Euro Tour Day 22

Last night' home made pasta was a great success and money saver! This morning we had an omelette at the restaurant for breakfast. It turned out to be a plain omelette with a healthy portion of chips. Not sure what happened to the salad as per the menu, but with the communication problems we decided not to persue that! Danie again opted for the tar option and I got going at 8:17.

When I joined the route, I was greeted with a 5 km hill and nearly 400 meters of ascent! Today this is ridable! The first part is a good gravel road, which do become more "doggy" but still ridable. It then turn into another ridable single track through an oak forest. No views, just trees and riding in the shade most of the time. Every so often I have to get off to negotiate a rocky section, but these only go on for 5-10 meters at a time. Today's route is what I hoped to find on this adventure! 

After 14 km and 2:15 riding time, I come to Saint-Ettiene-les-Orgues and stop for coffee and have the extra banilla pudding from last night. I am taken out of town on a tar road, which do become gravel after a while, but all easy ridable. There also are the mandatory climbs, but today the riding conditions is very good. 

I do get taken onto a rough section of about 300 meters and then over the top of the mountain followed by the most gorgeous single tracks. Today even the downhills are mostly ridable. There are some steep rocky sections where I do get off. 

At one such section I grab a tree not to loose my balance, knock my Garmin against the tree and break the bracket which holds it onto my handlebar. Fortunately a piece remains and I do manage secure it to the bracket. The Garmin do have a string attached, which I always secure to the handlebar, so at least I should not loose it if it comes loose again. It does work for the rest of the day, I must just keep my eye on it.

I turn off at a board which indicate that my destination for the day, Forcalquiers, is 5 km away. This is followed by the most amasing single track, which mostly go downhill, but today is ridable with a number of rocky sections which must be handled with due care. I pass some very interesting rock formations and then get taken down a track on the edge of a precipice followed by a rough single track down the hill, all negotiable with reasonable care. This really is awesome riding and I am in a seventh heaven.

Just before town this leads onto a gravel road and as I hit the edge of town, I stop to get Google Maps to take me to where Danie booked place for us. On the way there I meet up with Danie, who came looking for me. The accommodation is top quality and after a walk through the old town, where we stop for a "tropézienne" and coffee. There after we walk to a super market to buy supper and breakfast. This is much cheaper than eating at a restaurant every night.

Now there is only one day of this amasing trip left. Tomorrow we willl reach our destination of Monasque and then down to Marseiile to start our journey back to SA.

Day's stats: 33.79 km; time 5:21; meters climbed 938.

Euro Tour Dag 21

Ons ontwaak om en by 07:00. Eet crousant en yoghart, wat ons gister by supermark gekoop het, vir ontbyt. Danie besluit hy gaan vandag by teer hou en ons spreek af om mekaar in Cruis te ontmoet. Hy hoort voor my daar te wees en sal weer die verblyf uitsorteer wanneer hy daar kom. Ek kom net voor 08:00 weg.

Ek het gister, toe ons hier aangekom het, mooi gekyk waar ek vanoggend moet begin, so daar word nie weer in "sirkels" gery nie! Net nadat ek by die roete aansluit, ry ek weer op 'n besonder mooi paadjie, wat lanings inheemse bome bevat, al langs die rivier af. Dit hou nie vir te lank aan nie en ek word deur 'm weonbuurt na die Weste van die dorp geneem. 

Die pad verander gou in 'n grondpad en ek begin deur landerye en appelboorde ry. Soos gewoonlik hou die goeie paaie nie lank aan nie en ek moet weer my fiets teen 'n 23% grade bult op stoot. Bo is 'n goeie grondpad, maar dan wys Ride with GPS ek moet links draai wasr daar geen pad of spoor is nie. Ek draai om en gaan terug, met 'n grondpad, na waar die styl bult netnou begin het. Hier is 'n pad wat, volgens die app wel met die ander pad verbind, so 'n entjie bo waar daar niks was nie. Aanvanklik kan ek ry, maar dan raak dit weer te klipperig en en klim maar af en stoot. Die roetes konvigeer en ek kan rustig voort beweeg.

