Planes, trains and Automobiles

France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary in 4 days. How not to travel! I'm on one of those reconnaissance missions right now and I have done all 4 countries so far in 3 days. But really, spent most of my time in planes, trains, and automobiles; as well as a few hotels. Good thing for constant companion this laptop and the godsend WIFI networks.

So, to reach Hungary I took the train from Provence to Geneve where I went against my own advice and took an Easyjet flight to Budapest. After about a 2 hour delay I got there; very late; but then spent some awesome time going along the Danube and our cycling tour from Budapest to Vienna. Some notes below. A flight from Vienna to Zurich and then trains to Grindelwald where I now sit, under cloudy and rainy skies. If it wasn't raining I wouldn't be working! Not that rain will make me melt or anything, I'm not equipped for hiking; only for meetings!

Some nice notes and info - really some high points to share from Hungary:

After a whirlwind trip through Hungary along the Danube and our cycling tour from Budapest to Sopron/Vienna; I’m reminded how much there is to see along this route! Of course Budapest is a great site and city and one worthy of many days of visit, but beyond that are some important but perhaps less well know places such as Gyor, Pannonhalma, Sopron, Esztergom, and many small villages and towns along the Danube.

Some pictures will be posted on Pure Adventures shortly.

The basilica in Esztergom – massive construction on the hill overlooking the Danube and well into current day Slovakia. Built between 1822 and 1869, the cupola stands at 71.5 meters above the ground. (over 210 feet). The crypt is also worth visiting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esztergom_Basilica

Pannonhalma – http://www.pannonhalma.hu/ for full info; site of the UNESCO world heritage site Benedictine Abbey has even today continuously operated as a monastic community and monastery for more than 1000 years and as such is a significant part of Hungarian culture.

Gyor – city of Baroque architecture, it is also the convergence point of 3 three rivers including the Danube. Since Roman times and after as a “Episcopal See” for almost 1000 years, the city is also an important university town.

Tour de France Crapola

Ah, the Tour de France begins again in a couple weeks and we can look forward to...

The new book by David Walsh attacking Lance Armstrong, a new 'tell all' book by Floyd Landis, new 'voluntary' anti doping statements by the racers, and other fun media tricks to attract the public's attention before the race starts.

Oh boy, I'm excited. Hey, I'm not going to buy your book Floyd, and I'm certainly not going to give Walsh a penny for his junk, but what is going on here? The modern Tour my friends!

I'm in France currently and I'm looking forward to images of the peloton cruising through beautiful and awe inspiring countryside. To heroic performances and supportive fans. We can't turn back the clock however, but what a strange event the Tour has become. I've been searching around for some prognosticating on the actual race, and apart from Velonews cover for its Tour mag, showing Levi as a favorite, I don't find much more than the above junk.

Too bad, but I have to believe the public in general and the cycling community is fed up with all this stuff. I'm sure most people would like to see some no-names come to the front of the peloton and fight it out like their lives (livelihoods) depended on it - as they do. Leipheimer is for sure a strong contender, but given the scandals and the really bizarre world of Floyd Landis, I wonder if most people would rather NOT see an American on the podium this year? I like Levi, and hope he does well. If he does arrive on the podium he will have to more than openly squeaky clean, he will have to also distance himself from both Landis and Armstrong to win any favor in the European public mind. The burden on him in this respect seems greater than for anyone else. It might as well be said that for whoever wins the Tour this year there will be doubt about their performance being clean. That is because of what we have in doping scandals and all this silly book crapola that will constantly remind us throughout the race about the dark side of the sport.

L

Provence en Fleur

Sunday morning is the best time to ride! Of course that is probably true in many places, but on Sunday mornings I don't even use a map. It doesn't matter where I go, if I turn up on a large departemental road, I don't have to worry about traffic. Of course, I try to stay off them, and on the small little farm roads that criss-cross this part of Provence. This is one of my preferred areas of France; relatively rural, off the beaten tourist trail, and at this time of year, full of local produce.

Cherries, apricots, melon, and now mirabelle (plums) and just some of the many fruit coming off the trees and onto roadside stands. In fact, where we are staying there is a huge mirabelle plum tree just starting to shed plums by the kilo - and nobody seems to want them. Except us! Attention!

