=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Tr=3DE8s_difficile?=

notaknob said:

My wife and I had planned on going to Leogang in Austria over the
Memorial Day holiday. On the Wednesday before the weather forecast
was for temps in the 30-40s with rain. We really couldn't stand the
idea of blowing a week in crappy weather so canceled our trip there
and headed further south.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1432.JPG

<Snip beautiful stuff>

Wow. Pretty place and it looks like you enjoyed yourself which is what
vacation/holiday is all about. Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit
it someday.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot said:

Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit it someday.

What, afraid you won't be able to get freedom fries over there?

Matt

notaknob said:

My wife and I had planned on going to Leogang in Austria over the
Memorial Day holiday. On the Wednesday before the weather forecast
was for temps in the 30-40s with rain. We really couldn't stand the
idea of blowing a week in crappy weather so canceled our trip there
and headed further south.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

There was an old ruin in the fields below.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6088.JPG

Cool photo!

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Some of the fields hadn't been cut yet so there were large swaths of
red.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1564.JPG

Another great one. Beautiful!

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Bruce

Makes me want to get back there some day, or at least have some wine and
cheese in the mean time.
Sounds like a fun trip indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Matt

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit it someday.

What, afraid you won't be able to get freedom fries over there?

Matt

No. I was never to fond of them before that whole incident. Having worked
with a few smelly snoots in the past, going to the armpit of the country to
build a polyester factory, and dealing with the liberal "I don't want to
work more than four hours" unions" there, you learn to hold them in such
high esteem.

I never met a frenchmen I didn't like...
to tell off!

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot said:

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit it someday.

What, afraid you won't be able to get freedom fries over there?

Matt

No. I was never to fond of them before that whole incident. Having
worked with a few smelly snoots in the past, going to the armpit of
the country to build a polyester factory, and dealing with the
liberal "I don't want to work more than four hours" unions" there,
you learn to hold them in such high esteem.

I never met a frenchmen I didn't like...
to tell off!

Fair enough. At least it's an informed opinion. I take back what I muttered
about you as I read your response 😉.
I didn't care for Paris (it's inhabitants, mostly) much, but outside the
city most people were pretty friendly, and the wine and cheese (and soufflé,
and escargot, and...) sure are good.

Matt

MattB says:

Quoted message said:

At least it's an informed opinion.

The best kind.

I have never had a problem with the French, even with an English upbringing.
They were different, to be sure, but if you don't try to patronise them or
treat them like idiots, they are fine, like most people.
Then again, as some Englishman once said, "The problem with abroad is that it's
full of foreigners." ;-)

Steve

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
> Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit it someday.

What, afraid you won't be able to get freedom fries over there?

Matt

No. I was never to fond of them before that whole incident. Having
worked with a few smelly snoots in the past, going to the armpit of
the country to build a polyester factory, and dealing with the
liberal "I don't want to work more than four hours" unions" there,
you learn to hold them in such high esteem.

I never met a frenchmen I didn't like...
to tell off!

Fair enough. At least it's an informed opinion. I take back what I
muttered about you as I read your response 😉.
I didn't care for Paris (it's inhabitants, mostly) much, but outside
the city most people were pretty friendly, and the wine and cheese
(and soufflé, and escargot, and...) sure are good.

Matt

Well, food is another thing. I'll never say anything bad about the food and
I still do some French cooking to this day (Chicken Francaise for dinner
tonight and yeh I'm the one who cooks).

Ride-A-Lot said:

MattB said:

Ride-A-Lot said:

MattB wrote:
> Ride-A-Lot wrote:
>> Too bad it's in France or I'd like to visit it someday.
>
> What, afraid you won't be able to get freedom fries over there?
>
> Matt

No. I was never to fond of them before that whole incident. Having
worked with a few smelly snoots in the past, going to the armpit of
the country to build a polyester factory, and dealing with the
liberal "I don't want to work more than four hours" unions" there,
you learn to hold them in such high esteem.

I never met a frenchmen I didn't like...
to tell off!

Fair enough. At least it's an informed opinion. I take back what I
muttered about you as I read your response 😉.
I didn't care for Paris (it's inhabitants, mostly) much, but outside
the city most people were pretty friendly, and the wine and cheese
(and soufflé, and escargot, and...) sure are good.

Matt

Well, food is another thing. I'll never say anything bad about the
food and I still do some French cooking to this day (Chicken
Francaise for dinner tonight and yeh I'm the one who cooks).

Traitor! Evil doer!

Matt (yum!)