Die gestoot hou 'n hele ruk aan en dan kry ek weer mooi enkelspore deur die woud. Ek moet elke nou en dan af klim om oor klippe te stoot, maar ek kan meesal ry. Dit hou vir 'n hele tydjie so aan. Eindelik kom ek weer by 'n goeie grondpad uit en kan weer ry. Die eerste 8 km het my 1:40 geneem. Hopelik sal dit nou beter gaan. Die hoop beskaam nie, maar die roete speel nie lekker saam nie. 

Op die webwerf het mense gekla dat daar te veel "hike-a-bike" op die roete is. Ek het dit nie eintlik geglo nie, maar nou ervaar ek waaroor hulle kla. Die roete is werklik iets besonders, maar mense rask later "tam" dasrvoor om jou fiets op en af oor berge te stoot. Daar is net te veel onrybare gedeeltes en ek is redelik seker hulle kan, met 'n bietjie huis werk, meer rybare dele insluit!

Daar kom weer 'n deel waar dit 'n goeie grondpad is en ek vorder redelik. Dit sluit 'n klim in, maar nie te syl nie en rybaar. Dit duur egter ook nie te lank nie en ek moet weer berg op stoot. Die roete loop oor die hoogste punt van die randjie. Van bo kan ek baie ver sien in alle rigtings. Daar is ook 'n groot sonplaas en 'n kwarrie so 'n ent weg. 

Nou weer berg af. Die ry en stoot sessies wissel mekaar gereeld af. Ek kan gewoonlik ry wanneer die pad die kontoer volg, maar sodra ek hoogte verloor raak dit net te rof. Ry en stoot, ry en stoot, so sukkel ek die bult af. Onder moet ek 'n stroompie 'n paar keer kruis en elke kruising het 'n kwaai helling aan albei kante. 

Ek kom eindelik by 'n teerpad uit. Die roete kruis egter net die teerpad en dan is dit weer 'n rowwe bult op. Ek kyk op die app na wat voorlê en besluit dit is vir eers genoeg. Van hier tot by Mallefougasse is 17 km met die roete. Indien die roete van dieselfde kwalitiet as tot dusver is, gaan dit my nog minstens 3 uur neem. Daar is 'n teer opsie met 'n klim wat 7 km lank is en my seker 'n uur gaan neem. Ek kies die maklke opsie. 

Die gradient is redelik en maklik rybaar. Verkeer is ook baie min. Die uitsig is ook mooi. Ek kan onder andere sien wasr my eintlik roete loop en dit is net bosse, bome en kranse! Daar is, op 'n plato, 'n groot sonlpaas, verder nike beskawing nie!

Net voor Mallefougasse is daar 'n grond paadjie links en ek ry die laaste entjie met die pad tot in die dorp en kruis waar my roete sou in kom. Ek gaan soek 'n koffie winkel, maar hier is niks. Gaan terug na my aansluiting en eet helfte van my baguette wat ek vir padkos gemaak het. Dan is ek weer aan die gang, maar nou op my roete.

Entjie teer en dan grond met 'n kort bultjie wat nie rybaar is nie, gevolg deur 'n rybare pad wat oorgaan na enkelspoor. Die sluit by pad terug na Mallefougasse aan en voordat ek die midde dorp, waar ek nou net was,  bereik draai ek links oor die grootpad en dan links op teer wat oor gaan na goeie grond. Dit loop deur plase en geleidelik die bult af. Nou ry ek, vir 'n verandering, lekker. 

Die grond word teer wanneer ek die buite wyke ban Cruis bereik. Op die punt waar my roete weg van Cruis draai, hou ek stil. Kyk op WhatsApp en kry Danie se boodskap. Hy is 500 meter in die pad af. 

Ons het weer 'n lekker wooneenheid, baie groter en beter as gister, bo-op 'n restourant. Nadat ek gestort het, kyk ons na ons opsies vir aandete en ontbyt. Restourant het redelike opsies vir albei, maar ons bedluit om eers te kyk wat ons by die Supermark kan kry. 

Ons is net na 15:30 af daarheen en besluit om ons eie pasta vir aandete te maak en môre die restourant se omelette te probeer vir ontbyt.

Ons stap so bietjie in die dorp, wat seker so groot soos Philadelphia, Weskasp is, rond. Ons is baie be-indruk met die netheid en goeie toestand van die geboue. Regtig 'n besioderse dorp. Ons kom op 'n groep mans af wat "boules" speel en sit op 'n bankie in die skaduwee en hou hulle dop. Net voor 17:00 vat ons die pad terug. Nou vir ons pasta aand en dan rustig verkeer.

