Wednesday 30 May 2012

81% of Greeks want to stay in EUR zone but want better bail out terms. Funny that, am sure 81% of criminals don't want to go to jail either!

Tuesday 29 May 2012

The Pic du Midi de Bigorre at dusk, as seen from our doorstep. Very nice - might have to wonder up there for a look?

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Views from this morning's ride to Hautacam & Col du Tramassel. Loving the Pyrenees smile

Monday 28 May 2012

'Die Another Day' re-run... Pierce Brosnan as 007? Oh dear, Daniel Craig makes him look like a schoolboy! Won't be watching all of this.

Monday 28 May 2012

Light lunch on the gîte terrace. Bit cloudy on the mountains behind but the sun is shining on us at the moment! smile

Monday 28 May 2012

The supermarché in Lourdes: almost fell over when saw the price of Leffe! €1.67/l! Now to enjoy one with the view! grin

Sunday 27 May 2012

Some views from our first ride in the Pyrenean foothills this morning. Beautiful day, great roads, amazing sights smile

Sunday 27 May 2012

Wake up, look out window. Literally say, "OMG, OMG, OMG... where's the camera?!" Yeah - it's a bit nice here! smile

Sunday 27 May 2012

Fuel usage from Faucon to Orincles with lunch in Carcassone. Better before the last part of very up/down/twisty road.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Arrived in the Pyrénées. Beautiful! Pratiwi in love the moment we turned off the motorway! Me too - hardly a straight or flat road in sight!

Saturday 26 May 2012

The Basilica of St Nazaire: Stunning stained glass. Lucky to hear beautiful song from a Vocal quartet on this visit.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Stop in Carcassonne en route to Pyrenees. Amazing, even if a bit of a tourist trap! Must be nightmare in peak season!

Saturday 26 May 2012

Routes cycled around Faucon. Ventoux is the grey-ish blob top/centre. Look at all those juicy cols & valleys too! grin

Saturday 26 May 2012

Dear France... It's kinda pointless building motorways if you're going to put a toll booth one has to queue 30mins at every 100kays sad

Saturday 26 May 2012

Time to leave Faucon so a quick reminder of what has been a wonderful home for the last 6 weeks. We'll miss it here

Friday 25 May 2012

Last Faucon ride done (sob!). Bike wash done. Time to hang on the drying tree before being packed for the trip ahead.

Friday 25 May 2012

Last day here in Faucon: time to pack for some. For others the sun is out & there are still new roads to ride! grin wink

Thursday 24 May 2012

Crazy light this evening. Little more so due to processing perhaps? Car will be for sale next year if you fancy it wink

Thursday 24 May 2012

A bit late maybe, but time for a look round the medieval bit of Vaison-la-Romaine. Very nice. Plus lunch of course tongue

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Earlier today: View passing Montbrun-les-Bains & later water stop. The sun is shining again after few days of rain smile

Wednesday 23 May 2012

@cyclingtips I'm too old to handle the sleepless nights watching Euro races any more, so we took a 1 year holiday to Europe! wink

Tuesday 22 May 2012

P.Garrett 1990: You cut all the tall trees down, poisoned sky & sea, taken what's good from the ground, left precious little for me. Hmmm sad

Sunday 20 May 2012

#giro stage 15: What a finish! Amazing work by Rabottini - truly deserving winner after it looked all over. We were cheering him on here! smile

Saturday 19 May 2012

Chelsea... unbelievably Champions League winners. I miss football games like that in Aus, despite the fact I didn't really care who won wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Almost home and still enjoying the trip & views. I think this is by the Serre la Vignasse but don't hold me to that!

Saturday 19 May 2012

Rolling green hills around Lac de Serre-Ponçon & Pratiwi pointing out the location of her dream home wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Looking East up the Ubaye valley. The light was less than ideal so have taken some liberties in post processing wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Where Ravin du Pré la Pierre meets the Ubaye. For scale: the pink dot on the bridge in the last shot is Pratiwi.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Just stunning scenery all along the Ubaye valley. Here we're looking up and down river from Méolans-Revel.

Saturday 19 May 2012

The view passing through Jausiers, and on the road West of here (towards Barcelonnette).

Saturday 19 May 2012

We passed a small lake approaching the French border, then the valley view just after it on the Col de Larche.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Hairpins on the Italian side of Col de Larche. Suppose I should be calling this the Colle della Maddalena then wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Failing to find a cafe with views we settled for lunch parked in the rain. 6€ will buy you this in an Italian bakery.

Saturday 19 May 2012

The peloton leaves town. As seen from the wrong street as we were not organised enough! Oh well, can't win 'em all wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Eisel enjoys another impressive lead out wink Seems everyone came to see Cav. The crowd pretty much vanished after him!

Saturday 19 May 2012

Robbie Hunter looking cool as you'd like, & an Euskatel-Euskadi rider who looks like his day can't end soon enough sad

Saturday 19 May 2012

A few of the Greenedge guys... some looking a little fresher than others wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Time to release the balloons...

Saturday 19 May 2012

A veritable traffic jam of riders. Negotiating VIPs, photographers & their peers who've stopped to sign autographs.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Looks like the Vacansoleil guys have a plan: sign on early before the mayhem. Couldn't believe how fast they rode by!

Saturday 19 May 2012

Just hanging in the sun (while it lasts) & having a good time watching the goings on. Now... where are those riders!?

Saturday 19 May 2012

Ask a model to walk 200m on cobbled streets in high heels inches from screaming fans carrying a huge trophy? Sure! wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Always more sponsors freebies to collect, for young and... erm... just a little bit older alike wink

Saturday 19 May 2012

Marching bands, flag throwing medieval type dudes and funky drummers to entertain the crowds.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Cherasco certainly dressed for the part this morning... seeing some of the sights before the riders show up.

Friday 18 May 2012

A little pre-dinner walk in Barolo & what may be the best dinner of our Europe trip yet. Food here was sooooo good tongue

Friday 18 May 2012

Driving round looking for a place to eat has never been so good. Finally ended up in the beautiful village of Barolo.

Friday 18 May 2012

Time to go home. Oh go on then... just one more free snack. This time prosciutto wrapped bread sticks. Yuuuum! tongue

Friday 18 May 2012

And... it's all over! Few minutes of back markers, some looking quite broken even on this short stage wink

Friday 18 May 2012

Greenedge leading the way as they pass us, Lancaster pulling off leaving Goss, sadly a bit early as he came in 6th.