TheBikeTrip

France 2011 Alps and Pyrenees

  • Last day in Paris and end of trip

    • 7 Jul 2011
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    Well all good things come to an end and today was my last day in Paris.

    You gotta love a hotel with a 12 PM checkout. With a 10 PM flight out, I planned to hit a couple of sites and maximize time before undertaking the 27 hours back to Sydney.

    I took a lazy stroll up to the Sorbonne University area and went looking for the Honour Roll, or at least a record of the famous alumni. I was keen to locate St Ignatius Loyola who founded the Jesuit order of Priests, and also set up the schooling system still in place today that my son attends in Sydney (St Ignatius Rivierview). I eventually found this massive building that had hundreds and hundred of names chiseled into the wall. I can't recall his exact dates when he was there (Circa 1530's), but eventually I found him on the 3rd column of about 200.

    From there I went across the road to The Pantheon. This is an amazing structure that the Architect borrowed the best from the Greeks and Romans and anyone else with an eye for detail. It is grandeur on a grand scale.

    Initially built as a Church for the patron saint of Paris (St Genivieve), it was later handed back to the people of France. Beneath the floor is a crypt containing literally a who's who of great French Nationals who have contributed across all fields of endeavor. There are great writers. scientists, philosophers, leaders........the list goes on.

    I love this aspect of the French patriotism, let's celebrate and recognize our favourite sons and daughters and do it on a grand scale. In and outside the Pantheon there are a series of massive columns holding up high one of the most ornate domes you are ever going to see. Aside from the Eiffel Tower this is my number 2 Place to visit in Paris. I had my good camera (not iPhone) there to snap away, so will try to get some of those pics up later.

    After that it was back to Hotel > Train to Airport and now I am posting this from Dubai before the final leg to Sydney,

    Thanks for sharing part of my journey with me. I have enjoyed entering the world of blogging, and while I still sent some traditional postcards, I believe it a great crossover from old to modern times blending journaling and staying in touch with many. Thanks again for all you positive comments and thoughts along the way.

    If you have friends out there who seek more specifics around the cycling aspects of the trip, then I am more than happy to share details in this space. They can reply to this blog to find me.

    It's been one he'll of a a ride and eat over 3 weeks in Italy and France.

    Regards

    Cycling Foodie

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  • Paris, Queues and The Eiffel Tower.

    • 6 Jul 2011
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    A big day out in Paris trying to cram a much as possible playing tourist.

    At the height of Summer in a city the size of Paris you are going to run into queues at all the popular destinations.

    First stop was the Musee d'Orsay to check out all the European Masters and a truckload of amazing art. Paintings, sketches, sculptures and everything else in between. 90 minutes to get in, but worth the wait.

    On to the Champs Eleysee and then the Arch de Triomphe. I was looking for Clark Griswald and family doing laps, but I must have missed him. I drank the most expensive coffee (6.30 Euros) ever in my life in a cafe while watching the TDF. It was worth it as Cadel Evans won Stage 4.

    In the evening off to the world's biggest Mechano set The Eiffel Tower. Another 90 minute queue, but again worth the wait climbing up the stairs till level 2 (1060 steps). The sun started to set and then the lights came on.......magic!!! Not even the gusty cold winners could stop me from spending an hour on the top level.

    Lift down and then a Taxi back to St Germain for a late supper of Steak and Frites washed down with a sublime Bordeaux red.

    What a day and night.

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  • A Paris evening

    • 5 Jul 2011
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    A extra long train trip from Lourdes to Paris with delays did not get me into my Hotel until after 7 PM. I am staying in the Left Bank in the St Germain area (aka The Latin Quarter). After a quick shower I hit the streets to find some dinner. Not a hard thing to do here as this place was pumping. People everywhere enjoying the late Summer nights and spilling from the multitude of cafes.

    I crossed the Seine river and checked out the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral, and then meandered back down towards the Louvre museum. Just the entrance alone should be in a museum. It is that pretty under the last rays of a falling sun.

    The buskers and poets were in full force, and I found a new food experience to die for..........Banana and Chocolate Crepe. I am not sure if this is in the Atkins Diet, but who cares I am in France and you need to do these things.

    A big day tomorrow to see how much sightseeing I can pack into a day and night.

    Au Revoir till then.

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  • Last day in Lourdes

    • 4 Jul 2011
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    With the exception of a last 30 minute ride around the town of Lourdes, today I played the tourist in a town that exists in every sense of the word on the tourist.

