Well last you heard from us we had spent a cold and wet day of ridding to the town of Nevers. While Bobby updated our web site I was at the Lavare aka laudromat drying our wet clothes. Of course I should probably point out for you some important information, just in case you plan on traveling to France. When you are walking you should take care to watch where you are putting your feet! Otherwise you may find that you have stepped in a big pile of dog POOP while you were looking at you map and trying to find the Lavarè!
But dog poop aside, Nevers was a great town and we enjoyed a wonderful Chinese Dinner!!! We also met a lovely couple from holand who were also traveling via their cycles. They gave us some great information about cycle touring in Europe which will come in handy when we come back. Which we are sure will be very soon.
So lets see where have we been and where are we now. We left Nevers on Monday morning under cloudy skies. It had rained really really really hard throughout the night so we were very pleased to have only cloudy skies. As the day progressed the skies cleared and we enjoyed a beautiful day of ridding through rural France. I know we keep saying how beautiful it is to ride in France but we have to say it again. It is so very beautiful here!!! Most of the cycling today we were on small country roads with little to no car traffic. The road followed along a canal which made for long stretches of smooth flat roads with just enough small rolling hills thrown in to keep our legs working. The wild flowers seem to be in full bloom so even the fields that are not planted with corn, wheat or sunflowers are beautiful. It seems as though someone flew in a plance over this area sprinkling wild flower seeds! We rode 61 miles to the town of Briare. Very cool town. The last 5 kilometers we were on a trail next to the canal.
Briare is one of the neatest towns we have been through which is saying a lot since we have been in some pretty amazing places. But Briare is truly a place everyone should visit. Several of the canal systems that run through France convergein Briare! Boats are everywhere! They even have a bridge that boats float across! We stayed in a lovely campground for only 8euro! This area is known for their white wines so we felt obligated to try a bottle! It was very tasty!!!!! We slept like babies and were ready to ride this morning!
Tonight we are in the town of Souppes su Loing. Another cute French town which also sits along a canal. We rode on more spectacularly beautiful roads under warm SUNNY skies. Much of the ridding was on a canal trail which was a mix of pavement, dirt, and at times just a grass path but it was so beautiful that we did not mind the terrain. We were so taken in by our surroundings that nothing could have ruined this day.
Tomorrow we have heard that the weather is also going to be warm and sunny. We are going to stay on the canal trail for as long as it is rideable! We keep getting conflicting information regarding the canal trail. By looking at the maps it appears that we should be able to ride it all the way to the Seine River and then follow the Seine right into Paris. But some people say "Yes, it is possible" and other say "No, it is not possible" I guess that is why it is called adventure cycling! We will just have to find out as we go!
Sorry no pictures yet. These computers are so SLOW and it takes too long to download and it just turns into a frustrating time! But we promise to post them just as soon as we can.
We are having an absolutely fabulous time and can't believe it is almost over but we are also looking forward to seeing everyone and sleeping in a nice soft bed!
Bob & Sherry
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Nevers, France
Greetings from Nevers Fance.
We have been riding some incredible back roads of central France. We decided to get local maps and it helps us to find the little roads. Some of these roads look like rabbit trails and there is no traffic on them for long long periods of time. They take you thru all these quiet little French towns with little homes that are full of flowers. I mean like rediculously full of flowers. They are beautiful!!!
Yesterday we had a fantastic ride into Moulins and stayed at the edge of the center ville in a campground right next to the river. We had other touring cyclist staying next to us as well as a family canoeing down the river. What a great town and a perfect spot.
Today we saw a wild billy goat in the woods and some wild boars!!!
Today was a rainy cold day. It rained thru out the night and continued all morning. We biked 50 miles to Nevers all in the rain. It was a lot of fun for 40 miles but the cold got to us and we ended up getting chilled to the bones. We checked into a hotel and showered and fell asleep in about 2 minutes flat!!! It was only 1:30 but we felt like we could sleep straight thru until tomorrow.
We hear tomorrow is suppose to be better again. We are getting close to Paris and should have no problem reaching the outskirts by Friday. We have reservations for Saturday night so we want to position ourselves as close to the city as we can on Friday so we can navitgate the city early Saturday morning.
We have so much more to tell you but zith limited time it is difficult. I know we promised more pictures but not today. As soon as we get to a good place we will download more.
Miss you all.
Bob and Sherry
We have been riding some incredible back roads of central France. We decided to get local maps and it helps us to find the little roads. Some of these roads look like rabbit trails and there is no traffic on them for long long periods of time. They take you thru all these quiet little French towns with little homes that are full of flowers. I mean like rediculously full of flowers. They are beautiful!!!
Yesterday we had a fantastic ride into Moulins and stayed at the edge of the center ville in a campground right next to the river. We had other touring cyclist staying next to us as well as a family canoeing down the river. What a great town and a perfect spot.
Today we saw a wild billy goat in the woods and some wild boars!!!
Today was a rainy cold day. It rained thru out the night and continued all morning. We biked 50 miles to Nevers all in the rain. It was a lot of fun for 40 miles but the cold got to us and we ended up getting chilled to the bones. We checked into a hotel and showered and fell asleep in about 2 minutes flat!!! It was only 1:30 but we felt like we could sleep straight thru until tomorrow.
We hear tomorrow is suppose to be better again. We are getting close to Paris and should have no problem reaching the outskirts by Friday. We have reservations for Saturday night so we want to position ourselves as close to the city as we can on Friday so we can navitgate the city early Saturday morning.
We have so much more to tell you but zith limited time it is difficult. I know we promised more pictures but not today. As soon as we get to a good place we will download more.
Miss you all.
Bob and Sherry
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Another Dragonfly Day
Hello from Florac, France!
We are sorry for the lapse in communication but we have been busy busy busy pedalling, pedalling, pedalling!!!!
We spent a few days along the coast of France but soon grew weery of the constant winds and the flat terrain so we pointed our wheels to the north and are now headed to Paris.
