2022 European trip – A “tour de France”

[Boomer]

Enjoying the writeups 😁
I personally would never do the Cote D'Azur in July/August. Far too crowded for my taste.
Shame that everywhere was shut though.

[Rynglieder]

Enjoying the writeups 😁
I personally would never do the Cote D'Azur in July/August. Far too crowded for my taste.
Shame that everywhere was shut though.

Thanks, it looks like you already knew what I had just discovered  The reason for starting out in high summer was that I wanted to do some mountain passes that I understood were not certain to be open until the first day of June. Maybe September would have been a better prospect.

[Rynglieder]

Day 13 -Villeneuve-Loubet > Eygliers (c.174 miles)

It really didn't take long to clean up the apartment and get everything re-packed on the bike, there was time for a last quick coffee and roll at the café across the street that had served me well during my stay in Villeneuve-Loubet and after taking a precautionary fill-up with fuel I had a very short ride to pick up the motorway, it just seemed the most sensible way of getting clear of the heat and traffic on the Cote d'Azur, the mountains and some cooler air were beckoning.

A few Euros were parted with at the toll barrier just north of Menton and I was straight onto the twisty roads, most of the days ride would be following the Route des Grandes Aples. Not only were the roads a joy to ride but the scenery was also stunning with mountains either side forming a gorge that took me ever northwards.

First up on my route planning today was Sospel. In truth it was only put in as a way point to get me on the right road away from the coast, but when I arrived there it seemed like an attractive place to stop, I'd gone an hour and a half since setting out and although it was already noticeably cooler there were still unbroken blue skies above and it was probably not much less than thirty degrees up here so a handy Spar store provided a couple of cold bottles, one to take now by the river and one to keep in the top case if I needed something later out in the wilds.

Leaving Sospel continuing on the D2566, the road continued in the same vein although hairpins were becoming more frequent. I seemed to be sharing the road with very little other traffic and a high proportion of what there was seemed to be motorcyclists and cyclists.  Beyond Moulinet the road surface was a bit patchy in places. It felt like I had been climbing forever but eventually I reached a summit with parking opportunities outside the Hotel des Trois Vallees where I could shrug off the jacket and sit down with a drink and a sandwich and watch other bikes come and go.

What goes up must come down, thus started a period of descent on the serpentine M70, every bend revealing a new and beautiful view. My downhill ride ended when I reached the valley floor where the River Vestubie runs and the bike was turned to follow it upstream on the M2565. This road way curvy rather than twisty and of a more consistent gradient so the GTRs velocity could be picked up a little. Another climb started beyond Saint-Martin –Vestubie and crested just before Valdelore. The zumo seemed to think I should be making a right turn after the village but if there was actually a road to take it was so minor I coudldn't see it. I got the usual demands to U-turn for a mile or so and feeling that I was running blind pulled up to check on a paper map. All good, I just had to follow the road I was on through some hairpins until it dropped into the valley of the Tinée.
Now it was time to follow the Tinée northwards, passing through Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée and on to the Isola. As before this river valley road was a much easier and quicker ride than over the mountain summits and the miles rolled swiftly on. In need of another break I pulled into the village of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée and parked the bike in the town square where I took the liberty of plunging my arms up to the elbow into town's fountain for a couple of minutes to cool off again in the cold mountain water it was drawing.

My journey resumed with a steep and twisty climb, the trees had now disappeared leaving a much more rugged grass covered mountain landscape and eventually I passed the the ruined buildings of the Camp de Fourches – presumably an old military camp, a large blockhouse stood on a nearby summit, seemingly inaccessible. I seemed a good place to stop for a couple of photos.

The Road continued its upward path for another 10 minutes and I found myself at the point I had plotted into the Zumo as the Col de la Bonette. It seemed a bit anticlimactic somehow, I was expecting a marker, or a café, or some Frenchman jumping out to kiss me on both cheeks and pin a medal on me, but no, nothing...* the bike swung round following the Zumo's course and began a descent but I felt that I deserved to get off again and spotting a bit of a pull-in by some old concrete bunkers I helped myself to a rest and another photo or two.

I had the urge to stop at almost every turn to take photos as I sprilled downwards but largely resisted it in the hope that the Innovv camera was picking up images that I could look back on at home. After one photo stop I found myself re-joining the road behind a Dutch motorcyclist who was progressing just a little slower than I might have on a clear road, but not slow enough to make me want to overtake so I settled in behind him at a soothing pace and enjoyed the views. After about 15 minutes of this gentle pursuit he pulled over and I heard him call to me as I passed; quickly turning back to him he asked me if I wanted coffee, "do you know somewhere?" I enquired. It seemed that he had everything he needed on the bike including an electric element he could plug into the bike so we saat nad chatted at the roadside for a while before moving on.

