A different place!

Almost there yet. But where!
Since I started sailing, I've always felt very attracted to solo-sailing. And so I've read a lot of books about it.
The first one I read was about the '96 Vendee Globe, and there I read about Bernard Moitessier. A french-vietnamese sailor who became very famous in 1968 when sailing alone around the world and competing for the Golden Globe Trophy for the first ever and faster circumnavigation alone and non-stop.
He had sailed pass Cape Horn and only needed to go North through the Atlantic to reach England and he would have won the prize for the fastest circumnavgation, and maybe the trophy for the first ever as he might have beaten Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the eventual winner. Instead, he turned east, and continued half way around the world again and finally set anchor at Tahiti, French Polynesia, where he lived most of his life.
He wrote, that in keep going north and winning the award, his trip would be bruised or stained by the pursuit of money. But also, that leaving Europe, to finish back in Europe, seemed no sense for him then that he had achieved such harmony with his boat and the ocean. The Long Way is the name of this book.
I won't compare by any means what those guys achieved in 1968 or what the guys in the Vendee Globe go through, to what I've been doing for the last month. But they all are a great inspiration for me. People who passionately live their dreams in search for stretching their personal limits, and with it, broadening humans limits as well. I think is pioneers like them, who have pushed human development as far as it is today. Dreams, curiosity and passion working together.
Having passed the Alps, and back in Italy, I could have been writing this back in Genoa. I had a couple of days worth of riding left to complete the initial plan of the trip. But thinking about it, I would like as well that this month, this trip I will be finishing tomorrow by midday if it all goes according to plan, has taken me to a different place. The same Fonzie, but I would like to think, that this has changed things, at least a little bit. That for example I'll think of my time off differently. That next year, when I set off for the next adventure, I'll be a little wiser and stronger, that this ride have been all learning. Or even that any of this that I've been wiriting, telling and showing you for the last few weeks, have inspired at least a little bit some of you, or make you think twice, or given you another point of view on different things. Perhaps.
So I kept riding. Another 400 km. Instead of south, I turned east as well, asking locals and other cyclist how to get to the next town. Yes, let's go to Venice, let's check it out, let's go and have lunch with la Nana and hopefully a couple of wines. Rendez vous for lunch at midday. GREAAATT!!!

Oberalppass....Geschlossen!!!!

From Basel I rode towards Luzern, the lake district in Switzerland I guess. It was a 96 km ride but decided to keep going to approach the Alps a little more, and try to pass the mountains and into Lugano in one day.
Arrived to Schwyz, after 127 km and found a cool backpakers to stay where I chilled out, foun out where I needed to go the next morning and watch the Bayern Munich game with a couple of very excited german dudes.
Next day was a monster day of a ride. 200 km, up the Oberalppass which wasn't ferme ferme like the passes in France, it was one solid Geschlossen!!!. So this time I didn't even ask, or try to convice myself it was doable. I just looked at the webcam and saw the road was clear, early wake up next day and at 7 am I was up and riding south along Lake Luzern into Altdorf where the easy climb started and then into the proper climbing. 34 km up the Oberalp, which as internet shown was no problem to ride through. Down to Disentis and up again to Lockmanier pass, another 900 m above, and then down into italian Switzerland to finish the 9 hours 30 minutes ride passing Monte Ceneri and into Lugano. Around 2700 m climbed, a really tough day of cycling, specially with the head winds I got starting to climb Lockmanier all the way to the end.
At Lugano, found this youth hostel, great staff, a few people wandering to go for an aperitivo and dinner, and even a pool.
Breakfast was epic, and chatting with this couple of swiss girls, also cyclists, and told of my ride. Of the 4000 km I have done so far, of the Pyrenees, of the killer ride from previous day, and of the guy I found up at the Oberalp. As I got to the top of the pass, I stopped for a few photos, a look around, and preparing to start my way down (shoe covers, beanie, neck cover, snowboarding gloves).
There I met this swiss man who asked me where I was going to and other things, in german, so comunication was sort of difficult.
Then he asked "you where from?"
"Venezuela mate!"
"Venezuelaaaa!! ohh!! donde vienes?"
"de Schwyz"
"y ahora Disentis?"
"Si, Disentis, y luego Lockmanier, y Lugano!"
"Luganoooo!!! hahahaha...y luego?"
"manana, Italia, Genova, Venezia, no lo se todavia"
Then he finished, with a cheeky grim in his face and his funny german gringo accent: "hahahahaa....TU GRANDEI TIGREEE!!! haaaahaaaahahaa! Auf wiedersehen!"
And right there, at 2048 meters above sea level, definitly by far one of the highest moments of Le Tour...
And we laughed at breakfast with the "Grandei Tigre" story, and laughed at how they understood why I was traveling alone, and at my cutted-in-half toothbrush to save weight. And off I went, into Italy, on thursday. Where to? I didn't know, just head south and maybe east. I'll just ride, it's all easy now.

