down; the village of Grust and a look down on Luz-St Sauveur. Back in Luz-St Sauveur I packed my bike and was off and going up the Col du Tourmalet. The Town and my campground are/were at the base of the Tourmalet. The climb up the Col du Tourmalet is 18K/11.2 Miles and has mythical status in the Tour de France. It is now a part of Cycling Simmons' mythical tours. This was my first of the big and famous climbs that I would be riding my fully-loaded bike, and it would just have to be the biggest, baddest climb of the Pyrenees. I was intent on making it all the way to the top without stopping. As I cycled up I questioned whether this was really necessary. "But of course it is.", I said to myself. There's no walking your bike in cycling!!!! I knew the Tourmalet was advertised as a 7.5% average climb, but that belies the difficulty of most of the climb. Every Kilometer is a sign posting the % gradient, the elevation, and how far to go. Each K was 7%, 8%, and 9% for the first 9 kilometers. Then, thankfully there is a kilometer at 5%, then right back to 8% and 9 %. About with 5K to go I was in the clouds, then thick clouds, almost zero visibility. IT WAS AWESOME! Climbing the Tourmalet was an exercise in mental toughness with a little fitness added in. You know you are climbing big mountains when you are looking forward to the 5K mark so you only have 3 Miles to go. I anxiously waited to see the 1K sign. Surely it would reveal an easy % for the last push, greet me with kindness for my efforts. But after 17 Kilometers the sign read 10%. It is a creul mountain. At the top there is a restaurant to take cover in. I took photos of the inside which I'll post later at a faster computer. The photos outdoors are in thick fog, but they say it all I think. I descended off the Tourmalet in full cold-weather gear in cold rain. I couldn't see much except the names of Tour de France competitors scrawled on the road. At the bottom, in St Marie-de-Campan, I met two Spanish cyclists out touring for a week. We'd meet up later that night at the campground in Pailhac, but first I had to climb the Col D'Aspin. Though it is not known as one of the tougher climbs in the TDF it is still a category 1 climb I believe. Four of the final 5 K are at 7.5% - 9%. So it was difficult after all the climbing I had done. Going over the top it was fog and wind. What an incredible descent. I made it to the first campground I saw a sign for. Wouldn't you know it, only 1K away - all up hill.

July 16 Luz-St Sauveur Rest Day Zero K

2008-07-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

After all the climbing the past 3 days I needed a day off. And my brake pads needed upgraded. The descents really wear down the brakes. Yes I do use my brakes. My old buddy John Vanslander never used his brakes but if you know John.... enough said. Hey John remember that time coming off Laurel Ridge from Johnstown and I passed you going 65. I was crazy, but only for a few seconds. Now I don't even hit 45. Just taking it easy. The bottom photo is of an old castle or fort that overlooked my campground.

PLEASE STOP BACK LATER FOR PHOTOS. This Cyber Cafe HAS SLOW Computers.

July 15 Argeles-Gazost to Luz-St. Sauveur - Cirque de Troumouse 76K

2008-07-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today I moved my campsite 18K to Luz-St. Sauveur to position myself to do a couple climbs without my panniers. I realized cycling the 18K over to Luz that my legs were a little drained of power, but I decided to still do the ride out to the Cirque de Troumouse. I would save the climb up the Luz Ardiden until tomorrow. Wow, you know what happens when you assume something. I assumed the ride to Troumouse wasn't one of the BIG climbs. Well live and learn. How about 28K / 18 Miles of climbing with a 14% section and the last nearly 8K was a monster climb. Howbeit my legs were a little toasted. And half way up the final 8K I look back down a couple hairpins and spot my Campground neighbors from my 4 nights in Argeles, Rinehart & Olika, climbing up behind me. So I just had to accelerate because I knew Rinehart would want to catch me. Can you believe he left his wife behind to catch me? And he did with about 200 meters to go. That was fun. The picture looking down on the switchbacks has two riders in it. They are Rinehart and Olika. And yes, I need a haircut!!! And in case you were wondering about my outfits? It's about the function, not the fashion.

