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Paris to Milan by bike
  • Pat Esler
  • Pat Esler

Paris to Milan by bike

A 59-day adventure by Pat Read more
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  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    2Karen and Tracey emerging from a dress shop.

    Mont du Chat to Doussard

    July 10, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We had decided to spend another night parked on the side of Mont du Chat. The next morning we drove down the mountain and into Chambery to have a look. Erik managed to find a good park close to the centre and we walked in to the Office du Tourisme where we got details of a self guided walking tour of the city. The walking tour route is marked on the ground with red elephants. Chambery is a very nice town.
    After lunch we head for Annecy to find a place to camp. The French school holidays had just started, and we found that the campgrounds close to Annecy were all booked out. The one at the southern end of the lake that we had stayed at before le Tour had plenty of room so we headed down there. It is quite a nice campground with direct access to a (painfully stony) swimming beach.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    2
    52

    Doussard to Annecy and back

    July 11, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Lake Annecy has a very good bike path right around it, so we decided to ride the 18km to Annecy to have a look. Tracey wanted to get a bike shop to service the rear hub on her bike, and Erik wanted to ride up into the mountains that run along next to the lake. After dropping the bike at a bike shop we all had lunch at a restaurant in the very picturesque town centre. The place was teeming with people. Fuelled up with fish and chips and beer/wine, Erik and Pat headed for the hills while Karen and Tracey stayed in town to have a haircut (Tracey), wait for the bike, shop, etc.
    Erik and Pat headed back along the very busy bike path for a bit then headed up towards the Col de Leschaux at 900m, a 450m climb. It was a nice climb on a good quiet road, not too steep with grades around 5%. At Leschaux we could turn left to head back down to the lake. To the right was the road to Montee du Semnoz, another 800m of climbing in 13.5km. Erik said "We have to ride up a little bit". Of course once we started there was no stopping until we reached the top. The views down into the valleys and to the surrounding mountains were amazing. It was perfect weather for climbing.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1078495339/sh…    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    1

    Doussard to Le Bourg d'Oisans

    July 13, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    (12th July, Rest day) Theday started with an early morning nature walk into the nearby marais. A beautiful shady track along the lake front and then into the marshes. Although we could hear plenty of bird life, they proved elusive to photograph. At one point on the lake, we came across a12th century tower that you could climb. Legend has it, a young man became ill and his father imprisoned him here. The doctors daughter fell in love with him and freed him.
    Flower photos can be found at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/x1WnvaeFiNpkAClr1
    After packing up the camp, we picked up a few groceries and drove from Doussard to Le Bourg d'Oisans, at the foot of the mighty L'Alpe D'Huez. The scenery on the drive and surrounding the campground was stunning.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    1On our way up. Photo by an enterprising photographer.
    5Top of L'Alpe D'Huez

    L'Alpe d'Huez!

    July 14, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A cycling epic. Thanks to Eric & Karen for getting us all there. A fairly steep and relentless climb, but easier than Hotham. Tracey left about half an hour before Pat & Eric. Eric went flying past and then Pat caught Tracey at corner 9. They rode together to the top and joined Eric, who'd been patiently waiting, for lunch - omelettes and gallettes. The descent is relentless. There are no flats or slight uphills at all. Pat & Tracey stopped twice to allow our wheels and brakes to cool off (at the insistence of the nervous rider).
    Alpe D'Huez has 21 major hairpins, numbered 21 to 0 and each named in honour of a rider. Number 21 is at the bottom and it's great to count them down as you ride.
    The famous 21 bends of the road up to Alpe d’Huez provide one of the most challenging stages of the Tour de France. Over a distance of 14km, cyclists climb 3670ft - 1119 metres, on an average 8.1% incline. Each day in the summer an average of 1000 cyclists climb the 21 bends.
    After a rest, we all wandered into town. Eric purchased a commemorative jersey and the rest of us picked up various mementoes, including extremely tasty ice creams- choc, pistache, marron, yum!
    Back to camp for a celebratory dinner.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    Footbridge joining two sides of the little town
    3From Matterhorn Gotthard BahnFrom Matterhorn Gotthard BahnHospental turmClimbing the turmView towards Andermatt from Hospental turm

