Tomorrow!

Today´s photos

Lucky Fonzie!

Lost the SD card with some really cool pictures just now. Real shame. Not just the pictures I lost, but it had been such an awesome day and I was in the perfect mood and set of mind, and this little things always come up and annoy the hell out of me. So frustrating. Trying to just get over it and enjoy this pretty place.
Yesterday I arrived to Solsona, a surprisingly cool little village 750 meters above sea level and from there took off this morning. Straight up to 860 meters to Col de Clara and down to a beautiful valley where I pass by oliana and Organya to reach the base of Paso del Canto.
The wind was really blowing from the North at some points and made riding in the flats a bit tiring, but once I started climbing the 24 km of el Canto the mountain shleltered and the ride was lovely.
My first big pass of the trip, and probably ever, as I had just been training around Liguria never really climbed higher than 750m, except once up to Gran Paradiso National Park close to Turin.
Today I reached 1725 meters, and then a chilly downhill run to Sort. A ski town which apparently is really famous for his rafting as well. They are even running the world cup here next June.
Perfect riding day today, temperature has been perfect (a bit chilly up the passes though) and really overwhelming to be surrounded by such beautiful landscapes. Can help but think that I am, and always have been, a lucky little buggger. At 28, I have done my fair bit of travelling and I like to always remind myself to be thankful for having such oportunities, and being free for deciding my path. Today was one of those days, and thinking about this trip and its reasons, I could only hope that the money you're all donating for veniños, would help some other less fortunate kids to have options and freedom for living the life they choose.
Such a better mood right now...love it!

Pyrenees here I come!

Let me start by saying that I owe you the pictures, just got to this little town and logged in the internet in the local tourism office, which I find really cool actually.
Alright so the first big part of the trip is done, the descent into Barcelona, and the big lesson is that I have to work on the navigation. I have to prepare better on where the route actually takes me through so I don't spend 2 hours a day finding out where to go, which while being on a bike 10 hours a day can be quite frustrating. The big cities are the problem with their complicated road networks and crap road signing can be hell. I actually had to stop before entering Barcelona after riding 10 km on the highway and took a train down 3 stations to avoid getting into tunnels and things like that, which I didn't find that much fun or very adventurous, just very silly and dangerous. In France before Toulon the police stopped me while on the emergency lane on the highway, told me to get in the van and took me to the next exit...
Barcelona was good fun. A very social part of the trip. Cought up with a friend I met in South Africa 6 years ago, so it was really cool to see her after such long time. Also with la Gio who took me for a wander around the Gothic area and the port and had a great Paella together, followed by a nice bath on salt water thermal pools which helped a lot the performance today. I know very easy to be an adventourer like that, isn´t it!
Today rode for 118 km at around 21,5 km/h average and got the feeling the trip is actually starting. This is the challenging part of the trip, the Pyrenees. I will go through 2 mountain passes everyday, averaging maybe 100 km a day. And specially, will ride in silence. Today was spectacular as soon as leaving the industrial area in Barcelona the whole landscape changed and the noise went to zero in many times, giving me the chance to really feel such a solitude, I understood that this is one of the big reasons I came for.
Will try to blog tomorrow as well. Have to leave as the office is closing. Love you all and thanks for reading and sorry for not doing the spanish version, anyone wants to translate it for me?!
Fonzie

GPS Rocks!!!

I'm sure GPS rocks... and as I don't have one for this trip... it SUCKS!
You know how frustrating it can be to navigate in and out of european cities, french cities more specifically with their perverted sense of road signing which is more a piss taking than a help. Anyway, imagine getting lost while riding for 8 hours a day on a bicycle...
Very hilly this morning as so were my moods, up and down up and down... Beautiful roads yesterday and today. On Friday the wind blew straight from where I was going to for the whole day, so stiff! Today I was cruising at 40 kph at some points with a nice breeze pushing me along the whole day which made the navigational issues a lot more easy to forget.
I met a couple of cycling tourers last night in Toulon, went looking for places to stay together, had some good smart duck and stupid fish for dinner and after carrying his bike... correction trying to lift his bike, I could only feel proud of the job done on my the design and construction of my case, Good job Giorgio! Still holding solid back there...
Today 9 hours 30 Minutes at 22 Kph for 210 km (including getting lost for two hours in Marseille) and called in at Nimes, wicked little town! actually I'll go for a wander... enjoy the pics!

Riding Pics

First Day all good!

First day is done. Left Genova racing the rain coming from Levante and successfully stayed quite dried. One thing I could not avoid was the Libeccio wind blowing straight on my face for the whole day. Thought it would get lighter but for the last 100 km it was gusting up to 25 knots probably.
Life on board is good, lots of time to drift away and reflect on the last two weeks of preparing for trip and sort of getting used to the little routines of cycling for over 8 hours a day. Funny seems like the only think I'm not thinking of is the actual moment! But I've been focusing a lot on being patience and pace myself. Today I cycled for 8 hours and 58 minutes, with an hour break for a great lunch at the beach with the sun shinning. Feels like I'm talking of a sailing trip if I keep going like this.
Arrived at Monaco where Phillis, a cool yachtie/surfer I met in Fiji, is living and host me for the first night of Le Tour. Good catching up with all buddies.
185 km after 9 hours at 20.5 km/h average. Not bad considering the wind, and hoping to go for longer tomorrow as weather conditions should be just right.
Hope you keep following my progress and thanks for the support, to Ga and Robi for the pictures of my departing and for all the donations, you all rock!
Fonzie