We're off tonight, leaving dear old SW2 at two in the morning for the Newhaven Ferry, and then progressing via Normandy, Paris, Burgundy, the Alps, Turin and the Ligurian Coast to Pisa. We've set aside eleven days for the 850 miles, two days to recover and almost 24 hours for the return train trip, returning some time on the 16th June.
It's a tall order, and I'm not entirely confident. The distances (in miles below) are just a bit above comfortable.
London to Newhaven 55.6 Friday 3rd June
Dieppe to Fleury-le-Floret 48.6 Friday 3rd June
Fleury-le-Foret to Paris 62 Saturday 4th
Paris to Auxerre 104.2 Sunday 5th
Auxerre to Arnay-le-duc 72.3 Monday 6th June
Arnay-le-duc Bourg-en-Bresse 81.8 Tuesday 7th
Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambery 75.2 Wednesday 8th June
Chambery to Modane 63.8 Thursday 9th June
Modane via Col de Mont Cenis to Moncalieri 77.6 Friday 10th June
Moncalieri to Gavi 73 Saturday 11th June
Gavi to Antica Locanda Ligure 72.6 Sunday 12th June
Antica Locanda Ligure to Pisa 64 Monday 13th June
Total 850.7
The weather looks decent, although we'll be travelling through parts of Burgundy that have received a great deal of rain and may be flooded. If the first Sunday is wet we'll take a train to get out of Paris, not wanting to mix it with the traffic on the N6. And if rains on Wednesday we'll not chance the D916 which looks pretty hair-raising in any conditions, and let the TER take the strain.
Of course...the bigger if is whether or not we get that far or simply explode after a couple of days. We've not put the miles in to get as fit as we should be, and our fancy training rollers didn't get the wear they should have done. I know fine well you can't ride yourself fit and we'll be relying on canniness - keeping the speed down, keeping the water intake up and resting little and often.
Susie has her fancy camera phone and she'll be sending pictures in to space. I'll text from my 20th century mobile telephonic device. If we survive to tell the tale we'll tell it when we get back.
A short apology to a tall man - I was going to take satnav lessons from Martin T, but technophobia overtook me and I've got fourteen IGN maps marked up with felt-tip pen. Sorry, Big Guy!
It's a tall order, and I'm not entirely confident. The distances (in miles below) are just a bit above comfortable.
London to Newhaven 55.6 Friday 3rd June
Dieppe to Fleury-le-Floret 48.6 Friday 3rd June
Fleury-le-Foret to Paris 62 Saturday 4th
Paris to Auxerre 104.2 Sunday 5th
Auxerre to Arnay-le-duc 72.3 Monday 6th June
Arnay-le-duc Bourg-en-Bresse 81.8 Tuesday 7th
Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambery 75.2 Wednesday 8th June
Chambery to Modane 63.8 Thursday 9th June
Modane via Col de Mont Cenis to Moncalieri 77.6 Friday 10th June
Moncalieri to Gavi 73 Saturday 11th June
Gavi to Antica Locanda Ligure 72.6 Sunday 12th June
Antica Locanda Ligure to Pisa 64 Monday 13th June
Total 850.7
The weather looks decent, although we'll be travelling through parts of Burgundy that have received a great deal of rain and may be flooded. If the first Sunday is wet we'll take a train to get out of Paris, not wanting to mix it with the traffic on the N6. And if rains on Wednesday we'll not chance the D916 which looks pretty hair-raising in any conditions, and let the TER take the strain.
Of course...the bigger if is whether or not we get that far or simply explode after a couple of days. We've not put the miles in to get as fit as we should be, and our fancy training rollers didn't get the wear they should have done. I know fine well you can't ride yourself fit and we'll be relying on canniness - keeping the speed down, keeping the water intake up and resting little and often.
Susie has her fancy camera phone and she'll be sending pictures in to space. I'll text from my 20th century mobile telephonic device. If we survive to tell the tale we'll tell it when we get back.
A short apology to a tall man - I was going to take satnav lessons from Martin T, but technophobia overtook me and I've got fourteen IGN maps marked up with felt-tip pen. Sorry, Big Guy!