Round Tripping

Wow – that was a long way.

A whisker short of a tyre-busting 3,000 miles! I hadn’t intended to but I completely circled France and tasted a bit of most of it. I missed the bottom and top left corners and thankfully didn’t stray too far into the middle.

In fact I don’t think I’ve included the run down to Folkestone via Heathrow on the day before I hit the Chunnel… so never mind about the whisker – 3,000+

DAY 1: Calais to Troyes

First French bit – great run on the Autoroutes and impressed by the stopping areas and services. Disaster strikes when I arrive at my Air BnB booking without connectivity. Almost book in to IBIS. Never actually meet host.

Discover that you can have too much calzone.

Adopt the correct road attitude.

DAY 2: Troyes to Chambery

More Autoroutes but ditched sat nav route for a run past Geneva and touching the bottom of the alps.

Lost my bloody glasses but found Maurice! Explored the historic city, bought some regulation straight bananas in the market and planned a hair-raising alpine pass ride to Italia.

Saw an infeasibly large TV and failed to get a slice of the triple layered chocolate cake that Maurice’s wife baked for work the next day before they set off around the World.

DAY 3: C to Susa

Maurice calls the cops and I run for the hills via the tunnel. Proper snow covered mountains and a scorching day in the Italian alps. Francesco shows me the town and record breaking pizzas.

Find an open pass back to France and forget about going to Turin.

 

DAY 4: Susa to Seranon

Border patrol – French security on high alert.

Skiers, more snow covered mountains, river-bottomed gorges, wobble-bottomed motorcycle maniacs and the twistiest roads – not a single Autoroute.

Accountants and whores; swayed by a local on a broken Triumph.

If I knew then what I know now I think I may have played here for longer before turning north again.

DAY 5: Seranon to Montpellier

More great twisties surprise me at the lower end of Route Napoleon but then get lost and have a rubbish ride to Pont du Gard. More rubbish riding to Montpellier and meaty disappointment for dinner. The bad-planning gremlin got me but I blame the Triumph guy.

DAY 6: Montpellier to Carcassonne

A day of two halves: brilliant ride out to the Millau bridge and for a bit after it; but then succumb to sat nav madness in a panic about it getting late. A late afternoon on unnecessary Autoroutes heading too far south! Soon regretting the wild dream of the Pyrenees and cold sweats when I realise how far north I have to go. That reminds me to book the train back.

DAY 7: Carcassonne to Bordeaux

Annoying day and a long mostly dull slog north; but I see the sea, find Jesus and relax without WIFI in a wholly French immersion experience.

Big flat France. Rubbish. Note to self – avoid next time.

Coffee served in a massive bowl.

 

DAY 8: Bordeaux to Alencon

Countryside flat and dull again but off the Autoroute for most of the way. Big long run just to get north really and open up the opportunity for some time at the top of France before having to return.

Host is racing at Le Mans and plan for the Normandy landing beaches and a very long route the next day.

I’m here to ride man.

DAY 9: Alencon to the Somme via Normandy

Woah – the longest run yet but oh boy so glad I made the effort.

Northern Edge plus Eastern Edge is what makes France worth popping in to. I will reserve judgement on the Southern edge once I’ve tried it properly.

Hosts are definitely swingers and Marcel enters the scene.

DAY 10: The Somme, more Somme and all the way Home

Marcel gives me a treat and the swingers make me a packed lunch before I set off on the longest journey of the whole trip: all the way home.

That was a Fantastic Voyage.