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Tour de France 2010Tour de France 2010
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The first trip I made a proper attempt at journaling. This is a 'remastered' version, with some filters run to help the colour balance on my old camera phone, and locations/routes plotted using my journal and matching pictures to streetview. Read more
  • Dan Bowen

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  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    Two week's holiday spanning cities, countryside and mountains added up to a lot of gear and suppliesKingston bridge

    Epsom

    July 1, 2010 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Started from Epsom after a gear check with Chris, who would be joining me later. Rode into London, mostly following the Thames to reach Kings-Cross St Pancras - before taking the 14:04 Eurostar to Gare du Nord in Paris.Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    A first look at France, near Calais
    Duck insisted on his own seat.Finally reunited with my bike at Gare du Nord

    My first Eurostar trip

    July 1, 2010 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    My first trip through 'the Chunnel' and on Eurostar. This doubled as my late lunch stop; the Eurostar light lunch included a small cheese pie, a medley of vegetables with a small side salad, bread and a cake.Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    PirateDuck ate Muse de Louvre!!! We must flee
    Notre Dame; quite pretty but not quite as cool as that Disney film made it look.

    Paris

    July 1, 2010 in France ⋅ 🌙 32 °C

    Because of some delays collecting my bike and some miscalculation on my part I didn't get to role out from Gare du Nord station untuil about 19:00: far too late to make my target milage.

    With the late start, there wasn't much time to look around, but I stopped at a few icons that were broadly on the way - this being my first trip to Paris since I was in my early teens.

    City riding is slow, due to poor acceleration on a heavy bike and having to slow for speed bumps etc. Even so, I rode down the Seine heading toward the forests south of Paris.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    The view from my first ever hammock camp.
    The ridge line would (in theory) support my tarpaulin over me and the bike if the rain had started.

    A night in the forest

    July 2, 2010 in France ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    I rode down as far the forests south of Paris. Even though it didn't really get dark untuil around 22:00, to achieve that I had to ride into the night.

    As far as I knew, I was still a long way from any camp site, and it was far too late to rock-up at one anyhow. Thoroughly tired out after over 14 hours of travel, and short on water I stopped at around 00:00. As I hadn't made it to a site I had to "camp sauvage": just put the hammock up and had a sleep for a while.

    I woke up on my net hammock in the woods, to bright sunshine and to find I had been half eaten by mosquitos. I then realised that I having scrambled my way into the trees through the undergrowth to be out of the way of the path I had come in on, I had just ended up close to another. It being after 06:30 there were already people walking and running the path; no question it was time to move on.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    I stopped on a tree-lined path, near a system of locks and a weir that keep the Seine navigable
    My first croissant of the trip.

    Boissise-le-Roi - croissant and snooze

    July 2, 2010 in France ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    I headed south east throguh the forests, rejoining the Seine for a few stretches. I managed to stock up on water - I have a further 6l stapped on the bike now, but am yet to find a supply of camping gaz. Also picked up a berret for that French-man look.

    A poor night's rest in the woods meant that I didn't really have much in the way of energy. I stopped for a late morning snooze break in the shade of a tree on the bank of the river.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    Duck outside Fontenbluex palace; it was too pretty for him to eat.
    Duck enjoying the Fontenbluex Forrest

    Petit Vile' Fontainebleau

    July 2, 2010 in France ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    I slowly made my way to the historic town of Petit Vile' Fontainebleau. I mostly used beautiful forestry tracks through the surrounding Fonainleaux foreest. The bumpy, rooted trails did seem to be steadily destroying my laden bike though.

    I arrived about 14:30, just a few minutes after the conventional lunch time; as a result I had some issues getting food in the town. Feeling the need to eat before continuing, I loitered around the town for some hours.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    The track out of the site runs beneath a striking viaduct.

    Camping le Lido

    July 2, 2010 in France ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    As there had been a number of set-backs I elected to take the afternoon off and end the day in the Fontainebleau area. I stayed at a camp site on the south eastern edge of the Fontenbleaux forest, which isn't great progress, but not disasterous either.

    I spent the early evening making a rich minestrone soup. I also trued my wheel (some of the spokes were loosening under the load) and reenforcing the cable tie bodge on the pannier. I also looked up the french for, "my pannier rack in broken" - "ma port-de-bagage en case'" just in case.

