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Innertkirchen, Grindelwald, Susten, Klousen, Amden passes, Switzerland

Chapter SummaryFour mountain passes in four daysInterlaken to Germany.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/SwissAlps.gif">Mountain pass 1 - Grindelwald, easy on the gas15 July, FridayStart point: Lauterbrunnen (SE if interlaken) End point: InnertkirchenVia: GrindelwaldOdom(Km): 46.71Moving(hrs.mim): 4.35Ave(Km/h): 10.2Total Ascent(m): 1299Max Altitude(m) 1974Max Speed(Km/h): 46.1When I awoke, I opened the tent I was greeted to the most amazing view of a waterfall down a sheer cliff. (See first picture)I knew the lift to the top of the highest mountain in the region, the Jungfraujoch station at 3454m was expensive. When the lady asked for 80 pounds I said I'd have to think about it - which I did for about 2 seconds. If I'd got the bus, hiked part then I could have done it for less but with the weather turning on Monday I decided it was time to press on. Besides, it would not be the only Mountain View I'd have over the next couple of days.This was the part I'd been looking forward to. Some of the highest and hardest mountain passes in the heart of Switzerland and the heights of the map told me I was in for a treat. I had 4 passes planed over the next 4 days. The first one, Great Scheidegg starts at 600m, climbs to a ski resort called Grindelwald and then the traffic free section continues up the valley to 1962m. The peaks of the mountains lining the valley are a towering 3701 and 2928 meters in a classic U shaped valley - if you can't remember what that means from your geography lessons then imagine a flattish valley floor with steep sides rising into sheer cliffs, these towering 2000 meters high. It's all a result of glacial action years ago an in some places further up the valley - it's still ongoing.The pass over Great Scheidegg is the ideal beginner mountain pass because the last half is closed to cars, the road is sealed, natural springs provide drinking water en-route and the vies are spectacular.My progress was hampered after finding an internet connection. I needed the next set of maps uploading onto my GPS and had numerous other jobs to do. The second factor was a poor choice of diet. Eating too much pasta left me feeling a little bunged up so I purchased a bag of dried fruits. Big mistake. Lets just say it lead to a build up pressure and a general feeling of bloatedness.Rather smartly, those who attempted the pass did so either on super lightweight racing bikes or mountain bikes. I got odd looks as I edged my way slowly but steadily upwards on a touring bike laden with bags, tent and bottles of booze. The rewarding views made it worthwhile, the pictures speak for themselves. I spotted my first glacier which ended in a torrent of melt water and I watched the legendary Eiger Mountain at 3970 meters pass by on my right hand side. This combined with perfect cycling conditions, I couldn't be happier. The whole effort was undertaken at a slow but steady pace. A whole day is easily enough time to walk the pass so I was not worried about having to rush.I arrived at the top of the pass - much to the astonishment of a guest in the only hotel at the top. He was taking pictures of the sun dropping below the distant peaks. We chatted and I asked him to take my picture. The decent down the other side was a dream. It followed a stream of milky near freezing glacial melt water, stunning scenery, woods, hair pin bends, cliffs to name a few. Further down the valley the gradient became less severe and soon I was whizzing down a gentle incline following the path of the valley. There is over a 10 DegC difference between the temperature at the top of the pass to that of the valley floor below and I realised the contrast when I arrived at the first campsite located at the mouth of the valley. It had been rather warm there that day and the campsite owner was surprised when I found it difficult to write my name because my hands were so cold - after pulling off a pair of winter gloves. Sure enough the other guests were complaining about the heat and told me how they cooled off by taking showers.In summary, Day 1 in the mountains was a success. A change in diet and application of more DEET based replant would have solved any of the inconveniences caused during the climb.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0651.jpg">As I pitched in the dark, imagine my surprise when I opened the zip of my tent to see this!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0652.jpg">A view from the campsite<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0653.jpg">Ski town of Grindelwald<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0659.jpg">That's a glacier behind me<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0664.jpg">View from the top<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0673.jpg">Early evening on the way down<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0680.jpg">Glacial melt water follows the road on the way down.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0685.jpg">The cows for companyMountain pass 2 - Susten Pass, Tyre splitting16 July, SaturdayStart point: Innertkirchen End point: Altdorf (Near Lake Urner)Via: Susten PassOdom(Km): 77.56Moving(hrs.mim): 6.33Ave(Km/h): 11.8Total Ascent(m): 1664Max Altitude(m) 2264Max Speed(Km/h): 54.6Awoke to the unexpected sound of pitter patter on the tent followed by the odd rumble of thunder. I decided to take the day off and wandered over to join a group of bikers from Preston, England, for a chat. They'd just come over the pass I was due to attempt today. "On a bicycle? Are you mad", I changed the subject. "The forecast is good for this afternoon" they said. That was all the encouragement I needed so I packed up and headed off into the rain. Soon the sun was shining and I was climbing slowly but surely over pass number 2 - the Sustenpass.For me cycling up a sustained gradient over 12% on a touring bike laden with bags, tent, provisions and junk is challenging. The reason is in order to maintain your balance, you need to be going a certain speed. At 12% you are forced out of your natural comfortable pace to push harder to maintain the speed required for balance. The first pass had some steep gradients and required a little more effort than I normally expend. The Sustanpass was built for cars (or was that carts?) and rarely reaches a sustained 9%. This means the whole thing can be achieved, all be it slowly, with a comfortable level of effort. A trike is a very good idea in this respect! When I'm 60 I hope to be tacking equally challenging terrain on three wheels or with some other means of stabilisation combined with very forgiving gear ratios. Who knows??Starting 625m and climbing to a dizzying 2224m, the Sustan Pass is the highest in altitude of all the four passes planned. Either side are sheer cliffs ending in the peaks of the Sustanhorn (3503m) and Mount Titlis (3238m) . The further you go up the valley the steeper the gradient gets until you are locked into a series of hairpin bends for the final ascent.If you are a keen motorbike tourer, Graham, then this is one of the places to head for. For every car I saw 3 bikers and they were not riding Pooch Maxi's or CB100 either. The highlight was a detour to a glacier where I refuelled with a mess tin full of _posh smash_ next to a river of glacial melt water. Still far from the top I continued upwards until looking down onto the glacier I had lunched by. Although not freezing, the temperature was around 10 DegC in the shade but the strong direct sun made it feel much warmer. Going through the tunnel at the top I heard a noise not in time with my peddling, but in time with the rotation of the wheels. Any cyclist will tell you it is one of the things you subconsciously listen out for and when you hear it you know there's something wrong. In this case the rear tyre split. The rubber coating parted to expose the fabric lining. Since the fabric is Kevlar, I didn't worry too much and continued on my way - just taking precautions on the corners and not 'letting go' as much as I would have done for fear of a blow out.The pattern of ascent mirrors that of the decent. Sharp aggressive hairpins, followed by a steep straight run into a valley with the sight and sound of the glacial melt water never far away. When reaching the bottom of the valley I followed the old main road through towns and villages. A motorway had been built within the last 15 years that took all the traffic from what must have been a busy, dangerous, slow, noisy and unpleasant road - now it was just me following a very gentle gradient downhill, watching the sky turn pink against a layered backdrop of mountain silhouettes that disappeared into the distance.I arrived at the campsite to be confronted with the barrier down and a very prominent sign saying it was full. Since my bike fitted under the barrier, I wheeled it in and parked by the reception. "Hello, are you full?", I enquired. I was lead to a special private spot in the residents area surrounded by wood cabins and well kept gardens. "Please, camp here". It was the special kind of service that I hoped a weary cyclist would get and I was very grateful to receive.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0692.jpg">Start of the pass<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0694.jpg">Part way up<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0707.jpg">Further yet<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0710.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0716.jpg">Lunch at the end of a glacier<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0720.jpg">Nearly up the top, the strain shows...<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0712.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0723.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0726.jpg">The final sets of hair pins at the end of the valley to take you over the top<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0728.jpg">Still patches of winter snow at the top<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0729.jpg">Not bad for a days work!Mountain pass 3 - Klousen Pass, No flies on me17 July, SundayStart point: Altdorf (Near Lake Urner) End point: Flizbach, Lake WalenseeVia: Klousen PassOdom(Km): 82.25Moving(hrs.mim): 6.54Ave(Km/h): 12.2Total Ascent(m): 1526Max Altitude(m) 1953Max Speed(Km/h): 52.2They call them Bremsen and they make mosquito bites look like a mere dimple in comparison. They come in two sizes; Big and fcuk off gigantic. One thin, sleek looking the other bigger than a bumble bee and both sh*t brown in colour. They don't have a proboscis - a needle to suck your blood from beneath your skin, these things do their damage with what looks like a pair of face mounted wire cutters. These fekkers simply land and just start chomping at your flesh until they've excavated a cone shaped hole that fills with blood. Then the guzzling starts. It does not hurt because of the large amounts of anaesthetic they somehow apply and when you swat them away you're left with a blood oozing wound that very feels like a cross between a nettle sting and a mosquito bite. The wound swells in the next 24 hours to a lump covering the area of a beer mat that doesn't half itch - but stings somewhat at the same time which makes you less inclined to scratch and this is despite application of copious amounts of antihistamine cream. As luck would have it insect repellent works wonders. The mistake I made was on Day 1 of the mountain passes after my dose of dried fruits. You guessed it, I nipped into the trees and exposed untreated flesh to the blood sucking critters and I soon realised 3 of them were feasting on my right thigh. I all I got 6 bites in a line - which is lucky as it could have been a whole lot worse! A valuable lesson learned.Sunday means all the shops are shut, and that includes bike shops. Close inspection of my rear wheel showed the Kevlar had some way to go before reaching the inner tube so I pressed on with pass number 3, the Klausenpass. Built in the 1930 and although not the highest at 1948m it starts lower down at 458m in the town of Altdorf. Without a doubt the pass covers some very difficult terrain and represents an engineering marvel. There was no way the road could follow the valley floor as it quickly turned into a vertical rock face. The road building approach used was to cling to the side of the valley rising gradually, with the odd hairpin and double back until reaching the top of the pass. The whole effort could be carried out with a few hours of steady and unhurried pedalling. The Sunday weather brought out the crowds and though a designated cycle route, the frequency of motor vehicles - one every few seconds was somewhat disconcerting and this required awareness of road positioning rather than the sights around me. I did have the advantage of being able to stop in many more places and take in the views and take pictures. The traffic reduced after lunch and the descent was quite straightforward - and more importantly, GREAT FUN. 1500 meters drop in 20 minutes.The air gets slightly thinner towards the top and rather than getting tired legs, I actually started to feel short of breath at times. Lunched at the top and chatted to a charming lady from Lichtenstein. Although rather too old for me (60) she had walked to the top of the pass having started early that morning. We talked about reasons for the journey and her son who worked in Falmouth. She was worried about safety following the terrorist attacks in London, but I put her mind at rest by pointing out far more people die of preventable accidents every day - so worrying about terrorists was not where she should focus her concern. I asked what he did. Rock climbing. I changed the subject.On the way down I came across a section of the old pass that had been bypassed in favour of a different route. Inquisitive as ever, I ducked under the barrier and took the old route along a cobbled road through stone tunnels lined with stone arched barriers. I was a glimpse of the pass frozen in the 1930s. If it was late I could have pitched my tent in the middle of the road in the mouth of a tunnel and had a night of undisturbed sleep. Time allowed me to press on, I had my eye on a campsite at the beginning of pass number four.Again the valley flattened and soon I was speeding down a gentle gradient following a river and single track railway. The route was a national cycle way and was again perfectly sign posted. It passed through pretty villages and sites of industrial heritage interspersed with wide areas of grass flat land. These passes often end in a lake and this one, Walensee, is famed for its crystal clear waters and as luck would have it, a campsite too.Instead of a shower I opted for a dip in the lake. From the water I watched the sun silhouette the mountains in a pink aura while listening to the sound of kids larking about on the pontoon. The water was a bit too cool for me, but OK for everyone else and I emerged refreshed but with numb fingers and toes. It was one of those things I just had to do. Next time I'll take the hot shower.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0734.jpg">Start of the pass<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0739.jpg">When you cycle up a road that end in this, you know theres a bit of a challange ahead<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0740.jpg">A look back<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0743.jpg">Looking ahead<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0749.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0754.jpg">On the way down<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0758.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0760.jpg">Old closed section of the pass<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0764.jpg">Streaming along the valley<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0766.jpg">Deserted towns on the old main road<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0773.jpg">Evening bathe in the lakeMountain pass 4 - Amden Pass, and I'm in Austria18 July, MondayStart point: Flizbach, Lake Walensee End point: Feldkirch (near Liechtenstein), AustriaVia: Odom(Km): 61.25Moving(hrs.mim): 5.25Ave(Km/h): 11.3Total Ascent(m): 1250Max Altitude(m) 1526Max Speed(Km/h): 48.6Pass number four was the shortest, lowest but the most challenging. I climbed quickly to Amden, the first town on the pass. Afterwards, the remaining section is closed to through traffic on account of its surface (patchy), gradient (steep) and width (narrow). A hard stretch of pedalling is required to keep balance on the way up. Although very impressive, the passes of the days before offered unrivalled views and I focused on the task in hand which was to reach the top and down the other side. I got caught in a swarm of the dreaded horse flies and stopped every so often to reapply repellent, evens so, one nibbled through my cycling top and chewed a bit off my shoulder. Reaching the top I cooled off and prepared for a steep descent on the other side. Unlike the other passes, I actually encountered fellow tourers - not racers or mountain bikers of which there are plenty. I was on my way down so I stopped for a chat. The couple were having a difficult ascent too and had stopped to admire the view and take some pictures while cooling off. Gave them advice about what was ahead warned them about the flies. They didn't have repellent and mine had run out - I was eking the remaining DEET from the tube with water. I expect their bleached bones will be discovered at some point in the future.Now I really had to find a shop to fix the bike. At the next big town I replenished food stocks and it was at this point the sky turned black and the rain lashed down. Mountain passes completed I felt rather smug at the timing aspect. I knew on the Monday afternoon the heavens would open and paced myself accordingly. While in the shelter of the supermarket I ate a bar of delicious Swiss chocolate and watched people leap in and out of cars carrying bundles of shopping and drive away with the head lights cutting through the darkness. Thunder storm over I continued to a sports shop where I made enquiries about bike shops. Yes there was one, she phoned to check to opening times, I had twenty minutes to wait. The rain started again with equal ferocity. "Would you like a coffee while you wait?", now that's my idea of sitting out a thunder storm. One brand new tyre later I was on my way into the light rain.How I ended up in Austria is quite straight forward. The cost of the tyre cleared all my Swiss Francs, so rather than go to a cash machine to draw out enough for one nights camping, I popped across the border and camped in the first site I came to in Austria where I could dig into my remaining Euros left over from France. Problem solved.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0774.jpg">Look back at the lake I swam in and camped by<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0776.jpg">A shop that JUST sold cow bells, talk about a niche marketing!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0778.jpg">One day I hope to but this, keep sheep and shout at children<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/SwissAlps/HPIM0780.jpg">Decent into the valley on the other sideA day off. The boss said I could have one19 July, TuesdayStart point: Feldkirch (near Liechtenstein), AustriaEnd point: Feldkirch (near Liechtenstein), AustriaNo cyclingRain stops play and I had a well deserved day off doing odd jobs, eating, sheltering from the rain, drinking wine, eating, eating again, updating diary, listening to the BBC World service, route planning my next stretch through southern Germany and tomorrows itinerary. Chatted to other tourers and generally took it easy. The campsite has a warm and comfortable room where I could write the last few diary entries as the last 4 days I only had enough time to write reminders of what I did. Now I have the time to flesh it out. Tomorrow I will be in Germany passing through the towns in the foothills of the Alps drinking beer and eating dried sausage.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1118491020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1118491020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1118491020/tpod.html Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:36:58 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Roscoff, Plouvorn,Sizun, Landiviseau, Crozon, Ile d'Ouessant, France

