Author: Melanie de Wet

Broto to Barcelona

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What an incredible last two days! I have moved between playful excitement and overwhelming owe – it has rendered me speechless most of the day.

Following my 18km hike on Sunday I returned to Broto. The 700m decent over the last 2km left my legs feeling like jelly, so I didn’t want to travel far. I was glad that I returned there – it’s such a cute village. I was also amazed that I could get a three course meal including a glass of wine for €15. Result!

From Broto I took the N-260 via Ainsa to Escalona. From there things really got interesting! West of Escalona there’s a 25km anti-clockwise route which is so much fun on the bike. The first 5km along the HU-631 is a narrow, winding road through an impressive gorge. It was stunning! I stopped along the way to have a little ‘Green & Blacks chocolate break’ and to take this video (see below).

At the end of the gorge there’s a small car park where you can leave your car (or bike) and head off on a hike. I decided to keep my hike short but what a pleasure it was. The first thing I passed was a little chapel built into the mountain. It made me smile as it reminded me of the Mesa Verde National Park – most certainly one of my favourite places I visited on my US trip last year. Below is a photo of the chapel.

My second stop was for a little nap next to the river. The water was cool, crisp and inviting, running in the deep canyon. It was so beautiful and peaceful I could have stayed there all day.

The 20km ride back to Escalona was a blast on the bike. The narrow, widening road through the gorge had opened up to a narrow, winding road along the mountain. It was a great opportunity to play on Trinity. It was exhilarating!

Below was my view as I approached Escalona.

From Escalona I was back on the N-260 heading east to Andorra. The scenery changed from alpine mountains to deep red rock faces, which reminded me of Zion National Park, to tree lined passes boasting autumn green, yellow and red leaves. For most of the ride I wished time would stand still.

At La Seu d’ Urgell I left the N-260 to head north to Andorra. What a stunning little country! I didn’t have much time so I only went as far as Andorra la Vella but my heart was pounding from excitement the whole way. Although I later noticed the other shops my eyes were drawn to the numerous car, bike, motorcycle and ski stores that lined the roads. I felt like a kid in a candy store. This is definitely a place to come and ‘play’, particularly as petrol is under a € per litre (sadly I had filled Trinity up in Spain)!

From Andorra I was back on the N-260, now heading for Barcelona via Berga. From Berga to Barcelona I travelled on the motorway, so nothing exciting to report. However, below are a couple of photos that I took along my ride on the N-260. The final photo was taken on the C16 just north of Baga. Sadly the opportunities to stop a few and far between but I hope it gives you a feel for the scenery. Enjoy!

Hello Spain!

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I left work on Wednesday afternoon with a full tank of petrol and a broad plan – to take in as much of Spain, Andorra and Portugal as I could in 16 days.

I had planned to do this trip in September but when I was approached about a new job everything was put on hold. I ended up accepting the job but my current employer has been amazing and has allowed me to make my trip as long as I was available to answer questions if they arise. How wonderful is that!

With only a few days notice I was packed and ready to hit the road. It was pretty cold in France and I was still getting over a pesky cold, so I decided to head south and get into some sunshine. After a two day ride I was in San Sebastián, Spain.

San Sebastián is stunning! I stayed in the old town which is full of character and only a stone’s throw from the beach. It felt so good feeling the sand beneath me feet. I walked along the beach and then around the city before stopping for dinner on the beachfront. A romantic meal for one. Why not!

Below are a couple of the buildings in San Sebastián. There are more photos, as usual, on my Mel & Trinity Facebook page.

The initial plan was to head west from San Sebastián in order to reach Andorra asap. That was until I saw some photos of Ordesa National Park – the mountains seduced me!

After a few wrong turns I made it to the gorgeous little mountain town of Broto. Like San Sebastián I instantly knew I liked it. I had booked into a hotel on the Ara river, so after checking in and dropping off my things, I went exploring. I even managed a little chill time.

Below are a couple of photos of Broto.

Today has however been the highlight of my trip. Before breakfast I took a walk to the Cascade De Sorrosal (Sorrosal Waterfalls) – a 5 minute from my hotel. The geology blew me away – I have never seen such pronounced folds in rocks. It is simply stunning. Below are photos of the two Waterfalls.

From there the day only got better. The lovely lady at the tourist office spent 30 minutes explaining the area to me and my various options in her broken English. She kept apologising for not knowing the English terms but I was holding onto every word. She was so enthusiastic about the area and it was contagious. I wanted to see it all!

I could dedicate an entire post to Ordesa National Park as it is exquisite but I’ll post some more photos on Facebook.

The numerous waterfalls along the Ordesa Valley are a visual feast, aided by the steep glacier valley walls which tower over the valley.

I would not have thought the day could get any better but then I met a fellow South African and her family on the hike. I ended up walking the majority of the 18 km hike Josephine and her fantastic family (husband John and sons Luke and Danny). They were absolutely delightful!

My day was perfect and a great reminder of why I love travelling so much. There is so much beauty in the world and I’m so happy to have found so much of it!