    Lourdes as a town has existed for well over a millennium, and through the ages has been under rule from a variety of countries and their extended armies. What really bought it to initially France and later the World's attention, was back on the 11th February 1858 when a 14 year old girl Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary while out collecting firewood with her friends. Over the next few months she experienced another 17 visits from Mary in the area known as The Grotto.

    Now as a practicing Catholic I first learnt of this story nearly 40 years ago when my Grandparents had visited Lourdes back in the 1960's. To spend today immersing myself in the town with other Pilgrims visiting all the historical sites was an amazing experience.

    Over the past week I have seen thousands upon thousands of people come in and out of town as part of their pilgrimage (be that in an organized tour or as a family). After Paris the town of Lourdes is the 2nd most visited town in France with over 5 Million people coming here each year. They come from all over the world. Irish, Spanish, Italian, German, Scottish, American.............you name the country and I bet you that they have been here this year (Nth Korea and Albania aside).

    It is a massive organizational effort to coordinate the daily religious activities in a variety of languages across a town of only 15,000 inhabitants (14,943 that work in Tourism). There are 1000's of volunteers that come here just to help out as guides and cater to those not as fortunate.

    Whether one believes or not that Mary did appear over 150 years ago, there is something special as you move through the Sanctuaries and The Grotto where the water still pours from the cave that Mary appeared in.

    As I mentioned before the town is built on the Tourism, and I have never seen so many Souvenir shops. At a a rough count there would be 200 shops selling every conceivable piece of paraphernalia you can think of. My pictures will give you a flavor.

    At 9 PM each night they have the Procession which I went to twice. This was one of my highlights with thousand of people holding candles and singing hymns at the same time in a variety of languages.

    Well tomorrow I am off to Paris for a couple of days of leisure after 2 weeks and 930 KM of cycling the Alps and The Pyrenees. It has been a blast, and to watch Cadel Evans slot into 2nd today in the TDF after Stage 2 made was amazing.

    Food wise I had a great Tarragon Chicken tonight that was served to me on a black bathroom tile (I hope it was clean). My camera was out of battery, so sorry for no pics. It was excellent and has a real rustic feel and taste to it. It went well with the Citron (lemon) tart I had afterwards.

    Till Paris from the Cycling Foodie.

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  • Lourdes > Pau > Lourdes

    • 3 Jul 2011
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    First of all a quick greeting to my son Luke who etches further into his teenage years with his 14th birthday today Happy birthday Champion, I hope I am still taller than you when I get home.

    Greeted again with blue skies I jumped on the bike and with no agenda (aside from climbing no TDF Cols) I just rode. I ended up on some back roads a few KMs outside Lourdes and eventually set off for the town of Pau which is 50 km north west of Lourdes. With a fantastic tail wind and flat flat roads I was there in no time.
    Lots of farming lands to be seen with Sun Flowers just about to open there eyes as the weather gets warmer. The TDF leaves the town of Pau for Stage 13 this year. The helicopter shot of the riders pushing alongside the field of sun flowers is TDF number 1 photo. A good day for Cadel picking up 2nd place and also having some of his rivals get caught up in a crash 10 KMs from the end. Only 20 stages to go.

    Tonight I went into the Basilica/Sanctuaries and watched the evening procession at 9 am. Very moving indeed and an amazing amount of people suddenly appeared out of every nook an cranny. I'll give more detail tomorrow as I have a big day planned to attend a few tours and museums on the whole Lourdes experience.

    Dinner tonight was a Pizza that you would not serve a beggar (and there are plenty of those here). It must have had 3 pounds of Mozzarella on it, and it was my foodie lowlight of the trip. After a 100 km ride I would have eaten cardboard, which possibly might have been better : >

    Till tmrw

    Cycling Foodie

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  • Pics from Col du Tourmalet and Luz-Ardiden

    • 1 Jul 2011
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  • Col du Toumalet. Luz-Ardiden and Blue Sky Climbing

    • 1 Jul 2011
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    I would like to dedicate today's blog and bike riding to my good mate John (Mig) Lock. For those of you not aware, Mig is my cycling buddy, and pretty every weekend for the past 7 years or so we cycle together. We had talked about this trip numerous times, and unfortunately the day after we booked the trip in February he had a bad accident in a social game of soccer and ruptured his Achilles tendon. This is not a light injury, and it takes 6 - 8 months (longer for those not fit) to recover. After training and planning for months already I decided to proceed ahead with my trip, and told John I will do recon for our next trip once he has mended and is back in fighting fitness. This one is for you Buddy.

