Tour of Actual France

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:59 pm

Just back yesterday after 2 weeks in Actual France with Victoria. Anyone who reckons you can't do 2 weeks camping for 2 in an Elise is just plain wrong! Would have been good to get the stools and hiking boots in too, and may the SLR, but we'll work on that next time. I reckon I had some stuff I didn't need, and I'm still learning about how to use all the space in the front compartment effectively, but we'll get there...

http://picasaweb.google.com/vcgraham/Chamonix2007

Most of the time was spent in Chamonix with a couple of stops on the way down and back to look at some pretty cities and soak up the sun and local beverages.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vcgraham/Brugges2007
http://picasaweb.google.com/vcgraham/Strasbourg2007

French autoroutes are fab for dispensing with uber-miles in no time at all. Only really got slowed down when it rained (hard!) and the R888s were having trouble...scary doesn't even cover it... 40 mph, trucks overtaking, fish-tailing all the way... terrifying is more accurate.

Took the main routes down to Martigny (CH) and then suddenly turned up onto a huuuge hairpinned pass over to the Chamonix Mont Blanc area. Awesome views, heat, roads etc. Let down by a few Italian camper-vans and straights just slightly too short to overtake safely. It gets quite hot following uphill fully laden in 1st gear...

Great food and drink for 2 weeks, and the general pace of life was slow and healthy. A great way to unwind. The mountains around Chamonix are just stunning. Being up the top on a clear day really resets your idea of what big is, looking down the rock faces and glaciers to the town in the valley about 2.8 km below... words can't describe, and photos do a poor job of expressing the scale. Amazing.

One really good road links Chamonix with Geneva. Mostly fast autoroute, but there is a really twisty bit which comes down from the hills - first time I think I've ever dropped down to second for a corner on a dual-carriageway! Interesting...

Thursday night, our last night in Chamonix, was spent with some old friends we bumped in to in town by accident. We had a nice meal and a good few beers and caught up. They were just arriving as we were leaving which was a shame, but still it was good to see Fd and Nicky looking well !!!!!!

Good to get a 2nd opinion on a few new car-noises and some packing tips! Cheers dude!

Graeme
(home and rested)

My Kit list
------------
3 man tent (with poles and pegs and groundsheet)
2 sleeping bags
2 Thermarests
2 pillows

2 fleeces
2 waterproofs
4 pairs of shoes
clothes for 2 weeks, in 3 or 4 stuff-sacks

Toolkit
Spare bulb kit
Warning triangle
Tire foam

Macbook
10-12 books, guides and various maps
stanav
mobile phone

Pots, pans, plates, mugs, cutlery
Stove and fuel and windshield

2 washbags
2 towels

Various amounts of food/beverages

Loads of other wee things like head-torches, midge candles etc
Gifts and purchases along the way... which despite the car being full on the way, always seem to fit on the way home.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:18 pm

Good skills!

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:19 pm

Thats some kit list, I thought I did well packing for a two day camping holiday.

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:17 pm

Good job.

try 2 weeks in france in the 340r, 1 week without a pax 1 week with

That included a helmet?

Scotty C

PS Thanks to Ali for taking my helmet and the dirty washing the second week.

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:58 pm

Scotty C wrote: PS Thanks to Ali for taking my helmet and the dirty washing the second week.

No wonder his car kept breaking down - that was the only factor we didn't consider trying to fix it!

H8OAG · Post by **H8OAG** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:21 pm

PS Thanks to Ali for taking my helmet and the dirty washing the second week.

Scotty

Ali obviously has no sense of smell

Your Fugs and Socks baking at 96 degrees over long periods of time does not bear thinking about!!