Tag: Sharron Yaxley

Matapouri

On By Sharron YaxleyIn New ZealandLeave a comment

Christmas Day, our third in New Zealand. Twizel, New Plymouth and now Kowharewa Bay, just outside Tutukaka. Beautiful views, very serene.

We are staying in a cosy little cabin, akin to an enlarged cubby house.

We decided to do a short Christmas ride cruise to Matapouri Bay, some 9 hilly km away. Bonus was the local store was open and we were able to grab a nice coffee. The owner was doing a roaring trade with a constant stream of customers.

Matapouri Beach is a long crescent shaped beach.We parked the bikes on the beach and got our bathers our to test the waters.Brrrrrr….not immersing the whole body!Heading down the beach….

A walkway to another beach reveals these Maori totems.

Volcanic beach on the other side.

Continuing along Matapouri Bay…wading through water to find a couple of small and private beaches.More totems. The area where these totems are has a tapu on it, and is closed for regeneration.

A lazy day, but very pleasant day.

Our Air BNB host Michael invited us to share some food and company with him, which was exceedingly kind.

We are ready to move onto our next destination, keen to get back into touring mode.

Ooroo.

The Knights who say Ni!

On By Sharron YaxleyIn New Zealand5 Comments

We paid a lot of money today to see something special, very special. There was lots of shrubbery too, so that makes it expensive shrubbery, enough to satisfy the Knights who say Ni.

I’ve always wanted a reference to Monty Python and as loose and flimsy as it is, we did visit the Poor Knights Islands today, there was shrubbery, but terribly inaccessible at that.

These world renowned islands are 24 km off the Tutukaka Coast and feature protected marine and island reserves.

Captain Cook first sighted the islands in 1769 and named them such, but unknown why. Two theories exist.

The first one is that at a distance, the shape of the islands look like a poor knight burial. On the battlefield the slain Knights were laid to rest with their shield on their chest, and a light covering of dirt.

You can see that in the photo below….head, chest with shield and feet.

The second theory relates to the English delicacy, Poor Knights Pudding. Sailors would leave their home port with plenty of bread. After some time at sea, the bread would be mouldy. Instead of feeding it to the fish, they caked it in egg and cooked it, adding raspberry jam to the top. It was suggested that as Cook first saw the islands with the Kiwi Christmas tree in flower, the green shrubbery with bright red flowers reminded him of the dessert he would have frequently eaten onboard.

This is an example of the tree from elsewhere as they have just finished flowering on the Poor Knights Islands. So the green shrubbery (mould) and red flowers (raspberry jam).

I think I prefer the first theory!

Before we headed out to the boat, we walked to the marina from our accomodation…no mean feat with the terribly steep hills.

We saw this sign!

The marina was calm.

We were first on board. Cyclist tan marks already! Noice!

I managed to be one of the first into the water, Complete with wetsuit, flippers and snorkel. I headed straight over to this cave, as the skipper told us you could swim through the narrow entrance and it then opened up once inside.

It was very dark in there, but the highlight is when you then snorkel out. The underwater light as you snorkel to the opening is incredible, with the most amazing schools of fish hovering around the entrance.

It was entrancing!

Not all snorkelled, as there were plenty of aquatic options.

We spent a wonderful few hours in this magical spot. Beneath the ocean surface there is spectacular water clarity and warm subtropical currents providing a rich, varied and abundant sea life. Steep cliffs plummet 100 metres below sea level, broken only by caves, archways and fissures that are habitats for over 125 species of fish, soft corals, sponges, vibrant anemones, kelp, forest, stingrays and myriad of other life forms. Jacques Cousteau has ranked this spot in the world top 10 diving locations.

The islands also have a rich cultural history and Ngatiwai, who used to reside on the island, are now the kaitiaki (traditional guardians) of a sacred covenant placed on the islands by the ringa kaha (chief) Te Tatua in 1822. This tapu was placed following the massacre of his people while he and his warriors were absent. It also covers the surrounding waters because some of the occupants had jumped from the cliffs to avoid being taken prisoner by the invaders. Landing on the islands is prohibited.

Before heading back to Tutukaka we cruised around a few of the islands and the skipper told us we would be entering the largest sea cave in the world by volume. Rikoriko Cave measures 130 by 80 metres with a ceiling height of 35 metres.

The opening does not look that big though…

The top of the boat in the cave.

The acoustics are quite amazing. Concerts have been performed including Crowded House.

Love this view from inside looking out.

This arch is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

We motored through it. So the reverse view…

The end of a perfect day….on Perfect Day (Dive Tutukaka). I can highly recommend this trip. It is not cheap ($450 NZ for two) but certainly memorable.

Tutukaka

On By Sharron YaxleyIn New Zealand3 Comments

I mentioned yesterday that our Air BNB driveway was steep. Photos seem to show angles accurately, but I assure you this has a 28 percent pinch…the second photo is me walking my bike down to the road with Tony looking back up.

