Day 4 – Lausanne, Switzerland – Paris, France

On Monday morning I got up around 8AM, was a bit tired, but could relax and prepare myself for another longer run to get to Paris, France.

Again, packed everything back and left Lausanne, but I had to buy Chain Lube, so I visited a Yamaha Store somewhere around. I saw those models too what I didn’t know if I will ever see in Hungary, like a Yamaha YZF-R1M.
I was successful, got a new one, and got up to the motorway to go to France.
I went through the border at Creux, Switzerland and was so happy as France started with a beautiful serpentine immediately. But after some minutes I became disappointed by Average Speed Camera Zones which was 30 km along the whole serpentine and another 20 km more. The average speed was limited to 70 km/h so along km long strait roads it was so boring and of course there was no petrol station or any restaurant to stop to grab some coffee. In addition, between the mountains the temperature was around 18-21Β°C, so I was cold, too, and could not shorten time to any better place.
Fine, I got through, but until Vaux-lest-PrΓ©s, France I met several Speed Limit Zones, so I decided to continue on motorway, unfortunately. Anyway I knew that will not like France, but it was rather because of old intention when I had been to Paris long time ago.

The weather was beautiful, no clouds, no significant traffic, so could ride without so many problem. πŸ™‚

I grabbed some fuel at Venoy, France and could talk to some French bikers. They were surprised that a Hungarian rider is somewhere around there πŸ˜€

The traffic was still okay, but when I approach to Paris, I realized that so many motorbike is on the road, and they are so pushy to other cars on the road, so at the beginning I left them to do what they generally do, riding around cars, trucks with high speed and hoped for no problem. Later I joined to them, but with much higher attention to others on the road, because I would have liked to get home finally. It was okay, but I could not imagine myself riding around Paris for more time. They are so opinionated and violent to others. I was horned at least 10 times because I was careful to others. I let them go or forced them to wait, because I will not assimilate that much. That’s life, did not expect any other from France.
Finally in a huge traffic jam I arrived to Center Paris, and could stop for some rest near Tower Eiffel. πŸ™‚
I saw several nationalities there, especially a Buddhist monk asked if he could take a photo of me. Why not? πŸ™‚
It was interesting, but my old experiences came up when I saw the guys walking around with key rings hanging a mini Tower Eiffel. Not surprising (again!), Hungarians. Who else? €1 for me talking in Hungarian, €2-3 for English speaking tourists. Come on!
Finally got back onto the motorcycle and went to an external district of Paris, to Athis-Mons, France
My accomodation was at Ana and Bens flat. It was so nice, a small flat. I liked them, because we could talk sometime and could congratulate them for winning World Cup. πŸ™‚
Motorcycle prepared, as usual, and as I had to leave on the road, just applied my extra safety chain on my cycle. πŸ˜‰
Fortunately I had direct visibility to my bike from my private room, so I could regularly check it, but finally it turned out no-one touched my bike during the night. I was too paranoid, just because of my feeling generally of France. Sorry, but I don’t like France, but needed to get through.
I had a shower, grabbed some pizza from around, and finally could go to sleep after a so long trip on motorway. πŸ˜‰

Day 3 – Finkenberg, Austria – Reschensee, Italy – Lausanne, Switzerland

Perhaps it was too early to got asleep lot afternoon, because in the morning I woke up at 5AM, so I started to prepare and pack my stuff by 6AM, but it was a bit raining, so I waited. Unfortunately it was still raining at 7AM, so I just simply install back everything to my bike, I put on my raincoat and leave around 7:30AM. Unfortunately I could not dring coffee yet, and also had to refill my tank, so spent another 30 mins in Finkenberg. I did not regret, because I met several nice Austrian men who although could speak neither English nor Hungarian, but with signs we had a very funny conversation. πŸ˜€
As it was still raining, I didn’t have no more chance, I had to get into it. I took around an hour to get through, but my raincoat was okay, I didn’t feel either cold or wet, so I was satisfied with it. πŸ™‚
Last night I was talking with my friend, Ferenc PerjΓ©s, the founder of RBiker.com riding tracking application, who was on Saturday around Stelvio Pass, Tyrol, Italy and I was riding around Landeck, Switzerland when I started to think about visit it too. I am on holiday, and on a journey to visit more and more beautiful place, and also it is one the best place for Bend Hunters, so I just turned to Tyrol on my way. πŸ™‚
I passed through the border of Italy and Austria, and felt immediately the culture of Italian people. Thin roads, old houses, small churches everywhere and classic feeling of Godfather era! πŸ˜€
I stopped at the Reschensee, Italy to take some pictures and talk to other bikers. πŸ™‚
( and the newly bought hat )