Dag se statistiek: afstand 32.45; tyd 5.35; meters geklim 891.

Euro Tour Day 20

Due to habit, I woke up at 06:42. We sbared a ham and cheese baguette for breakfast and got going at 07:55. 

I always struggle finding direction in the Northern himisphere. Somebody said it has to do with crossing the equator, but most mornings it is a bit of a mission finding the right road. After circling around, we found the cycle path we had to use nect to the river.

Going was smooth and fast and I thought that this was too good to be true! From the cycle path we were guided onto some quiet back roads. This lasted for a while and then we had to take a fairly rough track. Danie was too close to me and when I got to a standstill, he could not re-act fast enough and toppled over. Nothing serious, but enough to draw some blood on his elbow and shock his appetite for these rough sections. When we got to a tar road after 8 km, he decided to bale snd stick to tar. We agreed to meet up in Vollone.

My route took me through a golf course. When I got out on the otherside, there was Danie cycling down the tar road. My track, briefly ran next to the the tar road and then went left paat some agricultural lands. I crossed a big river and then briefly cycled though a beautiful forest where people were walking their dogs or running. Halfway through the forest I was guided right and onto a short piece of tar that went up at 19% but fortunately only for an few meters. At the top the tar became gravel and wound its way up the hill at a ressonsble gradient. 

I went through a number small villages and farming communities. Up a long drag and then past some horse pastures. I was then guuded up a hill for about 4 km at 7-9%. Just before the top Ride with GPS indicated that my phone battery was at 20%, so I stopped to connect it to my "new" powerbank, courtesy of Danie! 

At the top of the hill I was blessed with the most magnificent view over the valley. Vollone and vicinity was quite big and I saw a number of big industrial complexes to the left. I had to take a singke track to the right and atarted going downhill. Initially I lost elevation reasonably slowly, but then the big descent started. 

Today's was much better than yesterday as it was going downhill gradually and I could ride most of it. The gradient varied between 16-19% and it was fairly rocky. When the rocks became too loose and the gradient jumped to 29%, I decided that caution is the better option and settled for some hike-a-bike! The gradient and surface improved, so I got back on my bike. 

This led me to a single track through some pine trees. At the bottom I joined a gravel road, which joined a tar road and then I was in the outskirts of Vollone. I messaged Damie and then carried on cycling. I was taken onto a cycle path next to a main rosd. I then cycled down this cycle path for quite a while. 

As I rounded a bend, who would be in front of me intensely looking at his phone? It was Danie. So our two different routes took about the same time. He found us a place in the centre of town, but we could only get in at 14:00. It now was just past 12:00, so we stopped for a coffee. After we finished our coffees, Danie decided to go and look for our accommodation, which was only a couple of yards away. He was lucky enough to find the owner at the place and she, graciously, allowed us to book in early. 

So this was a short day, but ss we are ahead of schedule, so we settled in for the day. The next couple of days should be fairly relaxed as we have until 8 September to get to Marseille. 

Statisrics: Distance 34.10 km, tine 4:17, meters climbed 657.

Euro Toer Dag 19

Ontbyt was 07:45 gereed en ons kom 08:17 aan die gang. Ride with GPS neem ons terug dorp toe met 'n heel interessante roete, maar laat ons dan in sirkels ry. Na 'n gesukkel kry ons die tegte roete en is aan die gang. 

Ons word weer met obskure agterpaadjies weg van verkeer gelei. Dit bring ons by 'n 4 km klim op 'n redelik rowwe jeep track. Oor die algemeen is die gradiënt redelik, maar daar is een besonder styl seksie van ongeveer 100 meter. Dit gaan maar sukkel sukkel maar ek trap hom uit. 

Bo word ons deur 'n boer se lande gelei wat ons by 'n enkel tou versperring bring. Ek lig die tou, maar los baie gou toe ek besef dit is ge-elektrisiveer. Die boere gebruik dit om hulle koeie in 'n kamp te hou sonder om die kamp te omhein. Ons het al baie van die "toue" gesien nie maar nie besef daar is 'n elektristeits draad om die tou nie. Danie kry 'n stok en ons lig die tou en kruip onderdeur. 