A Bit of Scottish Heaven

Melanie de Wet3 Comments

This weekend was wonderful on so many levels. Not only did I get to enjoy the glorious beauty that is the Scottish Highlands but I was again reminded of the wonderful people that I have in my life and was transported back to amazing places I had the privilege to visit during my USA/Canada trip this time last year.

The Highlands of Scotland are stunning, even with the pesky midges and lack of sunshine. In some ways the dark skies add to the mystery of the dramatic landscape. I also can’t remember the last time I had so much fun on a bike! The isolation and narrow, winding single track roads allowed me the freedom to really ‘play’ on Trinity, testing both her and my capabilities. I think her strengths far outweigh mine but I’m trying to catch up!

As with my Europe trip, my planning for the trip was pretty minimal. I had highlighted some potential routes on a map but did no further planning, outside of borrowing a warmer sleeping bag as I was nervous I may get cold if I ended up having to camp. This turned out to be a great decision since I had to camp the first two nights. There was no availability accommodation.

My lack of planning was partly due to a very heavy work schedule for the two weeks leading up to my trip and partly due to the fact that I have come to enjoy just seeing where the road takes me. The approach has done me well so far.

I flew up to Glasgow on Thursday evening to be greeted by my extended ‘Scottish family’. On my previous trip Silvia had taken care of me but on this trip it was Mary that made sure I was well fed at the start and end of my trip. There is nothing that pleases me more than someone cooking for me, so this brought me enormous joy! On this trip it also added to the amusement.

I had popped around Mary’s for breakfast before hitting the road on Friday. Mary was making me a flask of tea to take along on my trip while I was Skyping my mom. My initial shock was followed by a roar of laughter when I stopped to have my tea next to Loch Lomond only to get a mouthful of milky water. Mary had forgotten to put the teabag in. She made up for it in abundance on Tuesday though when she had dinner and a cup of tea ready for me upon my return to Glasgow. We had a good giggle over the incident as she had realised her omission not long after I had left her house.

Packing for the trip took 20 minutes. Getting over the Erskine bridge took twice as long as I missed the turn off and ended up riding in a huge circle only to end up back at Mary’s house. I had to laugh!

Once I managed to get myself on the right road it was smooth sailing. I spent most of the day riding north along the A82. It was raining when I passed Loch Lomond so I stopped for ‘tea’ just after that when the rain stopped. Well, you know how that ended. It was a short stop.

My next stop was Glencoe. The volcanic mountain pass is located next to Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Sadly I couldn’t see it through the cloud that covered it. The ride through the rolling green valley was however quite lovely. At one point the look and feel of the road made me feel like I was on Independence Pass in Colorado again. A photo of the area is provided below.

After a stop in Fort William for lunch I was back on the road and heading for the Isle of Skye. I hadn’t ‘planned’ to visit Skye but my dad told me that he loved it so that changed my course. I’m glad it did.

Skye is gorgeous, as is the drive into it along the A87, which also passes Eilean Donan Castle. The castle looks so majestic in the middle of the lake. It was a stroke of luck that I ended up staying a stones throw away from it on the shore of Lake Alsh (Sound of Sleat) on my second night.

I had looked for accommodation on Skye during one of my stops but there was nothing available. It hadn’t been that long since I crossed the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh into Skye when I saw a campsite in the most beautiful setting. There was also a pub 200m away. Scenery. Food. Result! I would look no further.

Below is a photo of my view of the mountains on my first night.

My second day was spent exploring Skye. I decided to not look at my map but just head west and see where it look me. When I saw something I liked, generally rugged coastline, I tried to find a road that would lead me closer to it. After a couple of dead ends I ended up at Neist Point. All I will say is WOW!

Below are photos of the coastline at Neist Point and the lighthouse.

Walking from the top of the ridge down to the lighthouse I was quite taken by the landscape and the lucky campers that had made the location their home for the night. It really was quite breathtaking in more than one way. Not only was I blown away by the scenery but I also realised how unfit I’ve become since my US trip. I had to drag myself up a couple of the hills, each time thinking that I wouldn’t make it but each time surprising myself and getting to the top. This seem to set the tone for the day.

On the way back from Neist Point I stopped at a little cafe for lunch and got talking to two resident Skye bikers. They pointed me to the eastern side of Skye where the Old Man of Storr and Kilt Rock can be found. I think there were a few other things but these were all I had time to visit as the Old Man of Storr required a hike up a mountain. It was bloody exhausting in my full bike gear but so worth the view when I got to the top.

I didn’t post that many pictures on Instagram but there are more photos on my Facebook page. I did however post a photo of the waterfall at Kilt Rock which is below.

It was around 4pm when I got back to Trinity and started my journey off Skye. The mobile/ cell reception on Skye is quite poor so I had to wait until I reached Kyle of Lochalsh to see where I may be able to stay. Again, there was nothing in the area. I decided to just keep riding until I found a campsite which is how I ended up back at Eilean Donan Castle and having the best Steak and Ale pie I have ever eaten. This was in the local pub.

