Paris to Venice (2010) Rediscovered
I was delighted to rediscover the diary of my first big trip - Paris to Venice in 2010 - today. Okay, I was delighted to find it on my desk after my wife Jacqui had rediscovered it. So, before it gets lost again, I thought I should transcribe it here for posterity.
Three of us (plus one more for the middle weekend), travelled by Eurostar to Paris in late August 2010 and cycled to Venice, via the Vosges Mountains, the Black Forest and the Alps over the next two weeks.
The diary is sketchy and incomplete (occasionally incoherent) and was intended to be used as notes for a proper book, but until that day dawns I will just leave it here verbatim:
Day 0. Friday.
In bed by 9:50 pm! Islington is surprisingly nice - and now I know where Sadlers Wells theatre is!
Pleasant walk after pizza down lively streets and past a hundred restaurants.
Safely in London + bikes deposited at St Pancras for Eurostar tomorrow - waved goodbye. (Stood from Cambridge to Kings Cross).
Bike felt very top heavy and too much weight behind back wheel. Will try different arrangement tomorrow.
Anyway, safe and sound despite Kings Cross traffic.
John asleep in minutes.
Day 1. 59 miles (59.35) 434 metres climb. (Eurostar good, some fog in N. France).
Paris ok but the suburbs were very stop-start. A few minor errors but a good ride. A decent warm up day. Panniers came adrift a couple of times, otherwise bike very good.
John had a puncture (lots of glass).
Campsite very pleasant - no-one to book us in + looked almost closed but other people there too.
Tent looks very small but went up ok. Mattress seems to work too - we'll see!
Long wait for our meal in pizzaria in Montereau Fault Yonne.
Often right beside the Seine today - looks lovely (mostly). Perfect weather warm and sunny all day.
Tent is tiny but ok
Day 2. 76 miles 521 m climbed.
Slept badly - pillow!
A long day with a headwind all day so it seemed further.
Over 400 kcal burned.
Ended at Troyes.
Nice site. Good meal in town - once we'd found somewhere open, spoiled by terrible service
Day 3. 74 miles + 900+ m climbed
Tougher than day 2 and all low on food water + energy when we got to Joinville.
First hills and they got tougher although first one out of Troyes was long + against the wind. Wind dieda bit later and we found more shelter.
Lovely site when we arrived but not much time to appreciate it!
Rainsed mostly from 3.15 to just as we arrived nearly 7pm. Over 6 hours in the saddle today!
Raining again as I write this at 10.55.
Great meal this time!
210 miles so far, so on schedule.
Day 4. 74 miles 1100+ m climbed.
JR + John mostly led - no headwind but some real hills. Rained almost all day just about stopped in time to put tents up!
Arrived 7pm, almost 6 hrs cycling.
Felt quite strong at the end after stopping for pasts lunch - picnic tea instead, clustered around sun lounger.
Lots of things very soggy but sleeping bag dry!. Tent damp but dry groundsheet so should be ok to sleep. Think I have pillow sorted too. Lights out around 11.30
More rain expected overnight + tomorrow as we head for Colmar (Vittel and Neufchateau today)
Day 5. 1400+ m climbed 64 miles. First 2 cols
Packed away muddy tents + left just after 10am. To Epinal, which was quite pleasant then down Moselle valley to (Arches) a bike shop where JR found his replacement part!. Then on to where we stopped for lunch. Very hard work down the valley against the wind - worrying with two biggish climbs to come.
First was very hard with stiff + tired legs but made it (Col du Haut) to 799m summit finally. Then nice but short descent into Gerardmer. A few showers + chilly so stopped for provisions + found a restaurant for hot chocolate.
Then the bigger climb (Roche du Diable 991m) to Col de Schlucht 1139m. My first 2 cols. Along the ridge was harder (Roche des Cretes 1228m) than expected at first then a really big, fast (+ cold) descent to Orbey. Great fun but thoroughly chilled by the time we arrived at camp site so chickened out + hired a chalet for tonight - warm + dry! Only 64 miles + 1425 metres but a big day 5 for me, if not so much for John + JR.