I probably should have entitled this ride something to do with the letter S.

As you can see from the map, we weaved around. From Whangerei to Tutukaka there is a direct route, but to see more, and add more km to our day, we decided to head out via the Town Basin towards Whangarei Heads following the shoreline of Whangarei Harbour.

The ride undulated all day but was quite pleasant despite the wind.

At the top of one of our earlier climbs we met Peter, from Linz in Austria. He is doing his very first cycle tour. I love this aspect of touring, meeting people with similar mind sets and passions, comparing notes on where they have been, where they are heading, their gear set up and so on.

There were some early delightful views looking towards the coast.

There were numerous signs reminding people to keep dogs on leads to protect the kiwi, and other simple reminders such as this one.

Parua Bay village was small, but seemed to have a number of cafes, but we pushed on heading away from Whangarei Heads in a north easterly direction towards Pataua South.

Pataua South is a small village on the shores of an estuary, with a sandy surf beach behind.

The road came to an end but there was a foot bridge connecting to Pataua North. Here I am walking my bike across the bridge.No cafes, so we pulled up on the banks of the river to have a snack and enjoy the view.

The road weaved around heading back towards the outskirts of Whangarei. We finally found a cafe! The Black Stump at Glenbervie.

A nice cold fruit smoothie went down a treat!

Another climb and a lookout.

Before heading to our accomodation (for the next 3 nights) we rode down into Tutukaka to see what was where!

Climbed back up the hill, and turned into more hills before finding a steeper driveway than this mornings! I seem to have an incredible knack for selecting accomodation involving steep hills.

The Bach is a cubby house on the shores of Kowharewa Bay. This first picture is the view from our little deck.

Kids playing in the bay.

One final view.

I’ve got to stop writing. The mosquitos are liking me too much, and I should go inside!!

Thanks for reading, catch you tomorrow.

Gravel is not my thing.

On By Sharron YaxleyIn New Zealand6 Comments

We had grabbed some breakfast supplies the previous night to prepare in our kitchenette. We were able to hit the road by 8.15 am with the temperature hovering around 16 degrees Celsius.

Skirting around the back of Wellsford we quickly hit the first patch of gravel for the day, but fortunately it was only for about 5 km, and very rideable. We chose this track to minimise our riding on State Highway 1, busy most days, but even more so now that people are heading off on Christmas holidays.

Rural scenes, still very green.

I liked this view with the distant knobby hills.Back onto bitumen these photos were taken from the top of a climb. The lower one shows an electric fence that Tony needed to get over, as the reflective flag had blown off the rear of his bike in the gusty winds.

First stop of the day was Mangawhai Heads, a town that I had stayed at during my solo ride last year. We rode around and settled on coffee at this joint. They also provide free, very cold, sparkling water for your drink bottles.

We did a reccy of the town and this is the local waterway…low tide.

For me, the day’s highlight was beautiful Lang’s Beach, a stunning white sandy beach framed by craggy headlands, gnarled trees and wonderful views to offshore islands.

The islands that can be seen from the shore are Tauranga and Marotiri or, the Hen and the Chicks. They are the remains of long dormant volcanoes, once part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and are now wildlife sanctuaries.

The lone rock on the right hand side is known as Sail Rock, a common mark used for yacht racing.

A few more beaches and then we headed inland to Waipu.

Waipu is a village rich in Scottish heritage. The Waipu Highland Games are held every New Years Day and people come from around the world to dance and compete in traditional Celtic challenges.

Today we just wanted lunch. There were plenty of choices, but we chose one promoting ‘honest’ food. Very nice iced coffee and an omelette later and we were back riding.

This is where the day got tough. We had been subjected to strong winds all ride. We were close to the junction of State Highway 1, the quickest route to our overnight destination of Whangarei.

However, quickest is not always the safest, and we chose to head further inland, across some lumpy hills towards Waipu Caves. We figured there was a chance they may be gravel, but to start with they were bitumen.

Then our luck ran out. It was dry, lose, slippery gravel with drifts on bends, adverse cambers, punctuated by some cussing. I knew where I needed to be, but my bike seemed to head to where it ought not.

Very frustrating and I will admit on some of the 13 plus percent climbs I jumped off on bends as I did not want to fall. Downhill I was even more cautious!

Anyway…life goes on. We liked this totem.

The dirt road had very few cars on it, so that was a plus. We were shocked when we arrived at the Waipu Caves how many cars were there. The place was packed.

Below is a group picnicking near the cave entrance. There were many other such groups in the area.

The cave is unmanned and you can just wander in. There is a 175 metre chamber. The limestone cave has stalactites, stalagmites and glow worms near the entrance. The cave system is considered regionally important for geomorphology because it is the largest cave passage in Northland.

There is also a 4 km walk through the reserve, through karst limestone formations.