Day three started in the rain. I was slightly worried about where I was going to sleep that night given that my tent was wet. As luck would have it, my days ride along the Wester Ross Coastal Trail would lead me to a Wigwam just off the beach at Blue Sands. It is this coastline up to the Rua Reidh lighthouse at Melvaig that for me is a little bit of Scottish heaven. I will definitely be going back to stay at the lighthouse which has been converted into a B&B.

The day’s ride leading up to my beach sunset was my favourite ride of the weekend. For the first time since returning from North America I found somewhere that I felt truly free. It was stunning, isolated, varied and challenging. I passed a snow covered Beinn Eighe surrounded by wide plains. I raced through narrow single track roads, only stopping to let the occasional car or camper van pass. I followed two cars over the single track pass to Applecross in the rain and fog with minimal visibility and I saw field of yellow and rusty/purple flowers that reminded me so much of Mt Rainier and parts of California.

I can’t remember the last time I was this happy!

Below are a few photos from the day.

My final day started with a walk on the beach. It was overcast but still. It was so peaceful.

I was mindful that I had a long trip back to Glasgow to get a flight home, so I decided to head off early. That plan changes slightly when I dropped Trinity just outside of my wigwam. Oops! What is it with me and dropping her in campsites.

Four good things came from that incident. I learned my panniers can handle Trinity’s weight; that I still can’t pick her up; I got to have breakfast and finally I got to meet two lovely guys that helped pick Trinity up for me.

The trip back to Glasgow was fortunately less eventful. I rode back via Inverness and Lock Ness, stopping at Fort Augustus for coffee and cake. Sadly I didn’t spot the Loch Ness Monster but I did get a photo of its friend (see below). From there I was back on the A82 passing Glencoe, still covered in cloud, and Loch Lomond before reaching Glasgow. What a great weekend! The Highlands I will be back.

What a Perfect Day

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I woke up yesterday excited about what the day had in store and boy did it deliver!

With only a few days of my trip left I have become very conscience of how precious every minute is. Everything has slowed down over the last few days. I’m waking earlier, riding slower and savouring every minute.

I remember feeling exactly the same when I was in the USA. I was on my way to Durango from Santa Fe near the New Mexico/Colorado border. I can’t tell you exactly where but I remember the moment, the scenery and exactly how I felt in that moment vividly. It was perfect! These are the moments that make everything worth it.

It was around 06:45 when I walked outside to a perfect summers morning. The sun was out, there was barely a cloud in the sky and the smell of air was so fresh. As I stretched my body out to take in all this goodness, all my eyes could focus on was the amazing snow capped mountain in front of me. What a perfect way to start the day.

I stayed at a guest house in Lasa, Italy, on Tuesday night which is also a working apple farm. The hosts were absolutely delightful and accommodating and I was very pleased that the spoke some English. To be fair, most people I have met along the way could speak at least a bit of English. What through me a little though was that they were speaking German, I guess Austrian German, instead of Italian. This appears to be quite normal in areas near the borders though.

The lady of the house told me that the marble that is mined from the mountain that I was admiring was shipped to New York to be used in the station at the World Trade Centre site (Ground Zero). That made me smile. I’ve never given much thought to where materials come from that we see every day on our streets but I will certainly look at the marble in the World Trade Centre station very fondly when I get to visit it.

A photo of the mountain is provided below. Sadly, it only shows a small part of it.

It made my morning when I said good-bye to my hosts and the lady was so excited about my travels. She said it made her just want to go and travel. I loved that. Hopefully one day she will.

The part of the day I had been most excited about was riding Stelvio Pass, a mountain pass in northern Italy. At 2,757m it is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps and the second highest in the Alps. This is by far not the highest mountain pass I have ridden but it certainly has the most switchbacks. The highest I have ridden was Mt Evans in Colorado which stands at a mighty 4,345m. I was very honoured to do this with a friend that I made on that trip, Mark. That was a great day!

Stelvio Pass is stunning! The slope effect on the pass is quite distinct. The climb up the northern side of the mountain was warm and lush in vegetation. The summit was cool and covered in snow, while the decent on the southern side was sparse in vegetation.

I captured parts of the Stelvio Pass so hopefully you’ll see what I mean in the photos below.

The ride was so much fun. The best part was that the day continued to blow me away as I rode through the Alps in Italy (see the photo below) and Switzerland. For the first time I was looking forward to something different. Not only the luscious green covered mountains which ai was currently enjoying but I was looking forward to mountains covered in snow. I have never skied before but will be doing it for the first time in December. I cannot wait!

It was now time though to start heading back towards London. I thought about the voting that would be happening today to decide our fate about remaining in or leaving the EU.

I had started my ride in Italy, travelling through Switzerland and Austria to Lichtenstein, where I had lunch, and ended my day on Lake Constance in Germany. Where else in the world can you do this without border checks and visas? Why would we give this up?

No thanks, life doesn’t get much better than this!

Going Full Circle

Melanie de Wet2 Comments

Fortunately I did say that I had no real plan in mind. Well, I left Italy on Sunday thinking I wouldn’t be back but Guess what, I am.

