Memories

On By Sharron YaxleyIn Calais to the Mediterranean, Europe, London to Venice

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember
The time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

We have booked a “big” trip for 2024, flying in and out of Milan, arriving early May 2024. I am researching and mapping in my spare time and lots of excitement as to the route that is unfolding.

So far it includes the Italian lakes Maggiore, Como, Iseo and Garda, the Dolomites (Corvara through to Sappada), a finishing stage of the Giro d’Italia (catching up with some of the Italy Bike Tour crew), then into Slovenia (Triglav National Park, Julian Alps) then Croatia (Istrian Peninsula).

Lake Garda is a firm favourite – that will be my third time there, and I cannot believe that I have to climb a shite hill for a third time to get out of there – first time I said “never again”, second time I said “you have to be * kidding me”), and I have mapped it to leave Torbole, shaking my head in disbelief that we will climb it with a loaded bike.

What makes it awful? You climb 100 metres in the very first km, with cold legs, with 14% pinches – no warm up, just straight up – but the view from the top is beautiful (see the video below London to Venice), plus photo taken in 2016.

The most affordable accommodation was at the top of that hill too – and that would mean multiple more climbs (as planning two nights) and I just laughed and said “that is not happening”.

View above Torbole, Lake Garda

Dolomites and Slovenia we have done before, but not around Corvara (maybe Sella Ronda too) and not Triglav or the Julian Alps.

Lake Bohinj (Slovenia) should be a highlight – and then the ride across to the Soca Valley. The Soca valley is super nice.

The Istrian Peninsula – rode through there in 2019 but from Trieste (Italy, on the coast) so looking to differ the route as we head to whichever port.

I need to stop mapping now as I impatiently await ferry schedules to be announced for next year to cross the Adriatic and back into Italy (hence do not know re Pula, Rovinj or Piran, and whether we will transfer to Pescara or Venice).

Leading towards Pescara as we’ve been to Venice at it is illegal to even push your bike on Venice island. We’d need to immediately ferry to Lido and ride from there….anyway all will fall into place.

Rovinj, 2019

Once back in Italy I am thinking Tuscany (again, but some different places and routes), the microstate of San Marino and then unsure which way we will head back up to Milan – but definitely not the Venetian plains.

We are starting near Milan airport and have secured an anchor point accomodation where they will keep our bike bags used on the trip from Tasmania. we will return there for our final night to disassemble and pack the bikes.

This process is not without frustration. I had a place identified but the owner contacted me privately requesting funds above and beyond the stated rate in Hotel.com. It was a non refundable booking, so a bit of a bind really.

It was resolved by Hotel.com in my favour, and they gave me a $250 aud voucher as a bonus!

Research continues and in that process I stumbled across two pieces of our cycle touring history:

  1. London to Venice – 2016 (England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Lichenstein, Italy) 2200 km
  2. Calais to the Med – 2015 (England, France) 1500 km

I used to do a video montage to music of our trips – put a huge amount of time in doing it and stopped in 2017 (Bordeaux to Barcelona) as I had some music copyright issues (but did not know which song!).

We did these predominantly for our memories, but for those that like cycling, like Europe, like music (well my kind of music that is), maybe these maybe of interest to you.

Warning – you do need some time, but you can stop and start the videos.

Both of these trips were before we did self-supporting trips. We used Bike Adventures, an English based company, who provided the route notes (yellow sheets in those days with a series of turn by turn instructions), transferred luggage, provided back up support and pre arranged accommodation.

We made many lifelong friends on these trips – and enjoy staying in touch, and catching up with some of them as we can including Graeme (recently in England), David and John (in Sydney and Tasmania), Graham (in Sydney), Geoff (Italy, Tasmania), Tony (Canberra), Brian (England, Tasmania) and of course, our wonderful friends John with whom we recently stayed with in England (and his gorgeous wife Val)and Alan and his lovely wife Sue in Wales(who have also visited us here in Tasmania….and I’ve likely forgotten someone with my post pumphead brain.

Facebook enables us to stay in touch with others including Helen, Neil, Phil, Jerry….great memories that we treasure and enjoy more and more as we get older, and have felt, firsthand, life vulnerabilities.

The links:

PS. I have not told my Director yet about the next BIG holiday – I am sure she wont mind ha ha ha. We can keep it secret can’t we?

Lake Bohinje, to the west of Lake Bled

21 thoughts on “Memories”

  1. Kerry Gill's avatar Kerry Gill

    Omgosh you are quite unbelievable honey. Your next trip sounds amazing and I’m so very happy to know you must be feeling fit and well again. I love planning holidays too, but this is next level. Much love honey xoxo

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  5. David Hutchinson's avatar David Hutchinson

    Great videos (and music 😀). Must have felt different without all the luggage!

    Do you intend going over the Vrsic Pass when you are in the Soca Valley in Slovenia? From memory, it is about a 800 metre gain over 98 to 10 kms (heading north to south).

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    1. Yes certainly a lot ‘ lighter’. The technology is better now with Gpx files vs the old turn by turn descriptors.

      Vrsic is a definite possibility. One night at Kranska Gora currently and that’s as far as accomodation is done. From there we go to Bled, Bohinje and over the valley to Soca (other side of Vrsic).

      Depends on the ferry..which one and where to. I have tentatively scheduled a second night at Kranska, and could do either Vrsic or day trip loop around some Austrian lakes…weather dependent for Vrsic.

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    1. Oh I’m plotting whilst riding the last one ha ha. Did map out a Scandinavian trip, put it up on a fb touring page and got over 50 thought provoking comments. As a result of those and further research decided May too early as its better to head further north into Norway.

      Thanks Mark, bit of fun and if you have spare time….

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  9. Ben Moloney's avatar Ben Moloney

    Hi Sharon, Ben and Val here from Ireland, we have been following your adventures since we met in a B&B in Chef Boutonne 2022. We are in awe of your energy and determination. Keep going, you are amazing.

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    1. Great to hear from you Ben and Val and Chef Boutonne was part of another brilliant trip. Hope you are both well and thankyou for staying in touch and following our adventures. Ha ha yes I am determined…maybe stubborn too but it has served me well with the various challenges I have overcome in life. 😁❤️

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  10. John P.'s avatar John P.

    Hello Sharron. Your cycling plan for 2024 is very exciting! The scenery in and around Corvara is breathtaking. I walked the local area for a week last August, based at the Monti Pallidi B+B which I can highly recommend – room with balcony facing westward to the valley – there is secure bike parking in the basement and a very good cycling shop next door. Can also recommend the Pizzeria Fornella and Chocolaterie near the Hotel Villa Eden. There is a cycling climb from Corvara up to Passo di Falzarego (360 deg. views at top of chair lift are stunning). I look forward to reading your blog next year. John P.

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    1. Thanks John, we had trouble with Corvara accomodation due to the Giro..so staying a bit out of town (Badia Abtei). We are hoping to do Sella Ronda, weather permitting. I have done Falzarego climb twice before, but from the Cortina d’Ampezzo side. I use the photo from the last time there as my Zwift profile (taken a bit further on at Passo Valparola. We head off to Brunico then Sappada for a Giro stage finish ( if we get there in time 😳).

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      1. pearsonjohnc303's avatar pearsonjohnc303

        Hello Sharron.
        Great to hear from you! I wasn’t sure if my message reached you – clearly it did! I will take a look at your blog for an update on your forthcoming adventure.
        I’m off to Puglia, Italy, with my family in early April. No cycling. Just walking and sightseeing the historic hill towns, including Matera where the opening scenes of the last James Bond movie were filmed!
        Best wishes JP(CCC).

        Sent from Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef

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