Wish i could just ride out the gate....

Test ride and pack prior to leaving. Used my portable gas fired coffee pot to make my workmates a brew today over a farewell lunch.

Preparations for a return to the Alps

As I remarked at my farewell speech to work colleagues of 30 years my peak moments in life were mostly spent cycling to the tops of mountains in Europe. I embark once more on a 12 week journey to the Italian Alps this time taking in Passo del Stelvio and hopefully Zoncolan. Both peaks feature in the Giro D'Italia this year.

A rough itinerary looks like this subject to real life alteration. Will update as accomplished.

21 May  Canberra to Paris
27 May  Paris to Vaux de Comte

France Eurovelo 6
28 May Vaux de Comte to Orleans
29 May Orleans to Sully sur Loire                                        45ks
30 May Sully sur Loire to Briare                                           32ks
31 May Briare to Sancerre                                                   45 ks
1 June Sancerre to Nevers                                                    67ks
2 June Nevers to Decize                                                       40ks
3 June Decize to Digoin                                                        68ks
4 June Digoin to Montceau-les-Mines                                   52ks
5 June Montceau-les-Mines to Chalon-sur-Saône                70ks
6 June Chalon-sur-Saône to St-Jean-de-Losne ou Seurre     70ks
7 June St-Jean-de-Losne ou Seurre to Dôle                          52ks
8 June Dôle  to Besançon                                                      60ks
9 June Besançon to Baume-les-Dames                                  34ks
10 June Baume-les-Dames to Belfort                                     81ks
11 June Belfort to Mulhouse                                                  61ks
12 June Mulhouse  to Basel                                                   40ks
Rest days in hand  2

Switzerland Swiss cycle paths 2/3 north south route

15 June Basel to Arrau 57ks
16 June  Arrau to Luzern 57ks
17 June  Luzern to Fluelen 50ks
18 June Fluelen to Andermat 39ks
19 June Andermatt to Aircolo 26ks
20 June Aircolo to Bellinzona 63ks
21 June rest day in hand
Italy

Cycling Italy Epic passes 5 day ride

22 June Bellinzona to Sondrio                                          
23 June Sondrio to Bormio     76 ks
24 June Bormio -  Tirano via Livigno 57ks
25 June Bormio -  Tirano via Gavia (day trip) 97ks
26 June Bormio to Prato Dello Stelvio  45KS   Passo del Stelvio
27 June Prato Dello Stelvio to Merano 50ks
28 June Merano to Bolzano   30ks   (highway?)
29 June Bolzano to Fie Allo Scilliar      17ks
30 June rest day in hand
1July Fie allo Scilliar to Selva    32KS
2 July Selva to Cortina D'Ampezza   55KS
3 July Cortina D'Ampezza to Tre Cime loop (day ride)        57ks  Monte zoncolan
4 July Cortina D'Ampezzo to San Candido  50ks Alta        pusteria bike path
5 July San Candido to Lienz Austria   50ks

Austria

9 July Lienz to Salzburg 171 ks  meet with friends

Italy

12 July Eurovelo 7 Salzburg to south

13 August Rome

17 August Rome to Paris (train)
21 Paris to Canberra

Oaks estate 2/3 dec

After a wild ride with a french cabby who lived near Crecy and put up with my Franglais, nausea set in. In Sheila's case fortunately only for the duration of our taxi ride. However in my case nausea became outright sickness.  Nightmare upon waking after fitful sleep wondering if all was contained.

Hollow eyed we made it through friendly customs who cast an experienced eye over our mask of prevoyance from Zaire via Dakar and let us through quick smart. Maybe he could tell I was all empty with only vile bile to spare. He managed to make us smile and waved us through to our doughy bed at the local Mecure. Sometimes AQIS understand the priorities in life. The thought of spraying the bikes with hot antiseptic was defeating me.

Two white buns and a lemonade my Scottish guts had made a complete recovery. Sheila and I hired the Kluger which turned out to be perfect for the job of getting us all home.

The world is green after so much rain that the bridges are broken and the streets flooded  in our Oaken estate. Roses have grown, as have Dr,s and our wondrous journey is over physically but will imbue our futures.