Slow Down!!!

This is the swiss campaign for safe driving... I thought it was really cool an funny, and he looks like Jeff Bridges doing "The Dude".

Basel!

From my diary:
Monday 26th of April, 2010.
Sitting by the Rhin, Basel.

About 10 minutes I've been here watching the river pass by and in that time two bottles have passed swaying along down the river.
The westerly breeze which was forecasted is here freshening things down.
The sun is trying to set, behind a veil of misty clouds, giving the whole picture a metallic feel.
The spires of the "Münster" popo out behind the german-architectured buildings that border the river.
Bells ring a couple of times signaling a half hour I don't know which one is. Sounds like coming from the sun, the west, the breeze.
Bells ring again, this time from the Cathedral to my left hand side.
The tram passes by above the bridge. Barges go under. Wakes from them make their way accross the river to crash against these concrete steps where I'm sitting.
I'm not alone, and yet I am. Two girls who just arrived chat and eat a smelly pizza whose smell reaches me with the help of the westerly.
Colorful flags waive on the bridge.
Not a very swiss-german looking guy listening to music to my left stands up and goes. Takes his rubbish with him.
Cases of juice, can of beers and sodas, plastic bottles of water, McDoncald's bags, cigarret packs, cigarret butts all along the steps. I wonder how many other bottles have passed by.
Bells ring again, what time is it?
Pigeons fly in and out, trying to scavange some food from the rubbish left behind.
My legs and bottom are sore. Beautiful ride today. From Strasbourg to Basel, along the Rhin, 130 km of a continous falso plano. Monotonous. Time trialed the last 60 km above 30 Kph average and I can feel the effort now. But is fun to find out how much I can push, how far. Wonder about tomorrow.
Think I should go and talk to the interesting looking girl sitting right next to me.

Half and hour passes by.

Not as interesting as she looked. Maybe it was me. No, it was the two of us, just no connection.
Feeling a little hungry now, where to eat, what to eat... enough of the Rhin. Tomorrow to the lakes, setting up for the Alps :-)

Alternative cycling in Paris

That's one of VELIB's bicycle. Is an alternative way of transport which is implemented brilliantly in Paris and you can just take a bike in any of their stations and leave them at the one near where you're going. So you can ride the whole day with 1 Euro if you use them less than half an hour.
I tried it, just to see how it works, and it's really easy and clever.
Well done!

Oh la la Paris... Oh la la 3011 km!

