Dodgy train journey to London with multiple delays. Great night with the kids and grandchildren who saw me off this morning in style. Easy trip to Waterloo Station, only incident a poor motercyclist who had been taken out at some lights. Right outside St. Thomas’s Hospital though. Good train to Portsmouth, saw HMS Warrior but a bit impractical to visit HMS Victory as no facilities bike security (afraid of bike bombs!). A couple of beers to pass the time. Met Ron from Australia at the ferry terminal (see pic if Santa Claus). He’s on a four month European bike tour. Very similar kit to mine.
140 km (87 miles) 2,389 miles total A long ride today with, in spite of my claims if yesterday, about 900 meters of climbing. Only 5km short of the longest - and that was flat. First 100 km was a reverse of the stage between Turin and Sauze d’Oulx. Steeply downhill for the first 30 km amid magnificent mountain scenery. The huge mountains rising vertically from the valley, scaled by the ski lifts of the resorts. Averaged 27.5 km/hour in this descent - easily the fastest sustained ride of the trip. The next 30 km was still downhill, but less steeply. The mountains deeply cut by side valleys, and now covered with forest at these lower levels. Followed rushing, milky, mountain rivers the whole way. Frim 80 km to100km was flat with the road sheltered by avenues of Plane trees. Stopped for refreshment at the village of Epierrre. Outside of the village was a metal cyclist with the date 2015. When I finished for the day I checked and, sure enough, a sprint on stage 19 of the 2015 Tour de Franc...
84 km (52 miles) day, 1,747 total Poor days cycling with fabulous finish. Short cycle to the Croatian border and about 60 km after. Not a single cycle track (protected or otherwise) for the full 60km - including the long bridge to the island of Krk which was occupied by holiday buses, tankers and mobile homes travelling at speed. Route was very hilly but the end, Malinska, is fabulous. In Goran and Goga’s pool by 2:30 and wonderfully relaxing day thereafter. Three days of R&R now with no updates until Monday. The Croatian coast rises straight from the sea - resulting in spectacular road engineering! 1st Croatian beer In the pool!
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