We could go on for pages trying to discribe the amazing, awsome, beautiful, stunning areas we have been pedalling through but time is money and at 3euro`s for 30 minutes we`ll just tell you about the absolutely encredible day we had today!
Last night we treated ourselves to a much needed soft bed (7 nights of sleeping in a tent) We stayed at a lovely Gite in the town of Ganges, France. The woman who runs the Gite let us use her washing machine and we were able to get all caught up on the VERY stinky laundry! After a good nights sleep and a great breakfast we set out to attack the day.
Nothing like a 3 mile climb with grades of 15-18% to get your legs warmed up! And don't forget thats with each of us lugging 45lbs of "stuff" with us! But the scenery is so amazingly stunning that you hardly even notice that your thighs are burning from the latic acid build up. The mountains we are ridding through are almost more majestic than the pyrenees' were. And as grand as the climbs were in the pyrenees these are even more impressive!!!!!
The woman at the Tourist Office in Ganges and our host at the Gite tried to warn us of the steepness of the route that we had chose but to us it looked just too beautiful to pass up. After the first BIG climb we had a pleasant gradual climb of 4-5% for 10km the REAL climbing began! Oh my gosh!!!!! For the next 2.5hours we climbed and climbed and climbed. We thought for sure we were going to end up in heaven. At about a 1/4 of the way up the hill Sherry had a Dragonfly fly in front of her. She knew that meant two things, 1. It was going to be a tough climb and 2. that she would make it to the top eventually! She hadn,t seen a dragonfly since the last big climb over the pyrenees`. It was an incredible climb. Bob felt very strong and led the way but both of us actually passed two other riders!!! Pretty impressive considering all the extra weight we carry. Of course Sherry was soon sorry that she had passed them because now she had to maintain that lead! I `think it is something about a woman who has a Dinosaur horn on her bike passing a man on a hill that makes them feel a little like a whimp. But try as they might they did not regain the lead. Bob meanwhile was breezing along making it look easy. He claims that his thighs were burning but I don,t believe him. He was a good Sherpa though and waited for me at the top!!!!
Of course the top really wasn't the top! We still had another 8km to go! As we reached the 5000ft mark and were above the tree line the top finally came into view! We were rewarded by the most spectacular views!!!!!! We have so many pictures to down load! (we promise to get them downloaded soon)
Once at the top the road sign informed us that it was only 30km to the town of Florac. Our days goal! It was a beautiful ride down down down but neither of us had done a very good job of eating enough and Sherry especially hit the wall. Poor Bob was just as tired but playing the role of the "Sherpa" he kept his spirits up and gave Sherry some much needed encouragement. When we FINALLY reach Florac our first stop was the market for a Knickers bar and an orange Fanta!!!!!!!
As a recap..............
7/17 Agde, France to La Grande Motte via a dirt canal trail = 50miles
7/18 La Grande Motte to Ganges 2 cols climbed one of which was on the 2006 Tour De France Route = 60miles
7/19 Ganges to Florac 2 cols climbed one of which was on the 1960 Tour De France Route = 60miles
Tomorrow we have some more climbing to do but as we head more to the Northwest we should be getting into more moderate terrain. Or so our legs are hoping! We are treating ourselves to another Gite tonight and will be fresh and ready to go in the morning!!!!!
The weather has been exceptionally warm which suits us just fine but our goal is to be off the road by early afternoon so as to avoid the real heat of the day. The forecast looks like we are likely to get rain as we get closer to Paris. Hopefully it will be a warm rain and not the cold weather we had at the beginning of the trip.
And for those of you who were keeping track..........Bob is holding steady at 19 flat tires (thanks to the new wheel) and Sherry at ZERO!
France is so amazing!!!!!!!!
Bob & Sherry
We are sorry for the lapse in communication but we have been busy busy busy pedalling, pedalling, pedalling!!!!
We spent a few days along the coast of France but soon grew weery of the constant winds and the flat terrain so we pointed our wheels to the north and are now headed to Paris.
We could go on for pages trying to discribe the amazing, awsome, beautiful, stunning areas we have been pedalling through but time is money and at 3euro`s for 30 minutes we`ll just tell you about the absolutely encredible day we had today!
Last night we treated ourselves to a much needed soft bed (7 nights of sleeping in a tent) We stayed at a lovely Gite in the town of Ganges, France. The woman who runs the Gite let us use her washing machine and we were able to get all caught up on the VERY stinky laundry! After a good nights sleep and a great breakfast we set out to attack the day.
Nothing like a 3 mile climb with grades of 15-18% to get your legs warmed up! And don't forget thats with each of us lugging 45lbs of "stuff" with us! But the scenery is so amazingly stunning that you hardly even notice that your thighs are burning from the latic acid build up. The mountains we are ridding through are almost more majestic than the pyrenees' were. And as grand as the climbs were in the pyrenees these are even more impressive!!!!!
The woman at the Tourist Office in Ganges and our host at the Gite tried to warn us of the steepness of the route that we had chose but to us it looked just too beautiful to pass up. After the first BIG climb we had a pleasant gradual climb of 4-5% for 10km the REAL climbing began! Oh my gosh!!!!! For the next 2.5hours we climbed and climbed and climbed. We thought for sure we were going to end up in heaven. At about a 1/4 of the way up the hill Sherry had a Dragonfly fly in front of her. She knew that meant two things, 1. It was going to be a tough climb and 2. that she would make it to the top eventually! She hadn,t seen a dragonfly since the last big climb over the pyrenees`. It was an incredible climb. Bob felt very strong and led the way but both of us actually passed two other riders!!! Pretty impressive considering all the extra weight we carry. Of course Sherry was soon sorry that she had passed them because now she had to maintain that lead! I `think it is something about a woman who has a Dinosaur horn on her bike passing a man on a hill that makes them feel a little like a whimp. But try as they might they did not regain the lead. Bob meanwhile was breezing along making it look easy. He claims that his thighs were burning but I don,t believe him. He was a good Sherpa though and waited for me at the top!!!!