"notaknob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
My wife and I had planned on going to Leogang in Austria over the
Memorial Day holiday. On the Wednesday before the weather forecast was
for temps in the 30-40s with rain. We really couldn't stand the idea of
blowing a week in crappy weather so canceled our trip there and headed
further south.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1432.JPG

We drove scenic narrow roads where you don't want to go off the side of
the road.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1437.JPG

The place we rented near Reillanne had a great view with singletrack
directly below it.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1694.JPG

I did a little discovering of the local forest the first day. I took
the "VTT" route, which was a mistake. I should have taken the small
unmarked singletrack to the left. The VTT route was a fireroad.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6087.JPG

There was an old ruin in the fields below.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6088.JPG

The look back at the ridge I'd descended was nice too.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6091.JPG

Once within sight of town, I felt confident enough to leave the marked
trail and found more singletrack.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6094.JPG

I took another ride into the Luberon National Park, on one of the
"Grande Routes" - That must mean more gravel road. The scenery was nice
though.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6107.JPG

After much searching, I again left the marked path and found... more
singletrack.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6111.JPG

On the ride back I dropped into a trail that went through a field of
flowers, picking up a traveler.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6112.JPG

Since I'd bit it on a steep gravel road, I self-medicated with a couple
Pelforths and rested up the next day.

We took a day trip to Nice and Grasse, traveling through the Gorges du
Verdon. The scenery was nice.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1571.JPG
http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1587.JPG

Some of the fields hadn't been cut yet so there were large swaths of
red.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1564.JPG

which made staying on my side of the road hard while sightseeing. Not a
good thing, as there often isn't much road left over.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_1632.JPG

Note to those who haven't been to the Cote de' Azur... There are women
who go topless there. Some quite nice. Some of them could be your
mother or grandmother... No, I didn't take pictures.

I did another ride in Greoux les Bains, in an attempt to ride more great
trails.

I followed this map from the Tourist Office there..

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6116.JPG

I later realized I should have gone into the office and gotten the map
for walking, not biking as the walking trails were much nicer to ride
on.

On the way out of Greoux, I rode through the old town.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6117.JPG

Soon I was out in the country. I think this would have made the
ultimate mountain bike vehicle.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6119.JPG

I think the olive trees weren't helping the engine much.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6121.JPG

The route I took was marked "Très Difficile". I think that's French for
"Steep Gravel Road".

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6127.JPG

While the "Difficile" route was just plain road.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6128.JPG

I misinterpreted the directional indicator on this sign,

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6129.JPG

and went towards Valensole. While trying to get back on track, I left
the normal trail. I found a long stretch of singletrack.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6134.JPG

The trail dead-ended in a wheat field. There was no indication that
there was a great trail starting in the field when I got to the road.
Those clever French...

Climbing back to the road, I noticed I could see Mt. Ventoux. This year
it's one of the stages on the Tour de France.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6136.JPG
http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6141.JPG

Also some lavender fields that haven't started blooming yet.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-
online.de/france/provence04/LavendarFieldProvence2004.jpg

Once I was back on the marked trail, I continued on more fireroad.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6138.JPG

and stopped for a poser pic.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6139.JPG

I got mixed up while returning to town and ended up in the wrong town.
While riding back on the road, I saw an indicator for a hiking path. I
figured what the hell, even though I have to climb some more, at least
I'll be off the pavement. At the top of the hill the trail narrowed to
narrowtrack.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6142.JPG
http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6144.JPG

From the spray-paint on one of the power pylon, I saw that this had been
once been a VTT route.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6145.JPG

I took another timer poser pic on one of the small ledges.

http://nota_knob.bei.t-online.de/france/provence04/IMG_6147.JPG

The trail was one of the best I've ridden in France. It ended in a
small park right next to town that was riddled with singletrack. I
later found the trail on the walking path map.

Bruce

Nice Trip write up. Italy should be your next trip.

TJ
www.gvii.net/hundtoft

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Nice Trip write up. Italy should be your next trip.

If/when I go back to Italy, it'll probably be to the Garda/South Tyrol
area. I've been down to Tuscany a few times, and it wasn't a mountain
biking paradise.

Bruce

"notaknob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Nice Trip write up. Italy should be your next trip.

If/when I go back to Italy, it'll probably be to the Garda/South Tyrol
area. I've been down to Tuscany a few times, and it wasn't a mountain
biking paradise.

Bruce

IF I am going to Italy. (I lived there for a few years) I am going for the
food. The good ol U.S of A has better riding than the Euros any day. The
Euros know how to live though.

TJ
www.gvii.net/hundtoft

Quoted message said:

IF I am going to Italy. (I lived there for a few years) I am going for the
food. The good ol U.S of A has better riding than the Euros any day. The
Euros know how to live though.

TJ
www.gvii.net/hundtoft

Now, they just need to learn about personal hygiene.

--
Slacker

"Slacker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

IF I am going to Italy. (I lived there for a few years) I am going for

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

food. The good ol U.S of A has better riding than the Euros any day.

The

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Euros know how to live though.

TJ
www.gvii.net/hundtoft

Now, they just need to learn about personal hygiene.

--
Slacker

Heh, heh.....Yeah. But when I ask the women about the smell most would say
it is a manly smell and would not want it any other way.

Weird!

TJ