Day 6. 70 miles 1508m climb
Nice early climb away from chalet to cemetary
Fast descent towards Colmar then a long way across Rhine valley to Freiburg - Heavy rain, hail + thunder new brake blocks fitted soaked. Freiburg slow ... long climb (over 1200m at top) slowed us down. Fast descent to hotel in Todtnau good food - bargain!
Day 7 (1400m ?) Only 66 miles but met up with JH at Rheinfall and reached Lake Constance.
Big climb out of hotel in morning - needed more bananas - then undulating across ridge - mostly downhill so made good time.
Entered Switzerland and thoughts turned to J and her Dad. Easyish ride from there to Rheinfall.
Met John H. Leisurely coffee and complicated exit from Neuhaus (?) until we picked up main road + cycle route all the way to Lake C. Reached site around 6.30. Reasonable price - noisy neighbours and church bells! - and very expensive meal.
Day 8. Dry + Sunny! 70 miles
Heavy dew + mist so a slow start plus sleepless night.
Took a while to get to Konstanz (Germany) on cycle route beside lake. Great picnic spot - dried tents etc than found main road south towards St Gallen.
Climbed after a while and eventually, after St G. reached 1200m and fantastic view across Rhine plain (+ Liechtenstein) to Alps (+ Austria).
Fast descent to where we were trapped by running race for 30 mins.
Then race across plain to Limestone Gorge onto Liechtenstein then Austria just before dusk. Tents up quickly, meal was enormous and took ages but great value. Bed 00.30!
Day 9. 45 miles + 2200m climbed almost 6000 calories
Two very tough climbs around 1700m, with much steeper gradients than expected. Furkenpass seemed to go on forever and second one which promised to be a little easier and with a head start from around 800m seemed just as agonising.
Ran out of food + water - paid 6.60 for 3 small bottles!
Morning dawned clear + chilly but drier than previous night, so tents were soon dried.
John H still with us for part of the day - he left us about 1/4 of the way up first climb to head back to St Gallen. All 3 of us exhausted at top of first climb - John + JR said it was hardest they'd done thanks to extra weight compared to Pyrenees. I believe them!
Second one nearly finished us all off. Took me 2 hours to do 10km climb! Time was after 6.pm so no hope of reaching campsite in good time - about 25km away. We decided to look for hotel in next town on the descent, Wurth?, and had a choice of at least 4. Booked into guest house around 6.30, so a good early finish to a totally exhausting day. Room on top floor and stairs were agony!
Just one climb planned for tomorrow and maybe first part of Timmelsjoch to camp around 1500-2000m but snow is threatened...
Day 10. 1724m 64 miles
Wet start but a great night's sleep. Very cold descent but not as steep as expected so enough pedalling to keep warm(ish). Feet soon soaked and cold.
Climbed to hanging valley then over pass to Imst for late lunch. Very hard climb again and very cold at top. Some snow in gulleys not much above us near top. Feet frozen, but made it! Over 1800m, so highest yet.
Rain eased then stopped on way down to Imst. Thankfully warmer there than expected, still opted for hot lunch - very welcome. Then exited on busy roads inc fast downhill before we turned right towards Timmelsjoch. Managed 26km up the pass to climb back to almost 1200m to campsite.
Best toilets + showers ever! Washing machine defeated us, though...
Found restaurant nearby and had another pizza...
Rain in evening, stopped by the time we went back to tents at elevenish. Sky clearing but not cold yet. Need good sleep before another big 1300m climb tomorrow and into Italy...
Day 11 Timmelsjoch at 2509m, the highest John and JR have been and of course the same for me - over 8200ft
It was a long way, steep enough most of the time with a few descents including cruel one at 2300m, where we lost 100m, then a long drag up a valley with just a couple of sheep and one cow, plus an interesting sculpture.