After it took me a while to navigate myself out of Trieste (there are way too many one way streets), I spent about 4 hours on Monday riding through the western part of Slovenia. I knew nothing about Slovenia so I didn’t know what to expect. Well what a pleasant surprise!

I entered Slovenia in what appears to be their wine country. The scenery was wonderful! I was riding through vineyards and small little villages that were absolutely pristine. I could have been in Switzerland.

This feeling only grew when I rode further north and hit the mountains and lakes. I could feel the excitement welling up inside me. The scenery was breathtaking and the colour of the water so inviting. It was like being in Canada all over again.

I missed the turn off that I had intended to take and found myself heading towards Italy instead of Austria. This cut my time in Slovenia a little short but I still managed to see part of the Triglavski National Park. It is stunning!

Below are some photos of my time in Slovenia.

When I did eventually get to the Austrian border I was in for a bit of a surprise. There were guards patrolling the border crossing. Outside of coming into France and Italy from St Bernard, this was the only time a border crossing had been manned. Most of the borders are unmanned.

I stayed in a town called Spittal an der Drau, which is at the base of the Nock Mountains. The town is lovely, as is the part of Austria that I saw. I didn’t find Austria overwhelming but I did find it incredibly relaxing. I was so chilled out last night you could have knocked me over with a feather. This of course I am sure was aided by all the Ibuprofen tablets I was on.

Unfortunately my right shoulder and upper back have been taking some strain so I’ve been trying to keep my riding jacket off for as long as possible to give my body time to rest. It’s not something that you would normally think about but riding is very physical. Not only do you have the elements to contend with, the wind hitting you the hardest, but my jacket and helmet alone weigh about 4 kilograms. That’s the same as having two 2L bottles of Coke hanging off your shoulders all day. It gets very tiring! I think I need to hit the gym before my next trip in September.

Heading back into Italy today was a pure delight and driving through the Dolomites was breathtaking! I now certainly appreciate all that Italy has to offer. It certainly has a lot to offer.

The photo below was taken on the Jaufen Pass. It’s one of the few passes I had the pleasure to ride today.

Tomorrow the ‘creme de la creme’ of the Italian passes awaits me, namely Stelvio pass. I can’t wait to see it! From there though I need to steer Trinity back towards London, as I have a Eurotunnel ticket booked for around lunchtime on Sunday.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Wonderful Italy

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

I would sum up Italy as gorgeous, full of character and super romantic. My favourite city without a doubt has been Venice. I will certainly be back for a visit but next I will not be alone.

The only downsides to Italy are that fuel is more expensive than the rest of Europe and the most direct roads anywhere are toll roads. There are a lot of toll roads!

I arrived in Italy on Thursday morning following a leisurely breakfast in Monaco.

I had met some lovely guys in Interlaken, Switzerland, who told me that I had to visit Clinque Terre (five lands). The manager at my hotel in Monaco confirmed this so I thought I probably shouldn’t miss it. I’m so glad I didn’t!

The Clinque Terre National Park was the first national park established in Italy. This only happened in 1999 two years after the area was included as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The five hilltop towns (Monterossa al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore), which lie on the Ligurian coast, are linked by train as well as coastal walks. I managed to experience both.

Below are a few photos of the area for your viewing pleasure.

I knew I didn’t have time to see all the towns so I decided to visit Monterossa al Mare. As it turns out it is the largest of the five towns. This made finding a hotel easy and also gave me the opportunity to get out of all my riding gear and enjoy the sunshine in the shorts and flops. Not much makes me happier than that!

There is such a fabulous vibe in the town. Of course it is heaving with tourists, mostly American, but there where a good number of Australians and even some South Africans mixed in there too. It’s not surprising though, we get everywhere (*giggle*)!

I decided to take a little time out and walk to the next town, Vernazza. The recommended walking time is 1.5 hours and I had read in a blog that this section is the most difficult. I was ready for a challenge!

As long as your knees are okay (there are a lot of steps) and you don’t stop too often the route takes an hour. It is pretty challenging though. I had a brief stop in Vernazza to have some water and met a lovely young couple from Seattle. After a very pleasant 10 minute chat I was on my way. I had to see the next town, Carniglia.

After a 50 minute walk I was in Carniglia; another stunning little town. This one I may even call a village. It’s really small and intimate; just how I like it! This was definitely my spot to enjoy some lunch.

Following lunch I headed off to find the train. Trinity was calling. I found more stairs; this time they were all downhill though. Phew! The train was certainly interesting. It could give a London Underground trip in rush hour a run for its money i.e. it was packed! Luckily the trip was only 10 minutes and the packed train actually added to the atmosphere.

It was now time to hit the walled cities of Lucca and Pisa. Lucca came at the recommendation of the hotel receptionists, while Pisa was a no brainer. Who wouldn’t want to see the leaning tower of Pisa! Well here it is along with a photo from Lucca. The rest are on my Facebook page.

Both cities were great! Of course I only explored the old cities but who ever really gets to see all of any city, so I think that’s okay.