Of course the top really wasn't the top! We still had another 8km to go! As we reached the 5000ft mark and were above the tree line the top finally came into view! We were rewarded by the most spectacular views!!!!!! We have so many pictures to down load! (we promise to get them downloaded soon)
Once at the top the road sign informed us that it was only 30km to the town of Florac. Our days goal! It was a beautiful ride down down down but neither of us had done a very good job of eating enough and Sherry especially hit the wall. Poor Bob was just as tired but playing the role of the "Sherpa" he kept his spirits up and gave Sherry some much needed encouragement. When we FINALLY reach Florac our first stop was the market for a Knickers bar and an orange Fanta!!!!!!!
As a recap..............
7/17 Agde, France to La Grande Motte via a dirt canal trail = 50miles
7/18 La Grande Motte to Ganges 2 cols climbed one of which was on the 2006 Tour De France Route = 60miles
7/19 Ganges to Florac 2 cols climbed one of which was on the 1960 Tour De France Route = 60miles
Tomorrow we have some more climbing to do but as we head more to the Northwest we should be getting into more moderate terrain. Or so our legs are hoping! We are treating ourselves to another Gite tonight and will be fresh and ready to go in the morning!!!!!
The weather has been exceptionally warm which suits us just fine but our goal is to be off the road by early afternoon so as to avoid the real heat of the day. The forecast looks like we are likely to get rain as we get closer to Paris. Hopefully it will be a warm rain and not the cold weather we had at the beginning of the trip.
And for those of you who were keeping track..........Bob is holding steady at 19 flat tires (thanks to the new wheel) and Sherry at ZERO!
France is so amazing!!!!!!!!
Bob & Sherry
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Somewhere on the Coast of Spain
Hello from ? Spain. We have enjoyed two very incredible days. When we left Girona we made one final stop at the bike shop to get a photo of and to thank the bike guy at Bike Girona for fixing Bob´s wheel and then we headed for the hills.
We took a route that is a popular training route for the many professional cyclists that train in Girona. Up Up Up to Dels Angeles and then down down down to the Sea. Everyone in Girona including the bike shop guy warned us that the climb was very steep but after 11 days of rest and relaxation we were up to the challenge. It was wonderful and beautiful ride up the mountain. We were rewarded at the top by panoramic views. We could see all the way to the Meditteranean Sea!!! The road was well paved and we saw only 6 cars!
We spent our first night on the beach in La Franc which is the beach that we went to with our neighbors. We thought it was so beautiful we wanted to spend one more day there. So after 35 miles of some really great cycling we set up camp at around 3pm and headed to the beach. It´s a tough life that we live!
This morning we were up and ready to ride. After a quick breakfast of granola with orange juice we headed into the town of Palafrugell for coffee and the it was on the road........
As we explained a few days ago, this part of our trip is going to be very serendipitis. Our only goal is to cycle and to stay close to the sea. Today was the absolutely perfect cycling day. With just a little breeze, enough to keep us from getting too hot, and smooth roads with little traffic we navigated through the small towns along the coastline. The serenity that we felt is difficult to explain. We took some great pictures that we hope will convey the beauty that surrounded us throughout the day. We came upon an ancient Greek City that was only found in the 1920´s. It was uncovered in an archeological dig! We got to ride our bikes on part of the old wall!!! We also met some lovely people from London who shared the history of the area with us.
It was one of those days that just seemed to float by.........as we rode along the pathway that followed the beach we made frequent stops to take photo´s, have a cold cerveza or to just stop and admire the view.
This afternoon we stopped cycling at about 2:00. The beach was calling us!!! We are camping only 200km from the beach! It is so lovely here we are planning on staying an extra day. There is a national park just a few Km up the road and we plan to take the bikes out in the morning and do some riding/exploring without all the gear. Lots of hills to attack which will be fun without the extra weight that we usually have to pull along with us.
We hope to be able to download some more pictures soon. For now we are on our way back to the beach to take a stroll.......
Bob & Sherry
We took a route that is a popular training route for the many professional cyclists that train in Girona. Up Up Up to Dels Angeles and then down down down to the Sea. Everyone in Girona including the bike shop guy warned us that the climb was very steep but after 11 days of rest and relaxation we were up to the challenge. It was wonderful and beautiful ride up the mountain. We were rewarded at the top by panoramic views. We could see all the way to the Meditteranean Sea!!! The road was well paved and we saw only 6 cars!
We spent our first night on the beach in La Franc which is the beach that we went to with our neighbors. We thought it was so beautiful we wanted to spend one more day there. So after 35 miles of some really great cycling we set up camp at around 3pm and headed to the beach. It´s a tough life that we live!
This morning we were up and ready to ride. After a quick breakfast of granola with orange juice we headed into the town of Palafrugell for coffee and the it was on the road........
As we explained a few days ago, this part of our trip is going to be very serendipitis. Our only goal is to cycle and to stay close to the sea. Today was the absolutely perfect cycling day. With just a little breeze, enough to keep us from getting too hot, and smooth roads with little traffic we navigated through the small towns along the coastline. The serenity that we felt is difficult to explain. We took some great pictures that we hope will convey the beauty that surrounded us throughout the day. We came upon an ancient Greek City that was only found in the 1920´s. It was uncovered in an archeological dig! We got to ride our bikes on part of the old wall!!! We also met some lovely people from London who shared the history of the area with us.
It was one of those days that just seemed to float by.........as we rode along the pathway that followed the beach we made frequent stops to take photo´s, have a cold cerveza or to just stop and admire the view.
This afternoon we stopped cycling at about 2:00. The beach was calling us!!! We are camping only 200km from the beach! It is so lovely here we are planning on staying an extra day. There is a national park just a few Km up the road and we plan to take the bikes out in the morning and do some riding/exploring without all the gear. Lots of hills to attack which will be fun without the extra weight that we usually have to pull along with us.