    So today I was greeted with the most glorious Blue skies that Monet would have been proud to paint. I was going to attempt a super ride........put simple a double Hors Categorie endurance test.

    On the menu was the giant of the Pyrenees the Col du Tormalet (2115 metres) and then to follow that with a climb to the ski station at Luz-Ardiden (1715 meters). Both these climbs will be completed at the back end of Stage 12 of this years TDF. I was going to ride the last 55 km of this stage to see where my cycling "Mojo" stood.

    Before I could hit the climbs, I had to cycle about 30 km South of Lourdes arriving at the beautiful postcard Spa Resort town of Luz-Saint-Saveur (try saying that with a mouthful of peanuts)!!!

    I had been warned about the Tourmalet and the sheer fact that this is a colossus of a climb stretching 18 km up at a thigh busting 7.5 % grade. Well in first few KMs the mountain threw everything at me, but today I had come to play ball. Aside from having some reasonable physical condition before undertaking this trip, the most important muscle for me is the 6 inches between the ears. A strong mind is needed when you know that the first climb was going to take the best part of 2 hours.

    Anyhow I got into a good tempo and before too long was halfway up the hill. It was hot and I consuming vast quantities of water to stay hydrated. I estimate I would have drank around 6 liters of fluids today to try and replace the sweat that just keeps pouring out of you.

    Once I hit the top I was as happy as a pig in the proverbial. I took some pics, drank some ice cold Coke and ate the Cherry pie from the Chalet (highly recommended). After refueling I then took off down the hill like a Pro and was back in Luz-Saint-Saveur in 25 mins.

    From there I then started on the 13 km summit of Luz-Ardiden. This climb is pretty famous, as it is where Lance Armstrong crashed in 2003 when climbing the last part of the stage. He got his handlebars caught up in a spectators hand bag and hit the deck like a sack of spuds ( you can see on You Tube "Lance Crash Musette Bag").

    Anyhow enough about the Texan, this blog is about a proud Victorian!! The 13 KMs took me a little over an hour, and I bad a quick rest at the top. I shot some video and pics and hopefully they covey the savage incline near the top.

    The decent down is an absolute cracker, and it's fast, furious and require a little nerve ducking in and out of the multiple corners. Once at the base I continued on back to Lourdes. All up it was just under 130 KMs, in 6 hours and 25 mins of some of the best cycling I have even done. I am not sure what the French word is for exhausted and exhilarated, but that is how I felt upon completing this marathon day.

    After a couple of beers I sauntered down to the local restaurant for some Paella. While not a culinary highlight on this trip, it was a decent serve to replenish the spent fuel from today........... as was the Banana Split!

    Cycling Foodie

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  • Hautacam and riding the quite roads

    • 1 Jul 2011
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    Today was a fun cycle day. Not too hot, not too cold and a wind that would be lucky to lift a tissue. Its days like this you just want to suit up and hit the road.

    Before I describe the ride I thought it might interest you to describe what "suiting" up actually means. Now if I was a local I would not need a lot of the gear that I carry, but as an Aussie abroad here is what I take and wear before I turn a pedal.

    I wear a good pair of cycling shoes (Italian quality) and some thicker socks for the cold weather. I wear a cycle short that's known as a bib'n'brace style that I apply a cream to the chamois area. This ensures my little derriere is not subjected to any rash or infection. The cream it like Sorbalene or Vitamin E cream. For those who have endured a rash in this area, then it is mandatory to use this on +2 hour rides. As it is cold I wear thick cycle tights, an under shirt and then another Lycra cycle top. In the last few days I have also been wearing arm warmers and for the cold and wet weather I carry a shell jacket that is wind and water resistant. To finish of I have gloves, helmet (not everyone wears them here) and my sun glasses. Glasses of any type are essential on descents. You want to see the bug I cleaned of my lens the other day when I was doing about 60 KM down a hill. I also wear a heart rate monitor that talks wirelessly to my bike speedo.

    I carry a small tool kit and pump which allows me to repair flats and also any minor adjustments. I also carry my iPhone to capture these pics for you and to listen to music, along with my decent camera and some ID, cash and credit card. In my one remaining pocket I carry 3-4 Energy Gels that are pretty much pure carbohydrate for easy consumption while still moving.

    On the bike it's 2 water bidons and 2 speedos, 1 which is a GPS unit that allows me to capture and map the ride details later from my PC.

