Reset search
A European AdventureA European Adventure
SatelliteEdit route

A European Adventure

June - July 2017
A 48-day adventure by The Kings travels Read more
  • 44footprints
  • 7countries
  • 48days
  • 387photos
  • 0videos
  • 3.3kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    1
    Day 1

    Geneva

    June 8, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    And so it begins, John and I have arrived into Geneva where we will be for a couple of days before we join our cycling tour. The plane trip was long but it is beautiful here, lovely sunny day. We strolled around the lake foreshore, stopping for a beer or 2 and to soak up the ambiance and look at Mt Blanc peering back at us over the nearby hills. Enjoyed a lovely dinner just up the road from where we are staying. Wendy and Sharon will be pretty happy when they. Arrive next week, our accommodation is smack bang in the middle of a very fancy shopping strip.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    11
    Day 2

    Geneva day 2

    June 9, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Well that was interesting! Had some drinks in a bar nearby and they were quite good. We then wandered up to a restaurant near where we were staying to have dinner, waiter gave the impression that he spoke and understood English and the menu was also in English, we were wrong. 2 glasses of wine turned into a bottle, I ordered a veal steak. Came out as a small roll of veal stuffed with spinach on a potato pancake with fries. John had risotto. The food was lovely just a bit weird looking. We had a good day, went wandering this morning and saw some of Geneva's sights, including the reformation wall. This signified the time that the Christian church divided into Protestant and Catholics. The wall contained the Mayflower edict, that people could choose their religion and the bill of rights from the 16th century. Then after lunch hired a couple of bikes and rode around the lake for a couple of hours. Odd things seen today a couple of brightly coloured cows and an unusual way to use designer jeans. Off to the French alps tomorrow.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    11
    Day 3

    Albertville, we're in the Alps!!!

    June 10, 2017 in France ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Slow morning killing a bit of time while we waited for our pickup to the Alps. Wandered around the old town of Geneva and along the waterfront. Saw this door and above the door there was a sign saying Rue de Pugitory, I guess that's where you go if you've been bad.Decided to Cath the bus to the airport to meet our tour, completely missed our bus stop and walked around the block to find another one. Once on the bus we realised that we had walked right past it. Drove down to Albertville in France home to the 1994 Winter Olympics and aren't the still trying to milk that! Got our bikes setup and went for a lovely little ride through the forest climbing for 10 kms, with a fast downhill return. Not the oldest or greyest in our group so that's good. Serious climbing starts tomorrow, wish me good luck.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    1
    Day 4

    Bourg St Maurice

    June 11, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Well here we are right in the middle of the French Alps surrounded by some of the biggest cycling climbs around. The day started well, I was up early and decided to go outside with the iPad and catch-up. Good in theory, ended up being locked out. Automatic door only lets you out at that time day. Luckily, one of the guides had gone for a run and let me in!!! Today was the start of riding the big hills and the weather was just magic clear skies and 30 degrees.There are a lot poms in the group and they did what they do best, complaining about how hot it was. Poor pasty things. Day started well, we all got stuck at the first set of traffic lights just 10 metres from the hotel! It was one of those that needed weight to activate it, a couple of bikes were just not heavy enough. Sorted we set of on a beautiful gentle climb towards Beaufort. 10 kms out a flat tire, bugger, went from in the first group to dead last then used too much energy trying to catch back up.John had waited in Beaufort and we commenced the climb. It was a beautiful climb and certainly challenging. Being Sunday there were an incredible amount of motor bikes on the climb, one lot of three decided to do monos past us, interesting. Stopped at Lac Roselend for lunch then up and over the top for an amazing and very technical decent down to our hotel. Very nice today, yesterday's was a bit fawlty towers. Tomorrow is a bigger climb. Need my rest.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    221112
    Day 5

    Lanslevillard

    June 12, 2017 in France ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    What a climb! The Col de L'seran is the highest paved road in Europe, coming in at about 2900 metres. The air was quite thin up there and at 50 kms of climbing I was pretty stuffed when I got to the top, but I did see my first marmot. Ran across the road and then sat up and watched me get my camera out and then ran away. John was on fire today and did not one but two big climbs adding theCol de Mt Cenis to the l'seran, well done. The downhill parts of today's ride were just amazing, goes a long way to ease the pain of getting to the top and we are very well supported by the Marmot crew. The hotel is rather interesting, Sign above the bar says English spoken, clearly only by the guests! We went over to the Tabac for a quiet beer just in time to see the local farmer taking his cows for a walk through the village. The lady in the bar happily told us all about in French, certainly entertaining. Tomorrow the is the biggy of the week the Col de Galibier. Wish me good luck!!!Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    11
    Day 6