We hope to be able to download some more pictures soon. For now we are on our way back to the beach to take a stroll.......
Bob & Sherry
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Goodbye Girona
After 11 days of rest, tomorrow is the big day. Back on the road again!
Bob took Vanessa to the airport in Barcelona early this morning while Sherry enjoyed sleeping in. (Although she did get up this morning to fix Vanessa breakfast and say goodbye!)
We took the bikes out for a 26mile ride this afternoon. The new rear wheel and tire on Bob´s bike seems to be working fine. 26miles without a flat. Yipee!!!
Tomorrow morning we plan to be on the road by 9am. We have 17 days before we have to be in Paris. Our plan at this point is to cycle along the Spanish coast back into France and then continue along the French coastline. At some point we will turn inland and make our way towards Paris. We don´t know if we will cycle all the way to Paris or take a train. We are keeping our options open and will let the road and the adventure lead the way!
So goodbye for now. Hopefully we will find internet access in the small coastal towns so we can keep everyone updated.
We want to say THANK YOU one more time to Frances, Pilar, Mark, and Sergi. They made our stay here in Girona absolutely wonderful. We hope that they will come and visit us in the US so we can return the hospitality.
Keeping the rubber side down and air in the tires!
Bob & Sherry
Bob took Vanessa to the airport in Barcelona early this morning while Sherry enjoyed sleeping in. (Although she did get up this morning to fix Vanessa breakfast and say goodbye!)
We took the bikes out for a 26mile ride this afternoon. The new rear wheel and tire on Bob´s bike seems to be working fine. 26miles without a flat. Yipee!!!
Tomorrow morning we plan to be on the road by 9am. We have 17 days before we have to be in Paris. Our plan at this point is to cycle along the Spanish coast back into France and then continue along the French coastline. At some point we will turn inland and make our way towards Paris. We don´t know if we will cycle all the way to Paris or take a train. We are keeping our options open and will let the road and the adventure lead the way!
So goodbye for now. Hopefully we will find internet access in the small coastal towns so we can keep everyone updated.
We want to say THANK YOU one more time to Frances, Pilar, Mark, and Sergi. They made our stay here in Girona absolutely wonderful. We hope that they will come and visit us in the US so we can return the hospitality.
Keeping the rubber side down and air in the tires!
Bob & Sherry
Monday, July 9, 2007
Costa Brava
We have been living large in the Costa Brava region of Spain these past few days.
With Vanessa here to translate things it has been much easier to get around. We have ventured via train and bus and with our neighbors in their car all over the area. We made a trip to Fugeres to see the Salavador Dali museum which was very interesting. Salvador Dali is one of the most famous artists from Spain and his work was fun to see. The town was a fun place to visit as well, with lots of shops and resturants.
Friday night we had a wonderful dinner at our neighbors house. Frances, Pilar and Sergi. They are wonderful people and the dinner was perfect!!! Vanessa is really getting her Spanish fine- tuned as she is the translater. Bob is starting to understand the language more but has a difficult time adding to the conversation with out a little help from Vanessa to translate.
On Saturday we visited Barcelona. Wow, what a city. It is big but it is very fun. There were a lot of street performers, a beautiful harbor, a even a Starbucks!! Vanessa smelled the Starbucks before we even got to it! Many great squares with cafes everywhere. The archetecture was amazing on every street you go down there was another amazing building. It was a full day of walking and sight seeing. The train ride home was a little bit of an adventure as we got on the wrong train!! We did eventually figure it out and switched trains to get back to Girona but not after being stuck in a couple of different towns for a while. Luckily Sherry had packed a few oranges so we didn´t starve while sitting in the train station while but 1 hour train ride from Barcelona to Girona turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour ride.
Yesterday we went out with our neighbors, Frances, Pilar and Sergie as well as Pilar´s brother and his wife. We went to the coast to Begur first and then to Sant Sebastia. We swam at one of the prettiest harbors I have ever seen. I hope you can check out the pictures but I am sure they won´t do justice to the beauty of the area. Sherry and Bob went out for a long swim into the Mediterranen sea using our goggles to see the fish. It was so pretty and the water perfect. We had a fantastic lunch in town before going off to the El Far (lighthouse) in Sant Sebastia. This town, beach and harbor were even prettier than the previous. It was so beautiful. We have been very, very lucky to have such wonderful neighbors while we are here in Girona. They have been so kind to us and have treated us like family. We are very thankful!
Today is a rest day here in Girona. We got up late and had a big breakfast at home. We are going for a walk in the city today and have plans to take Vanessa out for Tapa´s tonight for her last day here before heading home. Bob will take her to the Airport in Barcelona early tomorrow morning via the train. Hopefully he finds his way back easier this time!!!
Bob´s bike has been fixed and is ready to go. A new rim, a new tire and a new tube. We are hoping that this fixes the whole flat thing!!
With Vanessa here to translate things it has been much easier to get around. We have ventured via train and bus and with our neighbors in their car all over the area. We made a trip to Fugeres to see the Salavador Dali museum which was very interesting. Salvador Dali is one of the most famous artists from Spain and his work was fun to see. The town was a fun place to visit as well, with lots of shops and resturants.
Friday night we had a wonderful dinner at our neighbors house. Frances, Pilar and Sergi. They are wonderful people and the dinner was perfect!!! Vanessa is really getting her Spanish fine- tuned as she is the translater. Bob is starting to understand the language more but has a difficult time adding to the conversation with out a little help from Vanessa to translate.