Well that's two titles in one for this post.
The first is a big oh la la for Paris. I know is not like I'm going to write anything new here about Paris (enough said) but MY GOD! now that's a city! What really got me is how majestic it is, and yet with such an attention to detail. It feels like the city itself is trying to seduce you, and takes you by the hand and guides you almost floating through all of her glory and beauty, never letting you take an eye off the spectacle of her greatness.
A day in a half in Paris, a very casual re-encounter with a cool high school friend, an epic caramel ice cream, and I just want to go back to live more of that city.
Left on Wednesday heading North-east aiming to get to Brussels in a couple of days. Stopped in Saint-Quentin for a night and arrived to Le Bourse at 1530 yesterday after 143 km at 26,1 km/h average. The fastest ride of Le Tour so far, but is not like I'm getting stronger, not at all. That's what happens when the wind is sort of helping you, you ride fast and the ride is fun. So fun and such is the pace that I try to stop only when necessary, and try to combine snacks with gear changing and toilet stops, whereas riding against the wind any excuse is good for stopping.
My odometer shows 8835 km, 3011 km more than when left Genoa. And that's another oh la la! this time for myself. I'm proud of that. I can see myself riding back into Genoa now. Knowing how my body is and how I've been feeling in the last 3 weeks, I can understand better what I have to do in the next few days to complete Le Tour. Is not easy, at all. I'm tired, maybe a little fatigued. Every minute I ride I can feel the damage in my legs and body. I've had to take naps in the last couple of days just because I couldn't manage to keep going after lunch. Makes the riding day longer and gives me less time to disconnect, but I had to stopped, that bad it was.
The last 10 days since leaving the mountains, have been a mixed bag of emotions. Ambiguity is always wandering in my thoughts. I feel like the road and weather set the pace of my feelings. Never flat, the french countryside have been continuous up and down on windy hills. And with it, so goes fonzie, up and down in his moods, in his spirits, in his energies.
The more I ride, the more I'm tired, the more the wind blows, the more I want to keep going and finish the next hill, get to the next little village, the next boulangerie. The weaker the wind makes me feels, the more stubborn I want to be and the stronger I feel when accomplish every little goal I set throughout the day just to make things easier. The stronger I think I am, the more vulnerable I acknowledge myself to be. The more sensible to the weather and my body, the more indifferent I become, none of that really matters I just have to keep going.
Very ambiguous as I said, as an Ambulance company that organizes funeral services (photo). I can only imagine them saying "We're never late!!! but if we are, we got you covered!"
Approximately 1100 km and 9 days to go. I'm sitting here organizing the next days' routes and thinking of the waffle I'll have this afternoon here in Brussels...nice!

Biarritz-Paris 2

Biarritz-Paris

Little things

The wind, has been the main character of the last few days of riding. Definitly, it has stolen the show.
Since I left the Pyrenees it's been consistently coming from where I want to go to. It's been very frustrating. Not only makes the ride a lot harder, slower, and longer, but it's restless to ride against a headwind. Phisically and mentally. When you're on the mountains you only push going uphill and then relax coming down. But against the wind on this hilly terrain, it makes the ride a 150-200 km mild uphill. 7 to 10 hours a day you can't rest, even when going downhill.
And then there's the noise, the bloody stressful noise. Being a sailor I should be used to this. But pedaling for 8 hours with this distant thundering right inside your head non stop, drives me insane.
It's very hard to deal with all this. Specially when I thought this would be the easier part of the trip. I thought the mountains would test myself, but these last 5 days have been the real test. They reminded me of the meaningless of planning. No matter how much you train or prepare and plan for journeys like this, it's nature who has the last call. Weather has been perfect don't get me wrong, sunny warm days one after the other. But my legs and my mind are way more exhausted than what I thought they would at this point.
From Biarritz to Arcachon on wednesday, there're 180 km. I did 210. I left the bag with money and debit card at lunch and I realized it 15 km later. On the evening, one hour from Arcachon, I couldn't take a panini out the bag (tired, wind, hunger) and so I went off at it with such anger, I actually felt ashame of myself. Such is the desperation I reach when riding over 10 hours with this constant buzz in my ears.
But at the end of the day, I feel happy. I feel happy because I arrive and I can rest. I feel happy because I'm out there, free, doing what I chose to do. Doing something that I believe in.
And are the little things that I witness and learn along the way that keep me going. The smell of the forest, the hare that sprinted away scared of my suddent presence, the croaking of frogs while passing a little pond and the wind died down a little to allow me to hear the world. It's finding out that Sort, where I spent my second day on the Pyrenees, means Luck in Catalan, so people go there specifically to buy their lottery tickets.
On Thursday going to Angouleme (a cool little surprise of a town by the way) when the wind was not that strong, I found this group of kattle laying lazily on the grass. And I saw them, and I stared at them, and secretly envied them for being so laid back and restful. But at getting closer I noticed their ears, shaking, every 3 or 5 seconds, all the time. I realized they were shaking the flies off their ears. That must be so annoying I thought. So I smiled, put my head down, and kept going, pedaling away.
Yesterday, was the windier day, and after a bend on the grenhills I saw this cows, again, just chilling. And I started smiling again, but this time there was no shaking, just peace and restfulness. Puzzled, I wondered, and immediatly this white noise spoke right next to my ears and gave me the answer. That same wind which was exhausting me, was blowing the flies away from the kattle's ears. And I smiled again. I smiled at how things work. I smiled because there's a balance, sometimes we're good and sometimes not quite. And I smiled because I knew at some point this wind would let go, veer or back to help me, or if it doesn't then there's must be a lesson there I have to understand.
So I put my head down again, and pedaled and pedaled and pedaled... and thought it would be cool to be able to shake my ears like that to scare flies and mosquitoes, or this bloody wind... and I pedaled.