I was heading to Stelvio Pass, but unfortunately at Val MΓΌstar, Switzerland I didn’t check my GPS, and realized only at Tschierv, Switzerland again, wanted to drive me around mountain of Piz MurtaΓΆl back to Stelvio Pass. I stopped to get some fuel and decided to come back later to Tyrol, Italy this year, because I cannot get around Lake Geneva at 8PM, and also I could not enjoy that much the rest of the road to Lausanne, Switzerland if make another bypasses.
I was not disappointed, because I had already ridden on beautiful serpentines, and arrived to Pass dal Fuorn, Switzerland.
It was a very nice and exciting serpentine, I loved it very much. πŸ˜‰
As I couldn’t buy vignette for toll roads at previous petrol station, I stopped again, but at least I could have lunch around in the afternoon πŸ˜€
Now I enabled toll roads on my GPS and provided me a 5 hours trip to Lausanne, so it was okay for me, around 8-9PM I can successfully arrive at my next accommodation. Agreed and accepted, that now I will need to use motorway, but several years before I had already driven on these roads, knew that they are not boring at all, and drive through nice places, as well.
Entered to Switzerland. πŸ™‚
Then I left petrol station, and arrived to Sagliains, Switzerland where I had to realize that it is a 35 km tunnel where I had to get up to a train through a rain tunnel. Fine, just bought a vignette for motorway, but as the train leaved in 4 mins, I paid additional €30 for the train, and got up to an open wagon. First I was open-minded, took off my helmet, earplugs, and thought it was fine. I was in between two smaller lorry, but they were just looking at me that with a motorcycle I am on this train. Fine, what could happen. πŸ˜€ In the first 3-5 mins it was fine, a light wind was there, but I just had fun. But the train speed up to 100 km/h, so it became very windy and cold. I was afraid to touch my helmet, because if the wind got it, it lost it in the tunnel. Finally I could put ear plugs and helmet on, and finally took a seat. Another 25 mins, a bit cold, dark and massive shocking of the wagon and arrived to Vereinatunnel Klosters, Switzerland. Finally, I remember back as needed to try once, but was enough once in my life with motorbike :’D
[Always on Road – Switzerland – Rain Tunnel]
But the view was beautiful at train station compensated me. πŸ™‚
I drunk some water and got up to the motorway, heading to Lausanne on Road 28.
I stopped at Mols, Switzerland to eat and drink something in the afternoon.
I could only feel that I love Switzerland, it is so beautiful everywhere! πŸ™‚
I stayed here for an hour maximum, because I was so shocked by the view. I had also had some chitchat with other bikers, and leave the area on Road 3.
I knew that there will be some rain around Lake Geneva, therefore I looked WeatherRadar frequently and hoped I will got just a light rain around there. I was just 40 km far from Lausanne, when I saw the first signs of any serios clouds, so I put on my raincoat again while it is 28Β°C, it was so hot, but leather clothes cannot dry in one night, could not risk to get wet.
Finally it looked nice, so I was happy, and I knew that Lausanne is just 15 km far when I get into a tunnel around Chexbres, but I was not prepared what I saw on the other side of the mountain.
There was no signs of anything on the entering side. It was a huge storm, where you can only see for 3 m far from you, so strong winds and the traffic is almost stopped. I turned on indication lights, and like a windscreen wiper, I bypassed all cars, trucks and unknowns objects. Some of them what I couldn’t identify. πŸ˜€
I felt my raincoat is over, the rain is in my jacket, fine, just get through it. Finally I arrived to my destination, get off my bike, but it was not familiar, something was not okay. GPS corrected my original French road-name to another one, and drove me to wrong place. Fine, almost run out of petrol, so just find a petrol station and stopped to find out if go to a hotel next to the petrol station (~€100-150 per night) or try to find real booked accommodation. It was still raining, but not as heavily as before, so I gave another try for it, so corrected to proper address and in 20 mins I get to the house around at 21:30PM.
I took off my stuff, parked under the balcony, and here the host, Mario offered me to use dryer machine for my raincoat. The leather jacket was not so wet, so with a hairdryer in 10 mins I dry it. So finally I was happy, a bit shocked by the experience in the storm, but was okay. πŸ™‚ As I mentioned previously, needed to try once in my life πŸ˜€ Just my relatives do not know! :’D
We managed my clothes to dry, and could have a shower at least.
At that point I got shocked:
Raining is over, and by midnight all cloud disappeared. 😐
At night I talked a lot with my hosts, Mario was very kind and helpful, but I was a bit embarrassed by sitting next to a 150 cm cΓ¦nnΓ¦bis plant. πŸ™‚
Note: I had never tried and don’t want to try it ever, because I am addicted to smoking cigarette, no need any other addiction πŸ˜€
Finally we watched the final match of FIFA World Cup 2018 from record which was contested by France and Croatia. France won so I was so interested in the next day when I will be at France. πŸ™‚
I went to sleep around midnight and felt much better than 2-3 hours before. πŸ™‚