I spent the night in Ferrara which certainly deserves a mention. It’s located roughly midway between Florence and Venice. The town is full of character and was certainly full of characters as there was, what looked like, a gaming festival on. This men’s that there were a bunch of people dressed is some interesting costumes walking around the city. I didn’t take any photos of them but ai did take a photo of the most colourful street I have come across in Italy. I absolutely loved this street. Below is why.

Last but certainly not least are two of the great cities, Florence and Venice. As I have already mentioned, Venice was definitely my favourite. I found Florence a little too big and difficult to negotiate on the bike. Venice was smaller and more intimate which you already know I love. Also, the water was a better colour. The water in Florence was the colour of green olives which I found a bit off putting. In Venice the water is still not a great blue but it’s better than green for sure. The pure romance of the city makes you forget about the water.

Both Venice and Florence have a wonderful combination of narrow cobblestone street and large impressive squares. I remember learning about Piazza St Marco when I was doing my Town & Regional Planning degree at university. I never thought I’d actually be standing it it. It was so exhilarating! Then again, I felt like that the whole time I was in Venice; like a kid that had just discovered a candy store.

Below are some photos of the cities and the stunning buildings that form part of them.

I made a wise move today when I visited Venice. I parked my bike on the mainland and caught a boat to Venice. This allowed me to approach Venice from the water and also leave stuff on the bike. Woohoo… freedom!

I only had two hours in Venice but I made the most of it. I walked as much of the city as I could, having a slice of pizza (it had to be done) and a bottle of water on the trot. I would happily have stayed longer but I needed to head east. I have exactly a week left to get home and I’m a long way from home!

As I write this I’m having dinner in Trieste next to, you guessed it, another American couple. Apparently the hit list for Americans is the UK, Italy and France. Yes, I asked them. Anyway, moving on.

Trieste is the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. Founded by the Ancient Romans (I’m excited all over again), it’s on the doorstep to Slovenia, which is where I am heading tomorrow. Officially this will be the start my journey back to London.

Before I call it a night I would like to wish all the dads out there a happy Father’s Day. I’m so glad I got the chance to speak to mine his morning. It was the best part of a pretty amazing day! I love you dad! X

Six Days. Seven Countries.

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

I hit the road on Friday afternoon for the first of the two European motorcycle tours that I have planned for this summer. In stark contrast to my North American and South African tours, I left the UK with a broad plan, having only booked my Eurotunnel journeys, bought the insurance policies I needed and packed my panniers. My goal was, and still is, to visit 10 countries in 16 days. Well 16.5 days really. I have 11 days and 3 countries to go. Of course I will be backtracking through some of them on my way back to London.

The first few days were a bit of a haze. I was completely run off my feet for the three weeks leading up to my trip, hence the lack of planning, so I was feeling quite drained and tired. The fact that I was mainly on motorways for the first three days was not adding any excitement but it did get me to where I wanted to be faster, namely the Alps. That made it all worth it!

By and large living day to day has worked out pretty well so far. Because I was tired I spent my first night in Bruges rather than pushing through to Gent which was a great decision. I loved the old town of Bruges. Gent was lovely too but it’s a larger city and therefore less intimate. I like small and intimate.

Below are photos of Bruges and Gent to give you a little flavour of the cities.

My decision to stay in Echternach in Luxembourg (on the border of Germany) the second night came at the recommendation of the hotel receptionist in Bruges. It was nice but it didn’t blow me away to be honest.

I spent my third night in town called Mulhouse, France (close to the French/German/Swiss border) largely because I was too tired to push through the to Switzerland. I decided to travel via and spend some time in Trier, Germany which is a lovely city. I spent a long weekend there with my cousin, Deborah, and her family some years ago and it brought back wonderful memories. The city has a strong Roman influence which really appeals to be. I have a strong fascination with the Roman Empire.

The description in the photo below provides some information about Trier.

This is where my trip really started to get exciting.

I sent a friend from work, Migi, a message to find out where I should go in Switzerland. Her recommendation was Lucern and Interlaken. Migi nailed it! The Swiss cities are so refined and gorgeous and of course who can resist those mountains!

Lucern is a cosmopolitan city on Lake Lucerne. The lake is the fourth largest in Switzerland. It city has a similar feel to Geneva, both of which are quite stunning and centred around the lakes they are next to.

Below are some photos of Lucern.

From here things got better and better.

I took Highway 8 between Lucern and Interlaken. I hadn’t planned on stopping anywhere along the way but when I saw a gorgeous town nestled between the mountains and a lake I could resist a visit. The town is Lungern. The photos speak for themselves.

I spent the evening in Montreux which is on the eastern side of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It was raining when I arrived and raining when I left so I sadly didn’t take any photos. The town is gorgeous though but then again all the towns on Lake Geneva are from memory.

Day five took me via the Aosta Valley in Italy and then back into France. I was now on the ‘back roads’ riding through the mountains. I’m not sure what I was expecting but riding through snow capped mountains was not it. Not in summer anyway. It was fascinating and I even managed to meet some tor the locals (see photos below).