PS: can't upload pictures in this... bar with computers! tomorrow Paris so I should then...

More Pics

Some pics

Le Tourmalet... Fermé Fermé!!!

Sunday was good fun. The weather again was kind to Fonzie and I left from Saint Marie de Campan at the base of the Col du Tourmalet at 7:25 am. I tried to leave as early as possible as if there was any problem and I couldn't go over the Tourmalet, I would have to ride down and go around to Laruns.
The previous night I talked to a few locals and people who work in the ski station which had just closed, and they all told me the same: " Tourmalet..Fermé fermé!" yes yes Fermé fermé but is it really impossible to go through??? "oui oui...Fermé!"
More than a cycling achievement I thought this would be a stubburness affair. So I left with the idea of hiking up the last couple of Km if I guessed conditions were safe enough. And so it happened.
I rode up past the ski resort and right after the 15 km mark (out of 17) the snow blocked the road. 1h23m up to that point and then started the walking while pushing the bike to reach the Col du Tourmalet at 9:35. Unofficial information, but most probably the first cyclist through the Tourmalet this year... claaaro que siiii!!!
Another 55 minutes walking downhill and I was off the snow to start riding downhill, to reach the base of the Col d'Aubisque through a beautiful valley. Up I went to reach the Col du Soulor after 5 hours 17 minutes of riding and 72 km, only to find out the Aubisque, was as well fermé fermé! I was just 25 km from Laruns where I wanted to finish the stage, but quite a dangerous road there, so I decided to remind myself I'm just a little bugger from the tropics who knows barely nothing about mountains or snow and be a little prudent this time and went down and around instead, 60 km to Laruns, to complete 130 km in 7:33m t 17 Kph average, and more than 2000 meters climbed.
A hard stage, and a deserved stopped at Formigal for a day where I've been very well taken care by an old times friend. Very enjoyable time together, and very appreciated all the help and attention.
Tomorrow is 182 Km run to Biarritz through the last 2 kms of the Col du Portalet, and the Col du Marie Blanque....early start tomorrow, good night!

The Soundtrack!

Hello there... Le Tour has a soundtrack, and no better way to explain it, than from the composer himself. Here's what Frankie wrote to me today:
"
Mate. I was watching TV at home and Milka was on the computer, Chello already in bed. Milka calls me at some point and shows me from her Facebook something called Le Tour de Fonz and inmediately I start reading its contents. When I see it, I realize is my buddy Alfonso, on a bicycle, going around France departing from Italy. I keep reading and I see you and your bike and the camera (and the fibreglass box where you keep your stuff) going along like a free soul with a personal and charity goal. Mate, I couldn't resist and needed to participate in your initiative. I ran to the room, grabbed the bass, the recording device and started playing and recording ideas out of the blue letting myself go by the lines of funk that we once listened together, driving along in your Blue Toyota Corolla '88 (Automatic!!!). Man, I composed this piece thinking that hopefully it will help you follow your rithym on the hills, mountains, bends, downhills and uphills in France. Here it goes "Go funk a ride!" as a little display of my support and celebration of personal achievments to follow. For you my friend!

Note: recording was made ina mini portable studio at 3 am using my bass and electric drums; sorry about quality and flaws.

Frank"

Sorry about quality!!! haha, what a legend! GRACIAAAASS Frankieeee!!!

Yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Yesterday I cycled from Sort in Spain to Bagneres-de-Luchon, France.
I left at 845 and after 30 Km of a little uphill to get to the base of Port de la Bonaigua, I started to proper climb. 1400 m above Sort, La Bonaigua is a ski resort that sits at 2075m, but now the ski season's finished it's like a ghost town.
A few pictures here and there and down to Vielha, where La Gio had told me I had to stopped at the mexican restaurant and try the empanadillas which were very good apparently. And so I did. at 1245 I was at the bar where Ester from Madrid was in control. She made good company as i chucked in a few of the empanadas which as Gio said were very good indeed. But what she didn't say is how cool this bar tender was, which later found out she was not only the bar tender, but the cook as well. And a very good one as I can tell from this cheese flan she made me try and retry because they were delicious. So nice were they that I had to ask for the recipe, and so cool she was that she gave it to me happily. "Now you just have to make it, and enjoy it with friends" she said.
After a nice chat with a group of people who were admiring my case, proudly I set off towards Bossost but not quite, as just before this little village, there's a road that takes you to El Portillon which at 1300 meters approximately it was the second Col of the day and then down to Luchon where I spent the night.
Today took me from Bagneres Luchon to Campan through the Col de Peyresoude and Col d'Aspin. A couple of classic mountain passes from Le Tour de France and i can see why. Beautiful riding in a sunning landscape. 1569 m at Peyresoude and 1489 at Aspin for a good run of 65 km to arrive at Campan. The shortest ride of Le Tour (de Fonz i mean). And this only means one thing. That tomorrow is a big one, or was a big one but I'll explain that in a second.
Tomorrow the plan will see me passing the Col du Tourmalet at 2114 meters and then the Col d'Aubisque at around 1700 m above sea level. Together zith the Galibier in the Alps, these are the big three cols of the Tour de France.
In 1910 when the Tour fist came to the Pyrenees they cross from between Perpignan and Luchon (289 km with 4 major climbs) and, after a rest day, between Luchon and Bayonne (326 km long and 7 brutal climbs). While passing the race officials at the col du Tourmalet the stage and tour winner Octave Lapize called them "assasins, all of you". You can read more in this link http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/les_pyrenees.html
So this year the Tour in celebrating 100 years of that and having a stage from Luchon to Pau, through the Peyresoude, Aspin, tourmalet and Aubisque. Almost 200 km with more than 4000 m climb. Or, what I'm doing today and tomorrow, in just one day.
Now! That's in July and it's only April now and while talking to another cyclist at the top of aspin this morning, i found out the Tourmalet and Aubisque are closed, snow! So I'm presented with 2 options here and one dilema. Either go safe and be "good" and take the road around to Laruns, a bit longer but no big mountains. Or I can still try to go over the cols. It's only 2120 m and yesterday I was at 2075 and temperature wasn't an issue at all. I just saw a webcam of the area and you can see spots with no snow. Tomorrow is warmer than yesterday and today, probably the warmest day of the year so far, so i think is really worth a try. Early start to try and reach the top, if not possible, come back down and go around to Laruns. Where there's another change of plans.
The original program was to go from Laruns to Biarritz, with the goal of scoring some surf on the rest day. Looking at the swell and wind forecast for next week, surf is not happening. I have a friend who is in Formigal, Spain, not very far from Laruns next to the Col de Portalet and offer to pick me up in Laruns, to have dinner back in Formigal as they're having the local fair and parties for the end of the winter season on Sunday! From there instead of Biarritz which I already know, I'll head to San Sebastian and spend a day there before start my way up to La rochelle and Paris.
Beautiful trip, loving it!!!!

Tomorrow!

Today´s photos

Lucky Fonzie!

Lost the SD card with some really cool pictures just now. Real shame. Not just the pictures I lost, but it had been such an awesome day and I was in the perfect mood and set of mind, and this little things always come up and annoy the hell out of me. So frustrating. Trying to just get over it and enjoy this pretty place.
Yesterday I arrived to Solsona, a surprisingly cool little village 750 meters above sea level and from there took off this morning. Straight up to 860 meters to Col de Clara and down to a beautiful valley where I pass by oliana and Organya to reach the base of Paso del Canto.
The wind was really blowing from the North at some points and made riding in the flats a bit tiring, but once I started climbing the 24 km of el Canto the mountain shleltered and the ride was lovely.
My first big pass of the trip, and probably ever, as I had just been training around Liguria never really climbed higher than 750m, except once up to Gran Paradiso National Park close to Turin.
Today I reached 1725 meters, and then a chilly downhill run to Sort. A ski town which apparently is really famous for his rafting as well. They are even running the world cup here next June.
Perfect riding day today, temperature has been perfect (a bit chilly up the passes though) and really overwhelming to be surrounded by such beautiful landscapes. Can help but think that I am, and always have been, a lucky little buggger. At 28, I have done my fair bit of travelling and I like to always remind myself to be thankful for having such oportunities, and being free for deciding my path. Today was one of those days, and thinking about this trip and its reasons, I could only hope that the money you're all donating for veniños, would help some other less fortunate kids to have options and freedom for living the life they choose.
Such a better mood right now...love it!