A not so local bimble

Not really an off road ride (tho some of the roads were so bad I did wonder at times), just thought some of you may like to hear about this.

Day 1 started early to make the 9.20 chunnel train to France, some nice French D roads saw us end the day at a hotel in Reims, before visiting the nearby historic pits leftover from the old racetrack there

Day 2 saw us heading into Germany along some stunning roads, particularly through the town of Bad Peterstal before ending the day in Stuttgart.
Day 3 started late due to a few too many beers in the hotel the night before, but the good weather & good roads soon saw us into Bavaria and stopping for a swim in Simsee lake after which we skirted around Chimsee lake through the village of Seebruck


We ended the day in Salzburg with schnitzels all round

Day 4 saw us dipping back into Germany to visit the Eagle's Nest, Hitler's summer house in the Bavarian Alps. This is the tunnel that leads into the mountain

The elevator entrance which takes you up 110m

To the place itself

And some of the fantastic views

After a brief scare with the Polizei we hotfooted it back into Austria to see this place

Any movie buffs among you might recognise it as the castle from Where Eagle's Dare. We finished the day with a run up the Grossglockner pass, unfortunately in terrible weather, before finally calling it a day in the nearby town of Lienz.
Day 5 started in much better weather but soon turned when we started thru the mountains again. Even the weather couldn't detract from the stunning Dolomites


We also briefly picked up a 4th member of the team, a Czech lad named Pavel who was riding his trusty Honda from good old blighty all the way to India!!!!
We also saw our only spill of the trip (thankfully not any of us), some German guy dropped his BMW at v slow speeds pulling out of the petrol station in a little town called Canazei. Perhaps he was distracted by the 5 Porsches that looked like they were being tested, complete with taped over lights and panel gaps trying to hide the new lines.
Here's a pic of a couple of the bikes under a bridge that day

And here's why they were under a bridge

The weather remained bad all day but we still managed to paddle the bikes all the way to Brescia.
Day 6 started with a trip to Genoa before we finally gave up on Italy altogether and headed back into France, stopping at Menton. Not sure what this place was, but I took a photo anyway

Another late night in the bar, followed by a 3am dip in the Med meant another late start was looking likely the next day.
Day 7 started with another swim before heading out of Menton

And on to my favourite millionaires playground Monte Carlo

We did a slow lap around the GP circuit, partly cos they were still dismantling large sections of the track surroundings, but mainly cos there are ice cream white policemen everywhere. We stopped for a sandwich and a coke in the marina alongside the stunning yachts complete with security guards & doorbells (I kid you not) on every gangplank. I don't think I've ever felt more out of place. We made it out without incident, not an easy feat when there are more fantastic cars than policemen and more gorgeous girls than fantastic cars.
Unfortunately we were now days behind schedule so spent most of the day blasting along the autoroutes to get to Arles, site of the amphiteatre from the film Ronin, in time for a meal & a few beers

Day 8 started with another bit of culture and a visit to the Pont du Gard (as seen on the 5 Euro note)

From there we headed north and purely by chance found the most stunning road I've ever ridden. The N106 between La Grande Combe & Florac is 35 miles of motoring perfection. Easily better than the Stelvio pass, or the Grossglockner. We then picked up the D907 thru the Tarn Gorge

Another crackin road tho much tighter and not as well surfaced. This road brought us right down to Millau and the famous bridge


We eventually managed to sort a hotel in Clermond-Ferrand, where there was some sort of basketball tournament going on meaning it was almost midnight before we found a hotel with any rooms. A liquid supper in our leathers (we were too tired to bother changing) helped ease away the aches of a 15 hour day on the bikes.
Day 9 was all about covering distance. We should have already been at Le Mans for the 24hr by now but after a very cold days riding (unsurprising considering most of the day was spent over 1000m above sea level) we overnighted at Tours. Just our luck the 24hr turned out to be 1 of the most exciting and closest for years.
Day 10 saw a brief stop at Le Mans to watch some of the racing before heading north towards the coast. We had the rare opportunity along the way to have a little play with a bunch of boys blipping thru the French countryside in a Ferrari 458, a Lamborghini Gallardo, an F40, a 911 Turbo, an Audi R8, and a Ferrari 575.
We detoured to Vimoutier to see this little baby parked at the side of the road



I think it's one of only 6 left and a fantastic site.
Finally returned home in the wee small hours of day 11, totally knackered but with a load of great memories. Sadly I had to be back in work the next morning, what a come down after a trip like that. Already looking forward to the next one...

Paddy

great report dude, some stunning scenery there. Thanks

Great stuff paddy!

i never saw that one in the i'm going riding section looked a fantastic adventure paddy

Cant fault it do you do these sort of trips every year then?
Have to sort out a road trip for next year.

paddy are you racing sunday bud?????

nate

ps awesome report bud and superb pictures....really love WW2 history and thus enjoyed the report.

nate

We go to Le Mans every year, mostly in the cars, tho the other 2 lads cycled down last year for charity. Fair play to em they did from Cwmbran to Portsmouth on the wed, overnight ferry to Caen, then cycled to Le Mans on the thurs. I was support vehicle for that 1 & they came back with me.

We combine it with a euro tour on the bikes every 3 years & normally do 12 days away for that. We've all got wives/girlfriends & kids (the 1 lad's mrs only gave birth to their 2nd kid about 6 weeks before we left for this trip) so she was real good about saying he could go. Between having to get passes & the financial cost, doing it more often than every 3 years ain't on really.

I'm trying to persuade the other 2 to do more of a Long Way Round type trip next time, maybe doing Morocco & the Atlas Mountains combining a long road trip with some trail work & camping. We're also looking to do the Nurburgring at some point, tho that'd be a shorter trip & probly a combination of bikes & cars.

Paddy

Don't think I'll be going sun Nate, had a look at the track on youtube & it looks like mainly single track. I'd be too much of a mobile chicane on that. It's only up the road tho so I may go up to watch.

I love the WWII stuff as well mate. We did Pointe du Hoc & Pegasus bridge last year. The other 2 lads weren't that fussed before we got there, but they were fascinated by it all, especially Pegasus.

Paddy

pandy ummmm very tight and very slippery given the rain!

should be a challenge!

nate