The days amazing travels led me to Briancon which is the highest, in terms of altitude, city in France. I love this city! I could feel my spirit rise walking through the little streets and around the fortress like walls. It’s a must visit if you’re ever in the area. Below is a taste of Briancon.

I could not imagine my ride getting any more beautiful but yesterday proved me wrong. From Briancon I took the Great Alpine Road through the mountains before eventually heading to Monaco via Nice.

The Great Alpine Road is stunning! It has also elevated my admiration for cycling. Wherever I was riding there were cyclists. I have no idea how they do it. The roads are steep and winding. A clapped for a few as they passed me. They certainly have my respect. You’ll see why from the one photo below.

My summary of the last two days riding is that is doesn’t matter which town you stop in along the way, they are all gorgeous. Maybe that’s why I’ve been slightly underwhelmed by Monaco. There is such hype around Monte Carlo but in my opinion is really not that special. Nice is far nicer but I’m glad I can say been there, done that! Below is a photo of Monte Carlo Casino.

There have been a few unforeseen incidents along the way. The first incident happened on day 2 when my headlight bulb died in France and I had to find a BMW dealership to replace it. The second incident happened when my phone ran out of battery in Switzerland because the power socket (a smaller version of a cigarette lighter in a car) on my bike is playing up. This left me stranded in Montreaux in the rain until I could swap the SIM cards between my phones. Of course this meant I no longer had GPS and I had to keep stopping to check my phone. That’s not great in the rain on a bike. The third incident happened yesterday again in France when I planned a route on my phone but for some reason it took me on the alternative (motorway) instead. That little mistake cost me €72 in toll fees. I was not impressed! Today was another French incident. I was on the top of a mountain and the screw on my GoPro attachment decided to fall off. Thank goodness I saw it happening so I could stop immediately. It had fallen into my radiator so I managed to fish it out.

Today I’m off to Italy. It’s a very special day today as my eldest niece, Tyla, is officially a teenager. Happy birthday gorgeous! I can’t wait To see you at Christmas.

The adventure continues!

P.S. For more photos please visit my Mel & Trinity page on Facebook. 🙂

Knysna to Cape Town

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I left Knysna on Wednesday morning at 7am. Breakfast started at 8am and I didn’t want to sit around wasting the morning, so I decided to hit the road and to have breakfast along the way. My plan was to have breakfast in Brenton-on-sea but a guy at the petrol filling station told me to rather have breakfast at Buffelsbaai.

The picture I had of this restaurant on the beach was sadly rather romantic, besides from the fact that it wasn’t open yet, so I sat looking over the sea for a while before moving onto Wilderness. Below was my view from the restaurant.

It was a lovely drive and view over the beach but not enough to keep my attention longer than about 10 minutes.

I arrived in Wilderness at around 8.30am and started my search for a restaurant where I could have breakfast on the beach. I didn’t want to go back to the place where I’d had coffee the day before, so I kept my eye out for some place different. I spotted a place but it turned out that it only opened at 11am. This was clearly not my morning for enjoying breakfast on the beach.

When I saw a guy walking towards me I asked him if there was somewhere in town to have breakfast. He recommended two places in town and during our conversation preceded to tell me that I had a ‘deurmekaar’ (confused) accent. This found this very amusing given that it was the second time on my trip someone had said that to me. Clearly my twelves years in London has left its mark on me (so to speak).

Following breakfast in Wilderness I headed north towards Oudtshoorn, taking the Outeniqua pass for the second time. Only this time I could actually see the road. Result!

Since I was doing pretty well in terms of time, I decided to go to the Cango caves, which is about a 20 minute drive north of Oudtshoorn. It came highly recommended by my aunty Carry.

The cave itself is spectacular, we’ll certainly at least the first two of the six chambers that you visit on the Heritage Tour. There are a further two chambers that you can access if you go in the adventure tour but I was certainly not dressed for that.

Below is a photo from chamber two. That’s 200,000 years of history in the making. It’s pretty amazing.

I know that you should never compare things but I couldn’t help myself on this occasion. Although the cave holds the most spectacular display of Stalagmites and Stalactites I have seen, I was rather disappointed at the paved floor. It felt completely out of place, and all I kept thinking of where the words I saw in all the American parks, namely ‘leave no trace’. I wish we had followed this advice in the caves.

From the Cango caves I moved on the Cango Wildlife Ranch. I have always wanted to play with one of cat family cubs and I got the opportunity at the ranch to stroke two cheetah cubs. They were so cute but clearly so hot that they didn’t seem to notice me stroking them. What a fantastic experience – one I won’t easily forget (see the photos below).

It was around 3pm when I left the ranch. The drive along the R62 was absolutely fantastic! I loved the change of topography from mountain passed to open fields of fynbos and then onto the district mountainous landscape of the Cape wine lands. I could feel the excitement growing inside me as I entered the wine lands.

The only things dampening my mood slightly was that I’d been riding into the sun for 2.5 hours and my eyes were burning terribly. So much so that I had to close my right eye for a while. I was therefore very happy when I reached Robertson and started heading south towards McGregor where I was booked in for the night.

