Chambery - Castellane Monday 2nd July 2012

I had hoped that today I would just have a story to tell about riding the bike, but things didn't work out that way. My problem is where to start with the story? Yesterday I had hoped that Kevin would change his mind about returning home but unfortunately it wasn't to be. 
When going outside to wave Kevin and Helen off we discovered firstly that football hooligans had pushed Paul's new BMW bike on to its side damaging the front of the bike. (ffs). 
Secondly two men had tried to rob our hotel, but security was able to prevent them getting into the building? However non of our group had heard any thing, perhaps for the better. Kevin left so the seven bikers were now six. Then the next news, Ian and Claire had also decided to return home for personal reasons. Leaving us now with five. It's starting to get like ten little Indians sitting on the wall? I really do think that I could sell the film rights to our story and make a fortune. 


 We were now on our way to join the Route de Napoleon at Grenoble. With the rain getting progressively heavier as we climbed further up into the mountains. But at last the sun started to break through the rain clouds. The views were simply terrific and what a difference to ride the bikes in the sun and perhaps more importantly on good dry roads. 

We all had the feeling wow....this is what motor biking was all about. Naturally at this stage the different levels of experience began to tell. My problem was that I was the only one with a working GPS and must lead, thus the better bikers were always biting my bum. The bends (some realy tight hair pin bends) and views do make the Route de Napoleon (in my opinion) one of the best biking roads in Europe. 


Our hotel in Castellane is excellent not like the one we had in Chambery last night. We had the distinct impression that you could hire the rooms there by the hour??? But to be fair we are here for the biking and hotels are not really important. The weather forecast for the next couple of days is good, which is just as well as we're are doing the Gorges du Verdon tomorrow. Plus the second part of the Route de Napoleon down to the coast.