Ons is nou op 'n mooi enkelspoor paadjie wat al langs 'n stroompie in die vallei af gaan. Ons klim elke nou en dan af wanneer dit te klipperig en styl raak. Ons bewonder weer eens die mooiheid van natuur hier en geniet die rit met die mooi paadjie. Dit lei ons weer na 'n redelike "jeep track" wat weer 'n klim insluit. Nie te lank en nie te styl. Die sluit aan by 'n teerpad en ons ry deur Verdaches wat seker nie meer as 10 huise en geen winkel het nie.

Net anderkant Verdaches word ons weer weg van die grootpad geneem. Ons volg allerhande agter paadjies en ry ook mooi enkelspoor paadjies met so 'n stukkie teer hier en daar. Tydens een van die teer stukkies sê ek vir Danie dat dit die laaste kans is indien hy die teerpad Digne les Bains toe wil neem. Hy besluit om dit te doen en ons groet. Hy sal so lank verblyf soek wanneer hy in Digne les Bains kom.

My pad is weer 'n goeie rybare "jeeptrack". Elke nou en dan is daar ook weer mooi enkelspoor paadjies. Dit eindig met 'n mooi uitsig oor die vallei met graslande. Dan kry ek in Marie de Javie in, waar ek vir koffie stop. Ek eet ook die eier en stuk koek wat deel van vanoggend se ontbyt was. 

Net buite die dorp is daar 'n teken wat asndui dat Digne 13 km weg is. Volgens my roete moet ek nog 21 km doen en dit gaan aansienlik moeiliker wees. Ek het vir 'n oomblik dit oorweeg om reguit aan te hou, maar besluit toe eder om by my roete te bly. Die 13 km sou my seker 45 minute geneem het en ek het aanvaar dat my 21 km my 4 uur sou neem!

Net na die teken draai ek links op 'n gruispad. Die pad oppervlakte is goed en daar is selfs stukkies teer. So 'n ent  in draai ek regs op 'n ander gruispad. Ek klim vir net meer as 'n kilometer en vorder goed. Bo kry weer teer en dan word ek herlei op 'n enkelspoor. Ek stop om 'n appel, wat ek in my sak was, te eet. Terwyl ek besig is, kom drie e-fietse verby. Vir die res van die dag sien ek heelwat e-fietse. Hier area is skynbaar baie gewild onder fietsryers maar almal verkies e-fietse. 

Vir die volgende paar uur is ek meesal op enkel spore of rowwe "jeep tracks". Die enkel spore is oor die algemeen baie besonders, maar daar is 'n paar wat redelik rof of styl is en dus stoot tot gevolg het. Daar is ook heelwat van die roete wat oor leiklip gruisheuwels gaan. Hier is daar omtrent geen plategroei nie. Net die gruis heuwels. Ek het  'n aantal fotos daarvan op die WhatsApp groepe afgelaai. Dit word af gewissel met goeie enkel spore en dan kom daar 'n kwaai klim wat net die gruis heuwels is. Dit is oor die algemeen baie styl en ek kan dit nie ry nie. Wanneer ek eindelik bo kom, is dit weer gewone enkel spore.

Ek sluit weer by 'n teerpad aan wat tussen 'n paar huise deur loop. Anderkant uit word ek weer herlei na gruis pad en dan begin die volgende nagmerrie! Ek moet 'n heuwel uit maar vir die volgende kilometer of so is die pad totaal onrybaar. Dit is net klippe en styl. Dit neem my 'n hele tydjie voor ek bo kom. Net voordat ek bo kom is daar heelwat dele wat goeie enkel spore is.

Wanneer ek heel bo kom, kan ek vir Digne les Baines sien. Ek trek nou op 45 km en Digne lê op 55 km, maar ek is bo-op 'n berg en dit gaan my seker meer as 'n uur neem om van die berg af te kom. Waar ek gister 'n goeie pad af gehad het, moet ek vandag met 'n enkelspoor berg af! Die van julle wat bergfiets ry weet dat meeste enkelspore berg 'n nagmerrie is. In hierdie geval is dit nog erger want dit is baie styl af en ry is bykans onmoontlik. Elke nou en dan is daar 'n "trap" waar ek my fiets letterlik moet aftel. 

