Tag Archives: Cycling

Camping Souvage

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Every once in a while you get screwed. After a fanatastic 70km ride up Rio Navia. I reached a town called Grandas. It was Sunday in Spain and this town was dead. Nothing was open, no food, no hotels, no campgrounds. One bar was open. So what do you do?
Plan B: eat bar food which includes pound cake, peanuts, and ice cream That’s all the bar had. Not even any tapas which is unheard of in Spain. I also loaded up on vino tinto which is practically free in Spain. Of course, there is the other Sunday religon; futball on TV to help pass the time. Strangely, the town had wifi but no food on Sunday?
Since you have no place to sleep and it is 6:40pm, it’s time for “camping souvage” (Francais). Which means you must resort to camping in an unimproved campsite. Rare in Europe, but no big deal in North America. So tonight I will camp souvage for the first night of the trip; no hot shower, no morning expresso, no AM crissont delivered to my tent. If I don’t survive the camping souvage night please shed a tear for me when you can.

Lago Maggiore

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Rode 65 mile loop today: Locarno-Malesco-Finero-Cannobio-Locarno. The first part of the ride snakes up into the mountains and the second part of the route from Cannobio back to Locarno follows the shoreline of Lago Maggiore. We met some Swiss riders along the way, who supplied us with more beta of other local rides. Spaghetti for lunch at the Italian border and later beers with the Swiss in Cannobio.

Bernese Alps

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This is our first long ride in Switzerland. It is a 44 mile loop starting and ending in Meiringen, Switzerland, where our campground is located. The first 10 miles is a very steep uphill (+10% grades) to Schwarzwaldalp, no cars allowed on the upper section of road which is one lane paved through alpine tundra. Stunning scenery with hanging glaciers and views of the Wetterhorn, Eiger, and Jungfrau. The lower half of the loop from Interlaken and back to Meiringen is a bike path traversing above the Brienzersee.  Some tough hills on this section and on gravel too. Bring your energy because it’s not a long ride, but it is challenging. Definitely a top-ten euro road ride.