On Saturday we visited Barcelona. Wow, what a city. It is big but it is very fun. There were a lot of street performers, a beautiful harbor, a even a Starbucks!! Vanessa smelled the Starbucks before we even got to it! Many great squares with cafes everywhere. The archetecture was amazing on every street you go down there was another amazing building. It was a full day of walking and sight seeing. The train ride home was a little bit of an adventure as we got on the wrong train!! We did eventually figure it out and switched trains to get back to Girona but not after being stuck in a couple of different towns for a while. Luckily Sherry had packed a few oranges so we didn´t starve while sitting in the train station while but 1 hour train ride from Barcelona to Girona turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour ride.
Yesterday we went out with our neighbors, Frances, Pilar and Sergie as well as Pilar´s brother and his wife. We went to the coast to Begur first and then to Sant Sebastia. We swam at one of the prettiest harbors I have ever seen. I hope you can check out the pictures but I am sure they won´t do justice to the beauty of the area. Sherry and Bob went out for a long swim into the Mediterranen sea using our goggles to see the fish. It was so pretty and the water perfect. We had a fantastic lunch in town before going off to the El Far (lighthouse) in Sant Sebastia. This town, beach and harbor were even prettier than the previous. It was so beautiful. We have been very, very lucky to have such wonderful neighbors while we are here in Girona. They have been so kind to us and have treated us like family. We are very thankful!
Today is a rest day here in Girona. We got up late and had a big breakfast at home. We are going for a walk in the city today and have plans to take Vanessa out for Tapa´s tonight for her last day here before heading home. Bob will take her to the Airport in Barcelona early tomorrow morning via the train. Hopefully he finds his way back easier this time!!!
Bob´s bike has been fixed and is ready to go. A new rim, a new tire and a new tube. We are hoping that this fixes the whole flat thing!!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Salvador Dali
Good morning!
Yesterday was another fabulous day in Spain. We took the bus to the beach and were treated to the perfect day. Lots of sun, sand and beautiful blue water. It was plenty warm and we enjoyed swimming in the mediterranean. The water was not too cold and not too hot, aka it was "just right"
We did all the touristy things. We ate lunch at a cafe on the beach, drank cold cerveza´s, did a little browsing through the shops, and spent more time just lying on the beach. We returned to the apartment around 7:30. Our neighbors came over and brought us their lap top so we were able to upload the past few days of pictures. Vanessa impressed us with her spanish language skills. She was just chatting up a storm with Francis. She doesn´t think she does well but listening to her she never seems to miss a beat and Francis always seems to understand what she is saying.
This morning we are taking the train to Figueres (30 min ride) to visit the Salvador Dali museum. Tonight we will be having dinner with the neighbors!
Tomorrow morning we will be heading out early to take the train to Barcelona!
Bob, Sherry & Vanessa
Yesterday was another fabulous day in Spain. We took the bus to the beach and were treated to the perfect day. Lots of sun, sand and beautiful blue water. It was plenty warm and we enjoyed swimming in the mediterranean. The water was not too cold and not too hot, aka it was "just right"
We did all the touristy things. We ate lunch at a cafe on the beach, drank cold cerveza´s, did a little browsing through the shops, and spent more time just lying on the beach. We returned to the apartment around 7:30. Our neighbors came over and brought us their lap top so we were able to upload the past few days of pictures. Vanessa impressed us with her spanish language skills. She was just chatting up a storm with Francis. She doesn´t think she does well but listening to her she never seems to miss a beat and Francis always seems to understand what she is saying.
This morning we are taking the train to Figueres (30 min ride) to visit the Salvador Dali museum. Tonight we will be having dinner with the neighbors!
Tomorrow morning we will be heading out early to take the train to Barcelona!
Bob, Sherry & Vanessa
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Discovery Team Slept Here!!!!!!!
Hello again from Girona, Spain.
So far our stay here has been incredible! We have been doing a lot of relaxing aka sleeping in. On Monday we took the bus to the coast and spent a lovely day lounging on the beach! It was the first time for Sherry to see the Mediterranean. The water is so crystal clear!
That night when we returned to the apartment we got to meet our neighbors!!!! (Tony had sent them an e-mail to let them know we would be staying in Girona) They are so nice!!! Their youngest son Sergre speaks very good English and provided the translation that allowed us to talk to his family, mom Pilar, father Francis, brother Mark. Tony had told me that these people were the nicest people you could ever meet and they certainly are. They drove us around the city to show us where the bike shop and sports stores are. (We hope to get the problem with the rear wheel on Bob´s bike resolved) We plan to have dinner with them one night which will be wonderful.
I think it finally hit Bob, after talking with the neighbors, that he is actually staying in the same apartment that some pretty famous professional cyclists stay in when they are training in Girona! Tony Cruz, Floyd Landis, Levi Liepenhiemer, Dave Zabriske! I think he is hoping that his legs are going to get stronger just by sitting in the same chair that they have.
Tuesday we took the train to Barcelona to meet Vanessa at the airport. It was a long day. Her flight from Malaga was delayed twice! But we kept ourselves entertained by watching all the people in the airport. The world reallyis made up of lots and lots of characters!
Vanessa finally arrived and we made our way back to Girona. It is great to have Vanessa here. She spent the previous week in Malaga participating in Young Presidents Orgination which promotes the development of leadership quailities in young adults. It sounds like she had an amazing week and learned a lot about herself. She is full of optimism and ready to take on lifes challenges!
Today is cloudy and looks as if it could turn a little wet. Which is ok with us as we are headed into the old city of Girona to do some sight seeing. The cloud cover should give us some relief from the sun. But after today we expect the sun to come out as we are headed back to the BEACH!
Check back tomorrow for pictures of todays adventure!
Bob, Sherry & Vanessa
So far our stay here has been incredible! We have been doing a lot of relaxing aka sleeping in. On Monday we took the bus to the coast and spent a lovely day lounging on the beach! It was the first time for Sherry to see the Mediterranean. The water is so crystal clear!