Chapter SummaryTo ease into the pattern of cycle touring I was lucky to have Rachael and James to both harden the legs and harden the liver... The plan was a tour of Finistère, starting and ending in Roscoff. Rather brave considering it was the end of May!A circular tour<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/Brittany.gif">Roscoff bound29th May, SundayStart point: Reading (near London)End point: RoscoffVia: Plymouth - Roscoff overnight ferryLucky we left enough time to catch the train as at Reading they did their best to lose the booking. It required intervention by the station manager to sort the mess out. Caught a direct train to Plymouth and with an hour or so to kill we head for sunset views overlooking the sea. The park is well landscaped with open space, gardens, memorials and a group of nutty students playing silly games.The ferry not so busy and I explored the lower decks. I unfurled my roll mat on the floor and slept soundly. Rachel kept awake listen to a chorus snoring and diagnosed at lest 4 cases of sleep apnoea!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7018.jpg">My flatmate, Karen deciding if shes is coming.. gonna have to lose the PJs if you do ;)<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7028.jpg">Deciding what to take - and what not to is the biggest dilemma. It clearly can make you mad! (See above)<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7034.jpg">Sunset in Plymouth where we caught the overnight ferrySpecial camping permission30 May, MondayStart point: RoscoffEnd point: PlouvornVia: Saint-Pol-de-LeonOdom(Km): 43Moving(hrs.mim): 3.30Ave(Km/h): 11.25Total Ascent(m): ?Max Altitude(m) ???Max Speed(Km/h): 45James got up very early at 4.00am and watched the sunrise swiftly followed by a breakfast of fried eggs with dippy soldiers, sausage, eggs and toast.Set off from the ferry and toured Roscoff until very inviting Salon de Thè' beckoned. We had made it a total of 500 meters. Cycled along a long jetty and took pictures looking across the emerald sea towards the town.Then to the larger town of St Pol de Leon which boasts two fine cathedrals and a rather serve traffic problem. We rested in a park called 'Champ de la Rive', which offered fine views of Morlaix bay and welcome post ferry snooze. We met middle aged English down sizers who were most impressed with our itinerary. Feeling the pangs of hunger we went in search of a food stop. I found a backstreet crepere called 'Creperie-Ty-Korne' where delights such as ham, Artichoke, goat cheese and cream filled creps and white whine called Touriquet where there to tempt the palette. A church tour later we headed out of town through fields of artichokes and harvested cauliflowers towards the first campsite. This is when things started to get complicated. On a arrival it was clear that the site was shut. Post ferry fatigued Rachel tantrumed over the lack of personnel at the municipal campsite near a beautiful lake. I placate Rachel by racing up the hill to the Mayors office to get a signed and stamped certificate from the mayor himself explicitly authorising camping for the night of the 30th May. It was as tough as the bargain beef from Netto we cooked on the camp stove. 4 litres of wine later I sat on my camera and smashed the LCD screen. All was forgotten after racing round the lake in the pitch black speeding like a demon. Rachel was ecstatic at the view of the Great Bear in the sky. James lay there giggling having had most of the 4 litres of wine.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7042.jpg">Rachael and James standing on the Pier at Roscoff<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7038.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7053.jpg">Special camping permission from the MayorThe over friendly duck31 May, TuesdayStart point: End point: SizunVia: LandiviseauOdom(Km): 35Moving(hrs.mim): 3.00Ave(Km/h): 11.7Total Ascent(m): 535Max Altitude(m) 151Max Speed(Km/h): 47To say it was a late start is a bit of an understatement. We broke camp at midday. It's a bit hilly and Rachael realised she needs to expand her granny ring to tackle the steeper inclines. Lunch at Landiviseau, a liquid lunch as breakfast had just been eaten. James practiced Frenching with the girl behind the tourist information desk to confirm the next few campsites were actually open. Speeding on we stopped for a snack and where approached by a scythe wheedling local farmer. We started speaking French quickly. As soon as we said we had stopped to eat he beamed a great smile and directed us towards a river of silage. Munching complete we soon entered 'le parc Naterel Amorique' and found campsite number 2, open and situated near to a blossom coated babbling brook that leads to a natural weir which we can hear now as we sip Conac and Pastice with an over friendly duck.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7061.jpg">Church stop off<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7072.jpg">View from the tentA taste of honey...01 June, WednesdayStart point: SizunEnd point: Landèvennec (Crozon peninsular)Via: Le FaouOdom(Km): 46Moving(hrs.mim): 3.52Ave(Km/h): 11.9Total Ascent(m): 650Max Altitude(m) 311Max Speed(Km/h): 54.3Decamped at 9.30 with two inquisitive sisters aged 5 and 9 years old to keep us company and Rachel's pastice hangover to keep James and I amused. Set off straight into the rolling hills and climbed up to 311m. Stopped by a ruined church for a nose round. In the village we came across the end of a pardon. Average age was 70 and mostly female. No less than 15 coaches were lined up to transport them to their lunch. Caught a glimpse of traditional Breton outfits with tall lace headdresses.Lunched in Le Faux sitting on seats overlooking the estuary eating baguettes and delicious cakes from the patisserie. As no shops were open, we continued on until waylaid by cider tasting. We tried the Breton version of Calvados and a very tasty cider that more like apple juice - but with a different effect. Chatted to the proprietor who told us of dying traditions such as the Breton language his parents spoke which he no longer could and the school uniforms that where phased out. We continued on further and found honey tasting. There was a very comprehensive display of tools and methods used in honey production that spanned 3 rooms and included a working hive in a cabinet linked to outside filled with busy bees buzzing about their business. We purchased a jar of dark honey made in the local area from flowers in the month of September. The road led to a suspension bridge that took us over the river Faou and onto the Crozon peninsular, a spit of land 25km x 8km jutting out into the sea. Followed the Grande Route No34 (GR34) a path that follows the entire Brittany coastline - similar to the Cornish coastal path. Had a rest at an old chapel built by a spring. Climbing away from the coast I broke into my first sweat. I dried off during the fast decent into Landèvennec, a town build round the ruins of an ancient abbey from the 5th Centaury, the first outpost of Christianity in Brittany. Just outside the town is a working monastery where stressed religious businessmen go for a week to meditate and reflect. The condition is they have to undergo a vow of silence.No shops were open in the small village so we decided to eat out. The meal was mediocre for the price but there was no choice as it was the only place serving food. Walked to the monastery looking for stressed executives who we could engage in conversation with but is was closed for the season. Back to the campsite for a walk along the spit that projected out into the bay. Beach combed for the next half hour as the sun set. Back to the tent for the evenings wine and entertainment. While doing a bit of bike maintenance, a friendly Belgium guy who had assumed the role of 'Camp Guard' came to help and chat. The view form the tent was a sight to behold. Near a ramp used to launch boats over looking a bay and river inlet crowded with small boats.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7081.jpg">There be cider in those bottles!!!Too much fun2-9th Jun, ThursdayStart point: Landèvennec (Crozon peninsular)End point: RoscoffVia: BrestDoing the diary got in the way of the eating and drinking...Pics speak for themselves...<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7140.jpg">I killed them!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7118.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7134.jpg">Rugged Breton coastline<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7142.jpg">Day trip to Ile d'Ouessant<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7167.jpg">Ile d'Ouessant: Rachael birdwatching in the fog! (top left)<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7169.jpg">Ile d'Ouessant: Lunch preperation, outdoors style, in the fog..<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7173.jpg">Ile d'Ouessant: Exploring the remote tracks<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7181.jpg">Ile d'Ouessant: Typical old island dwelling<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7186.jpg">Ile d'Ouessant: The most westerly part of the Western Isles!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/CIMG7203.jpg">Brest<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0011.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0016.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0031.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0044.jpg">James and I went hunting for Goats cheese!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0048.jpg">Overlooking L'Aber Weac'h, near Lannilis<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0061.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0068.jpg">Saint-Pol-de-LeonMenhier today, gone tomorrow10 June, FridayStart point: PlouescatEnd point: Saint-Pol-de-LeonVia: MogueriecOdom(Km): 33.7Moving(hrs.mim): 2.54Ave(Km/h): 11.5Total Ascent(m): 492Max Altitude(m) 52Max Speed(Km/h): 35.4Woke up to the sound of an irate campsite site owner complaining to James who was the first up that the campsite was closed and we should not have camped there. All fine and good although James had no idea what he was going on about. Everything we had seen the previous day fell into place. The army tents and groups playing volley ball where the camp cleanup squad. Instead of cleaning they played and drank copious quantities of beer and the facilities had obviously not been cleaned after the last season. We paid up promised to be on our way and continued with breakfast. On leaving the campsite we climbed the dunes overlooking a sweeping sandy shoreline. Paused for the view and continued following the coast eastwards into a strengthening easterly breeze. Hugging the coast we aimed for a menhier, after a false start we found it. At 6m high it impossible to confuse and stood alone on a grassy peninsular overlooking the sea.Ate out at a FANTACTIC resturant that night.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0080.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Finistere/IMGP0081.jpg">Saint-Pol-de-LeonA day off11 June, SaturdayStart point: St-Pol-de-LeonEnd point: St-Pol-de-LeonNo CyclingThings were slow to get moving on camp. James had the exhausting task of reading and falling asleep. I headed into town to pickup breakfast. Pain au chocolate, Pâté de Campagne, Camembert, pain aux six céréales, sliced ham and milk. Met Rach in town (St. Pol-de-L'on) who was about to do some very selective shopping. Back to camp to embark on a breakfast marathon with James. Sorted my gear and extracted a bag of items no longer needed to go back to Reading. Headed to the supermarket with Rachel after a snack with the mission of colleting ingredients for chicken curry, dessert and stubby beers. Rachel purchased presents for members of the gang back home. Mission accomplished I headed into town to try and find somewhere to access the internet, not easy in France without forward planning. I had missed the window of opening hours in the only cafe. It had just gone 5.00pm and the next opening time was the Monday morning. Guess I'd just have to wait. Headed back to camp, Rachel returned about the same time and we started to cook curry. The French don't do curry. The source we used looked more like chip shop curry and tasted even more mild. Adding wine to darken it, an egg to thicken it up, a stock cube to enhance flavours and chilli powder to give it some bite we actually turned a bland source into a something quite delicious. The petrol stove again made light work of boiling the rice. 9 bottles or beer later 1/2 bottle of red, port and cognac signalled it was time for bed.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1148861340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1148861340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1148861340/tpod.html Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:15:25 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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London, United Kingdom

By bike, I've crossed 3 continents, 15 countries, peddled 11400Km and explored many of the major cities en-route; Nantes, Angers, Blois, Tours, Dijon, Geneva, Fribourg, Bern, Interlaken, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Constansa, Varna, Burgas, Istanbul, Antalya, Anatalya, Nicosia, Limosol, Palermo and Tunis to name just the bigger ones.On this journey I've encountered many friendly people from just about every walk of life imaginable. I've seen the wealth and opulence of Western Europe cities like Vienna give way to the harsh life of post communist rural Romania. Crossed a single border to see the polar opposite - after Islam, the next major religion is enterprise. Explored a country divided in two where the capital, Nicosia, has a demilitarised zone running right through the centre, to Southern Europe where olive oil and wine lubricates the wheels of rural life family. Finally to Tunisia, North Africa, where I toured to the north coast down to the very fringes of the Sahara.Doing the journey by bike is certainly a way to meet people and experience things you would not get driving through 'just another town'. The independence from taxis, busses and train timetables is truly liberating and sightseeing a city by bike is a fantastic way to explore quickly and find things that just aren't in any guide books.I now have a real appreciation of geography and beauty of the Jura, Alps, Tatry and Carpathian mountains. Followed the Loire and Danube past some of the most impressive palaces and castles in the world. Cycled, camped and survived in weather conditions from ice storms to the mild sunny climate of the black sea coast. Experienced the buzz of life on the streets of Palermo in contrast to the desolation of the central plateau in Turkey. Listened to the emptiness and silence of the Sahara desert while visiting more archaeology sites than I ever though existed.All in all, a travel experience (I'm reluctant to call it a holiday) that has given me memories and a photo album to last a lifetime. I also hope my writings inspire others to break away from some of the well trodden holiday destinations and try something new. If so, I know a cool campsite in the Sahara desert!This is my story of where I went, what I got upto and why I was never caught...Read and enjoy.About mewww.jnewcomb.comA journey from point to point<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1537.jpg">The Journey<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/WorldMap.gif">Access the chapters here<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG7081.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/gb-lgflag.gif"> / <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/fr-lgflag.gif">France: Exploring Finistare with Rachael and James<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/IMGP0121.