As every year, this entry is a longer retro for 2022 with more than just TWIKE-related topics. It has taken long to create this entry as I’ve been mostly living and working in Singapore since October 2022 and at times only travelling back to Switzerland for a few days before returning to Asia again. My days are unfortunately are quite busy and I’ve nothing TWIKE-related to report as my TWIKE and I are separated by continents and the tragedy going on in Ukraine. The good news is that TW560 didn’t have any major technical issues throughout 2022. Following maintenance was […]
TDE2022 – Day15: From Gondo back home…what a beautiful day
TDE2022’s last day has come. Two weeks and an epic trans-European TWIKE adventure…is going to end today. Best to make the most of this day! The hotel I chose and the simple room I got was a perfect choice: I slept like a baby. I get up early, as every day and am, as with every hotel I’ve stayed this year, the first to have breakfast. The place is just incredible – it feels like the 70’s … everything is as it was 50 years ago, except for the WiFi one could, theoretically, connect to. All mobile phone providers have […]
TDE2022 – Day 14 – Vars to Gondo, another one of the highest passes
After a night sleeping at 15°C I wake up early, very refreshed and looking forward to breakfast. Heading to the restaurant at 0730 I’m – again – the first person to show up.The faux chalet style and the local products being offered make the experience a special one. I get to chat to the owner a bit whilst eating and discuss my plans for today: Cross Col d’Agnel into Italy and drive as far as I feel like towards Switzerland and the elusive Simplon pass I’ve never crossed before with TW560. Well fed, I bid my farewell to the hotel […]
TDE2022 – Day 13 – Biot to Vars, finally: La Cime de la Bonette!
Having slept fitfully I wake up to see Biot glowing in soft early morning light. As every morning when traveling in France, I need the buttery hit of a freshly baked croissant. Yarden knows just the place and takes me to an artisanal bakery where he knows that all the ingredients are as locally sourced as possible. Price hikes and their ramifications seem to be a major problem – even the bakery needs to explain why the prices have risen. The rest of the morning was filled by…work. There were some very important phone calls to be made and some […]
TDE2022 – Day 12 – Grau de Roi to Biot, enjoying the Côte d’Azur
Coming from Spain, France’s idea of having fun at the beach is noticeably different. More planning, lots of ‘animations’, hurray-hurray ‘we’re having so much fun’ type activities and lots of ClubMed-style places everywhere. The French seem much more focused on having activities going on than just relaxing. I might have just stumbled across a stretch of the coast that has a concentration of such places. I’m leaving a day earlier as my family – I have arranged to meet with a work colleague of mine that lives in southern France close to Nice and couch-surf at his place for a […]
TDE2022 – Day9: Sant Salvador to Grau du Roi
Sant Salvador was a revelation – such an cute little coastal town. Foreign tourists – very few, no English signs, very Spanish and relaxing. We enjoyed good seafood and went to the beach every day, enjoying the sun and very reasonable temperatures given the heatwave elsewhere in Europe. As mentioned before, we didn’t book anything until the last minute and that was true for the second week of our summer break as a family – we had the option of heading further south or returning to France’s southern coast for some days…which we decided to do as we liked the […]
TDE2022 – Day6: Perpignan Sant Salvador – Long distance TWIKEing & 300k anniversary
Our time in Perpignan was great – especially meeting our friends and spending a full evening at their converted old house and lounging at their swimming pool whilst sipping rosé wine. Today, we’re going to be driving another long stage which in this TWIKE translates to >300km. For this I’ve been charging the TWIKE very, very slowly during the last >24h which charges the battery at a rate at which it can store a sliver more energy in comparison to when it is charged at a normal rate As said many times before, lithium batteries don’t like to be stored […]
TDE2022 – Day 4: Avignon Perpignan – TWIKEing in Southern France
After a drive-free day with my family in Avignon, my wife and I get up bright and early. This will allow us to drive a portion of today’s trip in relatively acceptable temperatures. Speaking of which – I’ve charged the TWIKE’s batteries very slowly – even with this the batteries haven’t been able to cool off completely. 8°C difference to the outside temperature remain. 32°C is a perfect temperature to drive and get the most out of our pack. The roads are empty and the cool breeze makes for perfect TWIKEing. Today, we’re going to drive slightly more than 300 […]
TDE2022 – Day2: Chambéry Avignon – Staying above the heat!
I’m awake early since I usually am out running early. I’ve reserved a breakfast slot at 7.30 am to be sure I’ve got some space and can leave early…and am surprised to be the only one in the breakfast room at that time. This isn’t a bad thing, however, as I’ve got ample time to ask the owner about his life and how he and his wife chose to give up their previous lives and buy a budget-hotel franchise … during Covid-19, nothing less. Long story short it was a decision made with their heart, wanting to leave the corporate […]
TDE2022 – Day 1: Crossing Switzerland … in an oven
Today is the day! It’s always great to wake up bright and early, knowing everything is already packed and the only thing between a TWIKE adventure and me is some slow brewing of tea and enjoying some quiet minutes with my wife before leaving on some days on my own. I’m really in need of some solo-decompression time. To support this, even more, I’ve decided to take it slow and not drive on the motorway to Geneva but rather drive on equally interesting national roads. After finishing my tea I’m ready to start TDE2022 for real. I say goodbye to […]