July 14 Tour de France - Hautacam

2008-07-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

A dream come tue to be at the Tour De France at a mountain-top finish. At 9:15 in the morning I began cycling up the Hautacam. The Hautacam is a mountain with a ski resort at the top with the same name. The climb is very difficult and long. Over 14K / 9 Miles. Quite a bit of the climb is at 10%. I carried one of my panniers loaded with clothes and food. The race wouldn't reach me until 5:15 in the afternoon.

The climb was very challenging, but fun as well. There were thousands of people walking and cycling up the mountain to find a spot to watch the race go by. Truly a party in the making. Those with seats already would cheer those of us still climbing up. The last 2K has barricades along both sides of the road to allow the competitors the ability to pass one another at the end of the race. Up until then the racers pass through an ever-opening funnel of fans who just move out of the way before getting run over. I was one of those fans on Hautacam.

After completing my climb (race officials stopped cyclists 50 meters from the finish line) I descended back down just below the 2K banner to a spot I could see down onto a hairpin turn and then see the cyclists coming up a steep grade. Well, at least that was my intent. I was positioned on the mountain with the Basque. The Basque are, how do you say, crazy fans. Once the riders arrived there was no seeing the 100 meters down the steep grade. All you could see was solid mass of people parting like a wave. Then about 5 meters before the cyclist gets to you a hole opens and there is the cyclist baring down on you and fully expecting you to get out of the way. Just enough time to snap a photo and jump back. I'm sorry to say I missed my photo opportunity of the two lead riders because I wasn't ready for the speed of them coming at me.

Before the riders arrive a caravan of race sponsors parade by for about an hour throwing things to the fans like hats and decks of cards. Even before the last of the racers comes by those who have finished already begin to cycle down the mountain parting the fans in reverse. Pretty crazy I thought. Once the race is over guys on road bikes are trying to find TDF racers to descend with off the mountain.

July 13 Col du Soulor - Col d'Aubisque - Pont d'Espagne

2008-07-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

What an incredible day. I got to climb three of the famous Tour De France Climbs. And in doing so I discovered that two of them are really one climb with a 2K downhill in between. I started out of Argeles-Gazost with a 3K steep climb, then it went up more gradually but it still was climbing until the village of Arrens-Marsous where you begin the climb up the Col du Soulor. There are signs every Kilometer telling you the gradient/% and number of meters ascended and how far to the top. Soulor was 7 1/2 %, then 8%, Then 8 1/2%, for 11K. Once on top of Soulor there is a 2K incredible descent (you don't want to go off the side) and then you begin the climb up the Aubisque (Oh - beesk) (I call it ahh - biscuit). The Aubisque itself, for all it's fame is only 5K. But the last Kilometer is at 8% at the end of a 16K climb from Arrens-Marsous and 30K from Argeles-Gazost.

After the downhill run back to Argeles-Gazost and my campground I headed off to Cauterets to climb Pont d'Espagne. Turns out it's only flat until Soulom, then you have an 11K climb, a beautiful climb, to Cauterets, and then you begin the 8K climb up the Pont d'Espagne. Truly a fabulous climb. The phots hopefully give you an idea of the scenic beauty. For 19K / 12 Miles you are riding along cascading waters.

July 12 Lourdes

2008-07-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

Today is a day "off the bike". A zero day. I took the local bus to the pilgrim city of Lourdes at 10:15 this morning. It was a 25 minute ride and I hopped off the bus into the drizzle and searched out the Tourism Office. Once I had a city map in hand I was off, only God knew where. But soon I discovered a blue line painted along the streets that turned out to be a walking tour of Lourdes. There are a number of churches in town, but the main church, the shrine, THE SANCTUARY is why the pilgrims are here. The plaza around the Sanctuary church can handle 80,000 people. I saw "a league of nations" parading toward the Church. One youth group broke into clapping when they first laid their eyes on the Church in the distance. This is obviously a sacred place to Roman Catholic Christians. And I'm sure many others visit out of curiosity. I'm glad I got to spend some time praying here. I hope the paintings/murals are clear enough in my photos. There is a hotel for just about every saint including the "fuzzy" St Charles! Must be my friend at WCCC library. He's a little fuzzy in the head. "Buy me something Charlie".

