The Capers of Capers: around the world by bike
  • The Introduction
  • The Purpose
  • The Route
  • The Kit
  • The Proof
    • The Proof - Leg 1 (The British Affair)
    • The Proof - Leg 2 (Bagettes and Pizza)
    • The Proof - Leg 3 (Central and Eastern Europe)
    • The Proof - Leg 4 (The Road to Moscow)
    • The Proof - Leg 5 (The Trans-Siberian Highway)
    • The Proof - Leg 6 (The Leg Formerly Known As The Last)
    • The Proof - Leg 7 (More Rice & Noodles)
    • The Proof - Leg 8 (The Return to Cricket and Fish & Chips)
    • The Proof - Leg 9 (Stars, Stripes and Donuts)
    • The Proof - Leg 10 (The Final Furlong)
  • The Capers

The Caper of The Latest Fashion, The Plagues and The Shame of Monte Carlo

31/3/2011

6 Comments

 
Greetings one and all from Italy where I find my legs slightly stronger, saddle slightly more comfortable and tan lines becoming almost competition standard (according to my Italian connections, tan lines are going to be all the rage this season).  It's fair to say that it's been a good couple of weeks despite the slighly red nose at times and the enduring lack of a decent cup of tea.

After surviving the streets of Paris I made my way across to the river Saòne, where I was united with my replacement kindle thanks to my Dad's organisation, then down to the Rhone where I enjoyed sampling some of the local produce (had to buy a corkscrew first though as the French don't seem to believe in screwcap bottles).  Once I made it to the rivers, I was rewarded with days of flat roads winding down towards the sea.  There were even times when I thought a few hills would be welcome to break up the days a bit.  Eventually these hills came and I realised how deluded I'd become and how heavy my bike is again!  I followed the coast as best I could through to Nice where I enjoyed cycling along some familiar roads and onwards to Monaco.  

Before I entered Monaco, the lap record stood at 1:14.439.  After tearing round the circuit, Mr Schumacher can breathe easily again as I got round in a slightly disappointing 29:52.35!  Though to be fair he had a clear track, didn't keep stopping to take photos and didn't stop to chat to a doorman at a posh hotel for ten minutes!  

After that poor performance I skipped town and headed for Italy.  And what was the first thing I did when I crossed the border?  Take some photos to mark the occasion?  Perhaps find somewhere to enjoy a celebratory pizza and glass of Peroni?  No, both of these came later.  You see the trouble with cycling along the coast is that opportunities to relieve one's bladder are few and far between and this has been an issue over the last few days.  There simply are no hiding places (apart from on the border it appears).

My first impressions of the Italians are mixed.  I commend their desire to build tunnels through hills where the French would make you suffer a series of thigh-destroying switchbacks, and I can accept their slightly lax approach to distance markers between towns where one can reduce the distance to a place by 10km in just 3km (and suffer the effect of the reverse of this) but the Italians' greatest downfall are the plagues of 'motos' (or 'otom's as I first thought they were called as they are written upwards in motorbike parking spaces) which constantly suffocate you at traffic lights and cut you up wherever they can.  Thankfully I've just replaced my brakepads as they are being well used.

After a day off in Genoa, I'm heading into the hills tomorrow, up to Milan then across towards Slovenia.  This will be the furthest east I've ever been, I'll not be this far south again until Mongolia and once I get out of Italy I'll not see the sea again until China.  Have cycled over 3,000km so far and have considerably further yet to go but still very much enjoying it.


Things yet to experience on my trip:
A compliment about my attire, beard and tanlines
A campsite that provides toilet roll
A Frenchman with a beret and onions round his neck (now unlikely to be fulfilled)
A clear indication as to what the point of kettles without plugs are in hostels
A person on a bike carrying more kit than me


6 Comments
Amy
31/3/2011 06:58:29 am

Sounds fantastic! All these places!! Photos soon??

Reply
Amy
31/3/2011 07:00:34 am

Just saw the photos sorry! Commented before I looked! But more please!!

Reply
Paul T
31/3/2011 03:24:28 pm

Hey Chris - good going. Loving the updates, there's a writing career awaiting you at the end of this! You'll need to add a picture to show us these tanlines (please keep some clothes on - little enough is left to the imagination with the lycra!) Glad you're still enjoying it, and looking forward to the next up date!
Best wishes from me and Nat!

Reply
Phil R
1/4/2011 10:03:15 pm

Hello Chris, I'm tracking your progress almost every day. It's amazing to see how far you've got. I love reading traveller's blogs at lunchtime whilst eating my cheese sandwiches so keep them coming (the blogs, not the sandwiches!). Paul T is right about your writing skills. It's as good or better than a lot of the stuff I've read. I can see a book coming at the end of this.
Any way "Ciao for now".
Phil

Reply
Kevin Adam
4/4/2011 06:34:44 am

Hi Chris,
It's amazing to read the travel journals of someone I know, (even if not very well) Keep up the reporting, it makes me smile.

Reply
Tasha
5/4/2011 10:49:21 pm

soo unbelievably jealous of your pics Chris! although last week the thought did cross my mind that i do quite like the west coast, rain and all, and then I turned a corner and a gust of wind blew me across the road and hailstones pelted down and i had to take cover at the side of the road! sigh. anyway, keep up the good posts and photo sharing so we can pretend we are there too! x

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    Name: Chris Capener
    Age: 30

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