The hardest section of ride was as we left the cave. I got really excited at one intersection as we started to descend on bitumen. Alas, it was for max 100 metres!

Some more lovely views though looking towards our destination of Whangarei.

A few more km and we returned to bitumen, and we could pick the pace up from our gravel grinding crawl.

The road joined State Highway 1 and we were low on liquids, so headed to the service station up the road. Here I am chilling in the shade.

The State Highway was crazy busy with traffic so head down and maximum concentration. There was a verge ranging from 30cm to maybe 80 cm so we survived ok, and the cars were pretty well behaved really.

We headed straight to our Air BNB accomodation, a unit alongside the owners house….at the top of what they described as a ‘steep’ driveway. Yep, they were right. It was 28% gradient at its steepest point. We pushed our bikes up!

Today’s route…minimised to show our positioning north of Auckland. The elevation graph shows the up and down nature of the ride…biggest ones being on gravel 😢🙈🙅‍♀️😀

After showering we headed to the Town Basin, a mecca for local and international yachties, craft and art galleries, cafes and restaurants. Many were closed as it was later Sunday afternoon.

Can you see me in this quirky art ‘installation’?

The busy Basin.Looking up the hill towards our accomodation The clock museum with a giant sundial. A telephone box with a working telephone. So day 2…done and dusted. Despite my anxiety on gravel, I lived to tell the tale. I really do suck at gravel!

Below is my favourite picture of the day. Taken at Lang’s Beach. Think this one will ultimately feature on a wall at home.

Kia ora

On By Sharron YaxleyIn New Zealand3 Comments

For the third consecutive Christmas , we are in New Zealand to do a cycle tour. I guess you could say that we like the place!

Kia ora is Maori for welcome. As a kid I knew the word Kia ora….it was the brand of sickly sweet green cordial my mother used to buy for us to drink. I do like the way that New Zealand has embraced its Maori heritage with so many examples of dual naming ( ie. English and Maori). The Welsh do it very well too, and can only wonder why we do not in Tasmania to acknowledge, recognise and value our extensive Tasmanian aborigine history.

Our flights out of Melbourne were delayed for multiple reasons. The plane arrived into Melbourne late due to the 44 degrees Celsius temperature accompanied by very strong winds and bushfire smoke closing one runway. All flights in and out of Melbourne were taking off and landing on the one runway.

When we finally boarded, the plane was incredibly hot. The pilot apologised. We could not have any air conditioning until he turned the motors on and we were waiting for two passengers who ‘will arrive shortly’. Famous last words.

Some 20 -25 minutes later two ladies boarded. Still they did not shut the doors. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

15 minutes later, the two ladies left the air craft.

Still the door remained open……

Maybe 10 minutes later, the two ladies reboarded the plane, with one holding the hand of a stewardess who seemed to be very insistent.

Immediately the captain asked for the door to be closed and cross checked!! She was trapped!!

As a result, we did not arrive into Auckland until around 12.45 am, and then at our overnight stay at Gervase and Deb’s house close to 2 am this morning.

First job, after some sleep, was to put the bikes together and Tony discovered my rear disc had been bent in transit. Poop! This needed to be rectified, or a new disc purchased otherwise I could not ride.

Here are Gervase and Tony discussing the situation. Fortunately for us, Gervase has the most bike friendly house ever, including a wide range of tools….disc was straightened successfully.

I am so fortunate to have a number of wonderful friends in New Zealand. I truly value and appreciate the friends I have made through cycling. Coffee and Christmas tarts with Gervase and Debra and we were on our way leaving Forrest Hill around 11 am.

We had arranged to have coffee with Dave at Waitoki. He is a Zwift friend, with us both being leaders for The Big Ring (TBR). When I used to lead Mink’s Centurion ride, Dave would regale us with corny jokes (sorry Dave), and describing his yoga efforts.

Proof of the catchup!Kaukapakapa was next after bidding Dave ‘ooroo’. This was the town where my stolen backpack was located in March last year by an eagle eyed cyclist.

Local park in the town with some interesting features.

The bikes all geared up.I am not sure what this is…fish? Maybe you can stand on it and walk along it for balance? Maybe you just look at it and photograph it.The hills started to get a bit more serious with some 13% pinches. The temperature had picked up to high 20’s. There was a really stiff breeze. Predominantly a headwind with occasional side gusts from our left, pushing us further from the verge.

The elevation map shows a few steep and nasty little pinches.

You climb, you get great views as a reward. Lush green farmland with sea views.

I like this sculpture and the cows who could not give a hoot.

Up and down, more views, more sculptures.

A very tidal river does not prevent a boat club from existing. Mangakura Boat Club has a lovely position alongside this river. We could see from tops of hills, that this river feeds out to a larger harbour and the west coast of North Island.Incredibly lush green farm land. In Tasmania many farms are already very dry and brown, so there must be solid rainfall here.