July 11 Walking Tour Of Argeles-Gazost

2008-07-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Not much in the way of photo opportuinities. It was late and the sky was gray. I'll add some more later of the "Centre Ville". Click on the Cross photo.

July 11 Bagneres-de-Bigorre to Argeles-Gazost 55 K

2008-07-11T08:00:00.004-07:00

I was going to take today off but I needed to put myself closer to Hautacam before my rest day. And Saturday is supposed to be the one bad weather day this weekend. So I plan to take Saturday off and take the local bus to Lourdes to check out this famous pilgrim site and say some prayers. Hey Tim Reidmiller, I'll be praying for you and your family while I sit in church in Lourdes!!! The ride over to Argeles-Gazost was pretty incredible. It rolled, then I had a couple miles of climbing, but then, AWESOME BABY, one of the greatest downhill runs ever. Not for speed, but just sheer coolness. Rolling through villages, looking up at strangely carved mountains. Just cool. So now I'm planted in Argeles-Gazost for the next 4 nights. July 12 I rest and visit Lourdes, July 13 I climb Hautacam and scope out where I'll stand and watch the Tour De France go by and probably ride back through Argeles and climb the Col du Soulor and the Col D' Aubisque, (by the way did I mention that there is the possibility of snow Saturday July 12 in the higher elevations), July 14 I will rise very early to climb Hautacam and try to beat the masses of cycling fans going to the top. The leader of the TDF that day should be passing me about 3:30. Look for me on Versus TV. I'll be the guy in the red shirt with the super goofy grin.

July 10 Auch to Bagneres-de-Bigorre 115 K

2008-07-11T08:00:00.003-07:00

It is time to take a day off, but I have to position myself to be on Hautacam to be in the midst of the crazed cycling fans on one the famed mountain-top finishes in the Tour de France history. Climbing out of Auch was really steep, right up through the old part of town and the super big cathedral, St Marie I believe. It's being restored like many Catholic churches I have passed. The 64 million dollar question is, "Is it historical restoration or a spiritual restoration taking place, or maybe both. I guess you can see from my photos that Crosses are everywhere. On entering every town and village there is a Cross. Always in a different form, but there it is affirming faith in Jesus. The townsquare has a Cross. Farms have a Cross. Homes have a Cross. Farmers fields have a Cross. Crossroads have a Cross. France has a Cross everywhere you go. Oh, I spotted my first non-catholic church yesterday in Fleurance. The sign on the storefront read Eglise Evangelique. Evangelical Church. I was very excited to reach Bagneres-de-Bigorre today, because that means I've arrived at the Pyrenees Mountains. Upon entering Bagneres I had a lady cyclist, a local, along side of me at a traffic light so I tried a question in French on her and "Wala", she spoke English perfectly. One minute later she was inviting me to camp in the garden (yard) at her home. She said, "Just tell my husband, Lynn said you could.". But I opted for a campground nearby. I ate my first French pizza. Do you think Jioio's or Gino's will deliver to France? I could see the Pic Du Midi Observatory above the Col Du Tourmalet this evening, almost 9000 feet, and I'll be climbing up there soon. Awesome! And the photo of the van with "Just Kitchens" is there because when I saw the English lettering I asked the driver for directions to the "superemarche" to get water and he gave me two 1 1/2 litre bottles. Nice people. Send him a thank you for me.