The mountain road ended at a junction with the more major D900 at Jausiers and the pace was again picked up even if only for a short while as the Fort de Tournoux called for the attention of my camera. A quick snap later I was back on the bike and turning off to begin yet another mountain climb.

The sun was dropping low now and frequently in my eye-line, at least the shadow from the mountains was making for much cooler and comfortable riding. Another mountain road was crested and then I dropped down through the ski resort of Vars. The road then became faster flowing and I was soon delivered into Guillestre and another 10 minutes on I was pulling into the covered motorcycle parking of the Hotel Lacour at Mont-Dauphin-Gare.

Once I had finally worked out where the hotel reception was (in the bar / restaurant, not the accommodation building!) I quickly got changed and settled down on one of the tables on the terrace for a meal and a drink or two. It had been a perfect day's ride and I was looking forward to something similar the following day.

*In retrospect, when I got home I realised I had missed a loop road that would have given me the summit of the Col de la Bonette and the viewpoint and marker stone that I felt I deserved. All the more reason to go back and do it again one day.

[O.C.]

  

 
great report and photos   

[Rynglieder]

Day 14 - Eygliers > Bourg-Saint-Maurice (c. 155 miles)

If the reception at the Hotel Locour was hard to find the breakfast room was just as much of a challenge but I unearthed it behind a door off the tobacco and lottery kiosk. I had a little to eat and then packed up the bike before setting off north again.

Next planned stop was Briançon, and although there was a quicker more direct route it was my plan to ride the balcony road in the Gorges du Guil and then go over the Col de Izoard. Who wants to get quickly from A to B when there are such promising alternatives?

Another valley road (D902) lay ahead of me, taking me through the Gorges de Guil although progress was impeded by a coach tailing a queue of traffic including a quarry wagon. I was conscious of a group of bikes behind me seeming overly anxious to pass so I pulled off the road briefly to allow them by, They did not really fare any better than me and within a couple of minutes I was back in at their tail once more waiting for safe opportunities to overtake. One by one our time came and we cleared the coach and were able to enjoy the road at our own pace.

I stayed with the D902 to pass through the alpine villages of Arvieux and La Chalp, this section of the road was a gently curving climb and the legal speed limit could comfortably be maintained but soon the bends became tighter and the road steepened, my pace was slowed by struggling cyclists around every bend.

It was a beautiful ride up and over the Col d'Izoard and of course there was the odd roadside stop or two for pictures but all too soon the decent through the hairpins was over and I reached the village of Cervières at the floor of the valley.

Now the D902 turned west and perched on mountainside ledges as it followed the course of the river Cerveyrette and soon Briançon came into view. Compared with the other places I had ridden through since leaving Nice this was a positive metropolis with traffic congestion to suit. I commuted my way through the lower more modern town and to my pre-planned parking spot just outside the gates to Vauban's fortified town that sits atop the hill.
I had a bit of time off the bike which included a walk up to the lower ramparts of the fort to take in the views and then down a couple of the old town streets before winding up outside a café by the Porte de Pignerol (gate) where I sat down with an alcohol-free beer. Yet another place that I barely scratched the surface of and is deserving of another visit in the future.

Leaving Briançon I continued north, now on the D1091 a relatively flat straight valley road with the mountains now pushed out to the margins but perhaps being more impressive for being viewed from a slight distance. Eventually I did a right turn for the Col du Galbier, this road having once again been designated the D902. At the Refuge du Galbier (2556m) I found a café just ahead of the tunnel entrance so I took the opportunity to stop for a coffee and enjoy some of the first cool air I had experienced for a while.

Leaving the café I had the option of the tunnel or a road opposite that would spiral a little higher to the mountain summit. Not being sure how I was fixed for time I chose the tunnel, something that I look back on with a little regret and have now added to the "next time" list. The inevitable twisty, downhill run followed, bottoming out in the valley of the Valloirette where more gentle bends and better visibility of the road ahead allowed speed to pick up again.