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/fr-lgflag.gif">France: Brittany to Pays du Loire<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM0106.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/fr-lgflag.gif">France: River Loire - Cities, Chateauxs and Gardens<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM0315.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/fr-lgflag.gif">France: From the Loire via Dijon and over the Jura<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM0408.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/ch-lgflag.gif">Switzerland: Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Bern, Thun to Interlaken<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM0652.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/ch-lgflag.gif">Switzerland: Four mountain passes in four days<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM0803.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/de-lgflag.gif">Germany: The Alpenstrasse<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/HPIM1216.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/at-lgflag.gif">Austria: The Danube<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG0046.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/sk-lgflag.gif"> / <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/hu-lgflag.gif">Slovakia: Tour from West to East<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG0518.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/ro-lgflag.gif">Romania: Storms, floods, mozzies and a hard rural life<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG0628.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/bg-lgflag.gif">Bulgaria: Black sea coast, beach bars and too many flies... <img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG0774.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tr-lgflag.gif">Turkey, Northern: Istanbul, Where East meets West<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1025.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tr-lgflag.gif">Turkey, Central: Dusty and generously fruity<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1258.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tr-lgflag.gif">The Turkish coast is packed with old ruins, Alanya, Turkey<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1389.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/cy-lgflag.gif">Island under construction, Cyprus<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1698.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/gr-lgflag.gif">The slow boat to Greece<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG1816.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/gr-lgflag.gif">Olympia, Mikines, Mystras, Sparta - Its non stop! Greece<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG2157.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/it-lgflag.gif">Welcome to the land of 3 barking dogs, Italy<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG2181.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/it-lgflag.gif">A Sicilian adventure - fast loud and Italian<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG2535.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tn-lgflag.gif"> Tunis and the north coast, Tunisia<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG2621.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tn-lgflag.gif">Dash for the Desert, Central Tunisia<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG3001.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tn-lgflag.gif">Ksar crazy in the Sahara, Tunisia<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/CIMG3153.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tn-lgflag.gif">Am I on Mars, Tunisia<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/images/nov dec_2447.jpg"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/tn-lgflag.gif"> / <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/bin/graphics/flags/small/gb-lgflag.gif">East coast tour and HOME AT LAST!!!!, Tunisia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134863220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134863220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134863220/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:37:26 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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London, United Kingdom

__________________________________________________________09 Dec, FridayStart point: RedeyefEnd point: TunisVia: MetlaouiOdom(Km): 96.00An early start allowed me to sort the dates I picked up in Douz and box them for the Christmas dinner. Then continued through eroded landscape to the large industrial town of Metlaoui that exists due to the high phosphate and lead content of the surrounding landscape. This the where I finish my tour of southern Tunisia. I have toured just about every site that I am interested in seeing at this time of year and will head north on public transport as the cold and rain are many times more likely further north of Gafsa. Time to leave the bike in Tunis and explore some of the bigger towns within easy reach of Tunis on foot. Busses here take bikes for a small baggage charge and it was a long 7 hour journey. Once in Tunis I made my way back to the hotel which I stayed in on the first night.__________________________________________________________10 Dec, SaturdayStart point: TunisEnd point: TunisDay out exploring Tunis, pounding the streets, sampling the food and shoe shopping of all things! As a rule I have found that the advertised prices in the shops are 1 pound for 1 dinar. A good smart pair of leather shoes cost 35 dinars and there are 2.3 dinars to the pound. This makes the shoes I purchased around 15 pounds. I'll need them for job interviews and posh meals.__________________________________________________________11 Dec, SundayStart point: TunisEnd point: SfaxVia: El-Jam, SfaxI'm already familiar with the public transport system, even though I have barley used it. Cycling on the roads a large proportion of the traffic is a mode of transport called the louage. It is a shared car or small minibus - more like a transit van with seats! They line up underneath a sign displaying the destination and when full, off they go. Getting from one big town to another involves waiting until 4 people (car) or 9 people (mini-bus) arrive. I can assure you in a country where people always seem to be on the move, the time you need to wait ranges from a few minutes to the time taken for everyone to scramble into the vehicle and close the boot bursting with an assortment of luggage. It's a none stop, full throttle white knuckle ride to your destination. They unload at the station near the centre from where you can get other louages to near by small towns and villages. It's so simple, fast and cheap that I can honestly say it puts the transport system of the UK to shame.This is how I got from Tunis, via Sousse (population 158,000) to Sfax (population 14,000). Sfax is a small town with a big coliseum - the third largest in the Roman world. It measures 138x114x30 metres and seated 30,000 people in 3 tiers. I wandered round the site, exploring the underground passages and climbed up the different levels which gave good views of the structure and the town below. It was a bit too cool to linger around for long and I soon found myself in a snack bar tucking into a warm bowl of lablabi. Next the museum, with I have to say is the best in Tunisia I have visited. It is set into the grounds of an archaeology park where the finds came from - and in some cases remain in their original position. Information is informative and gives background and context to what you are looking at. The introduction goes something like this: El-Jem is an unlikely site for such a large town for the following reasons:There are no springs and the ground water is heavily salinated.The soil is very infertile, with little and unreliable rain.There is no supply of local stone, the nearest quarry being 30Km away by the coast.The geography of the site offers no natural defence.But judging by the scale of some of the villas, prosper it did.After the museum I hopped on a louage to the nearest big town, Sfax. This is a big town with a compact centre. I booked into a good hotel in north of the Medina - a vastly expensive 4 pounds a night for a clean all tiled room that makes your eyes go funny if you stare at them for too long. Stare at the walls is not something I didn't do for long once I got exploring the narrow winding streets of the medina. I can't think of a better place to do my Christmas shopping. Perfumes, spices, coffees, teas, things you burn, things to dissolve, oils, things to eat, things to rub together, things that smell nice and things that even the shopkeepers can't describe what you do with them.Then for a stop in a cafe - one of the best in town. Where else can you sample mint tea, plain coffee, Arabic coffee and caramel coffee while looking out over the medina walls onto the Ville nouvelle - and pay 60p for the pleasure.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3186.jpg">The coliseum at El-Jam<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3180.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3197.jpg">Fantastic Mosaic in the Museum, unearthed in its grounds<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3208.jpg">Sfax is the best destination for shopping in Tunisia. The least hassle, not that I had much elsewhere. Typical street markets<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3211.jpg">Closly pack houses within the Medina__________________________________________________________12 Dec, MondayStart point: SfaxEnd point: SfaxSee 11th December in Sfax - more of the same, it's a hard life out here.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3228.jpg">Medina from the outside. Note the café culture.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3231.jpg">The main shopping route - closed on a Monday. Ouch.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3244.jpg">Man on street<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/CIMG3252.jpg">__________________________________________________________13-16 Dec, TuesdayStart point: SfaxEnd point: LondonSeries of buses, ferries, trains and cycling got me home in 3 days. Not much point about writing about I as not much happened. These are the practical details:Louage from Sfax to Tunins. One night in Tunis.Boat from Tunis to Marseilles via vomit central - lucky I don't suffer - took a day and a night, for some it lasted months.Train to Dijon, Paris, and Calais. Boat to Dover and train to London. This took 2 days one night.Then I drifted around London and ReadingFinally returned home to Southport to my parents and the house where I was born. Luckily they were thankful to see me (alive). The end.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/East/home.jpg">
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134090060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134090060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134090060/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:36:34 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Redeyef, Tunisia

___________________________________________________________02 Dec, FridayStart point: TattouineEnd point: Ksar Ouled SoltaneVia: Chenini, Douiret, Ksar Ouled SoltaneOdom(Km): 85.90Moving(hrs.mim): 5.24Ave(Km/h): 17.8Total Ascent(m): 908Max Altitude(m) 550Max Speed(Km/h): 53.4I woke up to no rain or fog so it was time to get moving again. First stop, Chenini. This hilltop village is the largest of such an example. The small houses were used as modest dwellings or for grain and oil storage. Climbed up to the top exploring the insides of these huts whose stone surfaces are warn smooth from centuries of use. I squeezed through a tiny opening in the wall to find myself standing amongst giant amphora filled with oil and grain. There was a collection of old farming implements, tin cup, enamel bowl and lots of esparto grass baskets. The contents have not been touched for many years and the olive oil had a bit of a stale smell to it.A few photos later I returned to the bike and continued to Douiret. This is similar to Chenni and again allowed more creeping around looking into peoples houses to see how they lived - I guess crouched most of the time!Then to Ksar Ouled Soltane - famous for its 2 courtyards towering up to 4 stories high. By the time I got here the place was deserted and it was in the advanced stages of getting dark. I peered into a couple and saw one that looked clean, dry and had a door. This would make a great place to camp down for the night I thought. So I did.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2905.jpg">Spot the black sheep<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2909.jpg">Chenini<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2917.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2938.jpg">Douiret___________________________________________________________03 Dec, SaturdayStart point: Ksar Ouled SoltaneEnd point: ToujaneVia: Medenine, MatameurOdom(Km): 96.00Moving(hrs.mim): Ave(Km/h): Total Ascent(m): Max Altitude(m) Max Speed(Km/h): Ate breakfast watching the sun cast its early morning shadows over the organically shaped ghorfas. Carried by a strong wind I made it effortlessly into Medenine for a lunch stop of my favouate soup - Lablabi. Didn't do any exploring as the town was busy and I wanted to press on. Near by is the little town of Matameur and its ksar. Chatted to the man who was renovating some of the ghorfas into bedrooms.The setup was similar to Ksar Hallouf and looked quite pleasant and welcoming. Stayed for mint tea and chatted to two Spaniards who turned up. Now against the wind, my speed dropped from 33 to 11Km/h, and more effort was required - such is the power of the wind. Made it to the hills before finding a camp spot sheltered in a compensation dam - hope it doesn't rain tonight!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2952.jpg">Early mrning over Ksar Ouled Soltane<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2962.jpg">Matameur and my Tea companion___________________________________________________________04 Dec, SundayStart point: ToujaneEnd point: MatmataOdom(Km): 54.00A gusty wind kept me awake, and it was nothing to do with the large quantity of dates I have been eating. As I was close to Matmater I decided to sleep in and was ready to go at a tardy 8.30am. The route from Metameur to Toujane to Ain Tounine to Beni Zelten was superb, with sweeping views across the eroded Mars like landscape down to the plains below and ending in the blue gleam of the distant east coast. Passed through villages containing some interesting architecture. The area is well known for its underground dwellings built by the Barbers - indigenous North Africans. They are a series big holes in the ground connected by passageways. Off the holes are rooms, and it is in one of these I am staying tonight. Its claim to fame is it is where they filmed the Starwars - Luke's home where he lived with his foster parents. I ate dinner in the courtyard surrounded by bits of the original set - close up it's a real Blue Peter affair!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2966.jpg">Try and fun a bush to pee in here<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2987.jpg">Sarwars hotel in Matmata___________________________________________________________05 Dec, MondayStart point: MatmataEnd point: DouzOdom(Km): 99.00After Tamezret, a pretty stone village, the road passes through no villages until Douz. I peddled on and stopped at a cafe for water were a few fellow tourists had assembled. Arranged to meet up with Ken, a friendly Brit - the first one I've met outside Tunis. The other was a member of the delegation at the presidents summit who I asked to take a photo at Carthage.After some fairly monotonous pedalling and more learn French with Michelle Thomas, I arrived and pitched up. Ken arrived on cue and suggested we find beer. The evening was going to be fun. A meal and a good chat in a language other than French was just what I needed.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2995.jpg">Typical village<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG2998.jpg">Typical goat<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3001.jpg">Typical sunset___________________________________________________________06 Dec, TuesdayStart point: DouzEnd point: KebiliOdom(Km): 107.00Set off on a circular tour of the area west of Douz via El Faouar and soon bumped into two fun Italian cycle tourers, Mark and Marko. I soon saw Ken who was sipping coffee in a roadside cafe - it all happens at once out here! After a brief chat with Ken I rejoined the pack for a route that took us through small villages, palmaries, dunes ended at an expansive salt lake. Young boys were again causing problems enroute. In Kebeli we located the youth hostel and 6TD, 2.20 pounds secured us a base from which we ventured forth into to the night. The eatery we found had a chicken rotisserie - spit roast chicken which went down well. Then engaged in the all male cafe culture by sitting out on the street, drinking tea and smoking the sheish watching the world go by.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3009.jpg">'Finger of light' dates still on the tree<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3015.jpg">Passing down a branch of dates<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3011.jpg">Sorting<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3010.