My 5 days in France.... Pics

I did have a link in one of my posts, but after reading one of Tim IB posts, I never even realised the Euro section was here So i'll do a little write up of my previous trip from a few weeks back.

We headed via ET into France,









And meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee getting my phone out to take the above shots



We headed straight down the Motorway to below Dijon where we had a bed for the night (and now every trip it seems ). After being filled up on homemade bread, pizzas, we were given the tour of the house and some breakkie in the morning.





Next day, we headed off down the N5 which took us over some mountains. low point was seeing an MV Brutale still embedded, and upright, into the side of a car. The car pulled out at a junction on the biker, he'd hit it and gone over the top. Big crowed and people there, it was a good reminder just before we hit the mountain roads of what still can happen.







When we got to the top of the mountain, we came accross a town full with motorbikes parked up. After some questioning around, we found one of the roads was closed and a classic bike race was going on. Awesome...

Link to the piccies

http://public.fotki.com/DaimoB/gener...d-b/page2.html




After an hour or so of watching the bikes, we stumbled to get some cakes and a drink, then kitted up onwards down the hill (Still N5) down towards Lake Geneve (Geneva). Once we'd gone under the motorway, we chucked a right towards Geneve central, where we cooked our asses off, but didn't get lost We came out the other side by 10km or so, and found a campsite which was fairly well priced, comfortable and safe. Bar staff were a right laugh in the evenings. Quite expensive beer though at 5+ euros per pint. Mega large glasses of beer FTW!!!



My two mates...




Next day, with hangovers, we went for a jolly jaunt. First half of the day was spent riding around Lake Geneve, and stopping frequently for coffees. We stopped at the Lake for some food at lunch before the playtime begain. We'd left the bags at camp this day.



Up up and awaaaaaay we go into the mountain. If anyone wants the road numbers let me know and i'll re-check them. Needless to say we went up one side, along the back end of the mountain, then back accross, and back down the same roads home...



obligitory Cow shot pics.....




I jumped on my friends R6. The things a bloody rocket for a 600cc. Im not keen, its just tooooo small for me. Fealt like a bloody quick mini moto with big wheels. So i jumped on my other friends K4 GSXR600, and what a lovley bike. Weighty, nippy, and he's got the best sounding IL4 engine/Exhaust combo i've EVER heard. Sounds stunning, and im not an IL4 engine noise fan. So im chasing this Subraru Impreza down the mountine, taking it easy, its not my bike and i don't know the roads. Im riding fast, but not silly. I can see two headlights in my mirror, "blimey, the boys are doing ok keeping up" (2 newish riders). After about 15 minutes of playing, I look behined, only to take a 2nd glance... I'd been chased by 2 locals on their bikes, they pointed backwards and I got that they'd passed my friends. I pulled over, 5 minutes later, those two turn up.... "you bloody nutter" rah rah rah.. I wasn't even going that fast We saw another bike, an R1 who'd tried to play skiittles witht he concrete sidewall and lost.. Result was a TOTALLED bike. Number 2 then, another reminder....

So we went home, ate food off hot stones (Pay more to cook your own grub??? Eh???). Drank more beer, woke up with hangover, again.....

Time to kit and leave, onwards, so we headed down towards Lac Du Bougat. Very pretty lake. OK roads, flowing twisty stuff along the river/lake. We found a lovely cafe on the lakeside, and stopped for more coffee.





Then we got lost... I'd been instructing us Via Google maps on my phone. I wanted to take some twisty roads, but they turned into single tracks. We got ratty, we were hot, hungover, not in the mood. So we found a main road to take us to Lac Du Annecy.

STUNNING is all i can say. WELL worth a nights stay if your down that way (about 50km south of Geneve). From our campsite we could see this...





We dumped all the kit of in our home for the next night...



We de-kitted, chucked some shorts on and coasted down to the Lakefront and went for a walk.






Annecy is a stunning town. WELL worth a visit if your around. Like a mini Venice, but without the smell.





Studly...






We then rode back up, had a shower and got back on the bikes to get some dinner.





I then had an early night. I was up at 6am the next day, so ensured everything was packed and ready to go. Woke up and dumped it ont eh bike, and headed on my way home. My friends had another week odd to go so they were carrying on south. I am gutted, some of the pictures of the roads are immense. D65 as suggested by Supeorbike Good Roads mag recently, well worth the trip. Its another few hours south of where I was, so im gutted.