    Le Grave

    June 13, 2017 in France ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Well this was the big one, the Col de Galibier the beast of the Alps. It certainly lived up to it's name. Such a tough climb. I was completing spent by the time I got to the top! Thank goodness it was all downhill to our hotel and what a magnificent downhill it was. The day started well, we saw Hannibal and his elephant on the way but then we hit some roadworks, June is roadwork month in France! The guys gestured to us to walk along the railway line to pass it . Okay as long as the fast train doesn't pass! See photo below. Very tired luckily tomorrow is a shorter day and I should be able to recover a bit. Craziest thing I saw today 2 scateboarders riding down these seriously steep climbs! Absolutely crazy.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    3
    112
    Day 7

    L'Alpe D'Huez

    June 14, 2017 in France ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Well this is the one we have been waiting for, not the toughest or longest but certainly one of the most famous Tour de France climbs and it doesn't disappoint. It was a great ride today with a lovely decent to start the day and then up to the Alpe. It's a beautiful climb with picture postcard views around every bend and cyclists everywhere! John was on fire today this was the climb he wanted to do the most so he climbed it twice. Well done. Craziest thing I saw today a young girl roller skiing up the climb, it's a tough climb on a bike let alone on skis! Bit of retail therapy this afternoon stocking up on cycling gear then a restful afternoon. We have been very lucky with the weather with blue sky days everyday so far but we did get a thunderstorm this afternoon. Two more days of cycling to go with both days having big long climbs and then back to Geneva to meet Weno and Sharon and relax a little bit.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    1
    11
    Day 8

    St Jean de Maurienne

    June 15, 2017 in France ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We left Alpe du Huez this morning on what was called a balcony road, this is a road that is literally hanging off the edge of the mountain. Quite amazing! Anyway this road was called the Pas de la Confession and well it's made me feel like confessing so here goes, I confess I ride my bike too much. There I feel better already. Seriously though, this was a beautiful start to the day spectacular views, pretty villages and then an amazing downhill ride to the main climb of the day. The Col de la Croix de Fer which translates to mean the pass of the iron cross and there is a big stone plinth at the top that should have an iron cross on it but unfortunately it was recently vandalised. This climb was quite long at 31 kms but was a great climb all the same. Saw another mammot and had to wait at one point while the farmer gathered up his sheep. Great watching his dogs work the flock. This climb was followed by anther large climb today up the Col Du Mollard again beautiful climbing and amazing scenery and a huge downhill ride to the end of the ride. Phew made it in one piece! There is one more big day to go so I need my rest. Goodnight.Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    11122
    Day 9

    Albertville

    June 16, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Well it has come to an end. This was the last cycling day of our trip and it was a great finale. We started the day going up a little climb called the Lacets de Montvernier which translates to the Laces of Montvernier and lace up the mountain they did. Short but amazing, see photo below. We then moved on to the Col de Chaussy, a lovely climb with a fantastic decent. Then onto the main climb of the day which was the Col de la Madeleine a famous Tour de France climb and a brute of a climb, making you work right till the last metre! It was tough and hard work but the views from the top were amazing. We have had a great week of climbing and downhills but my muscles need a rest. Strangest thing seen today, a giant pinecone!!! Of to Geneva tomorrow to meet up with Wendy and Sharon and onto our next adventures, yippee!!!Read more

  • The Kings travelsA European Adventure
    1
    Day 10

    Geneva

    June 17, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    It was transition day today, John and I had finished our cycling tour and Wendy and Sharon were arriving into Geneva today. We packed up in Albertville and headed to Geneva airport, arriving about 1.5 hours before the girls. We were all together by about two pm then headed to the hotel and then out for a bit of lunch. Quite afternoon catching up and looking around. We had a lovely dinner out under the trees at a nearby restaurant, great creme brûlée, and then an early night as we were all pretty tired.Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English