This climb didn't look steep but sapped my energy and looked a lot steeper looking back! One good feature was the frequent updates on altitude which were encouraging as the metres ticked away at each hairpin or landmark.
Goats at 2175m, a border crossing just after then that demoralising descent. Took me 3 hrs from Solden. JR was 1 hr 55 and John about 5 mins later - so they waited for me for an hour!
Luckily, there was a restaurant serving hot drinks + food. Very cold at top and some snow at that level in shade. (Woke to see a dusting on highest peaks - cold and clear in campsite after evening rain).
Main descent very exciting, especially unlit tunnel - first experience of riding in total darkness, with potholes, high kerb and lights utterly useless. We all survived. Lots of shorter tunnels were ok and through them quickly. Very steep descent, lots of hairpins and low barriers. Wore out my new brake blocks.
Desolate landscape gave way to fertile south-facing slopes. Reached St Leonardo and a traffic jam - fatality - (waited and had lunch).
Shown onto cycle path to Merano (?) by kind stranger. Gravelly but ok, but then JR's rear hub (freewheel) broke. Luckily, withing 3-400m of campsite, so we stayed there.
An up and down day!
Only about 1500m climbed but all in one go!
Day 12. 74 miles, 300m Mostly down but kindness of strangers
Reached Merano and found a bike shop for JR - they couldn't help but gave directions to one who probably could. JR looking at £50-100 min for new hub or more likely wheel. Man fixed it for 7 Euros! (2 for parts, 5 for labour)
Amazing, and as good as new, plus he adjusted bearings to make wheel run even smoother.
Then to Bolzano and took forever to escape - not helped by workmen blocking our escape route once we'd found it. Eventually, another way out then back onto riverside cycle route for Trento. Moreno to Bolzano was lovely ride and found perfect lunch spot. Getting to Trento was tougher
Felt very low in pm and was quite dark when we reached outskirts. Helpful couple gave us directions to Hostel (ostello), but sadly full when we got there. All other hotels seemed full too. Then another kind local befriended us and took us around the city, first to a B+B (closed) then hotels - eventually he got one of them to contact Grand Hotel who found us a triple room for E172... He then took us there and haggled down to E160!
Lovely man, crazy cyclist who zoomed up ramps as though he must have been a pro in his younger days (?) (knew a lot of people)
Room was great, shower fantastic. Found somewhere serving pizza at 10.30pm! Then an icecream parlour and coffee back at hotel.
Slept well but very hot. Big breakfast
Day 13. 46 miles, 600m Downhill through Dolomites
Escaped from Trento via impossible hill then steep climb, thanks to very good map. Found food, followed cycle route then cycle lane beside delightful river.
Lunch in sunshine then mostly easy ride by river, with a few minor detours, for rest of the day. Slow start so not a big mileage.
Still on schedule for early arrival at planned campsite but access via motorway impossible (or possibly fatal) for us. Decided to continue - after retracing route a mile or so and asking at shop - to next town with B+B or small hotel.
In the end, found a restaurant that had 'rooms'. In fact, an apartment, for E25 each - bargain. Food good, too!
Day 14. Via Venezia. 57 miles 190 or so metres of climbing on a basically flat day
Wet start, soon ocnl light rain + increasingly warm + humid. Busy road, despite being the minor road alongside a motorway. Mostly 15-16 mph as we raced towards Venice.
Some confusion about cycle routes onto the island. Eventually found a route among the traffic, beside the railway and around some commercial buildings onto the causeway. Then a narrowing and bumpy cycle path that eventually was little wider than our panniers. Another slightly scary junction across the bus park and we were there back to hotel rode 57 miles. 903 total + 15000+ m!
Made it!
Kind American lady gave me £20 for good causes, as we left restaurant.
Arrividerci Venezia
Took a bus back into Venice for evening meal and enjoyed a risotto with mushrooms and the biggest prawn I've ever seen. As we were leaving kind US lady gave me £20.