The flowers are blooming; lavender, coquelicot, roses, and many more. Meandering, at a good clip mind you!, it is really paradise on a bike. Where am I exactly? Well, generally in the region around Grignan in the Drome Provencale.

Lavender Almost Here

Visiting the region of the Vaucluse and Drome Provencale, I'm currently in the middle of the big production area of France/Provence. The plants are almost ready to bloom now, but for the most part have not yet flowered. I have come across a few fields in bloom, but most seem to be fully grown but not yet ready to flower. We have had some rain and mild temperatures over the last week too, so that may be slowing the process some.

I have yet to find a good scientific, French, site about current status. Normally the best period is last half of June to mid July. Above is a picture of full bloom, we aren't there yet. If you are coming to Provence in the next 4 weeks you won't be disappointed!

London - Great City, Poor Transit Option

London is a great city, not a great transit option!

Forget my previous advise about using London as a transit hub and money saving option to reach Europe! I passed through London the other day and I have had a change of heart. First, while London is a great city, it is probably best to enjoy it as a stopover rather than try to pass through. One of my first challenges in my transit was changing airports from Heathrow to Gatwick. By itself, that is pretty easy really. But of course you have to go through all the immigration stuff to do so; hauling your bags along the way. But, here are the most important points:

1. London airports only allow you 1 carry on per person – regardless of size and type! So, if it’s a small purse, or large rolling bag – they count equally. For Americans and I presume Canadians, this could be a problem since travelers from those countries are allowed to have what they call in America “1 carry on” plus a handbag/laptop bag, etc. This counts as 2 bags in London. I found this out the hard way – twice! First, after rechecking in for my flight out of Gatwick I arrived at the security checkpoint to learn I couldn’t carry on the way I had coming to England. I was given the option to combine my bags into one (impossible) or return to check in counter and check my bag. So, I returned to check in and did the line again! A traveling companion tried to combine bags and when completed she was refused because the new combined bag exceeded the carry on size allowed! So, she too had to return to check in again.

2. Discount airlines. While we saved thousands on the purchase of 4 tickets to London plus a connection on EasyJet; the savings are questionable in the face of problems using the discounters – in this case EasyJet. Anything but easy! Expectations were of course low since it is an advertised no frills carrier, but the kicker is their antiquated abilities to process passengers – a truly puzzling system for a supposedly cost conscious company. To start you wait in line, you are allowed one bag per person in the price of your ticket – checked. If you have 2 bags to check, you pay 10 GBP – no big deal – except that the ticket counter can’t process your charge. You have to go stand in a different line where someone writes up a handwritten receipt of payment, makes a handwritten journal entry into an 18th century logbook about the added bag, and then you can return to the first line to get your boarding passes! If you think these lines are short – think again! Instead, think long lines of travelers spending the least amount possible and then imagine long unruly lines! Voila – a picture of happiness for someone who has just traveled overnight transatlantic or even further from Australia/NZ!

Now, because of the above Point Number 1, I got to experience point number 2 – two times! A real pleasure! Then once complete, the security line was the next navigation hurdle to clear, but happily its less cumbersome than the USA security lines. Then, you come to the next BIG problem with the European discounters and London:

Delays, pandemonium, weather!

It is not uncommon for the discounters to run behind schedule. Our case was no exception. This again is probably something that is accepted by most travelers in the price paid. However, is that something a transatlantic traveler wants to add on to the end of a very long voyage already? I don’t think so! Next, of course is the zoo-like atmosphere that exists at the gate of a discounter. Everyone literally fights to get on the plane as if they will be left behind. People crowd around the gate from the moment they get into the gate area. We paid for “speedy boarding” a service offered by Easy Jet because I knew this European mentality for pushing ahead. Unfortunately, Easy Jet did not make it possible for Easy Boarding passengers to get on and the crowd around the gate made it impossible to get through. So, we boarded when we could. Finally, London has famously bad weather and heavy air traffic. Delays are common as a result.

So, in summary, avoid London unless you plan to stop and visit. I can’t see any benefit unless the savings are very substantial; the drain on long haul travelers (and their kids) is intolerable and will impact the next days of your precious vacation.