Counting down – 3 weeks to leave Bavaria

Here is my new blog – have a look!
This year I´m going to visit Italy the first time by bike…

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I can´t believe it – in only 3 weeks time I´m going to leave my hometown heading towards Rome. This time I´m going to start my trip right at my home cycling along the wellknown Chiemsee and f…

Quelle: Counting down – 3 weeks to leave Bavaria

Last evening in Paris

Friday, June, 19th, 2015

After having said a goodbye to Spain accompanied by rain I’ve travelled back all the way to Paris by train.
So cycling back to my friend Francis and his wife I had a last chance of having a short visit of Paris and it was outstanding…

I’ve enjoyed this journey very much as I’ve had a great time to discover a part of France again but this time get to know many people living there or travelling around by using Warmshowers, Couchsurfing or the Youthhostels.

So goodbye from France, Michael

Dune du Pilat on Facebook – a visit to the Dune

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Cycling day 16: Welcome in Espagnol after 1.567 km

This morning was a little lazy as I knew I had only 46 km to do…so after shopping I’ve met my cycling friend from England I’ve seen already several times…he is on his 12 months journey from England down to Gibraltar along the coast and than heading East to Italy, Greece, Romania, Austria and Germany.

As we had a coffee another cyclist came across so we stood there chatting till midday and exchanging travel stories – of course with the help of the EuroVelo map.

So we started our trip – but these were the hardest kilometers on the trip, like Brittany up and down but in an outstanding countryside.

Finally we’ve visited the cliffs next to the busy street not far away from Hendaye.

So we arrived in Hendaye and I travelled on to Hondarribia/Spain.

I’ve met also a lady from Germany – she was cycling with this trike on her way to Santiago de Compostella.

It’s a fantastic city, full of life and young and old people hanging around on the streets talking, drinking and laughing. Kids are playing, small bars and restaurants wherever you look…I could have stayed there the whole night – even if I didn’t understand a single word…

Tomorrow I’ll take the train back to Paris…

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Rest day 3: Exploring Biarritz

Today I’ve had the third time the luxury to spend the day not cycling – and I’ve realised I needed it…
I’ve explored the famous city of Biarritz but just enjoyed the beach, the city and no museum…

And finally after having again a self-catering dinner…the sun-downer in Anglet…

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Cycling day 16: Through the woods from Mimizan Plage to Anglet

Today was a long ride through the woods – as I found out that the weatherforecast was saying rain for my last rest-day I decided to look for a youthhostel.
So I had to do 115 km and came along a surf spot where I met a austrian couple with a VW bus on their way to Portugal.

The way through Bayonne wasn’t that funny as you’ve had to take a big road with a lot of traffic.

But in the end I found an old fine hostel in Anglet and a french cyclist and some young folks we spent a wonderful evening together cooking and going down to the beach.
So tomorrow on Wednesday I’ve got my day off and the following day just to cycle about 45 km top Hendaye…

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Cycling day 15: Departure from the Dune – Part three of my journey

So this morning we had also no sun for a nice picture of the Dune…but I’ve chatted with my neighbours from Paris – they’re also heading to Hendaye but with a tandem and my trailer.

So I’ve got an extra for the day – a cooked egg what you doesn’t get in France for breakfast.
Than I’ve just cleaned my dishes – and there it started to rain…of course I hadn’t packed everything because of the nice chat I was running back to the tent.
So use the time you’re given and I wrote some postcards.

Riding along the new path was a great pleasure as it leaded me – surprise – through the woods, until now more or less flat.

But than came a point remind me of my trip to the Bretagne – 10 % ascent !
Usually no problem but if you’ve got a trailer with 34 kg (including 3 l of water) then you are happy about a flat way.

Finally I’ve reached the aim of today – Mimizan Plage which is a small touristic place where after 20:00 h nearly everything is closed – but the oceanfront is open !
So I’ve had my first bath in the atlantic sea and it was much warmer than I thought.

At the end of this post I’d like to recommend you the following blog which is about an english couple on a tandem.
They’re in Usbekistan at the moment and the pictures and his writing is fantastic – have a look !
She’s not pedalling on the back

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Cycling day 13-14: From Montalivet to Arcachon

Finally I’ve visited the Dune du Pilat today – as I’ve missed it two years ago.

But let’s start from yesterday…after having a sunny breakfast I’ve been covered by rain and thunder…just half an hour were enough to get everything wet…

I’ve been cycling along the Atlantic without seeing it as you’re riding through the woods…but I’ve knew this already.
Luckily I’ve asked a Warmshowers couple, Sylvie and Bernard, for a night to stay so we had a great chat of travelling after I’ve met her in the woods coincidentally as she has seen my pic on the blog.

And…I’m happy having seen this on my cycling computer…in 6 years I’ve been cycling 19.999 km.

This morning I left Sylvie and headed towards the Reserve Ornithologique which I’ve blogged already.
So I came to the famous Dune du Pilat which is the biggest in Europe.

And there I’ve met Detlef, a german guy who lives here in France more than fifteen years, we had a great chat about living in this country and of course the Dune.

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Visiting the Reserve Ornithologique “le Teich”, Arcachon

Just a few pics from my visit to the magnificant Reserve…

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Cycling day 13: On the pilgrims path

Back on the run I had to leave my warmshower friends after Virginie had their accordéon lessons…

It was a relaxed ride to the ferry in Royan I remember from 2013. I met there a dutch couple which on their run to Santiago de Compostella…

Leaving the ferry I met the two girls who will spent the night at the Warmshowers couple I’ve been…cycling around for ten months… Great! They are also from Munich.
A few kilometers I met a guy I’ve met already in Nantes – so this is a path you’re always crossing again your ways…he is from Britain meeting his daughter tomorrow and cycling down from Cherbourg.

After having a really short trip – just 60 km – I found my ‘old’ campingsite which I’ve visited 2 years ago on my way to Nice.
And now I’m sitting in the same great restaurant accompanied by cool music and fantastic wines.

So to all of you – enjoy life, travel, hug your friends and have a good day !
Life can be also short…I’ve had to recognise this while checking my emails yesterday…

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Cycling day 12: Meeting people around the world

So today I had to leave the comfort zone and entering another…but this was nether the less interesting !
I’ve left La Rochelle towards Rochefort as I was looking forward to see the ‘old’ ship ‘Hermionne’ – but as I could find out its at the moment in the new world.

Afterwards I made a mistake following the EuroVelo 1 which leeds you around a nearby river – but I wanted the use the ‘Trasporteur’ – maybe next time…

But then I met a english couple from Bristol and they are on there way back home via Roscoff – after more than two years.
They’ve seen China, Australia, New Zealand, India and so many other countries you can’t imagine – but now they’re looking forward to get home again.

Cycling in this county is the completely different than doing it in the Vendée.
They are often signposted ‘after’ the important corners, you can cycle along a motorway, Route National or next to a busy road on a big town…compared to the Vendée it was the difference between day and night.
Also the ground was very often not that solid and nice like the days before…
Perhaps the responsible people should take a lesson in the Vendée – or should be send out without map – could end in a disaster…

But than there was at the end of the day a meeting with some Warmshowers friends where I was allowed to stay one night.
It’s a network for cyclists – like Couchsurfing. So I helped in the garden, Benoît showed me the production of Oysters and in the end we ate about half past 10 – and had really good fun sharing our travel stories…

So after cycling 95 km also having seen two beavers running over my cyclepath I had a really funny and interesting day…in 7 days this will be my last cycling day…can’t believe it.

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