    I decided to split the day into a morning and afternoon ride today. First up I did a slow casual ride South of Lourdes for about 35 KM along some real pretty rural county roads. Every 5 KM you ride through a little town and then it's crops or freshly cut and rolled hah bales dotting the landscape. Back for lunch and then a quick nap to prepare for the arvo ride which was to the ski station known as Hautacam.

    This ride is a Hors Categorie that has featured on the TDF on 4 precious occasions, most recently in 2008. That year a couple of Italians skated up the summit and made some of the climbers around them look slow. 2 days later the organizers threw them both out of the Tour after they both were busted for EPO.

    I could have done with sone EPO today as it is a tough 13 KM ride straight up a grade that in some places spikes up to 14%. By the time I got to the top it was covered in cloud and the Temp was 8 degrees. In the valley 1100 metres below it was 22. So down I went at a rate of knots hitting over 70 kph in 2 sections of open road. Yee Haa!!!

    Tonight I stayed in and cooked pasta that was helped down with a glass of Bordeaux Red (a big glass as I earnt it with 90 KMs today). Till tomorrow from the Cycling Foodie.

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  • Photos from Col d'Aubisque & Col du Soulor

    • 30 Jun 2011
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    Here are the Photos
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  • With my head in the clouds - Col du Soulor and Col du Galibier

    • 29 Jun 2011
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    Apologies there are no photos with this post, once I get my WIFI up again I will load up some pics.

    Today I again woke to heavy clouds ans drizzle over a gloomy Lourdes. The weather forecast has not looked good for the past 2 days, although there is a promise of some sun this coming Thur, Fri and Sat. As I am only here for a limited window (and on the other side of the world), I just need to suck it up and get on with the cycling in the less than ideal conditions. I bought the wet weather gear on the chance I would need to use it, and this has been a good decision.

    So the course for today was to tackle some of the hills that are going to be used in this year's TDF. Stages 12 and 13 will be duked out in the Pyrenees this year for the first serious climbing among the GC protagonists, including a home town finish right here in Lourdes. The winner would surely be the result of some divine intervention, something you cannot be busted for like EPO.

    So the plan today was to knock of 2 Cols that are on the same road (D918). All roads follow this easy to understand format.N = National, D = Department, in Lourdes that is the Haute Pyrenees. So it was a 90 KM out and back route to summit the Col du Soulor (1474 metres) and then punch a little further up the road to the Col D'Aubisque (1709 metres). In Mathematics terms yesterday's ride was like your basic times tables, and today was Advanced Calculus!!

    The Aubisque is a Hors Categorie, and the Soulor is no picnic either. I left from my base at Lourdes and cycled 12 km down the valley road to a beautiful little town called Argeles-Gazost. From there it is pretty much a climb the rest of the way up the D918, with the exception of some small flat sections and a few dips to get around a montain bend here and there. After I went above 1000 metres in elevation, I literally did have my head in the clouds. The weather then turned really cold and the rain then just hung around like a thick blanket over your shoulders. Even though I have all the kit on to protect me, I enventually started to get frozen fingers and toes where climbing harder is the only real way to keep things somewhat pleasant. I took well needed coffee breaks at the Soulor Summit, and then again at the Aubisque. It is real farming territory here; and along the way I had the company of Goats, Cows, Sheep and some very large future Pancetta providers (Pigs). At 1704 metres the visibility was down to the front of your nose.............in all seriousness maybe 25 - 30 feet absolute tops. The descent was probably the most tricky I have done with all my bike skills put to the test. Aside from animal, other cycle and car alert, I had poor visibility, poor brakes and the only part of me that was dry was the "Small" of my back (males might need to defer to their female partners to find out where this is on the body).

    Once my head was extracted from the clouds, the descent begame a little easier, and it was good to ride this part, as that is what the Pros will be doing in what shall be a fast decent into Lourdes in about 2 weeks time. All up I did the 90 KM in a little under 5 hours, very tired but so incredibly pleased with my 2 Col day.

    For dinner tonight I got to have my local Cassolet dish which is a local speciality here in the S/W of France. Its a tasty stew with a base of White Haricot Beans, pork sausage, duck confit with a few other spices that slowly cook and bubble away in a stock for several hours in the oven. It is eaten with a little green salad, bread and washed down with an icy cold Belgian Beer. I certainly earn't one today.

    Regards,

    Cycling Foodie

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