Cycle Tour Europe

August 14

Left for London 4 : 45 Vancouver time

To Edmonton then Gatwick airport

Arrived 11:30 AM LONDON

August 15

Took train from Gatwick airport to Victoria Station, London

Booked in to Eccleston Hotel Cost 65 Pounds

August 16

Woke up at 5:30 AM

Breakfast 7:00 AM

Took train to Stains from Victoria station, didn’t stop until Ascot

Rode bikes Ascot - Winfield - Twyford - Margrave - Henly (had coffee) - Nettled - Watlington Oxford

Camping at Oxford, arrived 6:00 PM

Dinner at pub

74.3 KM Average speed 16.9 Max speed 66 Riding time 5:40

August 17

Awoke sunrise.

Breakfast at macdonalds

Oxford - Banbury - Stratford - Worcestor

Took smaller roads to Worcestor

Saw hang gliders at a ridge

Stayed in Lansbury hotel

Dinner Mac Donalds

Bike problems - rear axle in my bike go a bit loose

Our faces were burnt from wind

Chains need oil

Gloves - did not like

Purchased maps

113 KM Average speed 15.8 Riding time about 11 hours

August 18

Started from Worcestor

Ended camping in bushes in Wales

Rain

123.2 KM

August, 19

Start in woods outside Welshpool

Then Dolgellan - Barnmouth (on coast)

Stopped for fish and chips

Then Porthmanly

Up hill to B & B

Rained all day

Troubles with crotch

92.7 KM

August, 20

Left B & B

Windy day

To Caernarfon then just outside Bangor

Over bridge

Past air force base to Hollyhead

Took ferry to Dublin 3.5 hours

Stayed in hotel in Dublin

80.5 KM

August, 21

Day of rest in Dublin

Walked around city

August, 22

Left Dublin 10:00 AM

Went through Phoenix park

Then took small roads Newcastle - Rathcolle - Kilteel - Punchestown - Curragh - Kildare - Portlaoise

Stayed at campsite

107.4 KM

August, 23

Left about 11:00 AM

Long day - uninteresting

Basically flat

Arrived Limerick about 7:30 PM

Stayed at Ship hotel

110.6 KM

August, 24

Left Limerick 10:30 AM

Curates Forest

Foynes - Tarbert - Listowel - Tralee

Rained a lot

Problems on rear wheel - not centering

100.1 KM Average speed 16.2 Max 44

August, 25

Tralee ring of Kerry to Waterville

Seat bolts broke on both bikes

Able to use temporary replacement bolts from lawnmower shop

Weather cloudy alternating between rain and cloudy, very little sun

Stayed at campsite Waterville

86.6 KM

August, 26

Left campsite Waterville 11:00 AM

Adjustments made to Patti’s seat

Continued on Ring of Kerry to Kenmare

Then inland via lakes to Killarny

Beautiful scenery

Weather OK (no rain)

Stayed at B & B in Killarney

97.4 KM

August, 27

Left Killarney after getting new saddle bolts, about 12:00 noon

Went to Rathmore (heavy rain) the Mallow - Fermoy

Stayed at hotel in Fermoy

Had wimpy burger for dinner

99.6 KM

August, 28

Left Fermoy 12:00

Had broken axle and flat tire (rear)

Then to Lismore - Dungarvan - Waterford (another flat on front)

Stayed at B & B

No rain

98.3 KM

August, 29

Left Waterford 10:00 AM

Took ferry at passage east to Arthurstown

Then Murntown - Johnston Castle - Rosslare harbour

Very bright sunny day

Arrived Rosslare 2:40 PM

Ferry left 17:00 very windy

Rough water - Patrizia seasick

Flat tire in the morning

Continued to ride with broken axle

65.3 KM

August, 30

Arrived Le Harve 15:00

Went to bike shop bought axle and installed, not exact match but seemed OK

4.3 KM

August, 31

Went from Le Harve to Rouen

Followed Seine River

Very flat, tailwinds

Stayed in Hotel and ate dinner in Rouen

Fixed Patti’s pedal

91.5 KM

September, 01

Left Rouen followed Seine river on Yellow roads to Mousseaux La Seine

Stayed in nice hotel in Mousseau

86.1 KM

September, 02

Left 10:00 AM for Paris

Via Mantes - Meulan - St. Germain - Nanterre - Paris

Arrived about 4:00 PM

74 KM

September, 03

Stayed in Paris

Saw sights - Eiffel tower

Walked around all day

September,  04

Left Paris about 10:30

Went direct through on bike pathway

Went to Évry - Melun

Stayed at camping in Saint Mammès

100.8 KM

September, 05

Left Saint Mammès 11:10

Chéroy - Joigny

Stayed at camping Ligney Le Chåtel

Good weather

108.6 KM

September, 06

To Chablis - Noyers (nice medical town) to Semur

The Pouiley en Auxois for camping

A little rain

Rained at night

Michael - fever but OK in the morning

113.2 KM

September, 07

Small roads to Dijon

Then to camping at Pesmes

Lots of rain

Cold

Still sick - Michael

97.7 KM

September, 08

Left about 11:45

via small towns to Besancon, then Ornans

Camping

Michael still sick.