That night when we returned to the apartment we got to meet our neighbors!!!! (Tony had sent them an e-mail to let them know we would be staying in Girona) They are so nice!!! Their youngest son Sergre speaks very good English and provided the translation that allowed us to talk to his family, mom Pilar, father Francis, brother Mark. Tony had told me that these people were the nicest people you could ever meet and they certainly are. They drove us around the city to show us where the bike shop and sports stores are. (We hope to get the problem with the rear wheel on Bob´s bike resolved) We plan to have dinner with them one night which will be wonderful.
I think it finally hit Bob, after talking with the neighbors, that he is actually staying in the same apartment that some pretty famous professional cyclists stay in when they are training in Girona! Tony Cruz, Floyd Landis, Levi Liepenhiemer, Dave Zabriske! I think he is hoping that his legs are going to get stronger just by sitting in the same chair that they have.
Tuesday we took the train to Barcelona to meet Vanessa at the airport. It was a long day. Her flight from Malaga was delayed twice! But we kept ourselves entertained by watching all the people in the airport. The world reallyis made up of lots and lots of characters!
Vanessa finally arrived and we made our way back to Girona. It is great to have Vanessa here. She spent the previous week in Malaga participating in Young Presidents Orgination which promotes the development of leadership quailities in young adults. It sounds like she had an amazing week and learned a lot about herself. She is full of optimism and ready to take on lifes challenges!
Today is cloudy and looks as if it could turn a little wet. Which is ok with us as we are headed into the old city of Girona to do some sight seeing. The cloud cover should give us some relief from the sun. But after today we expect the sun to come out as we are headed back to the BEACH!
Check back tomorrow for pictures of todays adventure!
Bob, Sherry & Vanessa
Monday, July 2, 2007
Hello from Espana'
Good Morning! And what a georgous morning it is here in Girona. Our last update we were in Ceret getting ready to make the last few climbs that would take us into Spain. Well much has happend since then and we want to share it all with you so.....sit back relax and join us on a wonderful journey through the Pyrenees!
After spending a wonderful evening in Ceret we had a lovely breakfast, sent one more update to the blog site and pedaled out of Ceret under warm slightly overcast skies. Until getting to Ceret we were still uncertain as to the route to take into Spain. Originally we were going to go through Andora but due to weather in that area we turned further east with plans to cross right along the coastline. The night before arriving in Ceret we met a family from the States (San Juan Islands) who had just crossed over the boarder through La Vajol. They explained that the La Vajol crossing is not accessible via car. It is the pass that was used by the French when they fled France in WWII to escape capture by the Germans!
It sounded like the perfect way for us to cross into Spain! So off we pedaled with our spirits high and our legs feeling strong. The road leading to the top is very very steep but very very beautiful!! It was so incredibly quiet, the pavement was smooth and we saw only an occational car. As a bike rider I have to say that it was one of those truly amazing climbs where you are so taken in by your surroundings that you don´t even feel the steepness of the climb. For those of you who knew my friend Geri, I can tell you that she was right there with me. Each time I came to an extremely steep section a Dragonfly would suddenly appear and fly next to me as I made my way up the hill. The weather was perfect for climbing! It was fairly warm but with the thin layer of clouds we never felt the sun beat down on us and we even enjoyed a few soft cool breezes. Just at the top of the climb on the French side of the mountain is the town of Llama. This town was exactly what you would imagine to find at the top of the pyrenees. Very quiet, no one on the streets. You could tell that the people who lived here were here because they did not want to be part of the mainstream. With no road signs to tell us which way to turn we were in a bit of a quandry as to what to do.........But as I said Geri was there with me the whole time. Not a sole was to be seen in this town when suddenly a door opended and out walks an Asian woman who in very clear English asks us where we are going! She pointed us in the right direction but not before telling us that it is "very very steep".
With less that 3km to go we felt bullet proof. However after turning the corner and looking up up up at the wall they called a road we suddenly felt full of holes! We dug down deep and somehow found the strength to push up the last bit of road which in addition to looking like a wall it was only partially paved and that part was even a little scetchy.
At the top of the mountain the partially paved road now became a dirt road with 8 different trees that had been chopped down to block the passage of cars! So taking all the gear off of the bikes and detatching the trailer together we hauled the bikes and gear over the trees. On the opposite side the road was not rideable so we pushed our bikes the remaining 200meters into Spain!
Under a beautiful blue sky we entered Espana'!!!!! At the top there is a monument to WWII and the rememberance of those who crossed the pyrenees to flee the Germans. We sat at the foot of the monument with only the sounds of the breeze through the trees, birds singing, and cow bells ringing in the distance. It was truly a wonderful experience for us. To come so far and work so hard and then to be able to sit and enjoy such a serene and beautiful area. And we had it ALL to ourselves. Not another sole to be seen!
After sharing a much deserved Snickers Bar we climbed back on the bikes to head down the mountain. As we started out our path was suddenly blocked by a HUGE white sheep dog! This beautiful dog was hearding his flock of goats across the road. No shepard around, just the dog and his goats. He blocked our path as he hurried his flock across the road. Once they were all safely across he then stood gaurd as we pedaled past. What a wonderful way to be welcomed into Spain!
Each day of cycle touring you experience such a wide range of emotions. In the morning you wake usually a "little achy" but after a few cups of coffee and some cereal your spirits perk up and you look forward to the days adventures. If the weather is warm and skies sunny that light happy feeling stays with you and you feel indistructable. As the challenges of the days ride insue you have moments where you feel as though you can´t possibly turn the crank one more revelution but then you look up and are greeted by something beautiful that you know you would not ever had seen had you not been going 4miles/hr and you find new energy. This up and down of emotions continues throughout the day. If you are lucky you get to end the day on the upside of the emotions. But it seems that on the best days we always seem to presented with the biggest challenges at the end of the day.
