Road-Trip review

[silvia]

I know, it's already a month since we are back but I finally found the time to select few pics (Pep "only" took 1200 pics ) and wrote a short review, but now I see it maybe it's not that short...

Anyway, if it's boring take a look to the pics, most of them are from Pep and he knows how to take a good pic


We did 6.100 km in 15 days, visited north Italy, Austria and Check Rep and also drove around France, Monaco (XX) and 10 km in Germany (XX), 7 countries including Spain. I was a bit worried cos we had really high expectations on this trip but it was thousand times better than expected and I'm already thinking in the next bike trip

Monday, 7th august
We left Barcelona at 8.00 am
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and we drove 890 km to Genoa. Most part of the journey we had lateral wind so it was very exhausting for Pep, and once in Geneva we spent one hour in a massive traffic jam. Welcome to Italy

8/8
We left early to the south through the Liguria Coast,
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(the 3 laydeeeeez are not posing), we had lunch at Monterosso, in the Cinqueterre Natural Park and we headed to Pisa to see the tower
We loved the place, Campo del Milagro is a very nice place and the tower itself it’s amazing
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After taking the traditional pic we headed then to Tuscany where we were meant to spend 4 nights

9/8
We left the bike in a central parking in Firenze, locked the jackets and helmets and explored the city in normal costumes and carrying just our cams, which was fantastic. I loved Firenze, I always wanted to visit it and didn’t disappoint me, a shame we couldn’t make any of the museums, but it’s the perfect excuse to get back soon
Duomo
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A random street
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David, Pep, Sil and a random photographer
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Piazza della Signora
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10/8
We spent the day exploring Tuscany, eating pasta and driving through places like this:
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11/08
Day in Sienna, small compared to Firenze but very charming and nice
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12/8
We left Tuscany very early to the north and it started raining about 10 and we drove most of the day with the rain. We crossed a natural park and a mountain port (passo de la cassa)
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and a very critic moment when we couldn’t find a place to eat something hot, but finally we managed to find a self-service restaurant in Ravenna. After lunch it stopped raining but we had a quite scary journey to Padova. Anything you heard about italian traffic it’s true!
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In Padova we met Marco, Pep’s italian friend, who was lovely, he was our touristic guide and he took us to have the best pizza in the world.

13/8
We left the bike in the hotel and we went to Venice by train. I liked the city, it’s a very special place but I don’t think it’s THAT much. I have to say that I’ve never been appealed by Venice, though
Anyway we had a great day
The stunning “Basilica de San Marco”
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14/8
It was sunny and bright and time to head to the Alps! Our first stop was Simirmiano, in the south of Lago Garda
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Driving around the lack was a nightmare with so many mad drivers around, we spent 4 hours to do 250 km but once we left the lack back it was all much easier and nicer. We did three mountain ports and we were caught by a storm at late. We slept in a lovely hotel in Chiussa.

15/8
Bright and sunny again, but very cold!
We crossed the amazing Dolomites
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had lunch in the very posh Cortina d’Ampezzo and we arrived to Austria in the afternoon and headed straight to one of the highlights of our trip: the grossglockner, a stunning natural park with one of the most famous alpine routes that didn’t disappoint at all
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16/8
Droved to Vienna, the day was grey and dull and there are no pics

17/8
I didn’t want to visit Vienna, and I actually didn’t like it. It’s very beautiful and monumental, but I always find Imperial cities too cold and distant and Vienna wasn’t the exception. Also we had a very bad new when there and it was really really hot so I don’t have a great memory of the city
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18/8
As we were just 300 km far from Prague we thought it would be rude not to pay it a visit, so here we go. Driving through the Check Rep. Was a big experience and we loved Prague, it’s a gorgeous, very lively city
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19/8
We left Prague and we headed back to Austria. At midday we arrived to the other highlight of our trip, Mauthausen. It overhelmed me, it was very hot and clear and there was nobody there so the place looked more dramatic if possible. I spent ¾ of the visit crying but it was well worth the visit

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20/8
We visited Salzburg early in the morning but we were in need of some bike action so we took the longest way to Innsbruck, with three mountain ports and rain most of the day, but we loved every minute.
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We didn’t arrive to Innsbruck, cos we found a stunning 4* hotels where we decided to spoil ourself with a luxury night in the Alps
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21/8
It was time to get back to Italy and cross again the Alps. We did two mountain ports including the amazing Stelvio 37 rounds on the way up and 47 rounds on the way down:
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We had lunch in the top of the Stelvio and we decided to arrive to Milan, just 180 km from there. But we forgot about the italian traffic and we needed 3 hours to arrive to Milan! At that point Pep had enough of the italian roads, italian cars, italian lorries and italians everything and we decided to arrive as far as possible… at the end, we found an hotel in the motorway near Nice at 1.00 in the morning.