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3026.jpg">Sunset on the way to Kebili<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3030.jpg">Mark and Marko relaxing in the local style___________________________________________________________07 Dec, WednesdayStart point: KebiliEnd point: TozeurVia: TozeurOdom(Km): 94.00It is difficult to describe to someone who has not cycled into the wind for a whole day how draining it can be. They always imagine hills are the challenge - which they are but have a maximum height and an added bonus of the views and a downhill part. I expected a stiff headwind crossing the vast salt lake of Chott El Jerid but no - it was very calm and even slightly in our favour. Stopping mostly for photos and a lunch that included one of my favourite (and Marko's) snack called horn of the Gazelle. It's a package of near transparent sweet pastry stuffed with a honey soaked nut mix - and of course it is in the shape of a horn.Following the rains that had completely submerged the Douz campsite, all the salt in the salt lake had dissolved and where there had been white as far as the eye could see, now there was only water.Lunch over we continued into Tozeur where I unpacked in the bungalow on the campsite. Marko and Mark checked into a hotel off the main street. Sampled more cafe culture and a then recharged in a restaurant where I had a very tasty local speciality. Back to a cafe and more sheesha before we parted. My plans are to cover more ground tomorrow so I said my farewells to Mark and Marko, a relaxed, fun and witty pair.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3032.jpg">Faster Faster<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3036.jpg">Marko<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3038.jpg">Salt lake of Chott El Jerid<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3074.jpg">Lunch break. We didn't need any salt - look behind.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3065.jpg">Lake break<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralEast/CIMG3081.jpg">Entering Touzeur__________________________________________________________08 Dec, ThursdayStart point: TozeurEnd point: RedeyefVia: Tamerza, MidesOdom(Km): 96.00Up and on the road for the sunrise over Tozeur. Took the turnoff Towards Tamerza which took me across a salt lake and past a camel crossing point. In the distance a mountain range of red folded rocks loomed ever closer and provided a spectacular backdrop on my right hand side. Crossing the range was no great challenge but was slow progress due to the number of spectacular photo opportunities. Deep gorges run through the mountains and in one place a cascade of water emerged into an inviting pool. It was difficult to miss due to the number of souvenir stalls next to it. In summer this place is going to be a magnate for those wanting to cool off, but in winter it's just a bit too cool for me to contemplate.Then through the town of Tamerza and lunched overlooking the ruined old town. Next stop, Mides, 1Km away from the Algerian border. It was washed away by freak rains in the 1960s and the occupants decided to rebuild elsewhere - this time using cement instead of mud. I walked around the abandoned village with collapsing or collapsed houses. The old village is perched on the edge of a gorge where they filmed the English patient. Walked into the gorge looking for caves, but found none - I couldn't explore much as a river ran through the middle.Camped up just before Redeyef in a dried up river and settled down when I heard a flock of sheep and shepherd in the distance. He stopped to talk, the only problem being his 130 sheep carried on walking. He asked if he could return later to which I agreed. This gave me time to update my journal with the last few days and prepare for tomorrow.Ammar returned with a friend, BouBoker. The were both very laid back and friendly. We started a camp fire, drank coffee and talked about the practicalities of living so close to the border. Ammar showed me the two SIMM cards he carries around for his mobile. "If I want to talk to my Algerian friends, I use this one. If I want to talk to my Tunisian friends I use this one". He like me would otherwise suffer from the extortionately high costs of international phone calls which dwarf what we pay in Europe. International pre-pay cards are not available here as the phone service is a government monopoly with a great earner they wish to protect.He also regularly sneaks across the border at night to visit friends on the other side. They showed how to write my name in Arabic and we spent a pleasant evening by the glow of the fire and the light of the moon.<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3108.jpg">The sign was right<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3099.jpg"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3121.jpg"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3130.jpg">Mountain range<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3134.jpg">View from the to over the salt lake I have crossed<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3141.jpg">Date production fed from a spring<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3145.jpg">Tamerza<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3147.jpg">Ruined village of Mides following heavy rains in the 1960's<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3149.jpg">View up from the gorge to the ruined village<img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/ChipperJon/Cycle/CIMG3151.jpg">
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134417360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134417360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1134417360/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:35:51 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Sahara, Tunisia

___________________________________________________________28 Nov, MondayStart point: DouzEnd point: 5Km north of Bir Soltane (it a well, not a village)Via: The pipeline roadOdom(Km): 96.26Moving(hrs.mim): 7.07Ave(Km/h): 13.5Total Ascent(m): 403Max Altitude(m) 214Max Speed(Km/h): 27.9Now is the time to venture into a very sparsely populated area. After leaving Douz, I expected to pass through a few villages on the road to Matmata - but there is nothing, just scorched earth like the Mars Lander photographed. There is a handful of cafes scattered at distant intervals and when I neared my turnoff of the pipeline road I stopped by for directions and water. I have 4 maps and they are all different. Loaded with 7 litres of water I heading down the pipeline road, called so because it is a service road the oil pipe that runs parallel underground. On the right hand side, although it seemed all around me is the vast emptiness of the Sahara desert, red earth and stones on the ground. It was a pattern to be repeated for most of the day.The road is not really suitable for a tour bike, and not one I would recommend to others. Its bumpy, soft and very hard going. With considerable effort I managed to sustain 9Km/h and aimed to get to a water well 23 Km from the start of the road. I didn't make it and instead camped up 5Km short with tired and aching legs... Yes it was that hard! Its probably a good thing camping here as there is nobody around - I guess next to the well is a cafe gift shop where I would be pestered all night to buy a souvenir.Today I stopped and listened; nothing. No wind, no cars, no birdsong, no insects. Nothing. Silence. You hearing goes hypersensitive with the brain trying to pick out any identifiable sound, but it can't. It was a this point I decided silence was not for me so I plugged myself into my MP3 player and peddled to the beat.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2797.jpg">Swiss couple and their camper 4 X 4 - Look at the morning head poking out the flap<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2798.jpg">Douz, Off to school we go..<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2800.jpg">The road from Douz has nothing except sand and crazy cyclists<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2805.jpg">Get used to the view<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2810.jpg">The start of the pipeline road<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2820.jpg">Desert cqmping<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2812.jpg">and another of those sunsets you only get in the desert<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2826.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2831.jpg">In the tent and Knackerd___________________________________________________________29 Nov, TuesdayStart point: 5Km north of Bir Soltane (its a well, not a village)End point: Kasr HalloufVia: Bir SoltaneOdom(Km): 52.48Moving(hrs.mim): 6.13Ave(Km/h): 8.4Total Ascent(m): 449Max Altitude(m) 453Max Speed(Km/h): 27.9Started down the last 5Km of the pipeline road - walked most of it as it was too sandy. Decided it would not be a good idea to continue to Ksar Ghilane and instead turned towards Beni Kaddach. 8Km of more hard work the road returned to normal. I flew into Ksar Hallouf, a Ksar - or hill top village that was established in 1200 and deserted in 1940. The houses are like nothing I have seen before - narrow, small and on two floors. A local family owns a guesthouse in one of the restored houses and I decided to rest here for the night. The young man in charge, Jalel, took me on a guided tour of the near by village. After we sat down with his sister and her husband for a tasty meal of couscous and chicken. It was a pleasant evening in good company, and yet more practice of my French.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2834.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2836.jpg">If you are thinking of cycling the pipeline road, then this is what you are in for!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2840.jpg">Still, not long before I made it to a deserted village, Ksar Hallouf.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2842.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2852.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2850.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2853.jpg">My room for the night<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2862.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2860.jpg">Food for the night___________________________________________________________30 Nov, WednesdayStart point: Ksar HalloufEnd point: Ksar HadadaVia: Bir Soltane, Ksar Joumaa, Ksar HadadaOdom(Km): 52.68Moving(hrs.mim): 4.25Ave(Km/h): 11.9Total Ascent(m): 940Max Altitude(m) 612Max Speed(Km/h): 43.3I didn't expect that, blustery wintry showers all night and drizzle all day. Motivation to continue was lacking in the morning and I emerged from my room ready to go at 8.00am. Jalel tried to persuade me to stay, but as always is the case as soon as I decide to stay, the sun burns away all the clouds away. So in the interests of progress I decided to continue. First stop was Ksar Joumaa, a very similar town perched on a hill. The grain store on this particular ksar was in a fortified courtyard with thick walls. Established in the 1200s and deserted in the early 1960s again, most people preferring to live with gardens, piped water, and satellite TV down below. The threat of invasion by maraudering tribes has somewhat diminished the need to live in a cramped fortified settlement. It too had rooms to rent, but somehow lacked the character of Ksar Hallouf - and the welcoming owners.The landscape becomes quite out of this world - emphasised by two huge dinosaurs perched on one of the hills. The terrain resembles Arizona on a smaller scale with eroded hills and red landscape as far as the eye can see.After I passed through Beni Kaddache my next destination was Ksatr Hadada. Rather than being on a hill tops, this habitation is protected by a wall. The main town is now outside the wall. I did my usual tour around. Some of the dwellings have been occupied until very recently. There is also a program to convert 30 of the dwellings into hotel rooms - rather then just empty shells. A few lads emerged covered in plaster dust and carrying sledge hammers - it looked more like demolition than conversion! The site has the strong claim to fame that it was used in the filming of Starwars, a new hope - the first to be released (according to my guide book) and for the setting of Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine in the Phantom menace (according to the sign). After my visit I stood dripping in the gateway contemplating my next destination and soon got talking to the security guard. "You want to stay here?" With 2 hours of light left and an unknown number of hours of drizzle I agreed. When asked how much, he responded with "pay what you want to pay". As its Identical to Ksar Hallouf where I stayed last night I suggested the same price was appropriate - 10 Dinars, or 4 pounds. Another night in a traditional home with all the comforts of a place 800 years old. Luckily my camping kit includes a central heating system and water supply. Good job I did stay as the rain continued throughout the night. Camping wild here is impossible now as the ground has turned into a clay like mud that sticks to the soles of you shoes making them heavier and heavier every step you take!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2864.jpg">Typical village of the region<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2865.jpg">Ksar Joumaa<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2875.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2892.jpg">Same style, different village; Ksar Hadada<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2888.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2889.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2890.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2887.jpg">Typical insides___________________________________________________________01 Dec, ThursdayStart point: Ksar HadadaEnd point: TattouineVia: TattouineOdom(Km): 43.05Moving(hrs.mim): 2.24Ave(Km/h): 17.8Total Ascent(m): 244Max Altitude(m) 387Max Speed(Km/h): 45.9There houses may lack many things, but water proofing is not one of them. For a place with no damp course or modern materials it is bone dry inside, despite the continuous rain I was experiencing. The door is made from palm planks and provides a good protection from the elements. Another good night sleep. In the morning I peared out my little dwelling to see only fog. As it was not raining I carried on. I soon started raining quite heavily so I headed to the nearest big town, Tatouine and booked into a hotel with a hot shower!Toured the town on foot and picked up some culinary delights on my way. Washed kit, odd jobs and a much needed shower.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2900.jpg">Town of Tattouine<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2899.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/Central/CIMG2895.jpg">They sell deep fried doughnuts - Im in heaven.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1133121180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1133121180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1133121180/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:34:27 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Douz, Tunisia

___________________________________________________________22 Nov, TuesdayStart point: Ain DrahamEnd point: TeboursoukVia: Bulla RegiaOdom(Km): 94.81Moving(hrs.mim): 5.49Ave(Km/h): 16.3Total Ascent(m): 941Max Altitude(m) 763Max Speed(Km/h): 52.4I'm sure the views were great this morning, but all I could see was fog. In Ain Draham lots of people were on the street walking to school, work and going about their business. If this volume of people were to drive then the town would be a really unpleasant place - like many European towns and cities. Unfortunately I doubt they are walking by choice.First stop of the day was the Roman archaeology site of Bulla Regia and the source of a number of mosaics I saw on display in the Tunis Baro museum. What makes this place different from the many other Roman remains I have seen - at that is many - is a number of the buildings are underground and complete. I have never walked into a Roman house with ceiling still intact until now. To escape the heat the clever Romans built villas with a floor underground. These are not basements or storage but living quarters and contained sumptuous decoration, of which parts still remain. They all have a courtyard that lets in light to the rooms, all had mosaics of which some are still in situ. Fragments of the interior decoration remain and the ceilings are quite high. They are not holes in the ground - water features, running water, private baths, dining rooms, courtyards - all complete and intact. It makes a difference from having to guess what the place looked like by walking around foundations - the rooms are actually there and no imagination is required. There is also the assortment of bath house, forum, theatre, agora, and roads with many of the paving blocks untouched.After a spot of lunch in the sun, which came out as I toured the site, I powered on through ploughed fields to Bou Salem and made it as far climbing to the top of a range of hills called 'Mts de Teboursouk'. All this way I was chased by dark clouds and once I hit the hills they caught up with me. Camped next to a redundant section of the road in the blustery wind and light rain. Keeping an eye on the air pressure, another great function of the GPS - barometer with the pressure at sea level and a 48 hour plot of previous readings taken even when the unit is off. Needless the say it is on a very downward trend at the moment.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2563.jpg">Morning mist over Ain Drahaim<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2570.jpg">Bulla Regia Roman site<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2579.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2591.jpg">Underground house<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2590.jpg">With mosaics still there<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2581.