    It does seem like there might be some problems with the solar charging. I got plenty of sun during the day, but the gorilla battery didn't seem to be holding much juice; it's only given lappy a couple of exrta %age points of power.

    There was a thunderstorm in the morning and the tent has done ok. I stayed put until it passed which I think was the smart move. I'm hoping that with the rain and cloud it will be a good day to put in some miles as the heat has definitly been an issue so far.

    The camp site owner had lent me a canister of camping gaz, so I could cook. When I made to return it the self sealing seal... didn't, so I quickly reattached my stove to prevent the gas from escaping. Not feeling my French was up to explaining a valve failure and definitely not wanting to spray pressurised butane around to demonstrate, I quietly left camp.

    On the bright side, this should be a good position to start a big push towards Dijon.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010

    Auxerre

    July 3, 2010 in France ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    There was a thunderstorm this morning and the tent has done ok. I stayed put until it passed which I think was the smart move, but means I wasn’t underway until after noon. I'm hoping that with the rain and cloud it will be a good day to put in some miles as the heat has definitly been an issue so far.

    The camp site owner had lent me a canister of camping gaz, so I could cook. When I made to return it the self sealing seal... didn't, so I quickly reattached my stove to prevent the gas from escaping. Not feeling my French was up to explaining a valve failure and definitely not wanting to spray pressurised butane around to demonstrate, I quietly left camp.

    Other than the risk of a gas explosion the day was one of uneventful, overcast riding through the French countryside passed the town of Auxerre. The roads and tracks were at times less than than ideal.

    High points so far have been a number of "thumbs-ups" from passing motorists, and a "Le Tour!!!" shouted at me by another passing motorist.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    I pulled out my French phrase book, to attempt to pay the restaurant the compliments they deserved.

    Avallon

    July 4, 2010 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    On the evening of the 3rd, I made it to a camp site at Vermenton, about 25Km out side of Avallon. Camping les Coullemières was almost full, and it was quite late; at first it looked like I might be turned away, until another guest highliged that 'monsiour sur la vello'. The camp site was beautifully lit and had a friendly vibe.

    Not sure what that would make yesterday's milage, but given a few detours, getting losts and the fact that its a seriously dog-leg route, I think I must have crossed the 100 mile mark in terms of pedaling since Paris. I've stopped for lunch and exploration in Avallon; that places me just over 1 day behind what my ittinerary says (I had aimed to camp here on the evening of the second).

    I took a little time to explore the medieval town; I had been hooked by the idea of visiting as soon as I saw the name and that it was roughly on route plan that I was forming. I had a pleasant lunch In Avallon next to the town's striking clocktower. I even felt compelled and brave enough to attempt some intermediate French in praise of the meal.

    I consulted my map over lunch; I've made it about half way from Paris to Genvea (possibly just under). As there have been only two "proper" riding days thats not too shabby. I think I'm still well on course to be at the rendezvous in Genva on the night of the 6th.

    Speaking of my map, yesterday's harvest of solar power was around 10%, perhaps a little more if I'm being optimistic. Its not staggering, but its enough to get by for a while, although I am concerned about keeping the mobile charged for the satnav. To be honest I'm 99% sure I can make Dijon from here without a map or satnav, and 80% sure I could make Geneva unaided too, however I've precisley no apitite for testing that theory.    Read more

  • Dan BowenTravelerTour de France 2010
    A chance encounter with a reseviour/lake where the locals were out in force..
    (Despite the blur) this shot from below makes it clear how the metal has torn and warped.The seriously damaged wheel rim.

    Lac de Grosbois-en-Montagne

    July 4, 2010 in France ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    With nearly 100Km behind me so far today, I stoped for a break and an ice cream at Lac de Grosbois-en-Montagne.

    When I moved to set off, I discovered I had cracked the rim of the front wheel - no idea how, possibly on a particularly sketchy descent through a pot-holed town.

    With about 40Km to go before Dijon I've no option but to deactive my front brake caliper, to stop the broken rim fouling against the breakpad. Relying entirely on my back brake with a loaded touring bike... what could go wrong?    Read more

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