Next day visited again, St Mark's Square more icecream heavy rain at lunch, cold
2km to station, got bikes on train to Venice - Dismantled bikes
Fun on sleeper train back to Paris!
John sleeping with his bike, Ash fidgeting...
Three of us (plus one more for the middle weekend), travelled by Eurostar to Paris in late August 2010 and cycled to Venice, via the Vosges Mountains, the Black Forest and the Alps over the next two weeks.
The diary is sketchy and incomplete (occasionally incoherent) and was intended to be used as notes for a proper book, but until that day dawns I will just leave it here verbatim:
Day 0. Friday.
In bed by 9:50 pm! Islington is surprisingly nice - and now I know where Sadlers Wells theatre is!
Pleasant walk after pizza down lively streets and past a hundred restaurants.
Safely in London + bikes deposited at St Pancras for Eurostar tomorrow - waved goodbye. (Stood from Cambridge to Kings Cross).
Bike felt very top heavy and too much weight behind back wheel. Will try different arrangement tomorrow.
Anyway, safe and sound despite Kings Cross traffic.
John asleep in minutes.
Day 1. 59 miles (59.35) 434 metres climb. (Eurostar good, some fog in N. France).
Paris ok but the suburbs were very stop-start. A few minor errors but a good ride. A decent warm up day. Panniers came adrift a couple of times, otherwise bike very good.
John had a puncture (lots of glass).
Campsite very pleasant - no-one to book us in + looked almost closed but other people there too.
Tent looks very small but went up ok. Mattress seems to work too - we'll see!
Long wait for our meal in pizzaria in Montereau Fault Yonne.
Often right beside the Seine today - looks lovely (mostly). Perfect weather warm and sunny all day.
Tent is tiny but ok
Day 2. 76 miles 521 m climbed.
Slept badly - pillow!
A long day with a headwind all day so it seemed further.
Over 400 kcal burned.
Ended at Troyes.
Nice site. Good meal in town - once we'd found somewhere open, spoiled by terrible service
Day 3. 74 miles + 900+ m climbed
Tougher than day 2 and all low on food water + energy when we got to Joinville.
First hills and they got tougher although first one out of Troyes was long + against the wind. Wind died
Lovely site when we arrived but not much time to appreciate it!
Rainsed mostly from 3.15 to just as we arrived nearly 7pm. Over 6 hours in the saddle today!
Raining again as I write this at 10.55.
Great meal this time!
210 miles so far, so on schedule.
Day 4. 74 miles 1100+ m climbed.
JR + John mostly led - no headwind but some real hills. Rained almost all day just about stopped in time to put tents up!
Arrived 7pm, almost 6 hrs cycling.
Felt quite strong at the end after stopping for pasts lunch - picnic tea instead, clustered around sun lounger.
Lots of things very soggy but sleeping bag dry!. Tent damp but dry groundsheet so should be ok to sleep. Think I have pillow sorted too. Lights out around 11.30
More rain expected overnight + tomorrow as we head for Colmar (Vittel and Neufchateau today)
Day 5. 1400+ m climbed 64 miles. First 2 cols
Packed away muddy tents + left just after 10am. To Epinal, which was quite pleasant then down Moselle valley to (Arches) a bike shop where JR found his replacement part!. Then on to where we stopped for lunch. Very hard work down the valley against the wind - worrying with two biggish climbs to come.
First was very hard with stiff + tired legs but made it (Col du Haut) to 799m summit finally. Then nice but short descent into Gerardmer. A few showers + chilly so stopped for provisions + found a restaurant for hot chocolate.
Then the bigger climb (Roche du Diable 991m) to Col de Schlucht 1139m. My first 2 cols. Along the ridge was harder (Roche des Cretes 1228m) than expected at first then a really big, fast (+ cold) descent to Orbey. Great fun but thoroughly chilled by the time we arrived at camp site so chickened out + hired a chalet for tonight - warm + dry! Only 64 miles + 1425 metres but a big day 5 for me, if not so much for John + JR.