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2597.jpg">Theatre___________________________________________________________23 Nov, WednesdayStart point: TeboursoukEnd point: DahmaniVia: DouggaOdom(Km): 94.87Moving(hrs.mim): 6.28Ave(Km/h): 14.7Total Ascent(m): 869Max Altitude(m) 605Max Speed(Km/h): 50.0Last night was windy. There was not the option of shelter, that would require somthing like trees - which were not part of the landscape here. The tent held up well and I got a reasonable nights sleep.I was soon at the archaeological site of Dougga and immersed myself in the ruins. Like Bulla Regia this Roman frontier town made most of its wealth from 2-4C AD cultivating corn. The highlights are the Capitol of Dougga with its 10 metre high walls and intact portico - (that's the flat triangular thing that sits on top of the columns) and the theatre. I spent the morning wandering around taking photos and feeling cold. As I left a few coaches arrived along with some threatening rain clouds. The rest of the day was spent pushing south to the desert and away from the wet weather. Landscape has changed to a more barren setting - yes, dusted with green grass now it has rained, but in the summer I can imagine it being quite bare. The shepherds all wear medieval looking brown capes with pointed hoods to keep out the wind and rain. I keep meaning to stop and take a picture but it is difficult to when being chased by rain clouds - and dogs.Stopped by the police - they are friendly and just interested in where you are going and why. I start volunteering all the information I was asked the last time I was stopped. You have to realise that their working day is pretty dull and some nutter on a bike is a highlight for them. They asked to check your passport , but its just an excuse to be nosey. I tell them about my route, places I've visited, places I am heading to, ask a few questions and soon they are eating out my hands. I even got escorted to the nearest shop to buy some milk.Having been stopped I didn't fancy camping next to the road so I headed into a farmhouse and asked if I could camp round the back out of sight. No problem. I was invited to sleep in the house and have food - but I declined as light is at a premium and I want to be up early tomorrow. Also there are the complications of where do I sleep, where do I put my stuff, where is the toilet, what do I do as it has no flush, when do I plan for tomorrow, late night, noise.. the list goes on. Its easier for me to camp in the garden but I can't give them the reasons as they don't get what I am doing in the first place!They did make me a plate of flat bread, chips (cooked in dripping!), egg and a stuffed pepper. I supplemented it with half a baguette and that was sufficient for an evening meal and it saved an hour cooking and eating a mammoth portion of pasta. Route planned and readied for bed.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2600.jpg">Incase you forget which country you are in or what the president looks like<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2636.jpg">Dougga Roman remains<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2607.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2606.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2609.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2623.jpg">Holding it all together as usual<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2617.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2631.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2633.jpg">The communal cr@pper___________________________________________________________24 Nov, ThursdayStart point: DahmaniEnd point: SbeitlaVia: Ruins of SbeitlaOdom(Km): 98.44Moving(hrs.mim): 4.55Ave(Km/h): 20.0Total Ascent(m): 551Max Altitude(m) 860Max Speed(Km/h): 45.4Wow, was that a cold night... It narrowly topped the ones in Slovakia for chill. Without the stove to keep the tent very toasty indeed when unpacking and getting ready for bed or getting up and packing then I would have given up camping long ago. The only thing I thought after waking up and checking the temperature inside the tent (1 DegC) was I should invest in a pair of woolly socks and fix the hole in the tent near my face where I stabbed the inner tent about a month ago. Another unforeseen difficulty was packing away a tent that is frozen ridged. The poles froze to the tent and once they were free, collapsing them was difficult as again, the joints had bonded together with ice. The rain seems to be over but the starry night are not conducive to a warn nights sleep.I set off and waved goodbye to the owner of the house I camped next to and picked up a very fierce tail wind that blew me with little effort to Sbeitla. By normal standards I estimated a full day of cycling followed by a night stop and visit of the ruins the following day. Because of the developing north westerly I arrived at the archaeology site just before 13.00 - lucky it blew in the right direction!Sbeitla is famous for it well preserved Roman temples and had echoes of the capitol at Dougga. The three temples were built around the 2nd centaury side by side. The stone used is native to the surrounding geology and highly prized as it is the closest colour to gold you can get. I toured the site reading plaques, identifying the main sites and hunting photo opportunities. A fine destination of you ignore the fact it was rather too cool for a sunny day. Gloves, jumper and jacket required.Once finished it was 15.00 and I had a number of things to do before I continued - buy a pair of woolly socks for one. I discovered a back street auberge that was 5TD or 2 pounds for a room for the night. Perfect - I used it as a base, purchased some woolly socks, fixed the tent, phoned home and had a rather pleasant meal in a restaurant near by. One of the staff or owners kept me company and I had fun speaking French - putting into practice my spoken French lessons I had been listening to all morning.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2637.jpg">Olive pickers<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2655.jpg">Roman ruins of Sbeitla<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2654.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2651.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2657.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2658.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2667.jpg">__________________________________________________________25 Nov, FridayStart point: SbeitlaEnd point: 16.5Km SW of GafsaVia: Odom(Km): 130.68Moving(hrs.mim): 8.02Ave(Km/h): 16.3Total Ascent(m): 451Max Altitude(m) 509Max Speed(Km/h): 36.1Cycling in Tunisia is great providing you have a thick skin and are good at dodging stones and rocks. Theft and abduction are not even on my list of worries - its boys from the age of 10-17 who do their best to kick you, knock you off the bike by throwing stones or kicking footballs and nearly always shout a torrent of abuse at you. If there are girls or adults around then you are safe, but if you have more than 3 boys on their own then more often than not they will attempt one or more of the above. It all boils down to the fact they and Tunisians in general don't understand why you don't hire a 4x4 and travel that way. Explain to them that the work you do in the UK provides a great mental challenge, but often a physical challenge is needed to complete the picture. Just knowing your capabilities and to be able to say to yourself "I can do that" is the driving force. Indeed, people in Europe actually pay to go to a gym where they lift things that don't need lifting, run on machines that are stationary, cycle on bikes that go nowhere just for the pure as simple fact they are trying to achieve some sort of goal. "But why do that if you get paid for sitting down". No empathy. No understanding. With boys, seeing something like a foreigner on a bike provokes an attack reaction similar to the dogs. Its a good reason to wear the cycle helmet!It is my conclusion that although the folk endure hard work, hot climate and many other hardships, they would much rather be sitting in an air-conditioned cafe drinking tea and smoking the sheesh all day - and who can blame them.Today was a day devoted to distance. The terrain has transformed to a drier barren terrain and after Gafsa I was transported to a different place altogether. Red mountains rising up either side in the distance and flat, red earth with clumps of weed underfoot. There is very little else to it than that. The area is dusted in a white deposit, imitating snow or ice - which is the reason the town of Gafsa has grown so big - phosphate mining. Throughout the day a stiff breeze was against me, sapping my energy. My hope is that once I reach Tozeur, I will be carried the 90Km across the salt flats in half a day!Stopped off at roadside eatery for a snack in the afternoon and asked what kind of meat they had. I soon felt rather stupid as in a pen next to me was a sheep, bleating helplessly. I'll have that one. No shortage of camp spots, due to the shortage of people around and hence nobody to upset.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2676.jpg">The road to the desert<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2678.jpg">My first camel I saw was being filled up with unleaded<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2682.jpg">This is more like the hot and dry climate I search for___________________________________________________________26 Nov, SaturdayStart point: 16.5Km SW of GafsaEnd point: TozeurVia: TozeurOdom(Km): 89.21Moving(hrs.mim): 6.06Ave(Km/h): 14.6Total Ascent(m): 528Max Altitude(m) 216Max Speed(Km/h): ???Another icy start to the day. I didn't realise it was so cold until I turned off my tent central heating and started to pack it away - but it was too late, I only had two pairs of socks on and a third woolly pair packed away. Off I set through very featureless landscape until the town of Tozeur. Most of the traffic on the side roads to Tozeur were transporting dates collected from the palmaries for sale in the more northerly towns in Tunisia. I had to buy some so I stopped at a sorting point and handed over 1TD, or 40p - I got 4 kilos of dates - so much the bag couldn't fit into any of my panniers so I bungeed the onto the back for ease of reach. After eating a kilo I though I better stop - and good choice because boy, did they give me the sh!ts. I decided to stop in Tozeur and hired a bungalow for the night on the campsite for 9TD, or about 3 pounds 50p. Now with a base - and a toilet, I set off to visit the medina - or old town centre, and got an impromptu tour of the best sites. Then to the palmary, one of the larger ones in Tunisia to see where the Christmas dates come from. Next a park with a view over some of the palmary from a rock. The wind was still blowing a stiff south westerly which kicked up too much dust to see anything of interest. Then to the museum and then a hunt for food. My favourite by a long way is a chickpea soup / casserole with bread - called lablabi. 1TD or 45p and it makes a meal fit for a cycle tourer.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2684.jpg">View from my tent in the morning<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2686.jpg">My first wild camels<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2688.jpg">but I was warned - just incase they came leaping out from behing a tree or somthing.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2692.jpg">Tozeur, last town before the desert<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2691.jpg">Guess what is in season??? Dates!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2693.jpg">A chance to stock up on local goods<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2694.jpg">Interesting use of brick<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2697.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2706.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2703.jpg">Two kids who pestered me to take their photo - then after doing so they demanded 2 dinar. Luckly I know Arabic for "Go away", which did the trick. Guess which one was the ring leader; its not hard!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2708.jpg">Trees laiden with juciy dates<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2712.jpg">View from the rocks<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2713.jpg">A dusty sunset___________________________________________________________27 Nov, SundayStart point: TozeurEnd point: DouzVia: DouzOdom(Km): 134.11Moving(hrs.mim): 6.55Ave(Km/h): 19.4Total Ascent(m): 497Max Altitude(m) 68Max Speed(Km/h): 44.1have been looking forward to today. This is when I cross Chott El-Jerid, a 5000sq km salt lake that has no water for most of the year - only thick crusty layers of salt and flatness as far as the eye can see. You have probably seen it on TV, its the place where Luke Skywaker contemplates the two suns in the film 'Starwars'. The road starts near Tozeur and runs for 70km on a causeway 2 metres high. It was not boring in the slightest. I had my MP3 player, the road to myself and a stiff tail to push me along at a speed of 30km/h with no extra effort. I packed extra water and lunch but the whole thing was over in 2.5 hours. The journey was broken up in three. The first was a photo opportunity in the middle where the salt stretches like ice as far as the eye can see. The second was being passed by a jeep / truck I recognised from the campsite in Tozeur. The Swiss couple stopped further up and we chatted for 15 minutes. The third was another photo opportunity, not by me but a jeep of 4 journalists from Poland. I posed for a few photos and they asked me to cycle slowly past which I was glad to. I asked them to send me the best few. One gentleman in particular was interested in my travels as he himself had done some touring around Lithuania.Then through dusty villages with little traffic on the through road. There were only a few people going about and the business of transporting the picked dates. Stopped and made another dent in my bag of dates but I limited myself to 50 as after my previous loss of self-control led to loss of bowel control.Arrived in Douz, toured the town an cycled south to the beginning of the desert. I soon stumbled across the 'stadium' where Michael Palin did his camel racing. Beyond that was desert. No golden sand but I was standing on the last town for some considerable distance.Met up with the Swiss couple at the campsite and got ready for bed.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2730.jpg">No, just hanging around;<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2732.jpg">Interesting building style unique to the area<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2745.jpg">Road out to the salt lake - where Luke contemplated the two suns in Starwars<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2766.jpg">Its east to get lost without a compass<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2769.jpg">Not much to look at, but thats its beauty<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2771.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2776.jpg">On the other side of the lake, guess what?<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2778.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2782.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2784.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2785.jpg">Transportation of date is still carried out the old way in some cases<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2787.jpg">Road to Douz, the last village before the Sahara<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2789.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2791.jpg">Douz, a good stop for a coffee<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2795.jpg">Some shopping<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2792.jpg">or just pounding the roads with your donkey<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/CentralNorth/CIMG2796.jpg">Sandy Sunset
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1132602600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1132602600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1132602600/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:33:56 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Tunis, Tunisia