Very cold in the evening

Lots of hills

74.8 KM

September, 09

Left Organs about 10:45

Then along Loue river and up a gorge

Lots of hill climbing

Michael still sick

Then to Pontarlier and across to Swiss border

Found great bike paths

Went all the way to Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

Sunny all day.

Camped in Switzerland.

91.8 KM

September,10

To Bern, then Thun.

Sunny weather.

Camped outside Thun.

88.5 KM

September, 11

Watt (camping).

Interlaken - Meiringen

Sustenpass (2224 M)

Wassen

107.9 KM

September, 12

Left Wassen about 10:30

To Andermatt (lunch)

Then up to Oberalpas 2044 m

Interesting uphill trains

Then to Flims for camping

Sunny all day

88.1 KM

September, 13

Left camping at Flims to Chur to Lichtenstein

Then Fieldkirch & Bludenz

Got flat tire

Cloudy, at times chilly but otherwise OK

Both of us have crabs

102.9 KM

September, 14

Bludenz - St. Christopher - St. Anton

Cleaned all clothes.

42.5 KM.

September, 15

Left St. Anton 11:30 AM

100 km in 5 hours 2 mins

Mostly flat, tailwinds

115.1 KM

September, 16

Left Igls about 11:00 AM

Up to Brenner Pass

Weather changed, became very sunny

Then to Bolzano

Fixed pedal, making funny clicking sound

118.2 KM

September, 17

Bolzano - Trento - Grappa

Started about 11:00 AM

119.9 KM

September, 18

Grappa - Bassone - Montebelluna

Oderza - Porto Gruaro

Camped

Weather was sunny. Rained at night

Michael - numb in right ring finger

Car accident beside us

128.2 KM

September,19

Porto Gruaro Left 11:45

Cervignano - Monfalcone - Trieste

Camped outside San Bartolomeo on Yugoslavian border

Lady feeding cats

Cloudy weather, a little cold, no rain

109.7 KM

September, 20

Left campsite on italian side of border at Yugoslavia at 11:00 AM

Koper - Izola - Umag - Novigrad - Porec - Vrsar

Stayed at camping

Thunderstorm when we arrived at campsite

Cloudy all day - muggy weather

88.7 KM

September, 21

Vrsar - Pula

Rainy then sunny

Slippery road, saw 4 or 5 smashed cars

58.9 KM

September, 22

Pula - ferry to Mali Losinj - Zadar

Then bike to Pirovac

Sunny weather

55.9 KM

September, 23

Left camping at 11:30 AM

Sibenik - Kastel Stari (just outside Split)

Stayed at Sobe

Sunny and warm all day

100.4 KM

September, 24

Woke up 11:00 AM in some

Had nice breakfast

Streets wet from rain

Left about 11:45

My a guy who planned a world trip on bicycle

Weather improved later on

Then stayed at campsite at Makarska

Beautiful scenery

72.4 KM

September, 25

Left campsite 11:00 am

Beautiful scenery to Slano

Sunny weather

Had low pressure on tire in mountains

Put on another inner tube

Stayed in hotel in Sliba (Slano?)

121 KM

September, 26

Woke up 7:00 AM

Had breakfast

Rode to Dubrovnik

Good weather

Caught ferry to Bari, Italy

44.2 KM

September, 27

Awoke 7:00 AM

Left hotel in Bari 7:45

Molfetta - Barletta - Manfredonia

Signed into camping at Mattinata

Met nice people at restaurant, fresh food.

138.9 KM

September, 28

Woke up 7:00 AM

Started at 8:45 AM

Had coffee with nice couple at Mattinata

Then up hills to Vieste

Rodi Garganico - Torre Mileto - Lesina Marina

Stayed at rip-off hotel

Hard work all day, good weather

Rained in evening

138.2 KM

September, 29

Left hotel 7:40 AM

Termoli - Vasto - Pescara

Stayed in camping outside Pineto, friendly owners

Good sunny day

Strong winds in morning

Mostly flat

Had another flat tire

152 KM

September, 30

Mostly tailwind

Pineto - Ancona

Stayed at camping outside Pesaro

191.0 KM

October, 01

Left 8:00 AM

Started to rain, heavy for 2 hours os so, then sunny

Rimini - Forli - Bologna

155.4 KM

October, 02

Let 8:00 AM from hotel in Bologna

Cloudy day - at times warm  15 - 22° C

Modena - Reggio Emelia - Parma - Piacenza

Patti had bee sting

156 KM

October, 03

Piacenza - Milano

Cloudy, foggy

Flat tire, front

76.9 KM

TOTAL KM: 4,684.1