The last climb was a nasty little climb that just kept giving. I was very glad to be at the top and enjoy the views. Really any excuse to stop at the top of a hill….’oh, I just want to admire the views…”

Looking to the west.What goes up, must go down….so it was a nice descent and a few more rolling hills to arrive in Wellsford, a busy service town, and our overnight stop.

We were pretty keen for dinner, and walked the length of the town (that might sound impressive but maybe only 1km each way from our accomodation 😂 enjoying using different muscles for a stretch!)

The meal choice was standard pub fare bar the local cuisine speciality….wait for it…stew on toast!

We chose steak…Tony ate my chips and I ate his salad. The home made plum sauce ( in the wine bottle) was actually very nice, packing a peppery punch.

We will hit the sack early tonight to catch up on our beauty sleep.

Today’s route ( bar a straight line section where my Garmin was turned off under the Highway One sign).

Returning to our accomodation two final sights.

The heritage museum murals reminded me of Sheffield. Tasmania.

I did wonder why it was named Albertland having a quiet chuckle, as in my teenage years when I did cross country, there was an elderly lecherous athletic official named Albert who used to chase my running friend Catherine and I around the place as we tried to escape him (and we were very successful being far more agile and nimble).

I was somewhat stuck with Albert as my mother had arranged for him to give me lifts to cross country but she was unaware of his ‘tendencies’. I kept quiet as it was my only way of getting to the different venues to run until I got my drivers license and purchased a car.

I later figured it out…Port Albert is not too far away.So thanks for reading. Tomorrow is another day…new adventure….new memories.

Llamas or alpacas?

Teaching the old dog, new tricks!

On By Sharron YaxleyIn Europe4 Comments

Let’s go back in time – not that long ago – to May 2018.  I was in Europe having spent a week in the Czech Republic with my good friend Mirek and his family – then transferred to Bern in Switzerland for the wedding of my son Ben to Sharon.

In between I managed to break a couple of ribs and tried to keep that relatively quiet despite the ‘discomfort’.  I was often asked why – well, I did not want the travel insurance company telling me I could not keep riding!  I am a bit stubborn at times!

After Ben’s wedding, I caught a train to Zurich to meet up with Aussie riding buddy Geoff.  We then rode to Asolo in the Venetian region of northern Italy, to hook up with Italy Bike Tours “last 12 days” of the Giro d’Italia.

It was an incredible 12 days spent in a variety of regions of northern Italy – watching incredible racing – riding some beautiful areas.

Much to my astonishment, I was contacted by Clive Marshall, Italy Bike Tours owner a fortnight ago asking me if I would consider being a support leader and ambassador for the 2020 Giro – I was like “say what?”……I re-read the email, thinking I must have misunderstood – then I exhaled and said “Oh my goodness” to Tony!

One issue was that we were already committed (airfares paid) to fly to London in May – but it did not take much discussion to change airfares despite an additional $850 in charges to do so!  That is another story re airline price gouging!

So we are off to the Giro d’Italia 2020!!  Exciting – you bet!!

This time I will be in a different role…not as a guest, but a support rider-leader for the other guests. First time role for me, but I am confident that I can do this and delighted that Clive has that confidence in me, as I will be a week or two short of my 58th birthday by then. So guess I will be the old granny learning new tricks.

Fantastic that age is not seen as a barrier in this company, as I have had experiences more recently where age is perceived as a barrier to being an ambassador. I think it is an advantage in supporting a certain genre of riders.

The Giro is one big party of fist pumping, adrenaline surged fun, enjoyed by all ages!

So what happened in 2018 that makes me want to return? The easier and cheaper option would have been to undertake the self supported cycle tour planned.

Is it the fantastic support team?

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Daniele, the lead rider, former pro, winner of a stage of the Vuelta.
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Stephano, photographer
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Roberto and Clive
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John Lee Augustyn, former pro with Sky
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Alberto
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Marco, former tour director who takes good care of the non riders

Is it the food?

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Well this was en route to Italy…think this is in the Dolomites. Makes me laugh still! Could not resist throwing it in.
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The amazing aspect of this meal is that we are literally 10 metres from the criterium course.

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The gelato is very good! This is Erin enjoying hers, leaning on a tour, as you do! Looks like a big wine bottle on top, yes we visited a vineyard a few days before in the Franciacorta region. Prosecco tour 2020.

Is it the decorated villages and towns that the Giro passes through?

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Is it the people you bump into on Monte Zoncolon?

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This is Chris, fellow guest like myself, having a nap waiting for the race to arrive up Monte Zoncolon.
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Josie Dow, Tasmanian that I knew from my kids swimming days. Just happened to see her climbing up Monte Zoncolon and called out to her. Great place to catch up, but how amazing to see her, picking her out from the thousands heading up the mountain.
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This guy came prepared! This is about 6 km up Monte Zoncolon and he carried his painting gear up.

Is it the mountains?