Our last day in the Pyrenees was one of those days. We were litterally on cloud nine most of the day. Only 3km from the Spain boarder we stopped at a restuarant to have lunch and a celebratory cold Cerveza. What a kick this restaurant was. The people in France are very quiet. Everywhere they speak in soft tones and you do not hear much laughter. I don´t want you to think they are not friendly because they were VERY friendly but they are a very quiet culture. So it was a big change for us when we pedaled into the parking lot of the restaurant and could hear music and laughter! There was a party goin on at 2:00 in the afternoon! A bus of elderly people were there and they were having themselves a grand time. The music was playing and they were shakin their boodies!
With only about 25km to go we left the restaurant and pointed the wheels down hill! But as I mentioned a day in the life of a cycle tourist is full of emotions and challenges. I had been fighting an intestinal BUG for the past 24hrs. While climbing the mountain I think all my energy was sent to my heart, lungs, and legs. Well now that we were going downhill.........well I´ll just let you use your imagination! Needless to say it was not a pleasant leisurely afternoon ride. The road map in Spain is not as detailed as in France and there are actually few roads. What roads there are do not have very good signage and we made a few wrong turns. Once we finally figured out which way to go, mother nature decided we had had enough nice weather and she brought in the clouds and RAIN. My goodness did it rain. So not only did I have to stop on the side of the road every few kilometers (thats probably a little too much information) it was pouring cats and dogs. The only saving grace was that it was not cold. I have to laugh everytime I think of this next part..........
We are riding along, Bob is well ahead of me (can you blame him) and we are both completely soaked! As the rain begins to come down in sheets he slows enough to ask me if I want to stop to put on my rain gear? At this point we are both so soaked that you could litterally wring us out and fill a gallon bucket! Poor guy he just didn´t know what to do for me. I just put my head down and kept pedaling. Eventually we made it to the campground which turned out to be a very nice spot. They had a great patio where we took shelter and waited for the rain to stop. Which eventually it did.
The following day we were once again feeling energized and excitted about getting to Girona! With map handy and some scetchy directions from one of the locals we set out for Girona. The road held much promise for a lovely 40mile ride to Girona. However........our lovely road soon turned to dirt and gravel with lots of short steep hills thrown in for good measure. It was lovely country however and with the sun shinning we pedaled and walked (as the road dictated) our way along. Oh but lets not forget Bob´s flat tires!!!!! He definately has a problem with the rear wheel and although we have tried everything we can think of to figure out what is wrong he contiunues to get a flat about every 10MILES! We have become experts at changing flats and repairing the tubes! It will be good to get to Girona and a bikeshop!!!!!!
Girona is a lovely city!!!! Sherry´s friends Tony & Jody Cruz live here while Tony is cycle racing. Tony set us up with the family whom he rents an apt. from when he stays here. They have been everybit as wonderful as Tony & Jody told us they would be. As soon as we mention Tony & Jody doors just start opening for us. What a wonderful welcome we have recieved. The apt we are renting has 4 bedrooms! It feels good to be able to spread our stuff out and not to have to look in a baggie to find what you want to wear that day.
We went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon which was quite the adventure. If any of you have seen Tom Hank´s movie "The Terminal" well then you will understand when I tell you that we though we were living that movie. It took us about 1 hour to do the shopping and another 2 hours to figure out how to get out of the store! It was pretty commical! Here we are with 10 bags of groceries and we can`t find the exit. Oh it would have been easy had we had a car. You just wheel the cart right out the door into the parking garage.......but we had come via our bikes which were parked out front on the sidewalk. The only way out was through the parking garage and they wouldn´t let us wheel the cart out of the garage!!!!! But eventually we worked it out, loaded our arms up with the bags and struggled up the escallators and out into the fresh air!!!!!
I could go on and on but the day is beautiful and you are probably loosing interest. So goodbye for now. We are headed to the beach this afternoon and later today we will get to meet with Serge! Serge and his family live in the apartment across from ours and they are good friends of Tony & Jody´s.
Update on the flats
Bob 19 flat tires!!!!
Sherry 0 flat tires!!!!
Bye for now!
Bob & Sherry
After spending a wonderful evening in Ceret we had a lovely breakfast, sent one more update to the blog site and pedaled out of Ceret under warm slightly overcast skies. Until getting to Ceret we were still uncertain as to the route to take into Spain. Originally we were going to go through Andora but due to weather in that area we turned further east with plans to cross right along the coastline. The night before arriving in Ceret we met a family from the States (San Juan Islands) who had just crossed over the boarder through La Vajol. They explained that the La Vajol crossing is not accessible via car. It is the pass that was used by the French when they fled France in WWII to escape capture by the Germans!
It sounded like the perfect way for us to cross into Spain! So off we pedaled with our spirits high and our legs feeling strong. The road leading to the top is very very steep but very very beautiful!! It was so incredibly quiet, the pavement was smooth and we saw only an occational car. As a bike rider I have to say that it was one of those truly amazing climbs where you are so taken in by your surroundings that you don´t even feel the steepness of the climb. For those of you who knew my friend Geri, I can tell you that she was right there with me. Each time I came to an extremely steep section a Dragonfly would suddenly appear and fly next to me as I made my way up the hill. The weather was perfect for climbing! It was fairly warm but with the thin layer of clouds we never felt the sun beat down on us and we even enjoyed a few soft cool breezes. Just at the top of the climb on the French side of the mountain is the town of Llama. This town was exactly what you would imagine to find at the top of the pyrenees. Very quiet, no one on the streets. You could tell that the people who lived here were here because they did not want to be part of the mainstream. With no road signs to tell us which way to turn we were in a bit of a quandry as to what to do.........But as I said Geri was there with me the whole time. Not a sole was to be seen in this town when suddenly a door opended and out walks an Asian woman who in very clear English asks us where we are going! She pointed us in the right direction but not before telling us that it is "very very steep".
With less that 3km to go we felt bullet proof. However after turning the corner and looking up up up at the wall they called a road we suddenly felt full of holes! We dug down deep and somehow found the strength to push up the last bit of road which in addition to looking like a wall it was only partially paved and that part was even a little scetchy.
