A great thing about my trips is the opportunity to meet and observe people of many nations and cultures.

I really enjoy just blending in and watching what goes on.

For example, go into a French café, buy a coffee and sit in the corner reading the newspaper. You’ll soon get the drift of what is going on where and with whom. I think that the French have got it right with the two hour lunch break, but watch out on the road at 12:10 when they are flying home for lunch and a snooze!

The Swiss that I have met during this trip have all been lovely, can’t think of a better word than that. Sure they’ll have your cash off you quicker than a sneeze, but so politely done! I also love the way that they speak German in those Cantons where that is the first language. Sie sprechen so langsam (they speak so slowly), in a rich, careful way; even my incredibly rusty German language skills. (skills, who he kidding?) could cope and understand. It was over thirty years since I last had a conversation in German!

The Italians I came into contact with we’re fabulous. Very helpful. At one petrol station two guys who were just having a coffee, popped out and even put the petrol in Harley for me when I was a bit slow on the uptake how their peculiar self service pumps work. I have already commented about the help with Harley’s front tyre, top people.

Now is it me? Or are Germans only allowed to ride BMW GS1200’s, blasted things are everywhere! Two stereotypes pulled up at the hotel earlier, big fellas that made the not tiny GS each look like a pit bike. Mind you, I met two guys from near Hamburg this morning riding Harley Fat Bobs, they couldn’t believe how grubby my Harley is at the moment, nor how far we had come in the time. Super chaps, but didn’t want to go over Izoard in case they grounded the bikes! Oh fellas, come on live a bit, chrome ain’t that expensive!

In the café/hut on Izoard was a group of three Irish chaps on a cycling holiday. I kid not, it was like a scene from Father Ted as they chose their souvenirs. They appeared not to speak any French and didn’t realise that the lady serving them could speak English!

…..and what is it with humans and water? Put a car park next to a lake with a beach and see cars of every European nationality you could imagine all parked up, barbecuing and splashing around in the water happily together.

Aren’t people great when you can just sit back and watch?

That bloomin’ Sticker Pixie has been at it again!

For those of you that don’t speak French, it’s a beautiful day here in the high alps, if a little chilly. Sitting here eating breakfast I can feel the sun getting warmer, it certainly is going to be a nice one.

The plan for today? Well, enough of the mile munching for a change; we are going to have some more fun in these magnificent mountains. I plan to head up the Gorge du Queyras on my beloved D902 then go over Col d’Izoard and drop down into Briancon before the fast(ish) dash to Col du Lautaret. Back onto the 902 and climb the magical Galibier, which is the Col that divides the North and South Alps.

My apologies to those of you that were blogging with me last summer, yes I know I did these passes then, but I bloomin’ loved them so much that I had to come back again! Also, apologies in advance, do not intend to keep stopping for photos; yes I’ll certainly grab a few but today I just want to take in the ride! Yes, totally more self indulgent than normal…and that’s saying something!

These mountain roads, with the very tight hairpins, present a bit of a challenge on Harley, it’s called ground clearance! She is quite a low slung bike and if either I’m not careful, or we have to go tight because of other vehicles I run the risk of grounding something on the Tarmac. Exhaust pipes, brake pedal, transmission cover all have the scars to prove it, if you know where to look! So sometimes our progress is a bit on the cautious side, it’s cheaper that way!

Our hotel tonight is in Gap, as we start to leave the Alps. I haven’t decided whether to go straight there from Galibier or dally a longer route, see how we feel later.

In the mountains:
My shangri-la beneath the summer sun, I will return again.

Dookes

Bonjour de France et Le Parc Naturel Régional Du Queyras.

Le temps? Ce matin il fait très beau. L’hôtel à une altitude de 1023m qui est assez élevé, il est donc aussi un peu frisquet!

Maintenant, le petit déjeuner!

À bientôt!

Dookes

We hit the road at about nine and joined the S33 Dual Carriageway heading south, after about 25k the road becomes the A26 Autostrada

Before the first toll booth we peeled off near Baveno to grab a look at Lake Maggiore, very nice.

The Autostrada was fun, not much traffic to start, which was just as well cos there were lots of my dreaded tunnels. Now I have to say that Italian and Swiss tunnels are nicer than French ones, I’m still not a great fan but they are definitely better, like no pot holes and decent lighting!
As we neared Turin, the traffic picked up. There are a couple of things about Italian motorways that I noticed that I have to share with you. Firstly, they have lay-bys right adjacent to the hard shoulder, imagine that in the UK…we can’t even use the lanes we’ve got properly! The other curious thing is that their motorways have bus stops! Yes that’s right, big D has not lost the plot, they really do have bus stops on the Autostradas! They are protected with loads of Armco, but they are bus stops. I think that is a really good idea, well done Italy.

This is what I mean about lay-bys, had to use one just to show you!