Day 6. 70 miles 1508m climb
Nice early climb away from chalet to cemetary
Fast descent towards Colmar then a long way across Rhine valley to Freiburg - Heavy rain, hail + thunder new brake blocks fitted soaked. Freiburg slow ... long climb (over 1200m at top) slowed us down. Fast descent to hotel in Todtnau good food - bargain!
Day 7 (1400m ?) Only 66 miles but met up with JH at Rheinfall and reached Lake Constance.
Big climb out of hotel in morning - needed more bananas - then undulating across ridge - mostly downhill so made good time.
Entered Switzerland and thoughts turned to J and her Dad. Easyish ride from there to Rheinfall.
Met John H. Leisurely coffee and complicated exit from Neuhaus (?) until we picked up main road + cycle route all the way to Lake C. Reached site around 6.30. Reasonable price - noisy neighbours and church bells! - and very expensive meal.
Day 8. Dry + Sunny! 70 miles
Heavy dew + mist so a slow start plus sleepless night.
Took a while to get to Konstanz (Germany) on cycle route beside lake. Great picnic spot - dried tents etc than found main road south towards St Gallen.
Climbed after a while and eventually, after St G. reached 1200m and fantastic view across Rhine plain (+ Liechtenstein) to Alps (+ Austria).
Fast descent to where we were trapped by running race for 30 mins.
Then race across plain to Limestone Gorge onto Liechtenstein then Austria just before dusk. Tents up quickly, meal was enormous and took ages but great value. Bed 00.30!
Day 9. 45 miles + 2200m climbed almost 6000 calories
Two very tough climbs around 1700m, with much steeper gradients than expected. Furkenpass seemed to go on forever and second one which promised to be a little easier and with a head start from around 800m seemed just as agonising.
Ran out of food + water - paid 6.60 for 3 small bottles!
Morning dawned clear + chilly but drier than previous night, so tents were soon dried.
John H still with us for part of the day - he left us about 1/4 of the way up first climb to head back to St Gallen. All 3 of us exhausted at top of first climb - John + JR said it was hardest they'd done thanks to extra weight compared to Pyrenees. I believe them!
Second one nearly finished us all off. Took me 2 hours to do 10km climb! Time was after 6.pm so no hope of reaching campsite in good time - about 25km away. We decided to look for hotel in next town on the descent, Wurth?, and had a choice of at least 4. Booked into guest house around 6.30, so a good early finish to a totally exhausting day. Room on top floor and stairs were agony!
Just one climb planned for tomorrow and maybe first part of Timmelsjoch to camp around 1500-2000m but snow is threatened...
Day 10. 1724m 64 miles
Wet start but a great night's sleep. Very cold descent but not as steep as expected so enough pedalling to keep warm(ish). Feet soon soaked and cold.
Climbed to hanging valley then over pass to Imst for late lunch. Very hard climb again and very cold at top. Some snow in gulleys not much above us near top. Feet frozen, but made it! Over 1800m, so highest yet.
Rain eased then stopped on way down to Imst. Thankfully warmer there than expected, still opted for hot lunch - very welcome. Then exited on busy roads inc fast downhill before we turned right towards Timmelsjoch. Managed 26km up the pass to climb back to almost 1200m to campsite.
Best toilets + showers ever! Washing machine defeated us, though...
Found restaurant nearby and had another pizza...
Rain in evening, stopped by the time we went back to tents at elevenish. Sky clearing but not cold yet. Need good sleep before another big 1300m climb tomorrow and into Italy...
Day 11 Timmelsjoch at 2509m, the highest John and JR have been and of course the same for me - over 8200ft
It was a long way, steep enough most of the time with a few descents including cruel one at 2300m, where we lost 100m, then a long drag up a valley with just a couple of sheep and one cow, plus an interesting sculpture.
This climb didn't look steep but sapped my energy and looked a lot steeper looking back! One good feature was the frequent updates on altitude which were encouraging as the metres ticked away at each hairpin or landmark.
