Birthday celebrations in our favourite culinary destination.

Our big trip for this year, with the goal to take in a couple new destinations - namely Croatia & Slovenia. But these are a long drive from home, so our journey there and back will all part of the adventure.

Quick stop in Provence, then a few nights in the Alps.

The Alps are where it really gets going for me with the first of many phenomenal cycling days. The riding on this trip was just out of this world. Sometimes I can't believe my luck, or what is still possible. Too many dream days out to re-list, just see below.

Continuing east and we pass the Italian lakes. They never disappoint & had another beautiful stopover by Garda. Then onto Croatia & Slovenia.

Croatia has some very cool & interesting coastal villages - love them! But the beaches as a whole were disappointing for me - far too rocky. Lucky we aren't really beach people Away from the coast, in the area we visited at least, lots of quiet, rolling countryside was wonderful. There's nothing like seeing more deer than people while out on your morning ride! Then Plitvice Lakes - wow!

Next, Slovenia. I found this place a real treat! Wine regions were beautiful & well kept, and as a cyclist loved the mountainous border with Italy & Austria. Then Lake Bled - deserves another wow!

Turning towards home, a short stop in Austria - you just had to have a dip when by camping by an Austrian lake, right? Into Switzerland for more riding and hiking - favourite walk of the trip for some, which is hardly surprising - it is Switzerland after all!

At this point we really should have gone straight to the Med. coast due to huge storms forecast in the Alps, but choosing that final hike in Switzerland over a day of driving meant staying further north than planned. Near Lake Como we took some happy snaps in the late afternoon sun, before sleep... & waking to chaos in the way of torrential rain, floods & traffic snarl ups that this brings - doh! You can't win them all, but we only had 2 days of bad weather the entire trip, so I'll take that!

... and besides, when the weather is bad we just drive to where it's not - ending the day back in sunshine on the Italian Riviera

On such a journey, I often feel guilty for blasting through parts of France that are wonderful in their own right so looked for at least a few of new spots. Menton. Col de Turini. Sommières. Loved them all! In fact loved it all - what a month!

Well this is different! Winter road trip in the car. 4,000km through France and Germany then into Austria to meet extended family. If the rest of the gang can get here from Australia think we can do this, right?!

Many beautiful places, some new and some old (but new to us in their winter coat of snow). Lots and lots and LOTS of food, including more than a handful of exception experiences that will be hard to top.

Was super nice to meet the guys and even got a little skiing in. What more could one ask from a winter road trip?

Madeira - the island of eternal spring. A short break to catch up with family.

Good times spent eating, drinking and just hanging out. Interspersed with driving tours of some favourite, and some new spots.

This isn't a cycling destination - too many 'main road only' routes and tunnels aren't ideal, but... a wonderful island for scenic and unusual walks alongside the network of levadas and in the beautiful highlands. Sadly recent bush fires have closed some of the most picturesque and famous routes, but we still found plenty to enjoy.

Another very successful trip!

Early birthday celebration in the city of gastronomic delights!

Ostensibly this trip was an opportunity to catch up with Pratiwi's family, most of whom we hadn't seen since Thailand & Indonesia, Mar '15. Bali was the chosen spot for this reunion, and while I wasn't really looking forward to the long trip from Europe (much further than from Australia) can't really complain about having to spend 2+ weeks in paradise.

As you can imagine, much merriment ensued. But while westerners might think this means plenty of boozy nights, in fact the Asian equivalent appears to involve feasting on all manner of food. For us, foods that are very hard to come by in France so all the better.

Sure, there were trips to the beach, mountains, temples and even couple of snorkeling excursions but always we came home to a feast of some kind. Gotta say, I got behind this wholeheartedly and had a blast.

Unfinished business in the Alps!

Last year we had planned to spend plenty of time in Switzerland but bad weather put a stop to that. Time to try again...

And success! In fact, things worked out so well we didn't even have time to take what has become a usual loop home through Germany - that will have to wait for next time.

Things went well with another easy jaunt across France. A chance to explore part of the Jura mountains on the French/Swiss border - well, they are mountains so loved this region of course!

Then on to Switzerland for walks, hikes and some truly epic bike riding.

As it turned out there was also time to meet friends in Annecy for a couple of group rides in the region, including another all day epic with giant charcuterie lunch. Good times all round!

A fantastic trip across France to the Alps & back. After the last couple of seasons of rather restrictive movements was really good to stretch the legs and have some planned, and some more random adventures.

Starting off in the Haut-Savoie for a slightly delayed meeting with the olds & a bit of luxury - being given run of a room in a lovely alpine chalet they had arranged. The plan was to be in this region for another week to hit up some of the legendary cycling routes but sadly weather didn't agree - and that would be a slight theme of at least part of the trip.

So instead of taking on the likes of the Telegraphe, Galibier & Croix de Fer change of plan as we headed down to the Italian lakes in search of sunshine. A consolation week by lates Orta & Maggiore... such a beautiful area, and plenty of sublime roads, so yeah, that'll do!

Back into clouds & the mountains as we next took our chances in Switzerland, getting super lucky with a day of sun and the most amazing hike to Trift Bridge - highly recommended. A little cycling here too, but sadly cut short by, what do you know - a huge storm. Doh!

Looped back into France via the Black Forest as for us, no trip over here is complete without some German beer & schnitzel - yum! Couple more stops, including an evening of merriment with more family and... home!

After the last couple of trying years, can't help but think how amazingly lucky it is to do what used to feel 'normal'. More of the same in the years to come, please!

Originally planned in March 2020 (do you see the issue!) a long postponed trip finally arrives!

Plenty of walking to balance the mountains of delicious food we ate... and a few cultural venues too.

It was pretty grey and sometimes wet out but nothing us mountain folk can't handle

Lots left to see and do for the next time. Hopefully not another 20 years! Last time here was December 2002 for new years!