___________________________________________________________ 15 Nov, TuesdayStart point: PalermoEnd point: TunisPurchased provisions for the crossing and made my way onto the ferry. With little messing about we were soon on the open sea heading towards Tunisia. A big ship, with a handful of passengers and some rather rough seas. Not sure what to expect on arrival at the ferry port - I have to make my way across the causeway into Tunis - a ride of 10Km or so in the dark. Still, after successfully negotiating the streets of Palermo at rush hour, I'm sure its nothing I can't handle.When retrieving my bike from the hold I bumped into another of those rare species, a cycle tourer. Victor is Swedish, in his late teens he had finished school and was in the last stages of his first long distance cycle tour - from Sweden to the ancient city of Carthage in Tunisia. How lucky is that I thought. What I was not prepared for was the unbelievably strong security presence. Sniffer dogs, machine guns, police and everyone seemed jumpy and on edge. All passengers entering were stopped and searched, luggage x-rayed - and this was having got off the boat! The bikes were stripped down - again - and forms filled in. I thought it was a bit extreme. On the way over the causeway we were flagged down by two of the other passengers who had been talking to Victor on the ferry. We chatted for 10 minutes - they had great respect for our efforts and choice of destination. Also we were informed a summit of many presidents was taking place in the city of Tunis - hence the extreme security. Everywhere we went were armed police. Entering the city we the ride up Ave Habib Bourguiba is quite dramatic. Big fountains, big road, big buildings and big of money but thankfully little traffic. This is the modern showpiece of Tunis and the site of many of the international hotels. With all the presidents arriving it was probably the cleanest it has been since it was constructed - they were literally scrubbing the pavements when we arrived. Found a hotel without much problem. Clean, central and 8 euro a night for a sizable room. Went for a wonder around to check out the surrounding facilities and managed to persuade a restaurant to stay open for a bit longer so we could tuck into a tasty chicken dish with all the trimmings.Back at the hotel we said a toast over a glass of wine to our safe and comfortable arrival in the city of Tunis - pity the president couldn't make it to greet us.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2333.jpg">Victor about to tuck in..___________________________________________________________16 Nov, WednesdayStart point: Tunis city tourFirst stop was the tourist information, dropped off some seriously toxic washing at the laundrette - paid by weight, I was tempted to ask if we could pay for the weight AFTER washing. Breakfast was filling soup called 'lablabi' served with bread. Stopped by the main market where we tried dates and they were nothing like the ones you get at Christmas. These were near transparent envelopes of nutty syrup with none of the gristly bits. Then to the Medina, the ancient walled section of the city for an in-depth explore of the twisting winding streets packed with souvenir shops, workshops, houses, Mosques and lots of screaming children. I was pleasantly surprised at how hassle free the whole place is. Being the low season I thought we would be pounced on by hordes of idle salesmen, but no. It was fun and not the slightest bit stressful as I expected it to be. Stopped off at a number of places that seemed to be closed except one, the Dar Ben Abdallah Museum which is an old house renovated in the 19th century to the latest tastes. The rooms have been restored and filled with furniture and creepy manikins dressed in period costume. We took a long walk to the Bardo Museum along a dusty road where the pavement just seemed to disappear.The museum is undeniably a work of art. Many of the mosaics and items are displayed in a fabulous and spacious setting. Many of the visitors were VIPs from the international summit and I got the impression there were some seriously big wigs admiring the exhibits with us. In my opinion though it was more an art gallery than a museum. I found it candy for the eye and not fodder for the brain. Time was ticking and we were soon kicked out the museum. Hopped on a bus back to the town centre to pick up our washing and plan the next few days ride together around the north coast. Victor makes a very easy going cycle companion. When I asked 'Which foods don't you like', he thought for a bit and said, 'none'. Need I say more. Wondered around town soaking up the evening atmosphere and feasting on a giant bowl of soup so thick that it hardly seems fair to call it soup. One of the freshest baguettes set us up for a venture into one of the very few bars that sell alcohol. The are all seedy, but the good beer is enough to distract you from that and the other odd ball customers.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2334.jpg">Central market in Tunis<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2336.jpg">At last.. I got a date!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2341.jpg">Main avenue in the city of Tunis<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2346.jpg">Gateway to the medina<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2350.jpg">In the heart of the medina<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2351.jpg">The architecture<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2355.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2352.jpg">Artisan at work<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2358.jpg">I want my front door to look like this<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2384.jpg">The Bardo Museum<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2379.jpg">This emporer look like somthing out 'The Thing', the marble thing also no oil painting:<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2385.jpg">"who stole my trousers"<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2383.jpg">Mosaic excavated from the house of the hunt<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2390.jpg">If only I had floor this big I would buy it now<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2394.jpg">Or a ceiling this big<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2408.jpg">All washed down with food and drink<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2410.jpg">___________________________________________________________17 Nov, ThursdayStart point: TunisEnd point: La MarsaVia: Carthage, Sidi Bou SaidOdom(Km): 32.95Moving(hrs.mim): 2.31Ave(Km/h): 13.1Total Ascent(m): 96Max Altitude(m) 315Max Speed(Km/h): 39.2Packed and made an early start from Tunis. Cycled along the causeway back to the ferry port to the town of La Gouelette and with the wind behind us we soon rolled effortlessly into Carthage.It started off as a Phoenicians city founded in 814BC and after a series of epic battles with Rome, it fell in 44BC and was symbolically levelled and rebuilt in the Roman style with forum, baths, stadium etc... and it soon became the third most important city in the Roman empire after Rome and Alexandria and home to over 300,000 people. With the decline of Rome, Carthage followed and disappeared into obscurity.First stop was the hilltop site of the Basilica and forum, now site of the Musee National de Carthage. Inside were mosaics, statues and a reconstruction of the site. It information gave us a little bit of an insight into what went on there. Next past swarms of police and diplomatic cars to the Antonnine Baths - the usual hot, tepid and cold baths, steam and massage rooms. The striking thing about the site was the size of the complex. The foundations and parts of the structure still exist and they are big.The short stretch of 400 metres to the Roman villas, Victor got a puncture - the second in 4000Km. I didn't realise at the time, but we were metres away from the Presidential palace. I chatted to the friendly police man who was given a dressing down by his superior and kindly asked us to move the repair job out of sight from the road which we did without complaint as they carry pistols. Puncture fixed we set off to the site of a number of villas just across the road, one in particular had been rebuilt. Great views over the bay. Then past more police and army back to the presidents palace. We decided not to drop is it would inconvenience all the other people who had prearranged months in advance. More cycling north following the coast took us to Sidi Bou Said, a charming village of blue and white houses - Mediterranean style. Got to the top of the high street and Victor got his third puncture in 4000Km. Time was ticking and police were everywhere so we agreed it would be better to stay in a hotel. After much searching we booked into Pension Predi and Victor carried out his repairs. Feeling despondent, I had to persuade him not go home straight after reaching his goal of Carthage, but to continue the adventure along the coast and then south to the Sahara.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2411.jpg">Carthage<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2414.jpg">Excellent museum<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2421.jpg">Sweeping views across the bay<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2425.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2427.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2428.jpg">Delegation posing for a photo. How nice of them, but why are all looking in the wrong direction?<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2454.jpg">Roman baths, Cartharge<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2451.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2440.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2443.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2455.jpg">Flat tyre<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2468.jpg">Wine and deep fried doughnut - all is well again___________________________________________________________18 Nov, FridayStart point: La MarsaEnd point: BizerteVia: BizerteOdom(Km): 79.63Moving(hrs.mim): 5.30Ave(Km/h): 14.5Total Ascent(m): 359Max Altitude(m) 88Max Speed(Km/h): 47.0Much to Victors dismay, I was up bright and early for 6.00am. Packed and started cooking breakfast. On the road we passed through the flag ship hotel zone and the place was filled with army, police and men in suites with funny ear pieces. Every so often a cavalcade of flashy cars would speed passed with hazard lights flashing and speeding as to cause more danger to occupants than any possible car jacking.There was a final road block after Gammarth and everything seemed normal again. Everywhere we go there are pictures of the president smiling and waving. What is disturbing is that these pictures have not just been put up for the duration of the international assembly, they are a permanent feature. Every business has one behind the counter. I haven't asked how this rule is enforced.After the hotel zone the road is flat, well made and skirts around a giant lake situated to the north east of Tunis city. There are sweeping view to the surrounding countryside - mostly ploughed fields of mud. The housing is made of shacks and farm animals wander around. Saw a chariot being pulled at no great speed by a donkey. Passed through some large towns and were harassed on occasions by wild dogs and even more wild boys. With so many days off as holiday, they have become troublesome. The road quality deteriorated due to the rain and we ended up going down some roads covered in a thin layer of mud. Navigated back to the sealed road to rejoin the busy Tunis to Bizerte main road.On arrival in Bizerte my first priority was refuelling with a packed baguette. Victor exclamed he wasn't hungry and felt a bit sick. I suggested a sugary drink and he washed it down with the odd mouthful of baguette. We agreed to meet up after I had toured the town. Firstly I took pictures of the old port and then wandered around the Kasbah, a walled town containing lots of anonymous looking houses crammed into unfeasibly narrow streets. Climbed a near by hill next to the outdoor theatre for views over the town. Two container ships were being towed along the canal and under the bridge that we crossed - titled very much in its 'up' position.Back to retrieve Victor and find a place for the night. The hotel we eventually found was 6TD a night - that's £2.25 per person, per night for a clean and friendly place to rest.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2474.jpg">topping up<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2475.jpg">City of Bizerte - view from swinging bridge<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2477.jpg">Now there a hazzard to look out for on the roads<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2480.jpg">Old port<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2487.jpg">Narrow streets of the Kasbah<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2493.jpg">View from the hill<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2497.jpg">Fishermen___________________________________________________________19 Nov, SaturdayStart point: BizerteCity tour - day offToday was spent doing odd jobs such as washing my cycle gear, fixing radio, mending waterproofs, sampling numerous foods and pounding the streets. Somehow I'm rather glad we didn't do any cycling as there were some rain showers that turned Bizerete into a city of puddles. Victor and I went for a walk round to soak up the evening vibe, ate more snacks, drank a mint tea that was closer to liquid toothpaste than tea. Back and packed ready for tomorrow - back on the road. Unfortunately Victor has to catch a flight on the 2nd December so he will not be able to make it down to the Sahara with me. <img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2502.jpg">You see some odd things for sale in a market<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2506.jpg">Backstreet life<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2508.jpg">My favourate meal; Lablabi<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2514.jpg">Night life___________________________________________________________20 Nov, SundayStart point: BiserteEnd point: NefzaVia: Odom(Km): 96.34Moving(hrs.mim): 6.29Ave(Km/h): 14.8Total Ascent(m): 661Max Altitude(m) 298Max Speed(Km/h): 44.7French is widely spoken and with the Tunisians being so engaging. I have had lots of practice in just the few days I have been here. If you want to get to use your French then this is the place to come! I have received many comments and people assume I am French. When I reveal I'm English, they often say "But you speak French so well". I think I have the accent, but I seem to get by with my limited vocab. Trying to understand their response is the challenge for me!Exited Bizerte following the canal - the reason for its existence. Then followed quiet roads past Lake Ichkeulnational park. Last year it rained solidly for 3 months and washed nearly all the bridges away, landslides swallowed up whole sections of the road and the railway the runs along the north coast is beyond repair. The land around is intensively farmed and could do with a few trees here and there!The reaction of people on the street now out the big towns and cities is very similar to Turkey. There is no shortage of people to stop and chat to.Camped in a plantation containing cork trees with the distant sound of dogs and feasted on spaghetti in a tomato and Rosemary sauce with the obligatory baguette.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2524.jpg">The quiet roads<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2528.jpg">A bridge that was totaly washed away in servere rains last year. Its not just down; its gone.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2531.jpg">The railway didnt fare much better<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2532.jpg">Camping in a cork plantation<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2535.jpg">Yet another sunset picture___________________________________________________________21 Nov, MondayStart point: NefzaEnd point: Ain DrahamVia: TabarkaOdom(Km): 65.21Moving(hrs.mim): 4.53Ave(Km/h): 13.3Total Ascent(m): 919Max Altitude(m) 628Max Speed(Km/h): 40.5I am indeed enjoying this country. It is not a difficult place to travel in. The food I have tried so far is good and cheap - around 1 Euro for something in a 'stand up' with as much bread as you can eat (within reason). Restaurants are about twice that. Portions are better than anywhere else I have been. The hotels we have stayed in are cheap and have 'character' and 'characters'.Victor is suffering - a combination of food, water and bad luck. He has decided to travel back home from the last town in Tunisia on the Tunisia / Algeria border - Tabarka.There was more traffic on the roads than yesterday, but in comparison to any western European town its still a laughably small amount of traffic. Victor battled on and just after 13.00 we arrived in Tabarka without the police escort that followed us for most of the way. I organised transport for him and the bike back to Tunis and waved farewell. Although I have no shortage of people to talk to, a travel companion is something I have missed and Victors mild manor, thoughtfulness and laid back attitude to any situation make him the perfect travel companion.Toured Tabarka quickly and ate lunch slowly. As I am on the coast next to the Algerian border and about to follow it south, this is my last chance to see the sea. What else could I order, but the grilled fish. "Is it caught locally", I asked. "Of course", he replied. I said, "In England, the restaurants catch their fish in the freezer". That tickled him.After a quick tour around this small and pleasant town I continued out past a huge cork processing plant. Trucks laden with chunks of the stuff are to be seen going in and out.The road south climbs gently but steadily upwards and on a corner of the road I looked down on a set of neat terraces filled with cork trees. That's a good camp spot I thought. I also have goat meat with my spaghetti tonight.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2537.jpg">Back on the road<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2540.jpg">Not the place to make a wrong turn<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2546.jpg">I placed Victor in good hands for his return journey...!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2552.jpg">View of Tabarka<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2555.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2554.jpg">Fish!