Goats at 2175m, a border crossing just after then that demoralising descent. Took me 3 hrs from Solden. JR was 1 hr 55 and John about 5 mins later - so they waited for me for an hour!
Luckily, there was a restaurant serving hot drinks + food. Very cold at top and some snow at that level in shade. (Woke to see a dusting on highest peaks - cold and clear in campsite after evening rain).
Main descent very exciting, especially unlit tunnel - first experience of riding in total darkness, with potholes, high kerb and lights utterly useless. We all survived. Lots of shorter tunnels were ok and through them quickly. Very steep descent, lots of hairpins and low barriers. Wore out my new brake blocks.
Desolate landscape gave way to fertile south-facing slopes. Reached St Leonardo and a traffic jam - fatality - (waited and had lunch).
Shown onto cycle path to Merano (?) by kind stranger. Gravelly but ok, but then JR's rear hub (freewheel) broke. Luckily, withing 3-400m of campsite, so we stayed there.
An up and down day!
Only about 1500m climbed but all in one go!
Day 12. 74 miles, 300m Mostly down but kindness of strangers
Reached Merano and found a bike shop for JR - they couldn't help but gave directions to one who probably could. JR looking at £50-100 min for new hub or more likely wheel. Man fixed it for 7 Euros! (2 for parts, 5 for labour)
Amazing, and as good as new, plus he adjusted bearings to make wheel run even smoother.
Then to Bolzano and took forever to escape - not helped by workmen blocking our escape route once we'd found it. Eventually, another way out then back onto riverside cycle route for Trento. Moreno to Bolzano was lovely ride and found perfect lunch spot. Getting to Trento was tougher
Felt very low in pm and was quite dark when we reached outskirts. Helpful couple gave us directions to Hostel (ostello), but sadly full when we got there. All other hotels seemed full too. Then another kind local befriended us and took us around the city, first to a B+B (closed) then hotels - eventually he got one of them to contact Grand Hotel who found us a triple room for E172... He then took us there and haggled down to E160!
Lovely man, crazy cyclist who zoomed up ramps as though he must have been a pro in his younger days (?) (knew a lot of people)
Room was great, shower fantastic. Found somewhere serving pizza at 10.30pm! Then an icecream parlour and coffee back at hotel.
Slept well but very hot. Big breakfast
Day 13. 46 miles, 600m Downhill through Dolomites
Escaped from Trento via impossible hill then steep climb, thanks to very good map. Found food, followed cycle route then cycle lane beside delightful river.
Lunch in sunshine then mostly easy ride by river, with a few minor detours, for rest of the day. Slow start so not a big mileage.
Still on schedule for early arrival at planned campsite but access via motorway impossible (or possibly fatal) for us. Decided to continue - after retracing route a mile or so and asking at shop - to next town with B+B or small hotel.
In the end, found a restaurant that had 'rooms'. In fact, an apartment, for E25 each - bargain. Food good, too!
Day 14. Via Venezia. 57 miles 190 or so metres of climbing on a basically flat day
Wet start, soon ocnl light rain + increasingly warm + humid. Busy road, despite being the minor road alongside a motorway. Mostly 15-16 mph as we raced towards Venice.
Some confusion about cycle routes onto the island. Eventually found a route among the traffic, beside the railway and around some commercial buildings onto the causeway. Then a narrowing and bumpy cycle path that eventually was little wider than our panniers. Another slightly scary junction across the bus park and we were there back to hotel rode 57 miles. 903 total + 15000+ m!
Made it!
Kind American lady gave me £20 for good causes, as we left restaurant.
Arrividerci Venezia
Took a bus back into Venice for evening meal and enjoyed a risotto with mushrooms and the biggest prawn I've ever seen. As we were leaving kind US lady gave me £20.
Next day visited again, St Mark's Square more icecream heavy rain at lunch, cold
2km to station, got bikes on train to Venice - Dismantled bikes
Fun on sleeper train back to Paris!
John sleeping with his bike, Ash fidgeting...
posted by Roy Everitt at
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