From a bicycle tourist with a wee bit of experience!

Tips for the Naive Cyclist

1. It is never as bad as you think, things will get better and there is always a way out!
2. Invest in good Waterproofs, Ortlieb bags especially!
3. Invest in Bar Ends (they aren't that expensive!)
4. Use a reliable, simple Odometer
5. Invest in a side mirror, especially for Italy and Croatia!
6. Always clean your bike, quick lube. It is amazing that you can get 10500kms from one chain if you do so!!
7. It hurts when you fall!!!! Watch those train tracks, roundabouts and remember to unclip when you stop!!!!
8. Laugh, LOTS!!

Welcome Home to UK

Left, cycling home from Heathrow, right, Express to London from Heathrow!!! Below, Margie and the welcome party!

Lets just say that I was bl o**y lucky that I made it the airport with time for my flight today!!! With the Paris metro/train strikes, there were 2 hour trips from the airport, cars blocking every street in Paris. AND even though I had ordered a shuttle, it was 45mins late turning up (in which time I had tried to hail a taxi) and I managed to get there with 50mins to spare, checkin, customs etc. AND I was lucky. The horror stories that I heard, people queing from 7am, taxis refusing to take them to the airport due the 2 hour trip back. It was complete chaos. BUT I made it to London to 'Welcome home' and 'Well done' pink signs and balloons!!!

The French Summary

Whilst I only spent a little bit of my trip in France (some before Switzerland) and 3 weeks afterwards, I had a great time as there were so many things to look forward to. The hosptality of Jean-Pierre and Christiana, spending a great week catching up with and relaxing with Heidi and co, and then spending my last night in Paris (Europe actually) with Rene and Fredy.

All in all, a great way to finish, and it is hard to believe just that ... it has finished.

Total distance in France: 1575.9kms

Paris RV

The plan was to meet Fredy and Rene under the Eiffel Tower at 1pm and it worked, had an awesome afternoon and evening, with a few beers, wines, cognacs or two!!!

Paris

Lourve and Eiffel, with scarves required!!!!

Tracy in Paris

Left, Eiffel Tower, right, Arc de Triomphe

Paris Rugby

100% New Zealand at the Eiffel Tower, WITH HEAPS of All Black shirts walking around!!

Loved this window painting on one of the Cafe windows in Paris, be interesting to know if it was done before or after the quarter finals!!!!

The Johnstons

Maia and Heidi in front of their house in St Cannat

Heidi with Princess and the delivery to the TGV station
Great trip on the TGV up to Paris, except for the hungover and unwell french man!!!! But I made a friend (really tracy) and she showed me the sites of Paris in the evening!!!

St Cannat

Shaun and Heidi have a wee little vineyard out there front yard with MILLIONS of grapes!!! Right, Maia and I go for a walk!!!

Painting with Maia

Left, Maia's good clothes, right, us in our painting clothes (and we needed them!!!)

Maia and I decided to paint her hands and feet and generally make a mess!!!!!

Aix-En-Provence

Heidi and Maia in the ol' historic centre ville left, and Tracy with Maia right.

WOW, this is probably one of the best markets that I have seen on my travels, here in Aix-En-Provence with sooooooo many stalls selling everything. Once again, great weather.

More Cassis Shots

Maia in the car above left, Cassis and the Meditarranean right.

Heidi and Tracy above, and me below

Heidi and Maia took me to Cassis, which is about 40mins from St Cannat, awesome day, beaut weather, not as many tourists as would of been in July, what a way to relax.

Cassis

Me and Maia playing the clown

Me being a clown, where is Princess!!!

Cassis Harbour

Heidi and Maia at Cassis Beach

Tracy and Maia at Cassis Beach

Things I wonùt miss:
- hand washing
- making my bed
- sleeping in a single bed
- carrying my bags
- broken glass (which inevitably means erratic swerving to avoid, normally at the expense of the poor 18 wheeler coming up my rear!!)
- carrying passport, sleeping with passport, carrying wallet, sleeping with wallet

What I have gone through:
- 1 spoke
- 1 front tyre
- 3 back tyres
- 6 flat tyres
- 2 pumps

Total days in Europe:
132 riding days
65 days off + 8 more days (St Cannat and Paris)

9 countries (Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Liechenstein, Luxembourg) and not counting England and Scotland!! Trains only in Italy, Austria and Germany, excluding France to get to Paris!!! And Switzerland with no Princess.