22/8
Drove from Nice to Barcelona.

 

[Barbie]

What fantastic words and pictures Sil

 

[silvia]

What fantastic words and pictures Sil

It took me ages to write it
You are lucky though, the spanis review it's double longer

 

[Barbie]

It took me ages to write it
You are lucky though, the spanis review it's double longer

Maybe next year I'll write my Ibiza review in Spanish

It just sounds and looks like you and Pep had such an amazing time and was everything you'd hoped for and more

 

[silvia]

Maybe next year I'll write my Ibiza review in Spanish

It just sounds and looks like you and Pep had such an amazing time and was everything you'd hoped for and more

It was the trip of our lifes, best holidays ever, but everybody says we look soo in love that I'm a bit worried about the pics

 

[BBS]

Hi Silvia

That trips just looks fantastic. We are still planning to do our Spanish tour next June so we may pop I and say hi 8)

Take care

B

 

[dominicfiend]

Very nice! Although somewhat jealous!

Proof that roadtrips are the way forward.

Thanx

 

[Moha]

Great review! Pep must have a long arm to take such nice photos.

 

[silvia]

Great review! Pep must have a long arm to take such nice photos.

Thanks Moha!
Yes he is very tall, 1,96 so long arms and long legs too

 

[Kang]

I've just finished reading this Sil and I loved it 8) Your pictures are great and yes, you do both look very much in love

By the way, how do you manage to fit all your clothes for two weeks in the paniers? This is what I am worrying about - where will I put everything

 

[silvia]

I've just finished reading this Sil and I loved it 8) Your pictures are great and yes, you do both look very much in love

By the way, how do you manage to fit all your clothes for two weeks in the paniers? This is what I am worrying about - where will I put everything

I started thinking in the clothes in january and I started panicing in march and I started making mental lists and mental packing in june
The thing is that you spent most of the time wearing the biking costume, so you actually only need clean t-shirt and underwear but it's silly to pack 15 tongs and 15 t-shirts, just pack some cloaths soap and do your hand laundry in the hotel.
I packed a pair of jeans, a pair of summer combats, a skirt and a jumper, a long sleve t-shirt and several summer t-shirts. Also I packed the polar of my biking winter jacket, but you won't need polar, jumper neither jeans.

It's actually a very healthy exercise of racionalising your luggage

 

[Beckiboo]

That looks fantastic Sil - it's made me want to do it DEFINATELY! Not sure if putting Jon on a bike driving through mountains is a good idea though.

Maybe I'll drive and he can be the passenger

 

[Kang]

just pack some cloaths soap and do your hand laundry in the hotel.

Have you taken leave of your senses Washing on holiday Nooooooooo I'll see if I can get papers ones

 

[Barbie]

I'll see if I can get papers ones

 

[Kang]

Joke aside Sil, it is a good way to force you pack with just the bear essentials. I did that when we went to the Big Chill on the bike and still had stuff over so I should be ok (that was only for 3 days though) Ben will just have to bring one t/shirt and one boxers

 

[silvia]

Have you taken leave of your senses Washing on holiday Nooooooooo I'll see if I can get papers ones

NOooo paper ones no!

You are travelling to Spain in June and wearing biking costume, you'll be sweaty all day (even your bum) and your paper ones will desintegrate

 

[Kang]

I'll nick some from the waxing shop

 

[silvia]

Joke aside Sil, it is a good way to force you pack with just the bear essentials. I did that when we went to the Big Chill on the bike and still had stuff over so I should be ok (that was only for 3 days though)

You should pack and unpack every saturday from April to June

Ben will just have to bring one t/shirt and one boxers

I'm not proud to say that Pep had some clothes back that were all clean and not used

 

[utagaura]

I LOVED the photos silvia!
I'm sitting in a workshop right now... and just looking at your photos instead

wish I was a million miles away from here