As I passed through the Valloire ski resort I spotted a Carrefour mini market and knowing my supply of dinks on board was low it seemed a good place to make a purchase. I swung into the car park flicked the side stand down and dismounted, the next thing I know the bike was coming over on me and pushing me to the ground on my back. I'm not 100% sure what happened, maybe I didn't throw the stand down fully, but it's never happened before. Most likely the front wheel found its way into a pothole as I took my weight of the bike, I had seen the surface looked rough but from my approach angle it didn't look that bad. Looking back on Google Street View from a side-on when I got home it looks more like a wannabe sink hole.

It took the assistance of two Frenchmen and a woman supervising to get the bike back on its rubber. It had picked up a few large scuffs of white thermoplastic paint on the fairing and pannier from the road crossing markings but I reckoned it was superficial and would mostly clean up when I had the means to hand.
I wasn't going to let it spoil my day though, with a couple of cold bottles now in the case I still had mountains to ride. This descent and chapter was closed at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne where a right turn took me onto the D1006 for a little ride eastwards in order to pick up the foot of the next mountain pass. I indulged in a brief roadside stop to catch a picture of Fort Victor-Emmanuelle which looked very impressive as it spread up the mountainside, but feeling under a little time pressure again I pushed on.

Once again for a while the road was gentle in gradient and curve so I could still soak up the scenery and make good progress. After the village of Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis I left the D1006 for the D902 and began the climb to Bonneval-sur-Arc, as the altitude increased the road became a little more severe and twisty and once more the vegetation had thinned to grassland or bare mountains. I risked a quick stop before the summit but I now realised I was more nervous or parking the bike than riding it, I had now taken to stopping it in gear to prevent any unwanted movement.

I took a little while longer off the bike at the summit of the Col de l'Iseran (2770m) it was probably going to be my last stop before the night's hotel and there was so much to take in including a walk across to the small church of Notre-dame de Toute Prudence.

Dropping down from the Col de l'Iseran gave further stunning views and the road finally started to level out at Val d'Isere, once more following the bottom of a river valley the road being interspersed with tunnels and galleries for a faster ride and so before long I reached my day's final destination of Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

At the Hotel Basecamp Lodges I was given underground garage parking without charge for the bike although cars usually have to pay. The whole building was almost brand new, although the room was a bit on the basic side it would do nicely for the two nights I had booked. The layout is a little strange my room on floor -3 was the same level as the car park which I had to walk through each time I needed to visit the reception or restaurant. The route round the hotel could be a little better signed but I soon got the hang of it and on a couple of occasions over the that day and the next found myself having to direct newly arrived guests lost in the car park.

After a shower and change I walked the length of the town and not finding a Michelin three star establishment anywhere settled on McDonalds before returning to the hotel for a couple of beers on the terrace overlooking the mountains before bed. As I relaxed my thoughts turned to the day's mishap; at home we have a cat, "Ace", when he's tired on a hot day he tends to amble into the lounge and just plonk himself down on his side. Usually at this moment I point at him and go "ha ha, fell over!" I wonder if the GTR was doing the same thing...

[Rynglieder]

A few more Day 14 photos...

[O.C.]

Thankfully the mishap with your bike didn't cause injury or spoil your tour, once again great report and excellent pictures            

[Rynglieder]

Day 15 Around Bourg-Saint-Maurice (2 miles)

It was always my intention to have this as a "day off" from riding, a little bit of space in the schedule to rest or deal with any maintenance etc. that was required before turning the bike toward home.

I did fancy a ride on the funicular railway up to Les Arcs, the nearby mountain summit but inevitably it was closed for maintenance, so I contented myself with a long walk taking in the town and around the banks of the Isère river which in this location broadens to give the appearance of a lake.

The only time the bike came out of the garage was to visit the local supermarket to pick up some bits and refuel ready for the next day. An evening meal of sorts on the hotel's terrace with its mountain views and then off to bed.

[Rynglieder]

Day 16 Bourg-Saint-Maurice > Le Puy (c. 210 miles)

Although slightly over 200 miles was inked in for the day, a good chunk of it would be motorway – there is no real alternative way go get out of town quickly but at least I would cover some ground in the morning and leave time to linger in the attractive parts during the afternoon.

I left the motorway some way short of Lyon and rode through some unremarkable countryside to Vienne where my first proper stop of the day had been plucked from the guide book. It was a case of carefully riding around the town centre until I could see a motorcycle bay that I could manoeuvre into and this done I set off on foot to reach the Temple of Augustus and Livia, a huge roman edifice set in a square. Having captured my pictures and sorted out a coffee it was time to move on,

Vienne was left behind as I followed the River Rhone for a short while but there was much more motorway and dual carriageway riding to do before I sighted an exit for the Gorges de la Loire near Unieux. Finally I was riding along the beautiful valley of the Loire and looking forward to some more entertaining riding for the afternoon.