Plane Paris to Hong Kong Dec1

We are packed and catching a taxi as we speak. Tonight /today Hong Kong and then Sydney at night on Thursday to stay until Friday to drive home on.

Lady luck you who have been so wonderful in all my days shine your golden light on us as we sit rigidly under the stars in our little metal penis.

Yes indeed we've the luck us two to have such a bon temps.

Paris Tuesday 30 Nov

Kertesz and his photography proved a worthy treat on our last day in this fair country. More to follow.

Paris Mon 29th Dec

Awoke to discover that while attempting to download the latest virus list from ZA an unexpected crash had removed my wireless connection. Rather ZA had told my laptop that it had no wireless. So after a deinstall of ZA and then  the refurbishment of the wireless connection and then an online tech assist to reinstall we are back protected without any untoward.

Then down to breakfast voiceless. That's right the cold has left me speechless. Can anything else happen?

Wrapped in my Dakar scarf (funny how necessary it is here and unso there) we go to the local art supply shop to buy boulepak......whispering. The lady makes a tubular suitcase roll for us. We totter off to the third movie in as many days this time Mother and Child ..... better than Harry Potter but not as good as the runaway train if i have to rate it. I was disturbed how all the fathers were left out of all the scenes except the actual babymaking moments afterwhich they all get bundled off stage left.

Then an absolutely delightful Thali lunch at the Odessa street kashmiri house. With English and complimentary Kir. I can honestly say that is the very best I've eaten in Paris for a mere e15. Freezing we potter off into a menacing sky to find the snow unmelted on the cars and our bikes to boulewrap. An hour later we have them all zipped up and ready to go. Thank Cardinal Peeeee they are insured....ha haha...
Now we are warm again and I can blog without my fingertips sticking to the keys.... I have just got to whinge once... freaking hell that was cold.....I'd always imagined hell that way.

Now theres purpose in life avoiding imaginary hells............

And a big thanks to Shane at bike culture for greasing the pedals which came off in sub zero temps happy as larry.

Tomorrow we post all the stuff....Look after it for us will you Cardinal P?

And with some unusual energy burst attempt to see Andre Kertesz at the tennis court
http://www.jeudepaume.org/index.php?page=article&sousmenu=10&idArt=1187&lieu=1

Look out Canberra here we come, back with Lady Luck on Friday.Hope someone finds my voice before then and returns it....

Paris Sunday 28th Nov

Toady we resume our normal elves after a cold laid us both low and feverish. Snow falling outside does not inspire too much perambulation.

We bought some art from this man....who smiled despite the cold at the marche des creatives...
http://substance21.canalblog.com/profile/534893/index.html


Then went to the Orsay and saw

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/evenements/expositions/au-musee-dorsay/presentation-generale/article/jean-leon-gerome-25691.html?tx_ttnews[tx_pids]=594,610,617,604,606,608,631,632,3286,591&tx_ttnews[tt_cur]=25691&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4385&cHash=844873330a

which was inspirational and kind of kitsch all at once. I have to keep reminding myself that my current ways of seeing preclude a complete understanding of past art expression. I try hard to be sympatico. I cannot fill in all the surrounding environment but have to say that I was impressed by the man's dedication to creative expression, from sculpture to photography to painting.....all there.

The bikes are being readied tomorrow and we will try to post 'ome a lot to minimise the return load

I dreamt that I'd been possessed by a denizen of Ile De Goree who wanted me to expound the dread. I awoke in a sweat with dark imaginings hearing the fall of silver and the small creaking of masks. Dakar has really shaken my lolly. For example I watched a man in thongs pushing a barrow with car tyre wheels fully loaded with bags of concrete. Vying with trucks, taxis the lot. Pushing hard through the dust in need of a horse. Then he stops and pulls out a mobile phone and starts talking.!

Paradoxes keep me wanting to understand the dilemma from both sides. Truth is never observable from a single viewpoint. Cardinal Pell assured me today that as I was faithless I was consequently coarse uncaring and purposeless. He could push his barrow in Dakar. And likely won't