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Dolomites
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Dolomites

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Lake Garda
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Lake Garda
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Yep I rode up there!
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Looking down from Colla della Finestre
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Colla della Finestre
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Bardonecchia
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Matterhorn, viewed from Cervinia. This was a magical town and climb, ending up in a valley with mountains on three sides.

Is it the people you meet?

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Luke ( ex pat Aussie living Singapore) and Peter (Australia)
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Geoff (Australia)
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Chris (USA)
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Another Tasmanian I bumped into that I knew….Kim
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Daniele’s son with his first bike
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Getting ready to roll
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Roberto
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Visiting a very old winery

Is it the people you watch?

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Missing some gear …jersey, helmet, gloves….steering interesting but he’s having fun.
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These two guys were waiting for the race and I loved watching them…they were animated and passionate.
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Passionate! This guy flew over from Colombia to watch the Giro. He knew all the Colombians on tour and shouted and cheered as they made their way to the top of the climb. We are sitting up under the trees with a birds eye view to our left and saw close hand Froome’s incredible victory.

Is it the rides we did including some personal challenges and achievements?

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Is it chillaxing?

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Rome
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Aperol spritz, Rome

Or is it that race?

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Looks to me like this rider smiled at my camera.
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This is Chris Froome, just metres from an extraordinary win, taking the Maglia Rosa from Simon Yates, setting himself up to win the Giro d’Italia 2018.
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Very forlorn Aussie team this day, waiting for a dejected Simon Yates.

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Well, it is a combination of all of the above!  The Italians are so passionate about the Giro d’Italia – they love cycling – and as the riders come into the towns, the hairs on your arm lift!

The undoubted highlight for me was successfully climbing to the top of Colla della Finestre which included 8 km of sludgy ‘gravel’ – and then watching Christopher Froome smash himself up there the next day, having made a solo break with 80 km to go – then we dashed out to secure prime viewing positions at the top of Bardonnechia waiting for him to arrive – and what an arrival it was!

Giro d’Italia 2020 promises to be a beauty – there are the lakes including Como and Garda.  Climbs including Passo Gavia and Passo Stelvio.  Towns including Milano.  The historical country of San Marino.

You want more?  Dolomites, Alps, Piemonte – prosecco, Pantani museum and me!

Memories are truly forever – well unless you get Alzheimer’s!

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Final French Fling

On By Sharron YaxleyIn Europe, London to VeniceLeave a comment

Judy and Stephan (Sharon’s parents) were coming for mid morning brunch today. They had been staying at their cabin in a forest somewhere high up a hill…I’m sure I could get lost there too if I tried!

I wanted to contribute something to the brunch so had this great idea. Genuine French croissants.

Yes I know I am in Switzerland but France is not very far away. Ben was not sure if they would be open, being Sunday but I wanted to ride anyway.

The roads were ever so quiet. I do like riding earlier before people with cars get out and about.

Leaving Therwil I headed to the border and onto Leyman..,no bakery, but just out of the village, on my way to Rodersdorf, I took these nice rural scenes and another reminding us how fast they can drive here on open roads.

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I rode through a series of sleepy villages including Biederthal, Wolschwiller, Lutter and Raedersdorf. No bakeries but nice scenery.

I liked this church with the ominous sky.

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No man bathing here, but the cat was enjoying it. After this car, I saw many. I suspect there are many wild cats in this area.

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Looking back up the hill to an older chateaux.

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More forest, nice and cooling. Actually the temperature was great. Being so early it was about 19 degrees Celsius.

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Freddy made it onto the side of this structure.

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Then this was adjacent…TNT…it’s dynamite! Made me think of the AC/DC song I often train to.

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This bee hive was in a village. Great to see and surely this is something we could do in Tasmania with local communities getting  behind it.

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Another sleepy village ahead. I climbed around and then over the hill.

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I then had a steady 4 km climb of 6-8 percent and started to wonder about the merits of croissants! Were they going to be worth it, if I was actually able to find a bakery? So far, not one bakery!!

Riding on the town of Ferrette came into view. At the top of the hill is the old castle ruins.

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I found a panel with information. So the castle is Château de Ferrette. The county of Ferrette came into existence in the 11th century and consisted of a large part of southern Alsace ( the French region I was in).

In 1324, the County was acquired by Austria through the marriage of Jeanne, Countess of Ferrette with Albert II, Duke of Austria.

Austria ceded it to France in 1648.

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Having climbed for 4km, there was going to be some downhill….not very fast though as I hate cobbles. Again, this is steeper than it looks. The time on the clock is 8.40 am. Still nice and early.

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Down the hill and around the corner..a bakery!! It was open! A really nice village and one I will come back to explore more.

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I had a coffee and packed my 6 croissants into my pannier  and left as I was not sure how long it would take to return.

I was just cruising and spinning with zero interest in pushing myself as my knee and feet have been playing up from the walking. My body is also still recovering from my 24 hour ride two weeks ago.