July 9 Lavit to Auch 82 K

2008-07-11T08:00:00.002-07:00

It was super hot today, I saw 35° C at 3:00 in the afternoon in Fleurance. Have I told you how everything here in France closes at 7:00. No kidding, and this really effects your day while touring because you can't pedal long into the evening (and heck, it doesn't get dark until after 10:00) and expect to go to the grocery store or restaurant or bike shop, etc, etc. It amazes me how different the social norm is here compared to back in the good old USA as pertains to relaxation and being constantly busy. Did I get that point across? If I don't get to a town by 12 Noon, forget it 99% of the time everything is closed untill 2:00. I took some photos to demonstrate, they'll be coming later. This internet cafe here in Argeles-Gazost won't cooperate with uploading photos. One sporting goods store bragged on it's sign that it was open from 7:30 to 7:30 NO INTERRUPTIONS. Sheetz wouldn't make it here because nobody is out and about after 7:00.

July 8 Villefrance-du-Perigord to Lavit 127 K

2008-07-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

A great day of cycling, really pretty territory. I cycled past the Chateau Bonaguil (photo). I took a break in Montaigu-de-Quercy. I would cycle in a valley a good way then climb my behind off. I did a really, really steep climb between St Paul and St Vincent. I mean - steep. But No stopping on the way up. Stopped in Auvillar because I had read it was one of those places you just gotta see (photos).

July 7 Rocamadour to Villefrance-du-Perigord 108 K / 67 Miles via Lacave, St Julien-de-Lampon, Sarlat-la-Caneda and Domme

2008-07-08T01:34:00.001-07:00

A wonderful day of riding with a little bit of traffic due to being in popular tourist areas. The Boulangerie in St Julien had great pizza. The old section of Sarlat is a must see. It was a climb up to Domme and a very good view of the Dordogne Valley. Domme is an old walled town filled with shops and tourists. As I was twisting and turning through the streets trying to find my way out of town I hear, "Are you an American?". I guess my gear gave me away or something!!! Dan, from California, now lives in Domme with his wife and are busy remodeling their new place. We had a nice talk and he said I was the first American cyclist he had met coming through Domme. Hey Dan, thanks for the directions out of town, and for stopping me to talk. I made it to Villefranche-du-Perigord around 7:00 and had a great evening relaxing (and doing my chores :) ).

July 6 Auriac to Rocamadour 99 K / 62 Miles

2008-07-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Rain and hills greeted me today, but again virtually no traffic. I rode along or near the Dordogne River with a stop in Argentat for the Boulangerie. It was still raining so no need to hang out there though I would have liked to. The rain ceased about 1:00 and I arrived in the terriffic Mideval town of Rocamadour about 6:00.

July 5 Aubusson to Auriac 122 K / 76 Miles

2008-07-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Hills. The day began with hills and ended with hills and sandwiched in the middle were miles of flat and rolling terrain along the Dordogne River. I pedaled through St Quentin, Gioux, Feniers, Millevaches (from where I could spot the volcanic mountains off to the east), Neuvic, and Soursac. The final few miles of the day I had a fantastic plunge of about 3 miles down to the Dordogne River gorge followed of course by an equally fantastic climb (which seemed much further than 3 miles) up to Auriac.

July 4 Aubusson - Rest Day

2008-07-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is my second stint in the Internet Cafe. Last visit my camera batteries went dead so I hoofed it back to the campground for replacements I've been lugging for 10 days. My day off has been good. It began at 7:30, I studied my French phrase book for awhile, then was trying to figure out my camera which Keith (& Rachel) helped me with. And I got photos of John and John & Chris. HEY! A shout out to Karl Tringese back at Greensburg Cyclery. I actually did maintenance on my bike last night and cleaned it. What about those apples? As I walked around Aubusson I took some random photos to give you a feel for the town. Click on any photo to see it enlarged. Aubusson is just right for a rest day on tour; not too big, not too small. The Church you see on the hill is Eglise Saint Croix. I walked in and instantly could have been translated into the 17th century. Photos of the inside I hope come out okay. Oh, by the way, there has been a siting of Inspector Couseau's automobile! The Pink Panther can't be far away!