A very enjoyable series of roads lead me to Retournac where I parked up near the river bridge for a short walk and a coffee at a handy café. More sweeping bends alongside the Loire took me through Vorey and onward until I reached the small city of Le Puy. Once again garage parking was provided for me at the Ibis Le Puy en Vallee Centre and after settling into the room having a shower and a change I had plenty of time to spend during the evening exploring the city.

I was attracted to Le Puy by images I had seen of three monuments; Rocher Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe which is a chapel sat on an 82m high spike of rock, another isolated peak in the town is crowned with the statue of Notre-Dame de France and finally, set on another hilltop is the city's cathedral. A walk round the outside of the city centre brought all of these in front of the camera before I ventured into the city's centre for a bit of atmosphere and an evening drink.

[O.C.]

WOW, what stunning pictures, I'm guessing the pot marks on the columns of the Temple at Vienne are remnants from WW2

[Boomer]

WOW, what stunning pictures, I'm guessing the pot marks on the columns of the Temple at Vienne are remnants from WW2

I don't think so as it's in Vichy France so no fighting there.
The damage seems due to 2 Millennia of modifications and abuse.
https://www.romeartlover.it/Vienne.html

[Rynglieder]

Yes guys, someone asked the same question on the GSX forum and I think it is a part of the country the Nazis never  occupied, a large area of France was run by a puppet government.

As Boomer says, it is just age and abuse.

BTW I'm grateful that you are looking so closely and taking the time to read :)

[O.C.]

Cheers guys and thanks for the clarification   

[Rynglieder]

Day 17 Le Puy > Le Châtenet-en-Dognon (c.205 miles)

A very roundabout route had been plotted for this days ride, I wanted take in two national parks which I hoped would provide some attractive scenery and roads.

Before getting into my stride there was a brief stop off just outside Le Puy at Polignac so that I could take a look at its castle, albeit from a distance. I've no idea if it is open to the public and didn't fancy the climb up the hill at my age. There then followed an hour or so on the N102, a fast well surfaced road carving through rural France.

I departed this trunk road at Lempdes-sur-Allagnon and so began the proper country road ride through the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne. Information from a guide book told me that the road between Ardes and Le Mont Dore through the landscape of extinct volcanic hills was something the motoring tourist should do and sure enough as the road began to narrow and twist it seemed like a whole new world to ride through.

Yet again I found I was having to resist the temptation to keep stopping and looking around and had to place my trust in the Innovv unit to capture some images. Chateaus, villages, hills and rivers were throwing themselves into my path but I did stop at Ardes though for coffee in a village café before getting any deeper in. The ride across the national park was every bit as good as the guide book suggested, an excellent motorcycling road which lead me to the small town of Les Monts Dore and shortly afterwards out of the park's boundary.

It was only a matter of a few miles though before I entered the Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin. If the previous park had been like riding through the Staffordshire Moorlands, this afternoon ride was more like the Forest of Dean, with minor roads leading me through acres of woodland. I did pause briefly at Viam in the hope that I could take a rest at the lake shore, but it didn't seem in any way accessible so I moved on.

The road opened up somewhat as my route joined the D940 which was just as well, I needed to pick up the pace a bit. Today was another of the few in excess of 200 miles, partly because the hotel I'd originally wanted had become unavailable due to the one year shift in the scheduling and the only thing I could find that looked tempting and was within budget was somewhat further on.

After Eymoutiers it was back to the narrower country roads and villages but still a very enjoyable ride to the Hotel Chalet du Lac on the banks of the River Taurion which at this point was so wide it looked like a lake. Having presented myself at reception a garage on the opposite side of the road was offered and opened up for me so the GTR was safely berthed for the night. I was then apologetically informed the restaurant was closed on that night but would I like them to order in a pizza for me? A short while later I was in fresh clothes sat on the decking with beer and pizza enjoying the view over the lake whilst reporting in to my current wife and warning her that a week's washing was now only a two or three days away.

I'm always a little hesitant about booking a hotel in a remote location as if you don't like the meals on offer or the bar you are sometimes stuck with nowhere nearby to go. Fortunately not here, the room was outstanding with a lake view and my hosts could not have been more helpful. As well as the parking and organising a meal for me this was the only time on the trip anyone had picked up one of my bags and shown me to the room. It's somewhere I'd be happy to stay again.

All in all a very acceptable day as far as a touring holiday goes.

[O.C.]

Great report and pictures