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Tunisia/North/CIMG2556.jpg">What happens to the rubbish you put in the bin? Travel 1Km out of town to find out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131632700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131632700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131632700/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:32:54 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Cesaro, Italy

___________________________________________________________07 Nov, MondayStart point: PaolaEnd point: Scaletta SuperioreVia: Reggio Di CalabriaOdom(Km): 20.00Moving(hrs.mim): Ave(Km/h): Total Ascent(m): Max Altitude(m):Max Speed(Km/h):Took the train to the big port town of Reggio Di Calabria with the aim of getting the front and back wheels replaced and a boat to Sicily. Took a 6.25 train and was there just before the shops opened. Then the next problem was to find a bike shop. I found one who insisted there was nothing wrong with it - I exited quickly, he was not someone who I wish to me to start disassembling it if thats what he thought. More aimless cycling around looking for either an Internet cafe, where I could search of one there or a decent bike shop. It was at this point I bumped into Callea Giuseppe, a road racer on a super lightweight bike. Help I said.. He kindly took me to a bike shop that had the expertise to do the job. Within hours I had two brand new high quality wheels and the original brand of brake pads I used prior to all my problems. The only draw back is that in Italy, people don't commute on bikes so hybrids are not that common and the shop was for road racing, with a few mountain bikes. As a result they could not reuse my rear cogs and had to replace them with a less favorable gear ratio - more suited to going fast down hill and not slow uphill with lots of weight. No problem, most of my mountains have been done with only mount Etna and a few more to go so I can put up with it for the next week or so. The whole bill came to 200 Euro - much cheaper than the same job in the UK.I didn't feel like touring the town as it was noisy, busy and not very pretty. The only plus point is the sea view over to Sicily - which is where I headed for next.Turned up at the ferry port not really knowing where to go or which boat to take. Unchallenged I simply wandered aboard one ferry that looked promising and sat up stairs. Nearly empty it set off and within 30 minutes we arrived in the port town of Messina. Took the minor roads out the town through decaying streets and dreadful traffic.The whole day I had been looking for an Internet cafe and during 18Km of cycling a coast road lined with shops, houses, garages and everything else, not a single place with Internet access. I had the same problem in Italy which is why I have not updated my web page. It is partly to do with opening times too, when they open at 10.00 and close at 14.00 it's not very convenient. When they open after their 'Italian lunch break' it's getting dark and I have to find a camp spot. The one I found opened at 10.00 but when I came back at 10.15, I forgot about the 'flexi time' that shop keepers seem to keep in the mornings especially.Then I had my spirits dashed - the first hill I came across I pedaled up in the lowest gear - and the chain kept on slipping. This is symptomatic of a worn chain ring - and this was the most important one when it came to climbing hills. I can use the next one up, but its much harder - and compounded by the fact I have gearing more suited to road racing. It has to be fixed and Palermo is the next destination that I can realistically find a shop with the required kit. I need a list of distributors for mountain bike companies and without Internet access its going to be very difficult.The replacement break blocks work fine - no scoring of metal with spirals of wheel rim falling off and getting lodged in the break pad. I'm not looking forward to the mountains ahead with my newly restricted gear ratio though.. it will make it very hard work indeed.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2172.jpg">Bike repair - new front and back wheels. Callea, the fellow cyclist who rescued me.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2175.jpg">Crossing the Straights of Messina, view of Sicily___________________________________________________________08 Nov, TuesdayStart point: Scaletta SuperioreEnd point: LinguaglossaVia: TaorminaOdom(Km): 53.84Moving(hrs.mim): 4.03Ave(Km/h): 13.2Total Ascent(m): 850Max Altitude(m) 477Max Speed(Km/h): 46.5The Italians do like their cars. I was expecting this but the difficulty is the streets as so narrow and winedy that it make it difficult for me to share the roads with them. There are cyclists about, but mostly road racers. The traffic fluctuates greatly during the day and is quiet during the zombie hours of 14.00 - 17.00.Today I got to see Mt. Etna. At first I thought for 3300 metres right next to the coast, it doesn't look that big. The sides slope very gently and I could see a sprinkling of snow on top. The closer I got the more I changed my opinion. Having spent most of the day in an Internet cafe renewing contacts, answering emails, renewing travel insurance, checking shares, bank balance, looking of bike repair dealers, updating maps on my GPS and a host of other tasks I started the gradual climb up the south side. At this point I revised my impression of its scale. Its huge. Clouds are nearly always a permanent feature on the down wind side of the volcano as the air is forced up to a high altitude where it condenses. Camped up in an abandoned house as rain was on the horizon.Italy is another country that does not know what porridge or powdered milk is. Even the desperate fall back, coffee mate can't be found. Luckily in Greece I stocked up, but my supplies will only last two more days. After that I will have to learn to live without such decadent luxuries.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2178.jpg">Miles of this type of road follows the cost<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2179.jpg">After many Km, I finally got a view worth a photo, Taormina___________________________________________________________09 Nov, WednesdayStart point: LinguaglossaEnd point: CesaroVia: Mt EtnaOdom(Km): 86.91Moving(hrs.mim): 7.00Ave(Km/h): 12.4Total Ascent(m): 2042Max Altitude(m) 1814Max Speed(Km/h): 50.3Mt Etna rises from the sea and peaks at 3323 metres. The highest point accessible by road is 1814 metres and this is was the goal for today. Starting off I climbed through forests of sweet chestnut trees - the fruit already dropped and scavenged. It is a good job otherwise I would have been greatly destracted filling up on these delicious treats. Then came the pine forests and suddenly black rocks that could be traced up the side of the slopes until the clouds obscured my view. The road ended, buried under the stones and a new on constructed on a higher level. The sign informed me this is the damage caused by the 2002 eruption where molten hot lava crept at walking pace down the hill consuming anything in its path. I carried on upwards where there is much more evidence of the 2002 eruption. At the top I abandoned the bike and walked up to a near by ancient crater. The whole volcano is peppered with them, some small, like the one I visited and some very large indeed.If you get to see the top you are very lucky indeed as the air forced up condenses into a continuous stream of clouds. It looked as though it was going to clear, but it never did so I free wheeled back the way I came and a drop of 1000 metres from 1800 to 800. My the time I reached the bottom I was shivering with cold. Waterproofs, gloves and thermal top were not enough. Then in the shadow of the mountain I followed the road that skirts the north face until time to camp. A glance back reveiled the full size of the cone shortly before I stopped, see picture.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2181.jpg">2002 lava flow<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2182.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2184.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2185.jpg">Small crater on the top, the cloud obscures the cone that towers a further 1500 meters. After 8.30am cloud is an ever present feature.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2188.jpg">An earlier lava flow<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2189.jpg">See how they threaten some sizable towns established at the foot of the volcano__________________________________________________________10 Nov, ThursdayStart point: CesaroEnd point: TrapianiVia: Odom(Km): 75Moving(hrs.mim): 3.50Ave(Km/h): 17.3Total Ascent(m): 528Max Altitude(m) 1525Max Speed(Km/h): 49.2To speed progress along I decided to finish off Sicily by train. The reasons are as follows:Shop opening times - 10am to 2pm is not enough to keep provisions stocked up. When in national parks, the chances of finding somewhere where I can buy bread are slim. Most places I see are closed. Despite attempts to pre-empt such situations I keep getting caught out. Morning opening times are often 'flexible'. When they open after lunch, its is completely dark and I should be camped by then.Traffic - Roads that go anywhere are well made and the traffic is quite heavy and fast. Lots of corners reduce visibility. They give more room when overtaking than in the UK but much much less to the oncoming cars!Gears - With the restricted range of gears since my wheel replacement and the fact I can't use the lowest gear on hills means on even gentle slopes I have to lift my bum out the saddle and start putting quite a force on the pedal. I didn't have to do this before.Hill top towns are quaint, I have detoured to visit many of them with a vague hope of finding an open shop. They have no commercial centre and somehow no soul.No porridge or powered milk.Language - with all my problems, ahem.. I often need help. It is very rare that anyone can speak English or French. It always a leads to confusion and often the same thing is repeated slower and more deliberately in the hope I will understand, luckily, unlike Romania, they resist from saying it LOUDER.Tunisia is somewhere I wish to explore and time is ticking. I aim to be back in the UK by the 17th December, all things considered this will now give me 3 weeks in Tunisia, a suitable length of time.Camping has been difficult at times, lots of fences and dogs.Food is expensive, supermarkets don't seem to sell the low cost brands. It just doesn't feel right to spend 2 pounds on a tin of hotdog sausages or Spam.Getting water can be a problem, asking of it is difficult as all the houses have big electric gates with intercoms, long drives and unfriendly dogs. The say people are like their dogs and these are people I do not wish to meet.So, off I set for the coast to pick up a train to Palermo. After an early start I climbed the rest of the way up the mountain ridge that separate Cesaro from the coast. At 1524 metres I donned my waterproofs, gloves and jumper for what has to be the most enjoyable descent I have ever done. The Parco Nebrodi is thick with damp oak forests and a diverse range of wild life. At such an early time in the morning there was little traffic and lots of animals - and these ones were very much alive.I rolled for an hour and a half losing all of the 1524 metres in altitude with only light touches on the breaks. Unlike many of the mountain passes I have done before which are just a whole series of hair pin bends where brakes are more on than off, this route cleverly followed the contours of the landscape right to the coast. The wild pigs were funny. They are shy animals and the silent approach of me gliding quickly downhill takes them by surprise. Seeing a pig bolt into the forest up near vertical banks is an amusing sight. When I arrived at Sant Agate di Militello the next train that could take bikes was in 5 hours time. I lunched in the port, updated my journal and played on the internet trying to find cheap accommodation in Palermo. Caught the train and decided as time was running out to get my rear chain rings looked at as soon as possible as the weekend starts soon and the chances of get anything done are slim. When I arrived at Palermo, a train left almost immediately for Trapani, the location of a shop that stocks the parts I needed. Tomorrow morning should set the wheels in motion to get the bike in a usable state.___________________________________________________________11 Nov, FridayStart point: TrapianiEnd point: TrapianiVia: Turned up at the bike shop and explained my predicament. Some of the rear chain rings were worn and I asked for them all to be replaced. This and a bit of retuning, two new water bottles and oil bottle came to a very reasonable 25 Euro. They expressed concern that the shop before mixed a shimarno rear derailleur with Campagnolo chain rings and hub. Still, you learn. Updated my website and camped on the beach. Tomorrow, Palermo.___________________________________________________________12 Nov, SaturdayStart point: TrapianiEnd point: PalermoAs I left batteries recharging at the internet cafe, an early entry into Palermo was out the question. I had a train time in mind, but soon learned that 'Festivi' is does not just mean bank / public holiday, but weekend too. The train I wanted to get was not going to today. Waited till 11.40 and started the very long train ride. At 3.00 I arrived at Palermo, a distance of 120Km. With light fading I cycled around to find a hotel as all the ones I had got from the internet turned out to be impossible to find. I also kept on getting distracted as there were so many interesting side roads and things happening. Stumbled upon the Hotel Olympic with singles for 25 Euro a night.Made a trip into to town on foot and discovered a very lively street market that went on late into the late evening. Back to the hotel to consume and drink a number of my finds.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2197.jpg">Fish, served up be none other than Benny from ABBA<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2203.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2204.jpg">Sheep heads anyone?___________________________________________________________13 Nov, SundayStart point: Palermo City tourInitially undecided about this city, today it has grown on me. True, the Italians have a love affair with the car but somehow the place would be different without the buzz of the lambrettas up the narrow stone slab streets. Most journeys within the city are unnecessary and fast with destination 'fun' being the primary goal. Sunday is always the best time to tour by bike and at times I found it quite enjoyable. Bike was the means of transport and the following destinations were penned on my objectives list. Firstly, Palazo dei Norman (The Norman Palace). This is a mix of building styles and currently houses the seat of the Sicilian assembly. The guided tour was informative, interesting and comprehensive. The only problem for me is it was given in Italian, still I got to see the remarkable 12C Palatine Chapel decorated in the 'Moorish Norman' style - if you can imagine semicircular arches decorated with mosaics containing lots of stars - similar to the tiles in the Istanbul Ottoman Palace.Next was a tour of the town squares, or piazzas. Of interest was Piazza Pretoria, with its 16C marble statues.Then to a rather gruesome sight, the Cappuccini Catacombs.http://members.tripod.com/~Motomom/index-3.htmlImagine 8000 dead people fully clothed, some lying down, some standing in alcoves. They range from bleached skeletons (again, fully clothed) to others that resemble wax works. They mostly died between 1840-1880 and as you would imagine, the clothing is from this period. Neck ties, stiff colours and smart suits were the most popular. Most were in the stage between wax work and skeleton - i.e, leathery shrunken skin. many still had hair - and hats. All rather peculiar, but just the sort of thing I like.Then as evening approached I extended my tour further from the centre to explore more of the outer suburbs.The town obviously had its heyday in the baroque period and many of the buildings reflect this. The war has damaged large sections of the city and bomb damage is still evident in many parts. Buildings have not been maintained and are literally crumbling away. I get the feeling that some of the areas are very poor - houses are propped up with wooden scaffolding, rooms small but homely. No matter how poor the area is, there is always a fight for a parking space. If there is one thing that is an everyday necessity in Italy, that's some sort of fast car - even if its just a Nissan Micra, its still driven fast! One of the most interesting areas is a market area that runs parallel on the west side of Via Roma. The area has the African community and a bustling daily market. Its should not be forgotten that North Africa is only 150Km away from Sicily. Went to the harbour side where I saw an interesting BBQ set-up. Strung up were what looked like continuous sausages. The lady skewered them and put them on a BBQ. I just had to try. I soon realised as I tucked in I was eating stuffed intestine. What its was stuffed with I don't know, but it was watery, pink and tasted like liquidised liver mixed with engine oil. 3/4 of the way through I decided I didn't like it and binned the rest. I have a preference for mint flavoured chewing gum and not liver. Found a bookshop with the Michelin map and lonely planet guide to Tunisia. I'm getting very excited reading about the places to visit. The gateway to the Sahara desert, the food, people, prices and the open road.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2259.jpg">Palermo backstreets<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2239.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2252.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2206.jpg">Grand buildings<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2236.jpg">Norman Palace<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2228.jpg">12C Palatine Chapel in the Norman Palace<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2231.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2249.jpg">Piazza Pretoria<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2265.jpg">Cappuccini Catacombs - a place filled with real dead people<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2276.jpg">Backstreet artist<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2294.jpg">Stuffed intestine anyone?<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2303.jpg">Night life___________________________________________________________14 Nov, MondayStart point: Palermo City tourTravelling by ferry is always difficult. Each Ferry company publishes lists of times and dates for their ships and flatly deny there is any other way of getting there. All I had was a date and time - but no evidence. The next crossing is on Saturday at 10.00am. I went back to the hotel and retrieved the piece of paper with times and information. "This is a different company, you can't buy a ticket here". After a lot cycling around I tracked down the correct office which was closed - and had no published opening times. Back into town for more touring, food, rests in piazzas, soaking up the plentiful sun, dodging death wish scooter drivers and being buffeted by the cobbled roads. I returned to the ferry office and was told I had old information. The time has now changed from Monday midnight to Tuesday at 10.00am. I was issued the information sheet in Trapiani only a few days before. I returned back to my hotel, paid another 25 Euro and got ready for another night in Palermo. <img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2319.jpg">Each trade has a street. Guess which this one is?<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2328.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Sicily/CIMG2320.jpg">Cathedral
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131286860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131286860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jnewcomb/cycletour-2005/1131286860/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:31:44 -0500 A long cycle tour. Three continents, two wheels, one person and no commonsense. (cycle tour, bike tour, cycle touring, bike touring, bicycle touring, cycle camping, bike camping, bicycle camping)