July 3 Charletus-Marveliex to Aubusson 64K / 41 Miles

2008-07-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

I awoke to a pleasant day though the rain cooled things off. I took it easy from the start knowing I had only 40 miles. I stopped in Ajain only 15 K into the day when the sun came out to dry out my tent in the sunshine. Once I got rolling I twice encountered brief rainstorms. It was a beautiful ride with mostly ups and downs. The last 10K was along the Creuse River. I arrived in Aubusson to the sight of a cemetery like one I had never seen before. On an extremely steep hillside was a very old traditional French graveyard (photo). I found my way to the Tourism Office where English was spoken and I got a map and directions to all points necessary. I made my way over to the Municipaux Campground and can you believe it? I began speaking with my English neighbors (John & Chris Clements) and they said they once lived in Philadelphia. I said I lived near Pittsburgh. The gentleman says he visits Greensburg on occasion. I say that's where I'm from. He says have you heard of the Tuscano Agency? Now I'm incredulous!!! Turns out my neighbors are Insurance Agents and linked to the Tuscano Agency in London. We sat and had a great conversation until late at night. Sometimes it's a really small world. Next to them were camped Keith &Rachel from England who helped me figure out the self-timer on my camera. Thanks again Keith. So now I'm at this Internet Cafe. The French people are amazingly friendly and helpful. When I stop in a village and ask directions at a confusing crossroads they take it on as a challenge to get me going the correct way. I'm loving every mile.

July 2 Buzancais to Charletus-Marveliex 117K / 73 Miles

2008-07-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

I am in Aubusson as I write, taking a day off the bike, and enjoying the town center. After Argenton the terrain got quite hilly so I knew by the lack of zip in my legs I was due a day off. I would shoot for Aubusson tomorrow only 60K or so. I didn't leave Argenton until 4:15 and it was longer to Charletus-Marveliex than I had thought. I arrived at the Municipaux Camping at 9:10. Nice spot, great showers, and a good night's sleep though it did rain hard all night.

July 2 Stop in Argenton-sur-Creuse

2008-07-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

I arrived here at the worst of times (12:15) to shop or use the library or visit the Tourism Office. In France many things close up from 12:00 to 2:00 or 12:30 to 3:00. The pace here is a bit different. I've become a regular visitor of the Boulangerie (Bakery). Folks here gotta have their bread. And they are everywhere and in the mornings lines of people form. I saw a cyclist today with a long baguette strapped to his rear rack. And I've learned to say "Superemarche?", when I need water or groceries. Supermarkets here come in all sizes. Also I have learned that a library is a "bibliotheque" and a "librairie" is a news-stand. So I'm slowly catching on. By the time I figure I'll have a handle on the key French phrases I'll be crossing into Germany. I hope to post photos soon.

July 1 Muide-sur-Loire to Buzancais 121K / 76 Miles

2008-07-02T05:39:00.001-07:00

A very hot day. I put my lightweight hiking pants on in the afternoon to keep the sun from cooking me alive. I have a bandana tied to the back of my hemet to keep the sun off my neck. I have to carry 6 litres of water when I pull out of towns because the villages have no stores to buy any and you don't know if the public fountain will be potable. This morning I started at 7:00 and stopped by Chambord Castle (pics later, this library computer will not allow pics uploaded). The town of Montresor lived up to it's hype as one of the lovliest towns in France. It was a really hot 80K to get there and I was hoping for a good rest. I stopped where a cyclist was sitting on a bench taking a lunch break. We began conversing and turns out he, Tom, was a part of an English Over-70 Cycling Club!!! I spent 3 hours in Montresor and Tom introduced me to the Tourism Center where I should stop when entering towns. Usually those working at these speak English. And I was introduced to Fillets of Mackerel in Mustard sauce. I promptly hit the Superemarche and purchased 4 cans. I found out some information that alters my route. Turns out cyclists are not allowed to climb the Puy De Dome (one of the famous Tour De France climbs, last used in 1971 I believe) so I will arrive at the Gorges Du Dordogne a little sooner.