Highs - meeting some pretty amazing people and having some of the most brilliant experiences
Lows - my Grandad

Endured: rain, thunderstorms, lightening, wind, iceglaciers, highs in high 30s, lows in the negatives

Three more hurdles to face:
1st and worst: Aix Provence to Paris by train
2nd: Paris to Charles De Gaulle airport with bicycle and luggage
3rd: Heathrow to Heston, this will be a walk in the park, fingers crossed

What this trip has endured:
3 camelbak bladders
1 pair of cycling gloves (at about the 7000k mark!!)

The current state of Princess, she requires:
New Front and back tyres
New Brakes
New Wheels
A Bloody good Service!!

Pink Ribbon Day

Isn't it ironic that the day after I finish my cycling, its international Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon day.

A wee little story

AND I HAVE A FEW!!

On 13 June at approx 4500kms in Zadar Croatia, I was recommended to change my chain within 500kms.

11 October at 10457.8 kms, Princess you are a trooper, original chain and I have arrived at St Cannat.

SO GUESS what everyone, I MADE IT!!!!!

So apart from a couple more kms in Paris, I have just about finished!!

Arles

Probably not up there for a lot to do unless your life revolves around Van Gogh!!! But enroute I really wanted to see the Pink Flamingos between Montpellier and Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on the Mediterranean Sea. Lets just say I could of done with a bigger zoom!!!!
Above, the Rhone and Arles from where Van Gogh painted

That fateful Saturday Night

Watched on the streets of Avignon, at an Irishh pub (O'Neills) on a huge screen, surrounded by alot of French, Aussies and drunken happy English (having returned from Marseille after watching the game live). Quotes from the night ...
Australian to myself Quote "At least our boys can go home, your boys can't" Unquote (a reflection of our public critical of the boys and our media)
English to another English Quote "I hope the french win, we can beat the french, we can't bet the All Blacks" Unquote
A French man to me 5 days later Quote "Ohh you are from NZ, I am sooo sorry" Unquote

Montpellier

Above, Place de la Comedie, the centre square of Montpellier, and below, the wicked paint jobs on the trams that Montpellier is well known for!!


Montpellier is a neat city, heaps of atmosphere, culture, diversity. Above, their own Arc de Triomphe.

Nimes

Nimes is an old Roman town, wits Ampitheatre (right, Les Arenes) that seats 24000 spectators; its Greek style temple (left, Maison Carree) and its Jardin De La Fontaine (below, the site of a spring, temple and baths in Roman times).

The Joy of Cycling

Well, my trip to Avignon, originally planned for 4 days, I grinded and did it in 2 days (with one flat tyre) - partly due to the lack of cheap accommodation options enroute and the anticipated rain. But even better, when leaving Avignon, the original plan to go downstream Rhone and then over to Nimes, was altered at breakfast this morning when I saw a great UNESCO place of interest. AND HERE IT IS ............

Pont du Gard, a three tiered aqueduct UNESCO site, once part of a 50km long system of canals.

10 000 kms ..... We made it

At 11.15am on 5 OCT 2007
Thanks everyone for your support.

Avignon

Palais des Papes above, Pont d Avignon below

Avignon is a real treat, delightful, even on a Sunday with all the shops shut!!!! It is known as the 'Belle of Provences Ball' with its magnificent architecture, massive medieval fortress and the largest gothic palace in the world!!

Getting Out of Lyon

'Need I say more, getting out was no easier than getting in!!!!'

But I did go past Parc de Gerland

Lyon

Well it rained .......

But luckily it didnùt start until I got to Lyon, AND BOY was that a mission getting into Lyon itself. Nice ride to the outskirts and then all hell broke lose. I am pretty sure I ended up on an Autobahn, the 6 lanes gave it away, and Lyon Centre was very hard to locate. Whilst my priority was to get to Lyon centre, the higher priority was getting off the autobahn before the Policeman got me!!!

My day off though has been in the rain, but such is life, gave me a chance to go to the book shop and sort out the next 2 days!!!!!!

Left, recce for 5 SQN, right Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere

French Hospitality

Countrysie views and the BIG hill!!

Champagne...


Their house and dinner ...

Wow, more great people out there. I met Christiana and Jean-Pierre here on the road to Bari in Italy in May. They were also cycling Italy, and have done some other great rides. They gave me their number should I pass their house in France on my travels. Well, I didnt realise when I choose to cycle down to Provence via the Rhone that they live just off the Rhone. So I cycled to Aix-Les-Bains, and Christiana picked me up and took me to their place (over a very BIG hill Mt du Chat) where they lived in a lovely French house in the country with awesome views, and and awesome dinner, either from the vege garden, the woods or the local farmers cheese and wine. Plus champagne from Reims, where I didnt get to go up north. Absolutely superb, thank you so much.