I rode through Fislis and Oltingue where I photographed this renovators delight.

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Pretty flower boxes and a sign to the gelato shop!

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Looking towards Switzerland and Liebenswiller.

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Back in Leyman I photographed this cool crossing sign. Quite a few of these here.

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So the croissants made it back safe and sound and a scrumptious brunch enjoyed by all.

Wags, Ben’s dog from Australia, now happily ensconced in Switzerland, ever hopeful of food scraps.

Hannah arrives in a week and she is going to be overjoyed to have a pooch to play with.

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I have now cleaned and packed my bike. I considered riding Monday am and riding with Ben into Basel and back but took the conservative option….’just in case’.

My flight does not depart until 10.45 pm so it is going to be a long few days as I journey home.

Today’s route took me across the Swiss French border a few times as you can see.

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Thanks for reading …. stay tuned for my next cycling adventures. Xxx

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Basel

On By Sharron YaxleyIn EuropeLeave a comment

Basel has a population of around 180,000 and is Switzerland’s third largest city.  Today, we were to spend the day in the city therefore no cycling today.

Ben and Sharon had booked a brunch for us at a restaurant that features a number of Swiss foods as well as a variety of European cuisines.

Funnily enough it was opposite a major intersection where Tony and I got lost en route from London to Venice in 2016!

There was a delightful range of food, including many items I had not tried before.

As you often do with a buffet, we waddled out!

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We were heading down to the Rhine River and passed through a dog park. There are a variety of tactile experiences for pooches.

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We followed a pretty creek.

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The creek emptied into the Rhine, and at the junction was a small beach with swimmers in force already.

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Walking along the river banks were a multitude of cycling signs including directions to towns in Germany and France.

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The Roche building again where Ben works. The construction site is another new Roche building being developed.

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I was intrigued by these huts. They feature at regular intervals on both sides of the river. They are privately owned fishing huts.

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A section of an old Basel building from the Middle Ages.

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A lovely old door with 1539and 1614 mentioned.

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It was a hot day and the temperature was around 30 degrees. This is a drinking fountain. The lesson today folks is this….make sure you do not dunk your bottle into the pond section…always from the tap!

This guy was quite chillaxed in the fountain.

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Lovely ivy clad home.

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One of the things I love about Switzerland is their progressive attitude to cycling. The city of Basel recognises that cycling is better for the environment and actively encourages it.

Here is an older lady zipping along, nicely dressed.

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Ben insisted we head into the Tesla showroom. He has his eye on a Tesla car. There is no dashboard information. Everything is on this large iPad like screen.

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They can’t decide between white, blue or red. I quite like the red! Price is around 60 000 CH which seems quite reasonable. I am sure they would be heaps more in Australia despite the fx rates.

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A tram to the other side of the river and we walked around a lovely park. We stopped here to soak our hot and sweaty feet. Little fish nibbled our feet curiously.

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This is a great bike to hire if you have little kids. I have seen numerous of these around the city with kids being carted to and fro.

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Shoes back on and we continue our walk.

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Plenty of well maintained bike paths.

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We headed into the Tierpark. This is quite large and free! It was established in 1871.

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I quite liked the buffalo and goat.

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Switzerland has many of these structures for bees, acknowledging their importance.

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I liked the park rules signage.

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This is the children’s playground. How cool is the wooden structure?

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Finally Basel’s heraldic animal, the Basilisk. Curiously the definition of basilisk is a poisonous worm and fable emerging from the egg of an oold rooster, brooded by the warmth of dung or by a snake or toad.

The appearance is described as ‘like a cock with dragons wings, the beak of an eagle and the tail of a lizard’.

The basilisk…..

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My feets and knees were knackered, and I was glad to arrive back in Therwil where we had some amazing Japanese food that Ben picked up on our way home.

Thanks for reading! Stay safe and keep smiling. Xxx

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Eye opener

On By Sharron YaxleyIn Europe3 Comments

I planned a longer ride today, starting off by riding into the city of Basel with Ben as he headed off to work.

There was a constant stream of cyclists snaking their way along various routes. Cycling is heavily encouraged to reduce traffic congestion with plenty of bike storage options.

I bid Ben farewell at the Basel Bahnhof and headed Rhine River via Munsterplatz and the Cathedral. This was my third time riding past the Cathedral since 2016, and I had not noticed this on the Cathedral walls.

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I took the little animal on the right to be a dog…bit over the top treatment. I later learned from Ben that in fact it is a dragon…a pint sized one. So St George slaying the mighty, scary dragon.

Just past the Cathedral was this view of the Rhine River, looking upstream.

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Looking downstream to the old bridge I was to cross over.

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I crossed the bridge…this is looking downstream, the intended direction for today’s ride.

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I winged it today. The rule was keep the river to my left as practical as possible. I knew I had an industrialised and port section to pass through.