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Paola, Italy

___________________________________________________________31 Oct, MondayStart point: Agrapidochori, near SimopouloEnd point: Ferry from Patra to Brindisi (Italy)Via: Odom(Km): 40.0Moving(hrs.mim): 4.20Ave(Km/h): Total Ascent(m): Max Altitude(m) Max Speed(Km/h): I had a boat to catch and plenty of time to take the scenic route through the hills to the coast road. The villages on the way don't get tourists and I had the usual puzzled looks as I flew past. Then followed the busy coast road into the port town, Patra. I made my way to the ferry port and booked myself on a 17.30 sailing. When I was told the name of the boat, my heart sank as I was the one had previously noted as being the biggest rust bucket in port. It cost 41 Euro for a 15 hour crossing. An hour to spare I checked email and carried out necessary jobs until time to go.Boarding the ferry I was struck how few passengers there were. I soon got talking to Neil and Mel, an adventurous couple who sold their Sheffield house and escaped the rat race to travel abroad in a VW. We chatted in the bar over 1.5 litres of red I purchased from Euro Spar. More fun and laughter followed another 1.5 litres than Neil produced. The ferry has what is called a 'camping deck' where you can access your camper van while at sea, so off we set for a fantastic tuna salad that Mel made. The inside of the 'Monkey Bus' [nickname] was in very good shape with a comfortable and practical layout. Then the Raki came out. At this point my memory starts to get a bit hazy. I remember taking photos with stuffed monkeys, but what else happened I'm not to sure. I camped down on the lowest passenger cabin deck. Without a soul around I soon slipped into a deep sleep - or unconsciousness, I'm not sure which.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2084.jpg">The monkey bus<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2082.jpg">Mel and Neil, 1.5 litres of wine later<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2097.jpg">All, after 3 litres of wine and Raki. The monkey drank most of it, honest.___________________________________________________________01 Nov, TuesdayStart point: BrindisiEnd point: Ceglie MessapicaVia: BrindisiOdom(Km): 75.0Moving(hrs.mim): 5.20Ave(Km/h): Total Ascent(m): Max Altitude(m) Max Speed(Km/h): Italy, another country and a different language to grapple with, different (unwritten) rules and ways of the road, foods and landscape. Today is a national holiday and everything is shut. Found an open air church service and toured the town. The holiday turned parts into a ghost town and there was little traffic to deal with. Exited and continued through olive groves, vineyards and farms. Camped next of one of the many vacant domed stone houses that line the roads. Pity about the 30 barking dogs in the surrounding area. Woof woof, pointless barking, woof, woof.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2100.jpg">The rust bucket, it doesn't look too bad in this photo!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2102.jpg">Outdoor service in Brindisi<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2112.jpg">A popular day for the dead<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2117.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2121.jpg">Grand home, used as farm outbuilding<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2123.jpg">Domed houses are very common in this part (and only this part) of the world.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2122.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2128.jpg"><img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2125.jpg">Narrow streets with stone slab roads___________________________________________________________02 Nov, WednesdayStart point: Ceglie MessapicaEnd point: PomaricoVia: Martina Franca, MateraOdom(Km): 131.10Moving(hrs.mim): 8.37Ave(Km/h): 15.2Total Ascent(m): 1369Max Altitude(m) 523Max Speed(Km/h): ???I miss villages, the Italy I've seen so far doesn't have them. Sure, there are some clusters of houses that line the road, but thats all they are. Villages have a focus such as a public square with a cafe, baker, mini market and ever present old duffers sitting next to the fountain. Italy has towns with industrial estates, urban sprawl and a nightmare one way system in the centre.Opening times, now here is a subject I could rant on about for a while.. All shops are open from 9.00-14.00 and 17.30-21.30, Even in the major towns. Thats 3 1/2 hours when the town is dead. Cafes are open during this zombie time, but thats it. I arrived in my first destination before 9.00 and nothing was open. Continued with the intention of stopping when I came across a baker to buy some bread. 110Km later I was still looking but it was in vain. When I arrived in Matera it was lunch break - I was starving and not a single shop open. I refused to go in a cafe and buy an overpriced packet of crisps that would not fill me up - I needed a loaf of bread.My first town I toured, Martina Franca has a delightful centre with narrow passages, squares and basilica.The second town I entered was to buy bread - which I failed in doing so - but instead stumbled across a gem of a town centre. The old town is located in a depression and I stood admiring the fantastic view from the edge. Chatted to a group about my travels after a fellow cycle tourer passed comment about the bike. It was like and audience with Jonathan Newcomb, but I was glad for a bit of conversation.I am now in a very sparsely populated area - I know this because I cycled for 2 hours hoping to find a house where I can ask for water. The countryside is vacant. The houses are either derelict or securely locked up. Either way there is nobody around. In the end I climbed the fence of an empty house and collected water from a tank at the rear. The irony is it was raining at the time!Today I saw the change from small farms with animals or olive groves to intensive agriculture and then to hills with nobody around. Camped outside one of the locked houses as the ground is too muddy to pitch on - the great thing about a free standing tent is you don't need to peg it out and a ThermoRest roll map provides a perfectly comfortable surface - even on concrete.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2130.jpg">Funeral for important town resident of Martina Franca<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2132.jpg">Church where service was held. I didn't rinks bit.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2133.jpg">Old town area of Matera<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2135.jpg">Limestone river cuts deep___________________________________________________________03 Nov, ThursdayStart point: PomaricoEnd point: Antonio RinaldiVia: Odom(Km): 97.14Moving(hrs.mim): 6.35Ave(Km/h): 14.7Total Ascent(m): 1187Max Altitude(m) 475Max Speed(Km/h): 48.3Italy is back on the GPS map and it makes touring effortless. I spent the whole day in a dream world being told which way to go and when to take the next turn. The last half of the day was spent in the Parko Nazionale Del Pollino, a hilly and wooded landscape that is displaying the characteristic autumn colours. Water fountains are now abundant and I even managed to find a shop to buy provisions that was open. The roads are very quiet, not what I was expecting in Italy and the drivers are considerate. Although sometimes fast, when overtaking they give plenty of room, often forcing oncoming traffic out the way. Rather than being involved in an accident, I am more likely to be the cause of one!<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2137.jpg">Morning break<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2139.jpg">Hilltop village___________________________________________________________04 Nov, FridayStart point: Antonio RinaldioEnd point: Cerchiara Di CalabriaVia: Odom(Km): 62.35Moving(hrs.mim): 6.34Ave(Km/h): 9.5Total Ascent(m): 2037Max Altitude(m) 1466Max Speed(Km/h): 44.6Today was not a good day. There were some good points but things just kept going wrong. Learning from my previous mistakes I made it a priority to buy a loaf of bread in the morning. The first town, San Giorgio Lucano was the typical hill top town. School, town hall, museum, post office, etc.. The problem was this town did not have a baker, only a mini market which was of course - closed. I waited the 1/2 hour until 9.00. Arriving back at the mini market - it was still closed and closer inspection of the indicated an opening time of 9.30. No problem as I had found the museum with a photo exhibition of the town in the past. I made my way over passing many of the elderly townsfolk streaming out of church wearing red shawls, while lace and white stockings. The museum opened at 9.00 but no amount of asking around, knocking on the door had any response. No problem, it killed time for the mini market to open. At 9.40 I wandered back to the mini market. There was a group of people sitting outside - it was still shut. I waited till 10.00 and gave up. Time to get moving. It occurred to me in all my journey I have never waited deliberately for 1 1/2 hours just to buy a loaf of bread - and not succeed in doing so.The sad reality is that in Italy, many of the hill top towns I have explored don't have a commercial centre, shops are scattered amongst the residential areas which makes shopping very difficult and often requires the help of the many willing volunteers at hand who can't speak English.I was soon in the next town, San Paolo Albanese. Again I hunted for the baker but this time hit the language barrier. I knew the word for bread - but no amount of drawing pictures and gesturing could explainer I wanted to buy some. I was taken into a bar where I manage to confuse a whole army of people, the problem was the bar did have bread, but for making sandwiches - no I don't was salami, cheese meat or anything - I just want a loaf of bread. At the point where I was about to walk off with the lump of bread they use to make sandwiches, a lady disappeared and came back with a loaf of bread. I gave here the money for it and make a quick exit from the town. This is when my GPS and 1.300 000 route planning map disagreed. The map said a main road linked the next town on my route but the GPS didn't. Dilemma. I searched for signs but there were none, except pointing back to where I had just come from. I asked around - yes there was one, but it could not be described as 'main', or a road for that matter. This dirt track went up and up to 1466 metres. I didn't expect such a difficult climb which is different from looking forward to a challenging ascent. On the plus side, deep in the heart of the Parco Natzionale Del Pollino I was treated to some breath taking views and stunning photo opportunities. Autumn colours, ancient oak forests, damp woods and the rattle of cattle bells where enough to make me think the effort was worth it.Then another big blow. Some time back when my bike was in service in Cyprus I was alerted to the fact the break pads had worn low. Although I didn't bring any of the spares pads that I carry to the shop, I was informed they had them in stock. What I didn't realise was that they meant they would replace the whole break block and not replace the pads. It was a communication break down. Not a problem, I had new breaks. Now, I quickly noticed that they were far more abrasive then anything I had used before. When it got so bad, I picked out bits of my wheel rim from the rubber - and as soon as I started using them, more metal would get lodged in them. Hard breaking caused a spiral of metal from the wheel rim to be shaved off. What I should have done is get them taken off at the earliest opportunity but I was lazy. Sometimes they just need to 'wear in'. The sharp descent from 1400 to 500 metres caused more wear on both the front an back wheel rims than during the whole of my cycle tour. I finish the day with a crack in the rear rim where the breaks had worn through right through to the other side. The front rim had a deep score revealing a number of holes. Not a good situation to be in as:I can't cycle over mountains in its current state, I a cycling up a valley with mountains either side. The valley ends in a mountain.I need to find a shop to buy new front and back wheels, new break blocks and probably a new rear hub as the one I have is particular to the brand of rim. The front hub needs replacing anyway.I am in the middle of a national park and bike shops are somewhat scarce.I can reach a large town, Cozensa which is at the end of the valley the day after tomorrow - which is a Sunday and nothing is open.Even if I do find a shop it is going to take a day to carry out the job, that is if they are not booked up.Other points are:Looking at my overall progress, I travelled only 25Km as the bird flies today.Even worse, my short wave receiver that keeps me company has developed a fault - the loudspeaker does not work, although I can still use ear phones. It is invaluable for the BBC World Service, VOA, Radio China and keeps me amused with 'World Harvest Radio' www.whr.org - an ultra right Christian rant channel that I always seem to be able to pick up when there is no other reception available.A thick fog enveloped me when I was looking to find a camp spot and to cap it all, the 1Kg of sugar I purchased turned out to be salt. Still, days like this are inevitable.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2140.jpg">Vine yards, olive groves and orange trees<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2143.jpg">Getting higher<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2150.jpg">Is it Autumn yet?<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2157.jpg">Above the clouds<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2173.jpg">Rear rim damage<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2170.jpg">Cause of the damage. The bits of metal are chunks of the rim___________________________________________________________05 Nov, SaturdayStart point: Cerchiara Di CalabriaEnd point: GinestretoVia: Odom(Km): 74.41Moving(hrs.mim): 5.07Ave(Km/h): 14.5Total Ascent(m): 700Max Altitude(m) 505Max Speed(Km/h): 52.0Why so many dogs? If you wish to protect your property, one is surly enough and three is over doing it a bit. My days cycling the Italian countryside continuously punctuated by a constant bombardment of woof woof . No, thats not true. It's a bombardment of the most blood curdling growls, continuous streams of hatred fueled ware wolf like cries with teeth to match. The leap up looking as though they would rip through your flesh if the owner had not put them in a wire mesh cage or chained them. The most placid looking of golden retrievers suddenly change when the catch site of me and so starts an endless torrent of continuous blood lust barking until out of ear shot. It's little wander as they probably have little else to do other than bark at those who pass by.Rant over. So, as usual I woke to the sound of dogs barking and descended into the valley and out of the national park. The damage to the rims is such that I can't do any more mountain passes. This poses a problem a the valley I am going down ends in a big town and mountains. Sunday the shops are closed so there is no point in hanging around. I am going to travel on Sunday by train.Got my hair cut - 6mm all over, I was in danger of needing a comb so I had it 'taken care of'. The guy in the hair dresser asked 3 times if he understood me correctly.I need to find a bike shop to replace both the front and back wheels - and change the brand of break pads! I expect it to cost around 120 pounds. In case you are wandering, today was a bit of a scorcher, I even had to seek shade when a farmer gave me a clementine to eat. After eating it, I gave him 1 Euro and asked for more. I received a carrier bag - 2 kilos of them. 1 kilo disappeared there and then along with a Swiss roll I purchased from Euro Spar. Such is the life of a glutton.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2162.jpg">What a scene to wake up to___________________________________________________________06 Nov, SundayStart point: GinestretoEnd point: PaolaVia: PaolaOdom(Km): 16.07Moving(hrs.mim): 1.08Ave(Km/h): 14.0Total Ascent(m): 357Max Altitude(m) 299Max Speed(Km/h): 28.2Cycled to the nearest train station where I could escape the valley and ever approaching mountains over to the west coast seaside of Paola. From here a train service runs down the coast to Reggio Di Calabria, were I hope to get my bike fixed on Monday and the boat to Sicaly on Tuesday. That was the plan, reality was somewhat different. No trains from Paola on a Sunday take bikes to Reggio Di Calabria.As I was here I decided to take a look around and things were really happening! A large outdoor market in full swing, some shops open. I purchased a huge chunk of cheese, olives, fresh ravioli and bread. Sat on a bench overlooking the beach in the shade of a palm tree out the hot sun feasting and proof reading my journal. This took up most of the afternoon (the eating part that is). Camped on the beach and slept to the crashing of the waves.<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2163.jpg">Paola<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2165.jpg">Typical houses<img src="http://www.jnewcomb.com/Cycling/Cycle2005/Italy/CIMG2167.jpg">Mid afternoon on the beach
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