Daar kom twee e-fiets ryers by my verby. Selfs hulle kan nie alles ry nie. Die pad kronkel die berg af. Vordering is stadig tot op 'n punt waar daar meer ry as stoot geleenthede is. Hier tref 'n klein terugslag my!

Ek doen my navigasie met Ride with GPS op my selfoon. Uit die aart van die saak gebruik dit battery krag. My selfoon se battery hou gewoonlik so 3 uur. Dan koppel ek my "powerbank" aan die selfoon om hom weer so in die ry te laai. Die "powerbank" sit ek in 'n sakkie op my fiets se raam. Die sakkie maak met 'n ritsluiter toe, maar die probleem is dat die ritsluiter van bo na onder loop. So ek sit die "powerbank" in die sak en koppel die selfoon kabel aan sy onderkant en maak dan die sakkie so 80% toe met die kabel aan die onderkant. Die opset het werk nou al lank en ek het nog nooit probleme gehad nie. By so 'n af teen die bult, hoor ek iets in my fiets se speke. Ek dink eers dit is weer 'n tak. Ek stop om die "tak" uitbte haal, dit is toe egter my selfoon kabel! Die sakkie se ritsluiter het met al die geskud skynbaar oop gegaan, die "powerbank" het los gekom en uitgeval! Ek stop en stap terug op my roete. Net voor dit gebeur het is ek oor 'n paar rowwe stukke. Ek neem aan dit het daar gebeur. Ek soek in die gras en bosse langs die pad, maar kry niks. Gelukkig is die battery nou op 94%, so oor die kort termyn is ek OK. Ek weet Danie het ook een en sal maar vir hom moet vra om syne vir my te leen. Sover ek weet gebruik hy hom nie terwyl ons ry nie.

Dit neem my nog 'n hele ruk om van die berg af te kom. Net na die teespoed kom twee fiets ryers, met gewone fietse, by my verby. Dit is nogal 'n seldsame gesig in die wêreld! Hoe laer ek teen die berg af, hoe meer rybaar raak die enkelspoor. Ek moet nog so elke nou en dan afklim om oor 'n rowwe gedeeltes te stoot, maar die einde is nou in sig! Die laaste gedeelte is ook weer een van daardie besonderse mooi gedeeltes met die paadjie wat tussen die bome deur vleg. Dit is amper asof ek in 'n tonnel van bome ry!

Met nog 4 km oor, sluit ek by die grootpad aan. Na 'n paar minute is ek in Digne les Bains. Danie het vir ons 'n woonstel gekry en koop vir ons aandete en ontbyt by Carefour. So vannaand eet ons nie weer pizza nie! Ons sukkel 'n bietjie om mekaar te kry. Danie het gesê hy kry my op die dorpsplein en ek ry daarheen. Hy skakel my en vra waar ek is. Ek sê op die plein. Hy sê hy is ook op die plein, maar ons kry mekaar nie! Terwyl ons so praat, kyk ek rond en sien hom op sy selfoon aan die anderkant van die plein en hy kyk weg van my in die rigting wat hy my verwag. Intussen het ek al deur die dorp gery, maar so vind ons mekaar. 

So eindig nog 'n besonderse dag se fiets ry in Frankryk. Daar was 'n paar uitdagings, maar die netto resultaat was uit die boonste rakke. Hierdie is voorwaar 'n spesiale "once in a life time" ondervinding.

Statistiek 55.53 km; 9:34 ry tyd; 1,551 meter geklim.

Euro Tour Day 18

What a day! I suppose that frase will be used again during this tour, but we will get to that later. 

Breakfast was at 07:30 like usual and 08:00 we bid our hosts for the past three days, good bye. Overal is was a very interesting experience. Their hospitality was beyond reproach. Last night they had some guests for dinner and although they did not ask us to join them, they did invite us to have some "apperatives" with them. The conversation was  quite difficult, but some information was shared. Afterwards we had the bagguettes, chrizo, cold meat, cheese and a rice salad for dinner. We only ate half a bagguette each and made lunch for us from the rest. 