I have never been to McGregor so I didn’t know what to expect. There is a fork in the road as you ride into town from the north and I took the left fork. I could feel my heart sinking a little when I drove along the rather run down little houses lining the streets. I was starting to wander where on earth I had booked to stay. After a quick look at my map I realised I should have taken the right fork so I turned right to get back into Voortrekker street. What a difference this made.

I was absolutely delighted when I arrived at the B&B and was greeted my Nicolaas, one of the owners. He was lovely. To be honest, everything about the guesthouse was perfect. It’s the first time that I would rate a place as 10/10 until it came to paying the next day. The guesthouse only took cash.

Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions but in my experience cash in hand businesses are generally evading tax. This left a very bad taste in my mouth.

On a lighter note though, I was very excited to be on my way back to Cape Town. I decided to head back to the N2 so that I could ride over Sir Lowry’s pass in the sunshine (it was raining the first time I crossed over it). The view from the pass over Somerset West is quite breathtaking!

When I reached the bottom of the pass I was 60km outside of Cape Town. I pulled off the road and called my mom to let her know to come and collect me at the bike garage which is in the city.

My mom’s timing was impeccable! I had just given the keys to the bike back and had stepped outside to see if there was a coffee shop where I could wait for her and there she was.

It was 2.20pm and I had one more thing I wanted to do. I wanted to abseil off Table Mountain. I called the company to find out if they were doing abseiling that afternoon and as it turned out their last slot was 3pm. Perfect, we could just make that if we rushed.

We got to the top of Table Mountain at 2.55pm – just in time for me to make the final abseil of the day. I was nervous and excited all at once. I’d waited two years to do this so I was so pleased to finally make it. It was the perfect way to end my trip!

So here is the view from just over 1,000m. It’s one hell of a ride!

I didn’t think it was possible but I’ve fallen a little more in love with the Cape after this trip. It was great to be home!

Herolds Bay to Knysna

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I left Herolds Bay on Monday morning following a walk along the coast and breakfast with Mick and June. I’d woken up at 5am so there was plenty of time for both before hitting the road at 10am.

The weather was not playing along with my plan to explore the coastal towns on my way to Storms River. Well I say that but I didn’t really have a plan. I hadn’t booked accommodation for Monday or Tuesday night, so I was going with the flow. The ‘flow’ told me to keep moving given that it was raining. In my head I was trying to out ride the rain. My head was wrong!

I drove to Wilderness on the old Wilderness road on June’s advice. It’s a narrow, windy road which brings you into Wilderness over the mountain and past the Map of Africa. Instead of telling you what it is, I’ll show it to you instead (see photos below).

I had a quick stop in Wilderness for coffee on the beach. I instantly liked Wilderness. It has a village feel about it which is quite unusual for a coastal town. My ‘plan’ at that stage was to see how far I got down the coast and then to come back and stay in Wilderness on my second last night. Of course, plans change.

The rain continued as I travelled east along the coast. My dad told me not to miss the Knysna Heads so when I got to Knysna I took the turn off to the Heads, only to turn around about 2 minutes later when I see anything past 100m in front of me. Okay, now I would have to come back past Knysna.

So off I went to Plettenberg Bay.

It stopped raining long enough while I was in Plett to have lunch on the beach. The thing that stood out most for me about my stop in Plett though was a young black boy, about 16, digging though the dustbins along the beachfront for food. I’m pretty sure he was as high as a kite as he stumbled along in a pair of ladies heeled sandles that were at least two sizes too small for him and what looked like slices of bread in his brown shorts pocket. The sight was heartbreaking!

I offered to buy him a meal but he asked me for the money instead so that he could go into town and buy some bread. I thought about it for a second and then realised who am I to judge what he uses the money for, so I gave him enough cash for a good few loaves of bread. I hope he got what he needed from it.

I left Plett with the boy very much still on my mind. That was my sad thought. My happy thought was that I was now approaching my favourite section of the garden route, the section between Natures Valley and Storms River, which is the Tsitsikamma National Park. This part of the coastline is exquisite! As it is a protected area it is only accessible to the public on either end, and to the 5 day hikers via the Otter Trail. I did this trail with a group of friends in 2009 – an experience I will never forget.

As I didn’t do the hike I can only show you what it looks like on either end. Sadly I just noticed that I didn’t put very many photos on Instagram so I’ll put more on my Mel & Trinity Facebook page. The photos were taken on Tuesday when the weather had cleared up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBAAMuUnXpI/https://www.instagram.com/p/BA__xaiHXox/

If you ever get the opportunity to do the Otter Trail, grab it with both hands! Just be warned there’s about a years waiting list. It is worth the wait though.

The other exiting thing to see while you are in the area is the worlds highest bungee jump. The bungee jump from Bloukrans bridge is a whopping 216m. Well, the bridge is 216m and the bungee jump about 180m, but I don’t think you’d notice on the way down. This is what it looks like.

