Europe #8: to Albania
January 15-18
Off on the trains again. So the plan was to get to Albania and catch the next ferry (they go every week) so I didn’t have time to spend anywhere on the way – maybe on the way back…
To Pisa, via Genoa and La Spezia. Stayed at a cheap hotel and off early to catch the train to Ancona via Florence and Faeza. Booked into another cheap hotel. All going according to plan. But not for long. Here is a timeline of the events as theu unfolded over the next few days.
Sunday 15 – booked in for two nights at cheap hotel ready for Ferry on Tuesday evening. 110 Euros.
Monday 16 – wandered around waiting for tomorrow.
Tuesday 17 – Got to the check-in early to be told that the ferry had been cancelled due to bad weather. The photo below shows the bad weather and I think the captain might have been right! I was asked it I’d like to go on the rearranged ship on Thursday, so I said yes. Where should I stay for the extra two nights? I made the really bad decision to try an airbnb on a yacht nearby. I paid cash – 80 Euros for the two nights. Getting on board coincided with the most extreme hailstone squall that I’ve ever encountered. I nearly lost the bike in the sea trying to get it on board using the rickety gangway. Totally soaked and very cold. In fact, on board, the only dry place was the ‘bedroom’. After about half an hour, I realised just how impossible it was going to be to stay there for two nights and days so, giving up the eighty quid, I packed up and, with difficulty, headed back to the old cheap hotel where I booked in for the next two nights.
Wednesday 18: with no need to get up early, I didn’t. Had a wander around until mid afternoon when I got a phone call from the Ferry company saying that the ferry was leaving today. I asked when? They said, NOW. I will not describe the difficulty I had getting to the ship via check-in and passport control, it would take too long, but I got there and tied the bike up along with what seemed like hundreds of huge trucks. In the space of three days I missed three lots of paid-for accommodation.
Of course, the ferry was late to leave and, due to bad weather, took longer to get across – eighteen hours in fact. Overnight. Coke Cola and mars bars for sustenance, along with a large piece of cheese I found in my rucksack, for which I was grateful.
Europe #7: Bordighera
January 13-14
On the first evening, looking out of the common room window, there was an extraordinary sunset (see photo). So many differently coloured layers. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I spent a couple of full days in Bordighera, which I liked a lot. It’s the town where Monet came with Renoir and found inspiration. Palm trees and orange trees and not too much modern hustle and bustle. Lots of interesting alleyways and stairways with cafes and coffee shops everywhere. In France and Italy, the pavements are wide enough for cafes to have tables outside, so there are always people on the street relaxing. It gives such a different vibe to that of Britain’s streets. I loved exploring (getting lost in..) the alleyways of the old town.
Europe #6: to Bordighera
January 12.
Time to leave Avignon and make a decision about where to go and how long to take. I could have just got on my bike and cycled slowly along the coast, taking in Cannes, Monaco, Nice, and so on. This was my original plan, but, not only was it rather cold and damp, I really felt the need to get to a place and settle for a while, which meant getting to Albania ASAP. So it was back on the trains: three (via Marseille and Nice) took me across the border to Italy. The train stopped at Ventimiglia, which was about ten miles from my airbnb in Bordighera. I cycled there along very nice cycle paths.
The hardest part was getting to the airbnb which was up a steep hill and then many flights of steps, as you can see from the photo. As I arrived, the other person in the airbnb noticed me and gave me a guided tour of the place. Nice common room, kitchen, bedroom and my own well-equipped bathroom. And a bowl of luxury chocolates. I can’t remember the chap’s name, so I’ll call him Pete. He offered me some wine and we had a good natter, even though I’m sure we only understood 50% of what we each said. Another good end to the day.
Europe #5: Avignon
January 7-11
My first proper experience of a small French city. I basically wandered around pretty aimlessly. Notable places included the Pope’s palace, from which I had good views of the river and the famous bridge, the Irish pub and city walls. Otherwise, pretty much as I’d expected with a mixture of old and new. I didn’t feel like taking many photos – just snaps for the record. I could have done a lot more, like take a tour of the Pope’s Palace and various museums and attractions, although there weren’t that many; so just chilling out and thinking about what I was going to do next.
Europe #4: Lyon to Avignon by train
January 6.
No problems catching the train this time. The journey was pleasant, especially along the banks of the Rhone river and coming into Avignon. I had a nice breakfast at the station as I was a bit early for check-in at the airbnb. When I got there, I was greeted by Camelia and her greyhound. The house was pretty fancy and gated. Later, I would be introduced to the family – hubby, seven year old daughter and two year old son (who would have at least one tantrum a day). My room was really well equipped with a coffee machine, TV and local guides and maps. My own bathroom was also very modern. I’d booked in for six days thinking that this was the first time that I have been to a French town/city that was interesting enough to explore at my leisure. A nice change from the frantic train connections.
I slept well, knowing that I didn’t need to get up early for anything.
Europe #3: Train to Lyon via Paris
January 5.
Up early to cycle into Caen and catch the train to Paris. My plan was to catch a second train to Lyon after cycling across Paris from station to station. I nearly missed the train in Caen because I couldn’t find an entrance to the station, and it was wet and windy which slowed me down. In Paris, I had nearly 90 minutes to cycle across town to the other station for my connection to Lyon, where I had an airbnb booked. But it was a nightmare. The lady from Google was no help, and I couldn’t hear her against the traffic noise anyway. I eventually found the station and by the time I’d got on board and sat down, the train started off. Another couple of minutes and I would have missed it. My airbnb was a few miles out of Lyon and the Google lady sent me down a blind ally. At last I got there and found a terrific little modern apartment in a converted garden shed behind the host’s house. So a nice end to the day. Didn’t take any photos.
Europe #2: Ferry to Caen
Tuesday, Jan 3rd. Didn’t want to get out of bed – it felt so good! Turned on the Google lady giving directions, which worked well. Direct Ferries said I should get there an hour and a half, or more, before the ferry leaves, but it’s a LIE – nobody in sight – deserted. Eventually found someone who pointed me to a small bicycle shed. “You’ll find some bikes in there,” the helpful man said. I waited there for around 45 minutes before another guy, looking rather bored, took pity on me and ushered me on board. I was the only cyclist. In fact I was the only person on board for half an hour, so I wandered around the decks, which was a bit weird. Had a bite of breakfast when the cafe opened and sat down to read ‘Lives of the Artists’ by Vasari.
Uneventful crossing, but it was cold, wet and windy in France. I cycled against the wind for nearly an hour to my airbnb, which was in a small town called Benouville, half-way between the ferry port and Caen. The airbnb was quite posh and the host was friendly, although he spoke little English. I stayed for two nights but didn’t see him after the introduction.
Off to Europe on my bike! #1: Train to Portsmouth
Off we go! Easy train ride and straight to my airbnb. It was a bit strange – through an open gate, down an alley between two buildings and there was the host urging me on. She was working, so in a rush. ‘Leave the bike out here – it’s quite safe’. This was not to be the first time that I was a little bit concerned about the safety of my bike. No choice but to trust. Up rickety stairs to a very small basic room. I had to get up at 5.30 to catch the ferry, so went to bed. I was still coughing a lot and feeling grotty, but the bed was fantastic – really comfy. So I slept well.
Avon photo trip with Ed Drewitt
Ed Drewitt is more than an expert on birds. He knows the details of each environment - plants and animals and their relationships with their habitats. This was a wonderful trip from the centre of Bristol all the way out to the Severn estuary. Great to see the surrounding from a different viewpoint.