Right then, we got to Turin and all hell let loose! Suddenly the road got very busy and the standard of driving? Somewhat not quite as good as appalling! Lane discipline was OK, but you just had to guess where everyone was going, as no-one ever indicated when switching lanes or exiting. It certainly made life interesting!

We turned off the Turin orbital at the Pinerolo exit got to the toll booth and well, you know what happened then!

When we got going with our new front tyre, the air temperature was in the thirties. I had been given strict instructions at Torino Harley Davidson to take it steady for 100 miles to let the tyre bed in and scrub off release agent. I knew anyway, but it was nice of them to remind me! Stopped for a coffee and a think at Pinerolo.

I originally planned to ride via Col Agnel to tonight’s hotel, but with the tyre delay we were likely to be late, perhaps we should go on the main road via Briancon as it would be quicker? Stuff it, I wanted go over Agnel and if we were too late for the hotel we would find another one, decision made!

Traffic on the R589 to Saluzzo was as the Italians say, merda! But hang a right and get into the hills and things got a whole lot better, even if the road was crumbling away all over, a depressingly common occurrence I found off the Autostrads. As Phillipo, the driver of the recovery truck said, “no money for roads, Berlusconi’s fault!” I offer no comment…

The road climbs gently to Casteldelfino, then begins to gain altitude and really gets going after the dam.

Hairpins start soon after. The Italians are really good at telling you on the signs if there is a string of three or four coming up, then numbering them as you go. Good idea. On this bit of road most of the bends had altitude markers as well, I don’t know if this is for cycle racing or some other reason, but it certainly adds even more interest. There was one particular bend that we rounded at about1700m where the air was full of the smell of wild thyme, very pleasant indeed.

Anyway, as we were late in the day there wasn’t much other traffic about and I was able to use all the road on the bends, which made life a bit easier. There was loads of snow next to the road, very deep in places and then disappointingly, we were at the top, but wow, what a view!

Every-way that you looked!

As you can see the pass is 2744m (9006ft) above sea level and I believe that makes it the highest paved international pass in the Alps. There’s a big metal sign on the Italian side, that some “Stig” like geezer was caught standing by!

There’s also a new sticker on the sign, in the tradition of such things. One or two people in Devon and Cornwall might know what this is about!

Tonight we are in Guillestre, a pleasant little town/large village and no problems with the late arrival. When I explained, the response was that I did the right thing…”life is for living and when the mountains give us a day like this, you should live it there.” I’ll go along with that!

Today’s mileage: 244.

I’m the man on the silver mountain.

Dookes

With yesterday’s very wet start I was a bit stumped what to take pictures of, then, as I put on my rain suit in Interlaken Ost station car park I knew it was time for a bit of trainspotting!

Switzerland is a real public transport delight; buses, trains, lake steamers, it has the lot. Moreover thay all run as smooth as a Swiss watch. Interlaken is a real centre of activity West Station interchanges between buses, trains and steamers; Ost, buses, standard gauge and metre gauge trains.
This is a Berner Oberland Bahn metre gauge train that serves the ski centres of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. These trains are rack and adhesion, meaning that they only need to engage the rack between the rails on the steepest bits of line.

Zentralbahn trains run on metre gauge tracks from Luzern to Interlaken and call here at Brienz.

They connect with the Brienz -Rotthorn Bahn steam powered mountain railway trains. This is one of the loco’s used. It’s quite new, built in 1996, oil fired, rack and pinion, and geared drive to boot…lovely!

You may be wondering why it looks like it is kneeling down? The boiler is mounted like that to ensure that the firebox crown remains covered with water when on the slopes of the mountain.

The valve gear, a beautiful bit of kit!

Then, after surviving the Grimsel, we called into Gletsch, HQ of the Furka Pass Steam Railway. This metre gauge rack and adhesion line is the old direct Furka Oberalp Bahn route that was taken over by preservationists when the F.O. Opened it’s new diversion tunnel in 1982. Trains only run at weekends, so I was out of luck and had to make do with a couple of Phots around the yard.

Later on I was delighted to find that the view from my balcony in Domodossola included not only the mountains, but three railway lines! So I sat out in the late evening sun, writing the blog, eating my supper and watching the trains go by! Good eh! Mrs Dookes would have hated it!

This is one of the piggy back trains that runs through the Simplon Tunnel, hauled by dedicated Swiss electric loco’s.

…and how the lorries are carried. Sorry about the standard of those last two pics, but it was getting dark!

So there you go, motorbikes and train spotting in one day, can’t be bad!

Dookes

Hello people.

Harley and I are Currently sitting at a service area immediately south of Turin with a flat front tyre!

Which is as the title says….

It happened just as we were slowly pulling away from a toll booth, which is immediately prior to the service area. So no harm done, better than at speed, eh!

Waiting for recovery to arrive. Still beautifully warm and sunny. Service area sells great coffee and now having some Italian ham and salami for lunch. Better than a service area on the M4!

All part of the adventure!

Dookes