We did a lot of kilometers today, the weather was dry and for once not vastly hot. I decided that it was cool enough to wear gloves. None of the riding was vastly exciting, but the roads were mostly empty so I could go fast, cruising at 120 to 130 km/h. We ended up as per the plan in Chalons en Champagne, which means less than 300 kilometers to Calais. Tomorrow we go to St Omer, a nice place near Calais. We have been there before, years ago, and Hilary bought boots with flowers on. For tonight, relax here, drink bear [View Full Entry]

---

---

We set out after breakfast and the first bit of the journey was pretty, though many tunnels took us through the pretty mountains. Going round Lyon was not pretty at all. It was very full of traffic and graffiti. I don't care how often people try to tell me graffiti is art - too much of it is just plain ugly and blocked off my view of the river. We didn't do a lot of distance but this was due to traffic and the need to go around a mountain or two. Just past Macon Ashley started to worry that we [View Full Entry]

---

---

We rode from Tortona to Chamberry. abut 100 km to Torino, another 100Km to Frejus, through the tunnel (and the French border is announced within the tunnel by a sign) then 100Km down to Chamberry. Riding conditions were good but Ashley will say more on that. Scenery spectacular. We have found a nice hotel but it has no internet. I'm not sure where last night's connection came from - I think it must have been the hotel. Chamberry is pretty. It is also lively, at least by day. Today we ate too much. Breakfast in the hotel in Tortona, lunch in [View Full Entry]

---

---

Not Alessandria but Alessandria is the closest place in the database. Today we rode around 350 Km from Rimini to Tortoni. This was all motorway and from my point of view on pillion, not very interesting. Conditions were good and after Bologna it was not all trucks. We stopped at a motorway stop off for lunch which was very good. Just cheese and ham sandwiches, but excellent cheese and excellent ham - better than any you can get in the UK for love or money (and being motorway food, very cheap). Tortoni is abut 100 Km from Torino. As far as [View Full Entry]

---

---

It turned out we were fortunate to have had to get the 10:30 pm ferry as, by the time we left Igoumenitsa (right on time) the 20:30 Superfast ferry had not yet arrived. The Anek lines ferry was OK. Ashley had to drive the bike down two very steep ramps into the bowels of the boat then back up the ramps to get off. He says it's surprisingly easy if you have confidence. He rode on and off in convoy with a load of bikers and that was good. We slept very well. I think it's some combination of darkness, quietness [View Full Entry]

---

---

Last night we watched the football. It was very exciting. We got a reasonable meal considering we were about the only tourists in town. Their high season is April, August and winter sports months. We have arrived in Igoumenitsa after a largely uneventful ride. The first part was pretty, the completion of the trip on one of the most scenic roads I have ever come across. Then it got a bit more dull, then we picked up the motorway from Ioannina. It is partially built so every now and then it stops and becomes a very narrow winding mountain road. Trucks [View Full Entry]

---

---

Actually in Konitsa and have asked for it to be added to the database. A whole load of fantastic scenery today. After a quick blast up the Via Egnatia, amazing in an engineering sense, tunnels, bridges, up into mountains, we took the old highway (E90) from Siatista to Konitsa. This road is fantastic, narrow in places, mountain passes, bends, hairpins, wild scenery, eagles, rivers, and almost n traffic. We stopped and took some photos on the way, which will probably not do justice to the scenery, but never mind. I was able to drift along for 150KM of sheer fun. Ashley [View Full Entry]

---

---

On Greek roads. Arrived in Vergina, tomorrow we do the tourist stuff, the tomb of Phillip. More on this later, from Hilary. Greek roads. The Greeks seem to build roadside shrines at places people get killed in accidents, so it goes without saying that Shrines per Kilometer is a good indication of how dangerous the road is. After Vergina we head for Igoumenitsa, maybe in one day, maybe two. The Greeks are building an EU standard highway between Thessalonika and Igoumenitsa, but it is only complete in places, credit where due, the terrain is not easy. Anyway on EU standard highways [View Full Entry]

---

---

Yesterday we left Delphi, heading north. The mountain roads were pretty spectacular before we dropped down to the Agean coast. We stopped north of Larissa, a small seaside place called Platamonas, It is overlooked by Mount Olympos, seems to cater to Greek tourists and day trippers from Larissa and Thessalonika. Finding a hotel was no problem. The trip itself was good, if hot. Jackets and helmets were not an attractive proposition. The first part, the pass, was spectacular though Ashley had to concentrate on the hairpin bends and other drivers. It was ten good roads (including some stre [View Full Entry]

---

---

With the weather in northern Greece not so good today (better tomorrow and for the next 5 days) we decided to stay in Delphi and do some walking. Perched on top of a mountain overlooking Delphi was what seemed to b a viewing hut. It seemed a good idea, and there was a clearly marked trail. It took 3 hours to do the climb, mostly a relatively easy walk, and a bit less than 2 hours to get back down, The views were fantastic. We also saw eagles, a snake, loads of butterflies, flowers, and at times the whole mountain seemed [View Full Entry]

---

---