June 30 Chartres to Muides-sur-Loire 123K / 77 Miles

2008-07-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

Today was sunny and hot. The Route amazing. Very little traffic all the way on these roads. A shout out to my cycling comrades: you'd be dumfounded at the cycling here. It's been said France doesn't need cycling paths built because the entire country is a network of cycling routes. Check out a Michelin Road Atlas of France and all those white roadways are beautiful lanes with almost no traffic. I camped along the Loire River at the "Municipaux Camping". I pedaled through the villages of Coranez, Pezy, Rouvay, Sancheville, Bazoches, Peronville, took a break in Villamblain, Ouzouer, Concriers, and Mer.

June 29 Magny-en-Vixen to Chartres 118K / 74 Miles

2008-07-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

A really nice day of riding. In the morning there were many cyclists on the road. In Bonnieres I stopped to buy water and randomly picked a woman to try my French on. I said, "Superemarche?" and she says, "You're lucky, I speak English.". In Bercheres-sur-Vesgre, a beautiful little town, I came upon a street fair and the folks there were great and interested in my blog. So hello to all of you in Bercheres. The route had a few climbs but was mostly flat and rolling on an overcast day. As I approached Chartres the famous Cahedral loomed large. I took the photo of the sign entering LaHaye in honor of my host from the previous night in Magny-en-Vixen. Thanks again to Paul and Catherine.

June 28 Aumale to Magny-en Vixen 108 Km / 67 Miles

2008-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Another amazing day! I'm starting to see a trend here. Started out under grey clouds, but the sun started breaking through by noon and got quite hot by the time I finished for the day. I was a little zapped (drained of energy) because of yesterday's big mileage. No problem, just take it easy. And that is what I did. I'm having a tough time in the grocery stores and as a result I've been eating things I normally don't. Heck, I ate a spinach quiche that I thought was a breakfast pizza !!!!!!! But I refused to pitch it. Gulp!!! Today's divine appointment (I know, sounds silly) happened as I cycled between Bezu-La-Foret and Dangu. Up along side of me appears a French cyclist. He speaks to me in French, I say "Parlay vous Anglais?" and he says "Oui". So he's asking about my trip and talks about a Japanese cycle-tourist he met last year who had a blog he followed. I told him I've got a blog too but haven't found internet access. Boom, he (Paul) invites me to pedal to his home to use the internet and camp there. So he gives me directions and he goes off to finish his ride. What a wonderful cycling area the Vixen region is. An hour and half later I arrive at his home, meet his wife Catherine, and were off for dinner after I shower. Paul said we were going to a pancake house. The cool restaurant makes crepes and you fill them with what ever you want. I had the waitress rolling her eyes when I said chicken, potatoes, cheese, and bacon; Yummy!!! In my tummy!!! Then of course for dessert you get another crepe with ice cream, lemon, and chocolate sauce. Really good. Reminded me of the ice cream waffles at Kennywood. So now I'm finishing up on Paul's computer and I'm all caught up for now. Tomorrow I should be near or in the Loire River Valley.

June 27 Boulogne-sur-Mer to Aumale 156 Km / 97 Miles

2008-06-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

What a day - again. Probably pedaled too many miles, but I always do that when I start a tour. I was struggling to communicate about campgrounds, no one speaks English in these backroads villages. Finally discovered through much effort at a C-store that Aumale had a Municipality Campground. So I headed for there no matter the miles. It turned out good as I spent the evening talking with a Dutch couple, in the back of their ambulance-turned-camper, who are Med students. How funny! We had a great talk about medicine, conventional and traditional(natural), travel, languages (they speak 4), and Holland of course as well as the rest of the Netherlands. Earlier in the dayI pedaled on my first cobblestones in Montrieul. Makes 6th Street in Youngwood feel like smooth pavement. I passed through dozens of villages and every one has a big old stone Catholic church. I popped into a monastery that has the largest Rose Garden in France. The narrow country lanes I biked on are amazing, nothing like it back in the states. I loved every minute as I biked under a thick grey sky, but it hasn't rained on me yet.