As we rolled out onto the route, we were immediately were taken onto some cycle paths and back roads to stay away from the traffic. One of these was quite a rough and rocky road and after 3.56 km we had our first mechanicle of the trip. One of the rocks gave my rear tyre a sidewall cut and it went flat immediately. I stopped and got my puncture repair kit out. Put a plug in pump it up, hoping it works as sidewall cuts are sometimes difficlut to seal. Ride a couple of yards to test it and find that it is still loosing air. Try to punmp it hadrer. This time it works and holds for the rest of the day. The other day, while riding out of Sossello on a very rocky road I was very causious and aprehesive about the possiblity of getting a puncture on these rocky roads. Now it happened!

We wounded past farms and through small villages. Once the route, as per the app, did not exist! Fortunately there was an escape route to a tar road further up. We also came across a big pool of mud and back tracked a little to find a road around it. Most of our "deviations" away from the main road was on smallish tar roads servicing farms. Once we came to a dead end at a farm and I noticed that I actually missed the turn off a few meters earlier. 

Once or twice we had to use the main road, but mostly we were riding next to it. At about 10:00 we stopped for coffee. After 3:30 riding time, during which we covered 27 km, we were guided onto a tar road to our left. My Garmin stated that we are about to enter a section of 15.3 km and 1,202 meters acsent! The road was in a good condition and the gradient was not to bad, so we tackled it. Up and up we went and at 30 km the app took us onto a rough track to our right. Danie gave this one look and said that there is no way that he is going up there, taking into acoount the injuries he is carring. We agreed that he will turn back and make his way to Syne les Alpes, where we plan to stay tonight. 

So here I go. Intially the track was not to bad and I actually managed to ride parts of it. That was until I reached about 31 km. Now it got really rough and I had to get off and push. I noticed the distance on Garmin at 31.34 km. From there to about 33 km took me nearly 2 hours. At some point I saw 34% on my Garmin! Most of the trail was on the north side of 20%. The track was quite rocky in places, but generally I could push my bike, but the gradient made pushing a real effort! Every now and then I will see something that looks like a flat only to discover that it just leads to another steep section. This was Freedom Challenge stuff. Excellent training for the Freedom Challenge, just six months too early. I now was on "The Stairway to Heaven"!

I always "conquer" these challenges by telling myself that there will be an end and every step brings that end closer. I had visions of sleeping on this hill tonight as my progress was so slow. After 5:45 since was started this morning, I finally got to a road. It was a reasonable jeep track. This wound its way up the mountain for about 2 km. At this point I was guided onto a very rocky and steep track going up the mountain. The gradient here was between 7-12%, so not that bad, but unridable. So up and up we went. 

Garmin has a "climb on" feature which tells you the length and meter acsent of the climb. As you then go the length and the meters decreases. As the progress earlier was so slow, I switched to a different screen not to be discouraged, so I had no idea how much of the 15 km climb was still left. I just soldiered on! After about 7:30 riding time, the road started leveling out and was ridable wounding its way around what looked like a dry lake covered in grass. I could also saw the ridgeline a few hundred meters further on. 

After 7:45 and 35 km I finally reached the top. My fear had been that the descent will be as bad as the acent, but just before I reached the top of the ridgeline I saw a dwelling and a Fait Panda next to it. Now if a Fait Panda could get up from the otherside, then the road must be in a beter condition than what was behind me. Cresting the top I was greeted by a reasonable gravel road going down the otherside of the mountain. So the decsent started. The view was out of this world and really worth all the earlier effort. I could see for mile and miles and miles! 

Going down was fun. The road was quite rocky and with this mornings puncture in the back of my mind, I took it east. The gradient was also quite reasonable. That was until I got to the top of Montclar Ski Station at a hight of 2,046 meters above sea level. At first the downhill was reasonable but the further I went down, the steeper it got. I was averaging 16-24% downhill. My speed seldom went above 10 kph, it was just too dangerous. It also started getting cold, so I stopped to put on another jacket. 

I finally reached the bottom after nearly 9 hours of cycling. I looked at WhatsApp and saw that Danie was 6.4 km away, but his location did not indicate where I was so I was not sure which direction I should go the get to him. Google Maps also did not work! It was bery frustrating! Danie sent me the address of where he found place for us and after a while Google Maps got going again. I click on the link, found the road I should take and started riding in that direction.

After 9:36, 59.72 km and 1,923 meters of climbing my day finally got to an end. Oh, what a day! At the end of a day like today there always is the satisfaction of knowing that you conquered something big and got out the otherside on one piece!