At the top of the mountain the partially paved road now became a dirt road with 8 different trees that had been chopped down to block the passage of cars! So taking all the gear off of the bikes and detatching the trailer together we hauled the bikes and gear over the trees. On the opposite side the road was not rideable so we pushed our bikes the remaining 200meters into Spain!
Under a beautiful blue sky we entered Espana'!!!!! At the top there is a monument to WWII and the rememberance of those who crossed the pyrenees to flee the Germans. We sat at the foot of the monument with only the sounds of the breeze through the trees, birds singing, and cow bells ringing in the distance. It was truly a wonderful experience for us. To come so far and work so hard and then to be able to sit and enjoy such a serene and beautiful area. And we had it ALL to ourselves. Not another sole to be seen!
After sharing a much deserved Snickers Bar we climbed back on the bikes to head down the mountain. As we started out our path was suddenly blocked by a HUGE white sheep dog! This beautiful dog was hearding his flock of goats across the road. No shepard around, just the dog and his goats. He blocked our path as he hurried his flock across the road. Once they were all safely across he then stood gaurd as we pedaled past. What a wonderful way to be welcomed into Spain!
Each day of cycle touring you experience such a wide range of emotions. In the morning you wake usually a "little achy" but after a few cups of coffee and some cereal your spirits perk up and you look forward to the days adventures. If the weather is warm and skies sunny that light happy feeling stays with you and you feel indistructable. As the challenges of the days ride insue you have moments where you feel as though you can´t possibly turn the crank one more revelution but then you look up and are greeted by something beautiful that you know you would not ever had seen had you not been going 4miles/hr and you find new energy. This up and down of emotions continues throughout the day. If you are lucky you get to end the day on the upside of the emotions. But it seems that on the best days we always seem to presented with the biggest challenges at the end of the day.
Our last day in the Pyrenees was one of those days. We were litterally on cloud nine most of the day. Only 3km from the Spain boarder we stopped at a restuarant to have lunch and a celebratory cold Cerveza. What a kick this restaurant was. The people in France are very quiet. Everywhere they speak in soft tones and you do not hear much laughter. I don´t want you to think they are not friendly because they were VERY friendly but they are a very quiet culture. So it was a big change for us when we pedaled into the parking lot of the restaurant and could hear music and laughter! There was a party goin on at 2:00 in the afternoon! A bus of elderly people were there and they were having themselves a grand time. The music was playing and they were shakin their boodies!
With only about 25km to go we left the restaurant and pointed the wheels down hill! But as I mentioned a day in the life of a cycle tourist is full of emotions and challenges. I had been fighting an intestinal BUG for the past 24hrs. While climbing the mountain I think all my energy was sent to my heart, lungs, and legs. Well now that we were going downhill.........well I´ll just let you use your imagination! Needless to say it was not a pleasant leisurely afternoon ride. The road map in Spain is not as detailed as in France and there are actually few roads. What roads there are do not have very good signage and we made a few wrong turns. Once we finally figured out which way to go, mother nature decided we had had enough nice weather and she brought in the clouds and RAIN. My goodness did it rain. So not only did I have to stop on the side of the road every few kilometers (thats probably a little too much information) it was pouring cats and dogs. The only saving grace was that it was not cold. I have to laugh everytime I think of this next part..........
We are riding along, Bob is well ahead of me (can you blame him) and we are both completely soaked! As the rain begins to come down in sheets he slows enough to ask me if I want to stop to put on my rain gear? At this point we are both so soaked that you could litterally wring us out and fill a gallon bucket! Poor guy he just didn´t know what to do for me. I just put my head down and kept pedaling. Eventually we made it to the campground which turned out to be a very nice spot. They had a great patio where we took shelter and waited for the rain to stop. Which eventually it did.
The following day we were once again feeling energized and excitted about getting to Girona! With map handy and some scetchy directions from one of the locals we set out for Girona. The road held much promise for a lovely 40mile ride to Girona. However........our lovely road soon turned to dirt and gravel with lots of short steep hills thrown in for good measure. It was lovely country however and with the sun shinning we pedaled and walked (as the road dictated) our way along. Oh but lets not forget Bob´s flat tires!!!!! He definately has a problem with the rear wheel and although we have tried everything we can think of to figure out what is wrong he contiunues to get a flat about every 10MILES! We have become experts at changing flats and repairing the tubes! It will be good to get to Girona and a bikeshop!!!!!!
Girona is a lovely city!!!! Sherry´s friends Tony & Jody Cruz live here while Tony is cycle racing. Tony set us up with the family whom he rents an apt. from when he stays here. They have been everybit as wonderful as Tony & Jody told us they would be. As soon as we mention Tony & Jody doors just start opening for us. What a wonderful welcome we have recieved. The apt we are renting has 4 bedrooms! It feels good to be able to spread our stuff out and not to have to look in a baggie to find what you want to wear that day.
We went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon which was quite the adventure. If any of you have seen Tom Hank´s movie "The Terminal" well then you will understand when I tell you that we though we were living that movie. It took us about 1 hour to do the shopping and another 2 hours to figure out how to get out of the store! It was pretty commical! Here we are with 10 bags of groceries and we can`t find the exit. Oh it would have been easy had we had a car. You just wheel the cart right out the door into the parking garage.......but we had come via our bikes which were parked out front on the sidewalk. The only way out was through the parking garage and they wouldn´t let us wheel the cart out of the garage!!!!! But eventually we worked it out, loaded our arms up with the bags and struggled up the escallators and out into the fresh air!!!!!
I could go on and on but the day is beautiful and you are probably loosing interest. So goodbye for now. We are headed to the beach this afternoon and later today we will get to meet with Serge! Serge and his family live in the apartment across from ours and they are good friends of Tony & Jody´s.
Update on the flats
Bob 19 flat tires!!!!
Sherry 0 flat tires!!!!
Bye for now!
Bob & Sherry
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