The one thing you may want to skip is the Bloukraans Pass. I travelled along it between Natures Valley and Storms River not realising it is actually closed. I’m not surprised, it’s in a bit of a state, although quite beautiful in its own right. Below is a photo that I took along the pass.

My accommodation in Storms River was absolutely delightful. I knew that Stormsriver village had a number of places to stay so I pitched up there in the hope that there would be somewhere to stay. I ended up staying in the Stormsriver Village Inn which was such a pleasant surprise. The Inn is made up of a series of little houses all in a different Cape style, all dancing into a central garden. It is too cute (see photo below).

The delight of these two days was however Knysna Heads. As I mentioned earlier I had planned to stay in Wilderness on my way back but when I saw the view from the Heads I couldn’t drag myself away. The photos don’t do it justice but will give you a feel of it. Enjoy!

I had found a little piece of heaven!

Hermanus to Herolds bay

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

Three days in a nutshell – this will be a challenge! Okay, here goes.

I left Hermanus on Saturday morning following an early morning walk along the coastline towards Hermanus town centre. The coastline is so rugged and beautiful (see photo below)! It was just a slight shame that it was overcast but it’s been overcast and rainy at times for the last three days – not the weather I’m used to at this time of the year in the Cape but maybe I’ve generally been lucky.

If you have ever been to this part of the world then you will know that everything around here is gorgeous! The only thing that changes is the landscape. So with that in mind I’ll stick to the facts of my trip and I hope you can image the scenery as I take you along my journey with me.

I rode along the R43 between Hermanus and Gaansbaai, stopping briefly at De Kelders just before it, only because I saw a sign saying there were caves. I’m always a sucker for a cave!

When I reached the caves I got chatting to a very friendly old guy who explained that the caves are only open for tours – apparently they are gated up otherwise. Really? That put an end to that then as he also said that you need to get geared up to explore the caves. It sounded like my US Lava Cave Monument experience all over again i.e. I wasn’t dressed for the occasion (fancy that). The one particularly bit of useful information that the guy gave me was that one of the roads between Gaansbaai and Cape Agulhas had been tarred so I wouldn’t need to backtrack on myself as I was expecting. Result!

On that note, I moved onto Gaansbaai where I visited the information centre and met two lovely people in the process. The first was the lady in the information centre called Doulene, and the second an older chap who I saw eyeing up Butus, called Neville. Both were delightful!

After possible a 20 minute chat to Neville about the motorbikes he rode in his youth, I hit the road to Cape Agulhas, stopping at the Black Oystercatcher for lunch, which Doulene had recommended. It was a good choice. Only one thing struck me. This was the first place that I had stopped at that was ‘very local’. Pretty much everyone was Afrikaans speaking where almost every other place I had visited or stayed in where predominantly English, Dutch or German tourists. To be fair, this play is in the middle of nowhere!

Cape Agulhas itself was great. This is primarily from a scenery perspective as the town itself is like most coastal towns in these parts – pretty quiet! It was very exciting to be at the southern most tip of the African continent. Of course I captured the moment (see below).

Besides being amazed at how gorgeous the colour of the ocean is at Cape Agulhas, my next surprise was arriving in Swellendam. What a fabulous little town! I really wasn’t expecting much, so I was blown away when I was approaching it and was left in aw at the imposing mountain which forms it backdrop. The best of all is that the place where I was staying was at the foot of the mountain. I felt so ridiculous spoiled (see the photo below) and loved every minute of it.

My room remained me so much of the place I stayed in at Lake Tahoe. It felt like I was only my honeymoon, again! Haha..rather amusing since I’ve never been married.

From Swellendam I took the Tadouw Pass which links up with the R62. What a fabulous ride!

I am so glad I took my dad’s advice and drove along the R62 rather than the N2. It is such a great ride and so varied in its landscape, which really breaks the journey. I now understand why it’s such a popular drive. Below is a photo along the route.

Before finishing my journey in Herolds Bay, I stopped off in Oudtshoorn to see some Ostriches. I had not researched the various Ostrich farms but when I saw that one of them was called Highgate I had to visit it. This WA because I lives in Highgate, North London with my friend Nicola for three years and it brought back so many wonderful memories. Thus, it was a logical choice.

The ostrich tour was loads of fun! They showed us how they make feather dusters (it takes 1 minute and 43 seconds by hand to make one – I timed the guy); to showing us 7 day old chicks; to feeding adult ostriches to standing on their eggs; to riding adult ostriches. It’s definitely worth doing if you’re ever in this part of the world. Below are some photos.

It’s an hour’s ride from Oudtshoorn to Herolds bay where I was staying. I was so excited about riding over Outeniqua Pass which I had heard so much about but sadly the clouds had completely covered the pads that I couldn’t see more than 50m in front of me. Needless to say I was a little wet by the time I reached Herolds Bay.

Fortunately for me I was staying with Mick and June last night. Although I’ve only met June recently, I’ve known Mick for 30 years. It was such a pleasure spending the evening with them – they totally spoiled me! Thanks guys – I hope I can return the favour one day. Below is the sunset their deck. How can you argue with that view! WOW! Another day in paradise.