Arrived Nice, Saturday, 31.08.2013

The ride from Frejus to Nice was spectacular. There were parts which reminded me of  Zion NP, Sausalito, and highway 1. This is apparently a very popular cycling route, though not the one most long distance cyclists use; it's quite hilly in parts. There were bits which I'd have loved to photograph but there was just no good place to pull over safely.

I was passed by relatively few cars. I'd have expected more, but it included 3 Ferraris. The exhaust sound is like music. There are more direct ways to go other than this coast road so it doesn't seem to get the tourists.

I'm settled now in the outskirts of Nice. It's nice not having to continually pack and unpack the bags, though I'd gotten that down to a science.

It being Sunday today, I don't expect much to be open except for restaurants, boulangeries, and markets till noon. I haven't been in a town this size in France till now. Maybe something more is. I'll poke around a bit to see.

Yes, there is a helicopter taking off from the roof of this building. I haven't figured out if it was a private or government building.  You have to question the wisdom of using helicopters in such a densely populated area, but voila.

I figured out the busses yesterday. Today I'll figure out the beach!

I guess the navigation was good enough. I found he Mediterranean! Friday, 30.08.13

No one is more surprised that I am to be here and to have done it 100% by bike. It was always technically possible, but there were so many things which could have gone wrong. The weather was really crummy and dangerous only one morning and knowing, as I did, ahead, I took that as a rest day. Hell, they were all rest days, but I didn't ride on two of them.

The Med is warm and very blue. I only stuck my toes in today. This town is too crazy. I need to settle a bit further up the coast between towns where, maybe there are fewer people? This may or may not be possible.

Traffic for the final 20 miles into Frejis was, shall we say, interesting. I think the heat (27 C) does something to the brain. Until then, drivers were quite reasonable. Once the conjestion started, good manners went out the window. It went from being better than biking on Santa Clara Valley streets to being worse. I'm watching like a hawk and not taking too many chances. The gods look out for children and idiots, right?

I've been seeing the occasional military jet flying low. Part of the prep for Syria or coincidence?

Owners of yachts who have more money than sense will often have their boats shrink wrapped, loaded on a truck and driven to the port of their choice. Looks like this happens a bit down here.

The white ceramic child is about two or three times the size of a real child. Pretty weird.

Coffee mugs. The cafes serve very small cups of coffee. It is virtually impossible to buy a cup of filter coffee in a cafe, however, clearly people are drinking larger quantities at home, hence the oversized mugs. So why can't I get a proper sized cup of coffee? Who knows? In Germany it was possible in a Starbucks. There is also one in Nice. Maybe I'll need to make the pilgrimage.

There is barely an inch of uncovered beach when the sun is out.

Nice is only 40 miles from here.

I've started the search for a shop who'll box and hold the bike for the flight back. My first note hasn't been answered yet. Not a good sign. I hope this doesn't become an issue. I can box it, but storing it could be complicated and it needs to be settled prior to the 12th.

Carpentras to Rians, 59 mi, Thursday, 29.08.13

I made the mistake of picking up the local paper left behind at a cafe table. Clearly, I knew too much French in this one case. There was a short article about a 54 year old guy doing a bike tour who died of a heart attack. It would have been better not to have known this.

In case you were wondering, chocolate does not keep in panniers in 80-90 degree weather. It won't stop me from eating them/it but it's not going to be pretty. Follow up: it's still the best even when damaged beyond recognition.

One disturbing thing happened in Montelimar while walking around. A kid screamed something from a window and when I looked up, I briefly saw him pointing a gun at me. Looked like an automatic, compact and short muzzle, think Uzi. When I looked up, he laughed and receded back into the room. What is it about teenage male children?

Riding through Carpenteras today, a motorcycle followed, then came alongside to talk. He wanted to conduct a conversation and the traffic building behind him (or an obvious absence of verbs or proper tense) was of no consequence. You gotta love these people. We then ended the conversation but he wanted me to follow him into a patisserie. I'd only just started riding so I really needed to keep going but it was amusing. My Tour de France moment.

A market in a very pretty town (L'Isle a LA Sorgue) which was selling very colorful local pottery.

Place where I'm staying tonight. Fantastic dinner and nice rosé

And the town of Rians where I am one of 5 tourists. The other four, a British family with 2 very well behaved pre-teen brothers. The parents took great pains to explain family history, family stories, connections and WWII. Complete with a funny story about grandpa (her father) who, when passing through border control from the DDR to the West after a scientific conference in the 70s, said go the East German guard, 'the body's in the boot.' I was not part of this discussion; eavesdropping, as it were and I had to contain my laugh. It wasn't my fault. I was sitting several tables away. They must have been loud or the room quiet.

Tomorrow Frejus and the coast. I don't know exactly how I'm going to do this. I may spend a few days there and then move up the coast. I need to even out this trucker's tan.

Montelimar to Carpentras 48 miles, Wednesday 28.08.13

I'm getting closer. Only 2 more days ride to the coast. I haven't yet decided where I'll park myself, whether Frejus or further up the coast. I stopped early today because I wanted a bit of a rest and I knew that there was about 120 miles between here and the coast.

Stiff wind today (15-25 mph) and for much of the time it was a tailwind. I flew here.

The receptionist where I'm staying is from Stuttgart. She asked where I'd come from and told her Berlin. No, really.. Berlin. It happens now. That's just a little farther than normal. We started talking about the contrast between east and west Germany and I mentioned that it was a bit difficult getting coffee and a roll in the little towns in the former DDR. She got it instantly....'you don't have a home?' That's it. Nobody needs to buy coffee because you do it at home. Not withstanding the bike with bags, it's just not something you buy outside and prepared.

The hotels and inns I've stayed at have all been wonderful about the bike. I roll it right through the lobby into waiting utility or empty meeting rooms. No problem, it's just normal.

My favorite chocolate in the world comes from Brussels, Belgium and they have a store here. I will be leaving money there in about a half hour. Too bad it doesn't keep. They also fly it in to SFO for a store in Walnut Creek. I get some when the mood hits and I'm near.

I had a pair of shoes and cleats like these. The shoes were Italian and much too narrow and the cleats worked miserably but it was the best there was in the 70s.

The mailboxes no longer need keys. Convenience or crime?

This little tough reminded me of the identikit pictures of the unibomber. He was with mother and sister and was moping about. Who let's kids go out like this? Does anyone even know who he's evoking or is it my own bias? I think he needs a smack. Good I didn't have kids.

And if I'm able to publish tonight we have McDonalds to thank. No, I didn't eat here. I'm going elsewhere now!