    Le Bourg D'Oisans to Höpental

    July 15, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We had booked accommodation in Hospental to resume our cycle touring route, and Karen and Erik very kindly drove us in to the Grenoble railway station. Finding somewhere to park campervan is always a challenge in a city, but Erik courageously pulled into the huge and almost empty bus area. We had just started unloading the bikes when a uniformed lady came over and told us (in French) that parking there is forbidden, and if we don't move immediately the police will come. Once it became clear to her that we were just stupid foreigners who didn't know any better, and that the van would go as soon as we could get the bikes and panniers out, she relaxed and indicated that we could have five minutes.
    We had worked out that we could catch a train from Grenoble at midday, change at Geneva and Visp, and arrive at Hospental at 7:13pm. It was a very scenic journey, particularly of course the Visp to Hospental section on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, which we had done before in 2011 to start our trip down the Rhine. We arrived in Hospental at 7:13pm as scheduled. It was a cold breezy evening in the very picturesque little town, and we warmed up by riding up the 10% grade from the station to our accommodation. After settling in to Pension Zum Turm, we went down to the restaurant and spent a large portion of the kids' inheritance on a few drinks and a very nice Hausgemachter Apfelstrudel mit Vanillesauce. We had to celebrate Matthew and Mary's success at an auction that morning. Tracey can't stop trying to speak French to all the German speaking locals who seem to speak quite good English.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    Tracey's butterfly picture
    2

    Hospental rest day

    July 16, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Pension Zum Turm and spent the morning catching up on blogging and photos etc. Hospental is a quiet little Swiss town, perched high up in the mountains and postcard picturesque. We strolled around and followed a forest track for a little way - of course it involved steep climbs and descents, like everything around here, but well worth it.
    We shared a burger & soup on the terrace of the hotel next door at about 3pm and headed in to 'gird our loins' for tomorrow's climb.
    Once again Pat took some flower (and a butterfly) photos which are at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/v2L0KpzGr4Hg6N4y1    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    1

    Gotthard Pass!

    July 17, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We had stayed two nights in Hospental (not realising what a beautiful picturesque little place it was) both to have a rest day and to avoid riding up the pass on the weekend. The extra bonus was that Monday morning was a little warmer and had blue skies. After an early breakfast we loaded up the bikes and headed up the hill. It is a very evenly graded climb from about 1490m at our accommodation to 2106m over 9km, or just under 7% grade. As we had hoped, the traffic wasn't too bad. We stopped for a coffee at a roadside restaurant after 4.2km. At that stage there was a quite strong and gusty cross/headwind threatening to blow us off the road in places. A vertiginous drop on one side, traffic on the other and a strong crosswind with panniers. That really makes you grip the bars and concentrate, but fortunately we were sheltered from it much of the time. After 6km there are two roads, the newer one which takes almost all of the traffic, and the old cobbled road, which goes for 3kms. After quite a few photo stops - the place is just so dramatic and beautiful - we arrived at the top in good shape and another cyclist took a celebratory photo of us at the pass sign.
    After good coffee and cake at the restaurant at the top we rode out along the main road to a point that we had read about where you get a great view down over the switchbacks on the old cobbled road. Wow.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    211

    Gotthard Pass to Claro.

    July 17, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Wow, what a ride. Among our best ever.
    Today's ride included almost every cycling condition I can think of, with the exception of rain - climbing & descending, bitumen, 12km of cobblestones -3 up & 9 down, gravel and one-track, busy traffic, no traffic, headwinds, crosswinds and even briefly a tailwind.
    It was the highest altitude we've ever ridden at and the biggest descent we've ever done. We dropped about 1850mts in height today. And the road has to be seen to be believed. Most of the descent was on cobblestones. Thank heavens we were on touring bikes and not road bikes like some. Everyone was taking it slow and careful, even the smattering of motor bikes making the descent.
    After we reached Airolo, the descent was a gentle downhill, alongside the most picturesque mountain steam, for the rest of the day.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    Bellinzona
    Crossing from Switzerland into ItalySwiss Italian borderA swim in Lago Maggiore with Karen and Erik