This maybe one section I should have avoided. This was the steepest set of stairs I have ever ever taken my bike up. There is a metal section you can see on the right for the bike wheels, but I had to do this one step at a time, using my bike brakes and my body to stop the bike having a speedy descent.

So…coming back, note to self…avoid!!

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Out the other side an onwards. Last year I crossed this bridge from France to Germany. Yes, I was now in Germany. It is reasonably close to the point where the three countries meet.

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Various sign posts clearly indicating what towns and village options available. I was heading towards Neuenburg and further on again.

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This lock crosses a section of the river.  For much of today’s ride there is a very Long Island in the middle of the Rhine. you can ride over this bridge to the island, go further island and then cross over into France.

Next trip  I will explore that.

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Priding along I encountered this creek. I was about to get wet as no way to avoid it. I just love 100 percent saturated shoes so early in a ride!

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The trail joined up with another….looking back from where I had come was this sign, Verboten! Oops!! Well, I survived!

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Some lovely river views.

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I liked this anchor. Apparently there used to be a ferry crossing at this point of the river, so it is believed the anchor belongs to the ferry. The ferry operated from 1918-1952,with the anchor being found in 1999.

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Just after here I saw the most incredible site a cyclist could see. So what astounding and confusing and the question is WHY?

Ahead of me a man came out of a side track towards me. he had no shirt in…not so,unusual…then he got off his bike.

This man was in his 30’s, very muscly and a tan on every part of his body….how do I know that? He was riding his bike nude!

Would it be wrong to take a photo 😂😂😂

If anyone could get away with riding nude, it was this man…but ooh the saddle chafing!!

I then came across this beautiful spot on the river, being enjoyed by swimmers. It was over 30 degrees Celsius and I envied them.

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At this point I had been on gravel paths for 40 km ( out of 55 km) and was in need of some food and drink! So made the decision to head away from the river to the village of Grißheim.

I rode around the village, and even though it was 11.45 am on a Friday siesta time seemed to have come early.

The only thing was this van selling a variety of cold meats.

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My big purchase…I should have purchased more!! This was a bit less than one euro. Very tasty.

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The water fountains in the village all had non potable water, unlike Switzerland where you can drink from most.

Hazy views towards the Black Forest over recently cut corn crops.

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A little further on a flower farm. Gladioli featuring.

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Villages I passed through with no water included Zienken and then I arrived in the much bigger town of Neuenburg.

Lots of fountains and statues.

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I stopped at a cafe and had a lovely iced coffee…but they had no water either. No shops around with water! It was becoming a luxury commodity!!

I rode through Steinenstatt…having climbed up hills in the heat, to see what views there might be.

I arrived in Bad Bellingen and did a reconnaissance of the town …. there are often shops near churches…not here though!

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This was looking promising….

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At last, bliss!

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Great cafe, lovely owner who was very interested in where I was from, what I was doing.

Continuing on through the hills…

This view towards France.

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Little stalls on the side of the road, honesty system with payment. This one even sold used golf balls.

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Over the road was competition.

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Rural vistas. First looking towards France, the second Germany.

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It was very hot up the top of the hill so decided to head back to the gravel river paths. I stopped here and studied the sign.  I took the turn down the hill.

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The gravel path quickly evaporated to this rough track in the vineyard.

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Totally running out of track, I could see a road, so wheeled my bike down the slope, through the sti going nettle.  Once I got to the road, I either had to head up the hill, or down!

Well  the river would be at the lowest point so down I went.

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Back on the river, there are numerous of these excess water storage pits for times of Rhine River flooding.

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Back in Basel I cross the bridge and you can see swimmers out floating down the river.

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I ride back to Therwil. Potable water! I filled up here.  These fountains very iconic in Basel, being a cross between a dragon and rooster.

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I quickly showered and headed back into the city via tram to meet my dear Swiss friend Sandra. We were heading out for the evening.

We passed the City Hall. Lovely building.

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Popped inside for a look….then I heard familiar music. looking out a group of Hare Krishna’s passed by so gi g their familiar chant.

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This sign indicated that bicycles are permitted inside for visitors. My cycle tan arms 😂😂😂

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I liked this cool dude!

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We ended up on the river front, in the industrial area.

Shipping containers are painted, crates of weeds and looking really funky.

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Table tennis was being played. That guy looked a bit like the one of the bike. The one playing table tennis that is!

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English trees beside the river.

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More funky stalls selling a variety of food and drink.

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A red ship…whatever! It was looking more and more li,e I had walked into a Mad Max movie set.

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This caravan intrigued me!

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We ordered food and sat upstairs with a view back over Mad Max.

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Potted weeds everywhere and a nice old bath next to,our table. Great idea to just grow weeds!

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Sandra and I tried multiple times to get some selfies, but neither succeeded in the dark!!

It was such a joy to see her. We first met in the Maldives in 1985. Then visited her and her husband in 1986-7 in Switzerland and then I did not see her again until 2016.

Since then we caught up,last year, and again this year!