I had a 780 mile trip home. Funnily enough when your not stopping every 100 miles for sportsbikers fuel, you can really make up some miles. I stopped for some brekkie after 200 miles, and done the same then on, just stopping for fuel at times, and a 45 min stint for lunch. I made the 4.30pm train instead of the 7pm train, and from speaking to other bikers, generally the train lets you on whenever. My friends decided to come back a day early and they caught a train without any fees. I still don't like how you have to park your bike on the train though, but its better than the boat if you've got big distance to cover.

Result = Funking ace trip, next year, further south (for me) into the Alps. The best bits start there.

More piccies at.....


http://public.fotki.com/DaimoB/gener...switzerland-b/



Oh, you should see the full res version of this

A great write up!

Nice to hear the details , sad to hear about others crashing their bikes

Deeper into the alps it just gets better, I'm sure you'll be back there!

Already planning it for next year with another 1-2 people Should be even better.

Plan will be to ride down south to the Alps, find a caravan/villa thing, and booked it for the whole week and leave our stuff there. That way we can find a different route every day and ride without all the bags and such on the back.

Topbox + kit = VERY light front end at 90mph, and the slightest movements at 140+ (speedo) sent the bike into a spasamistic wobble. Obviously this is a lie and never happened and im claiming E points Mr Orrificer Sir...

Worst thing is to come flying up behined a mate, top end of 4th, whilst he's in 6th and out of his rev range, only for him to open the throttle, and come flying back past within a couple of seconds Bandits GREAT for the motorway part, but I need the front end checking over as it fealt too soft and wollowy on the twisties. Guess 25,000 miles does that eventually. Going to tighten up the front, see if it makes a difference now im home. Tyres are very good (Michelion Pilots), but wobbly front end meant I didn't have the confidence to really push. Even the girls on their SS fannymagnets kept up It seems to be a little better now im back, but at the time, having to adjust the stearing mid turn quite aggressivly meant something wasn't right..

[Binky]

My god, that's hasn't half wet my appetite for our trip into France in August.

We're heading all the way down to the South coast so will hopefully have some Alps mountain road pictures for you all. Stopping in Annecy on day two aswell...

Quality write up by the way. It's really worth it when people take the time to do that. Hopefully we'll have a mammoth success story of a great trip come the start of Septemeber for everyone.

Thanks for sharing.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Daimo

Even the girls on their SS fannymagnets kept up

Great write up mate, looks like you had a brilliant time. Agreed that Annecy is top place, out of interest, can you remember the name of the camp site you stopped at there? Was it any good & would you stay there again?

Twas great fun. The trip down there was a little boring, but we could have some fun together, flick kill switches n stuff I got them both gret, they didn't know what hitting the killswitch did whilst moving. Was funny, for me anyway

First campsite outside Geneve was in a village called Neydens. Campsite was called La Colombière. We paid 56 Euros each for 2 nights. Meals were about 10-20 euros each.

Campsite in Annecy was south of the town (still in the town edge), up near the Chateau, it was called Annecy campsite - belvedere‎

8 Route du Semnoz

We paid 25 euros each for 1 night. Few mozzies about due to the lake, but very nice location.


Both places were ok, they were clean, modern, simple but had what we needed. First place had a TV in the room, 2nd place in Annecy didn't. The bar was small but stocked in Annecy, and the one near Geneve was alrger, but more expensive.

NOTE: If you stay at the first place, beers are cheaper if you stand at the bar, and not sit down. (so get drinks, sit down, eat dinner, pay, get up, go back to bar and drink more, and more...).

We had good banter with all the locals we met in the campsite bar, broken english/french, but we got there

Great time, highly recommend a new biker whose tempted to do big big trips. No mechanical issues for anyone, just keep the chains lubed Friends carried on to the south coast, and came back 10 days later.

[Spiderman]

Looks like you had a greeat trip Damio, good for you mate.

I'm so jealous as i really wanna spend a week or more in europe on my bike, most i've done so far is a long day trip with a few orgers but that was 2 yrs ago now...and feels like more.

Great pics too, looks like you're trying to see if that cow is preggers btw

Great write up and pics Daimo. Annecy is fantastic, I used to work half an hour away from there, and we used to head there on our days off.

Look forward to seeing your plans for next year.

The lake is so beautiful all round. I love it. Glad to see you have a great time mate. Some excellent photos.

This is crazy cool - the more pics I see, the closer I am to coming over there to ride.