June 26 Canterbury England to Boulogne-Sur-Mer France 50 Km / 31 Miles - Cycle Path 17 - White Cliffs of Dover - Speed Ferry - The French Cyclist

2008-06-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

What a day - again. Two english cyclists clued me in on the National cycle Route 17 from Canterbury to Dover. A great route on narrow lanes with hardly a car. Nothing like it back home. I arrived at the Speed Ferry, directly in front of the White Cliffs, not knowing if I could catch a lift. The French fisherman across the English Channel had been striking for the last 2 days; But they were back in business so I was a happy cycle tourist!!! No sooner I pulled into the docks a French cyclist pulled in behind me with panniers and we began talking, long-story-short he has toured Southeast Asia and Europe but was only on an errand to England and biked over. He volunteered to help me find my way around Boulogne-Sur-Mer (good thing, 60,000 Pop.), So we found a bank to score some Euros I'd be needing, a bike shop, and then he visited a cheese shop. We go in, one minute later his Trek carbon-fiber bike with panniers carrying his computer is gone. We had just talked about locking bikes and he never has in all his tours. What a bummer. He went to the police station. And I found my way to a hostel on Ave of John Kennedy, Mariany's.

June 25 London to Canterbury 97 miles / 123Km

2008-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Cycling out of any city can be a test, London was a big test, first because of the language barrier (and you thought they spoke English in England) and second was the fact I waited till I got to London to buy maps for England and couldn't find any. By 11:30 I found a bike rental shop with free maps to get out of the city and while buzzing around the big city I happened to pedal by Buckingham Palace and a bunch of tourists taking pictures of a big clock. I said to a tourist, "what's everyone taking pics of", and she look bewildered and laughed at me. It was Big Ben.It was not the greatest day of riding, city riding can be difficult, but hey, it was England, so it was all good. The 76 niles kicked my butt. I arrived at the Hostel in Canterbury about 8:00 and then had a pretty bland pizza at the Olive Grove. I could see the Canterbury Cathedral as I walked to the restaurant. There was no internet at the hostel so my posts are backed up.
All is good.

London England - Holland Park YHA - June 24

2008-06-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

While landing at Heathrow Airport(bottom pic), on a very nice day at that, we flew over Windsor Castle at low altitude. First landmark siting accomplished. From the airport I took the Picadilly (light-rail/subway) to Earl's Court (where I took the middle pic of my first steps on the streets of London) and found my way over to the Holland Park Youth Hostel(top pic) where I spent the night. I am trying to learn the new currency, pounds & pence, and my head is on a swivel when I walk cause these folks drive on the wrong side of the road here. Or do we? Anyway, I begin cycling in about an hour, 7:30 or 8:00, Possibly to Canterbury. It should be an adventure navigating my way through and out of London.

The Boxing of the Bianchi Volpe

2008-06-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Karl, the owner of the incredibly awesome Greensburg Cyclery, check out www.greensburgcyclery.com , boxed up my bike for me yesterday. All the while I was making mental notes to remember how to put it all back together at Heathrow Airport in London on Tuesday morning. I bought a duffel bag at Walmart to carry my 4 panniers, sleeping bag, and helmet. I'll be carrying my handlebar bag on the bus and plane.

May I Have Water Please?

2008-06-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Peux-j 'avoir de l'eau sil vous-plait? - French
Darf ich Wasser bitte haben? - German
Potrei avere l'acqua per favore? - Italian