    Claro to Maccagno

    July 18, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Bike path to Bellinzona. Called at tourist office for ferry timetable. Alas, no ferries to Luino or Macagno. Looks like we are riding after all.
    Bicycle tour guide overheard our questions to the tourist office and kindly described the best route to Macagno.
    As it turned out, we followed a good bike path all the way to Lago Maggiore. The lake is busy with holidays on -swimmers, boats etc. Fortunately, it was lunchtime and the lake road was relatively quiet. We rode across the Swiss-Italian border onto an even better road. After a few kms an old roadie jumped on the front and drafted us nearly all the way to Macagno, where we meet up with Karen & Eric.
    Lunch, drinks, swim in the lake, Ice-creams and the afternoon was gone. Stayed overnight at the free camping platz.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    Como
    ComoComoComoMusic at the Como duomoComo duomo

    Gavirate to Bergamo via Como

    July 20, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After an early morning swim in Lago di Varese, at Gavirate, we headed into Como for a quick look. Nice city and the lakefront was very like Lago Maggiore. After a forgettable lunch opposite the cathedral, the heat was building, so we decided it was time to push on to Bergamo.
    On the way, our Italian sim kicked in and we had Internet again, which was very fortunate because we were able to identify a Bunnings-like hardware store on the outskirts of Bergamo, where Eric was able to buy a much needed gas fitting for the comping car.
    With his usual professionalism, Eric drove us all the way in to our hostel in the centre of Bergamo and sad farewells were said. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality guys and good luck. Travel safely to Sweden and Australia.
    After a bit of a clean up, we headed around the block for a very pleasant meal of pasta, scallopini al limone and the chefs dessert selection (cafe gourmand, in french).    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler

    Bergamo 1

    July 21, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Friday
    Rest day today. Caught up on the housework, visited Tourist Info and explored our local area, just at the edge of the Puoto Nuovo, the UNESCO world heritage area.
    Note to self - fried herbs & prusciutto go really well with pasta.
    Saturday
    Headed up to the old town. We walked along the amazing Venetian city walls - hugely thick complex of defences. Looks like it will stand forever. We climbed up through Castle Vigilio, past the 11th century Bishops chapel and in through the duomo. Not a space had been left unembellished.
    Lunch in Piazza Vecchia was followed by a wander through the lovely old streets, full of enticing food and clothing shops.
    Another funicular - the San Vigilio- took us upwards again to the Bergamo hills. Beautiful views with lovely villas perched on the hillside overlooking Bergamo.
    Nice spot for a wine and some cheese and olives!
    Sunday
    Pat rode. Bit hot for me - I just pottered.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler
    Inside the chapel of Madonna del Ghisalo, patron of cyclists.A typical Bellagio street.View from the ferry leaving Bellagio.

    Bergamo to Mezzegra, via Bellagio

    July 24, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Via Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo (an alleged Marian apparition, declared the patroness of cyclists) and Bellagio.

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler

    Mezzegra to Somma Lombardo

    July 25, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Beautiful drive along Lago Di Como. Morning coffee and cake in tiny little Piazza with a view over the lake ( fountain decorated with bronze pigeons ).
    Spot of shopping (Handbag), lunch and the search for bike boxes begins.
    Our host at The B&B Casa Gea suggested we try Intersport, so we set off again at around 6.30 and scored 2 decent boxes, if slightly shorter and narrower than normal.
    Take-away pizza for dinner. Feeling more at ease now we have some bike boxes.    Read more

  • Pat EslerParis to Milan by bikePat Esler

    Somma Lombardo

    July 26, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Spent the morning cleaning, dismantling and getting the bikes in the boxes - so far so good.
    We felt we needed to reward our hard work, so off to Osteria Pane Vino for lunch. Risotto with zucchini and cheese was excellent. Chicken, eggplant, tomato, cheese stack and Pat's 'burger' also very nice. Choc lava pudding very very good! Nice wine also and good coffee too. Mmmm!
    Panoramic drive along Ticino River and home to finish packing.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 26, 2017
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