oddjob
Registered user
Euro Tour 2019.05 - Spain - France - Switzerland - Belgium
Since this Euro Tour is a multi-country, and not exclusively Spain, would the moderators (Richard AKA Wapping) please kindly move or copy this thread as deemed appropriate?
Please find details hereunder for your reference and consideration.
This tour includes very many extreme twisty roads and interesting places to visit; here are some of the highlights:
Carcassonne:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne
Tourist Information https://about-france.com/cities/carcassonne.htm
Viaduc de Millau:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct
Tourist Information https://www.tourisme-aveyron.com/en/millau-viaduct/see-and-do-millau-viaduct
The Gorges du Tarn:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorges_du_Tarn
Tourist Information https://about-france.com/tourism/tarn-gorge.htm
Dangerous Roads https://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/france/4688-gorges-du-tarn.html
Especially during the busy peak summer season, please take good care and ride sensibly, with constraint and consideration for other road users. Unfortunately, I've personally experienced many memorable dangerous incidents.
These examples involved non-advanced rider mates:
a) In 2013 whilst touring Spain and France: a rider was following my exact lines, however, he was not maintaining concentration and varying the safe following distance, riding too close and fast into blind bends. This resulted in me being rear-ended. I did receive a profound and profuse apology, together with an (completely invalid) excuse of; there was an extremely steep vertical drop to the right (which is to be expected in the Gorges du Tarn ); consequently, I rode into the back of you;
b) In 2019 whilst touring Spain and France: when riding an interesting gnarly road in the Pyrenees, with multiple blind bends and a vertical drop to the left. Anyway, long story short, there had recently been a rock fall and despite slowing my speed and pointing to the large (breeze block sized) rock in the road, the following rider didn't see the rock, rode over it and consequently buckled his front wheel. This was misconstrued as being my fault for choosing a scenic route with (such distracting) fabulous views.
Apart from the outward ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao, I stayed in designated campsites. However, subsequently, two memorable campsites closed permanently in 2020:
Domain le Clot, Lacaune.
Some twenty five years ago, a wonderful Dutch couple decided to take early retirement from their senior roles in the world of academia. Thanks to their stalwart efforts, considerable enthusiasm, and fantastic culinary skills, they subsequently produced an absolute campsite gem. However, the global pandemic which commencement in late 2019 did unfortunately serve as a catalyst for their eventual retirement, thankfully whilst fit and healthy in their mid-eighties! http://www.domaineleclot.com/
Camping Municipal De la Prairie à Sedan.
It was a convenient venue whenever visiting Sedan. However, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons! it would be an understatement to describe this site as somewhat rudimentary, with fixtures and fittings akin to the 1950's.
Consequently, I've amended the route files for suitable alternative campsites (which I've also stayed previously).
Sixteen Garmin .gpx files https://www.dropbox.com/sh/luc3nb4awihdh3a/AACdkOFfA-pZknKvlHdkg3Jfa?dl=0
Since this Euro Tour is a multi-country, and not exclusively Spain, would the moderators (Richard AKA Wapping) please kindly move or copy this thread as deemed appropriate?
Please find details hereunder for your reference and consideration.
This tour includes very many extreme twisty roads and interesting places to visit; here are some of the highlights:
Carcassonne:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne
Tourist Information https://about-france.com/cities/carcassonne.htm
Viaduc de Millau:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct
Tourist Information https://www.tourisme-aveyron.com/en/millau-viaduct/see-and-do-millau-viaduct
The Gorges du Tarn:
Generic Facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorges_du_Tarn
Tourist Information https://about-france.com/tourism/tarn-gorge.htm
Dangerous Roads https://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/france/4688-gorges-du-tarn.html
Especially during the busy peak summer season, please take good care and ride sensibly, with constraint and consideration for other road users. Unfortunately, I've personally experienced many memorable dangerous incidents.
These examples involved non-advanced rider mates:
a) In 2013 whilst touring Spain and France: a rider was following my exact lines, however, he was not maintaining concentration and varying the safe following distance, riding too close and fast into blind bends. This resulted in me being rear-ended. I did receive a profound and profuse apology, together with an (completely invalid) excuse of; there was an extremely steep vertical drop to the right (which is to be expected in the Gorges du Tarn ); consequently, I rode into the back of you;
b) In 2019 whilst touring Spain and France: when riding an interesting gnarly road in the Pyrenees, with multiple blind bends and a vertical drop to the left. Anyway, long story short, there had recently been a rock fall and despite slowing my speed and pointing to the large (breeze block sized) rock in the road, the following rider didn't see the rock, rode over it and consequently buckled his front wheel. This was misconstrued as being my fault for choosing a scenic route with (such distracting) fabulous views.
Apart from the outward ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao, I stayed in designated campsites. However, subsequently, two memorable campsites closed permanently in 2020:
Domain le Clot, Lacaune.
Some twenty five years ago, a wonderful Dutch couple decided to take early retirement from their senior roles in the world of academia. Thanks to their stalwart efforts, considerable enthusiasm, and fantastic culinary skills, they subsequently produced an absolute campsite gem. However, the global pandemic which commencement in late 2019 did unfortunately serve as a catalyst for their eventual retirement, thankfully whilst fit and healthy in their mid-eighties! http://www.domaineleclot.com/
Camping Municipal De la Prairie à Sedan.
It was a convenient venue whenever visiting Sedan. However, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons! it would be an understatement to describe this site as somewhat rudimentary, with fixtures and fittings akin to the 1950's.
Consequently, I've amended the route files for suitable alternative campsites (which I've also stayed previously).
Sixteen Garmin .gpx files https://www.dropbox.com/sh/luc3nb4awihdh3a/AACdkOFfA-pZknKvlHdkg3Jfa?dl=0
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Euro Tour 2019.05 - Spain - France - Switzerland - Belgium Itineary.PNG8.3 KB · Views: 432
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Euro Tour 2019.05 - Spain - France - Switzerland - Belgium Tour Map.jpg136.2 KB · Views: 443
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DSC01176 Camping domaine Le Clôt 1.jpg141.5 KB · Views: 431
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DSC01192.jpg254 KB · Views: 429
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DSC01228.jpg252.1 KB · Views: 429