So another wonderful day has come to pass. I rode about 108 km, and about 60 km of that was gravel.

Here are my route details.

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20 French towns and villages in a day

On By Sharron YaxleyIn Europe7 Comments

Today I drove my car to Gueberschwihr, a village in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, France. the entire area is UNESCO listed as a natural regional park.

Many of the villages are listed as “Plus beaux villages de France” and “Ville fleurie”.

Once I passed through Basel and across the border, I sat on an autobahn doing the 130 kmh limit. The distance flew by quickly and I found myself in a very narrow lanes village.

I had predetermined by parking spot at the local cemetery on the village outskirts. It was perfect.

I planned a circuit visiting as many villages as possible in the day. I ended up visiting 20! No wonder they seemed to merge together.

First issues first…I had forgotten to bring my water bottle so would need to find some as a matter of priority as the day was going to be warm.

I headed up the hill towards Voegtlinshoffen, and yes the bakery was open and they had water. Ah, I had left my Euros behind too…but they took card…so I needed to keep my eye open for a bank.

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Refuelling by the fountain above, in what was a very sleepy village, I moved on to Husseren-les-chateaux.

Leaving Gueberschwihr was an interesting fountain, and signs of the recent Tour de France having passed through last month.

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High on the hill is an old castle.

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Narrow lanes, medieval homes, cobbles were to be the norm for the day.  As you can imagine moving through these villages was slow progress, but gives you the opportunity to appreciate the incredible beauty that has been maintained since the 15th to 17th century.

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Once I left the village and headed towards Eguisheim the old castle on the hill had become three old castles.

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Eguisheim is worth a visit for a few hours. Concentric streets, old gates, beautifully maintained buildings, narrow lanes, pretty window sills,  had attracted trillions of tourists. Walking my bike through the centre.

There  were various interpretive panels on buildings providing insight into the history and age.

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The villages flew by in quick succession, often not more than 1-2km apart. Wettoshein, Wintzensheim, Turckheim, Ingersheim, Katzenthal, Ammerschwiher, Kentzheim. I was stopping often to check my navigation points, walking through each for both safety and pleasure.

Silence office 36 metres on the right. Ok…

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Best I could figure was this grotto maybe a ‘silence office’ as it was maybe 36 metres from the sign….

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This village entrance gate looks like a smiling cat.

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Very pretty.

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Fantastic interpretive panels. Turckheim is in the Munster Valley and known for its ancient ramparts.

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I just kept snapping.

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Heading to Kayserberg was this vista as I left riding through vineyards and rejoined the main road.

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I passed by one of the village entrances as I could see another Tour de France sign.

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I rode across the river to view this before doubling back into the village proper. Kayserberg is another village you could spend hours in. I probably stayed an hour wandering around, choosing to walk my bikes as it was filled with hoarded of tourists on the cobbles.

The village features remnants of medieval walls, a Romanesque church, historical half timbered houses, Renaissance burgher’s mansions and a fantastic old world ambience.

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I sat on the edge of this bridge, which dates back to 1514. A French lady had asked me to take her photo as ‘her husband was terrible’. I obliged and asked for one in return.

I knew by the angle of the lens she was not going to capture the bridge or background buildings…I wondered about her husband then!

One hot and sweaty Sharron.

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Leaving Kayserburg I chose a route via the vineyards and stopped to look behind me. A nice view of the medieval castle above the village.

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A bit further along the vineyard path again you can see the Vosges nicely as well as Kaysersberg.

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This view, same spot but looking in the opposite direction. Towards the Rhine Plains.

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Knocking off more villages including Riquewihr, Hunawihr, Ribeauville, Bergheim, Rorschwihr.

This was my favourite Tour de France installation.

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You can see some old castles high in the hills.

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Another old village gate.

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The French love their cycling.

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St Hippolyte entrance… green bike..green jersey? My favourite green jersey rider being Peter Sagan.

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Dark clouds and I got wet. It poured down for about 15 minutes. Bucket loads, but it was still in the high 20’s so not unpleasant but very soaking.

However there were also frequent lightening strikes after the rain and I decided it was time to turn around as thunderstorms had been predicted and I was not that keen to be sitting on a piece of metal, so far from my car.

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It drizzled on and off all the way to Colmar and I kept my camera dry. I rode back mainly via a route through the vineyards.

Colmar is quite pretty, but I am not a bit city fan at the best of times and after securing some food and drink, a few quick photos hotfooted it out of town.

 

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About 14 km later, I arrived back in Gueberschwihr. I turned right at the sign.

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The village square.

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Back to where I started. The cemetery in the vineyards.

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Today’s route and up and down climbing.

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I really enjoyed today’s ride. It was slow going courtesy of the villages but I gained an appreciation of the historical majestic beauty of the restorations, flowers and general ambience.

Certainly I would like to do further rides in the Vosges, heading higher up into the hills next time.

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