TDF2023 – Day 6 – Côte D’Azur

After our very relaxing few days in Hyères we were ready to enjoy a short and easy drive to Diano Marina, a place I had visited previously on an other trip across Europe with TW560. The Côte D’Azur is particularly well suited to TWIKE’s as the road surfaces are typically good and large parts are limited to 50km/h – ensuring full relaxation whilst enjoying many stunning views. Today’s entry will have many photos of just this – us marvelling at the scenery and enjoying ourselves whilst driving in the ultimate vehicle for this environment save, of course, the old Citroën […]

TDF2023 – Day 3-5 – R&R in Hyères

This will be a super short entry as we didn’t take any pictures at all during our stay in Hyères. (The banner picture comes from Pansard’s website) It was a period of complete digital detox with us leaving our mobile phones at our bungalow, going to the beach, eating well and short daily easy runs along the sea and in and around the old salines just besides our campsite, discovering the natural beauty of this place. We both started reading our physical books and just relaxed with lots of lovely French rosé wine every evening. The days fly by and […]

TDF2023 – Day 2: Grenoble to Hyères, beautiful Southern France

We wake up to be greeted by a very gray and chilly morning – a quick check of various weather websites forecast a happy mix of sun, wind and rain for today. As always, there is nothing to complain about as long as the TWIKE is fully charged and there is the sea and chilled rosé wine waiting for us at the other end! This entry will be more about the photos than the text – it was a super relaxing drive across southern France with not much to report other than: do it yourself! Early morning traffic is dense […]

TDE2023 – Day 1: Across Switzerland to Grenoble

This year’s TWIKE adventure was planned at very short notice – our initial plans would have seen us hiking across Switzerland’s beautiful landscapes and mountains. (and I would have a 10-day trip sometime later this year.) One evening, around two weeks before the departure date, we noticed that the various challenges during the last 3 months had taken its toll and how tired we both were. Over a glass of very nice red wine we discussed how nice it would be to just relax somewhere at the sea, complete with good food and recharging by just doing nothing somewhere in […]

TDF2023 – this year’s TWIKE adventure

This year’s long-distance trip with TW560 was planned at a rather short notice – TDF2023 a two week break with our TWIKE. The date is finally set and the general direction chosen: Southern France. During last year’s trip, whilst returning, I drove along the southern coast of France and enjoyed it tremendously. This is essentially, what we’re going to do with much more time than last year. Unlike other years, we will not be traveling with our kids – they are going to stay at home as they need to study and finish other things – which will give me […]

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 […]