It actually is a shame that I can no longer post pictures on my blog because that could have helped to high light some of the scenes I have seen today. I do post most pictures on the WhatsApp group so if there is anybody who read the blog and are not on the WhatsApp groups  please let me know either through comments to the blog or on my number +27828251782 and I will add you.

Euro Toer Dag 17

 Laas nag het ek om en by 01:30 wakker geword en 'n draai gaan loop. Die lug was mooi skoon en ek kon die sterre sien. Toe ek egter 'n bietjie later weer wakker word hoor ek hoe dit reën. My wekker was vir 06:45 gestel en toe hy afgaan, reën dit nog steeds. Ek kyk na die weer voorspelling en die lyk glad nie goed nie. Swaar reën heeldag en sonskyn môre. Ons vra ons gasheer en vrou of ons nog 'n dag kan bly en hulle stem in! Watter verligting.

Na ontbyt, wat 07:30 bedien is, is ons terug na ons houthuis. Heel oggend hou ons onsself besig met lees op ons selfone ensovoorts. Ons besluit om te wag totdat daar 'n breek in die weer is en dan gou dorp toe te ry om iets vir middag en aandete by Carefour te kry. Dit sou, volgens Danie wat die weer gedurig dophou, tussen 12:00-13:00 gebeur. Dit is nou 12;30 en dit sous nog steeds! Hopelik sal ons darem voor vannaad 'n geleentheid kry, anders sal ons maar ons reën klere moet aan trek en die reën winkel toe aandurf! Sal later met blog aangsan om te laat weet wat gebeur het.

15:30 en daar is 'n opening. Ons trek reën klere aan, net bir ingebsl en spring op ons fietse en ry gou dorp toe. Twee baguette'e, chirizo, koue vleis, kaas en 'n slaai. So ons is reg vir aandete. Oppad terug reën dit liggies, maar ons is reg vir so 'n bietjie reën! Nou maar die res van die dag spandeer met lees en rus. 

Euro Tour Day 16

Relaxing in Barcellonette. We slept til 08:00 and had breakfast at 08:30. Juice, museli and yoghart, artisan bread with jam, a peach and coffee.

Our host informed us that there is a very close connection between Barcellonette and Mexico and that his grandfather was Mexican. It transpires that Barcellonette was a textice hub and in the period 1830 to 1920 a number of families from Barcellonette moved to Mexico and were very successful there and  became very rich. Some of them have since moved back to Barcellonette. There also is s museum commenorating this in Barcellonette, but it is closed on Sundays so we cannot visit it. 

We gave our host all our washing and then went for a casual walk through town. It was quite renarkle the number of motorbikes around. We made the same observation yesterday. The people around here obviously love playing around on these nice twisty mountain roads with their motorbikes. We shaw three, fully kitted motor cycles with Polish .registration, so not only the locals who like thses mountains. 

We stopped at a open coffee shop just before 10:30, most only open at 10:30, for our morning coffee. Last night we paid 5 euros for two cups. In town the price is 7 euros for two. A whole euro per cup mote. We also found that food is 1 or 2 euros more rxpensive in France. In Italy we paid 12 euros for most meals. We even had a good pizza fir 8 euros! Here the going rate is 14-15 euros. In Italy coffee was 1.40 a cup. 

There are real nice and norrow little streets in the old town with lots of cafes. On the town plain there were a number of "boules" games going. We sat down watched one. At about 12:00 we looked for a bakery and found one. We bought ourselves a baguette each for lunch at 1.30 euro each. Real good value for money. I just love the french baguettes. The crust is hard and crispy. In South Africa it tends to be soft. The same applies to our French bread. Danie wanted to buy some supplies so we went to Carefour. 

After that, we made our way back to our base. When got there, our laundry were dry allready. As there is only one bathroom in the house, we thought it best to have an early shower to ensure there is no congestion tonight. A little while later our hostess arrived. At least now the conversation will be better as she have a reasonable command of English. 

The weather looks rainy for tomorrow, so we will probably get wet and have another opportunity to test our rain gear. Fortunately not too heavy and temperatures reanging from 12-18 degrees Celsius. Should be able to make good time. We will have to see what the roads are like. We will probably alternate between the designated route and some tar, depending on where the app takes us.