Day - 9, Gap to Carcasonne

FYI, I've done 2 days in one go, so if you are reading this and haven't seen Day 8, you'll need to go and read that.

Not sure if someone was overly happy with the Lidl decision, though I gave him the opportunity to go for a €12 breakfast, if he wanted. He declined. In Lidl, I got some pastries, he a bunch of bananas.

Weather was dull, grey and cool but there wasn't a hint of rain. The french roads kept on giving this morning, as we climbed up into the Alps. For the early part, we were able to get a good move on but inevitably we came across campers or lorries in the tight twisty uphill sections, which slows things right down.

At one point we came to a queue of stationary traffic and making our way almost to the front found the road had a barrier and no entry sign. A chap was on a phone but nobody seemed to know what was going on. We were there for I don't know how long before the guy waved us on. I was caught napping, as I'd taken my helmet/gloves off. I popped the helmet on but had to ride with one glove in my hand, the other I'd wedged in the fairing. That meant we had to pull over, so I could put them on, which in turn meant the long queue that had built up behind us, including 2 articulated lorries, overtook us. We soon caught them back up but there was no going by them. The summit of the particular mountain was also the border, so we made our way down into Italy, The Italians very helpfully number their hairpin turns on their roads. The first I noticed was 17 and it counts down until the road straightens out. Some of them were very tight. How those lorries get round them I don't know.

It was a day of two halfs, as once in Italy, the driving changes, the roads become much busier, bumpier and the whole experience becomes less enjoyable. What is really infuriating though is the stupid speed limits the Italians have. Most roads are 50kph with no overtaking. Some are 70kph, with no overtaking. Very few allow overtaking, consequently the Italians ignore the speed limits and overtake wherever they want. Well, if you can't beat them. It's a ridiculous situation, especially when you get the tractors, big lorries or the few who are not just happy to sit at the speed limit but usually at several kph below it! Frustrating, to say the least.

Anyway, we eventually made it to our hotel in Piacenza. I say we, Phil had a little tour round the local area, whislt I parked up and checked us in. On the plus side, the weather had stayed dry and was a somewhat sweaty mid 20s degrees.

Come dinner time there was another Lidl type situation. When I'd booked the hotel, I found the only place to eat within easy reach, was a pizza place. I checked again today, 2 other places, a brazilian restaurant and sushi place, both of which looked like being expensive but also further away. I checked the menu for anything other than pizza, nothing doing. It seemed that was accepted but when it came time to go, someone is suggesting eating at another hotel! There does seem to be a communication issue or maybe it's something else. Anyway, after a brief discussion we went to the pizza place and had really nice pizzas, all hand made before your eyes and cooked in a proper oven. 2 large (they only come in one size) pizzas, a coke zero and a Birra Moretti, for twenty quid.

The forecast has been saying thunder storms again. We saw some flashes, possibly lightning but no rain or thunder as yet. 

Tomorrow we are heading for the seaside. Hopefully the weather will play ball again. The TV forecast would seem to suggest it being so and getting warmer for the weekend. Bring it on!

Bye for now.