So who's confirmed for WDW 2014, and what are your plans?

Arrived at hotel in Pompeii today 6 hours earlier than originally planned. Booked for three nights. The owner moved his own car out so I could park my bike in a more secure spot. Fine hot and sunny now, the Mediterranean looks gorgeous. The Italian toll motorways are a bit of a pain, especially if you want to leave the motorway for a short time then rejoin, and especially in the pouring rain - I wish I had obtained a 'Telepass' now. 1,300 miles so far.

 

if you've not done it before, and its of interest, the Archaeological Museum in Naples is - in my opinion - well worth a visit, for a viewing of many of the mosaics removed from Pompeii.

 

Slight problem, I can't get my phone to work in Italy (except when connected to WiFi) so unless I can get it to roam properly, you may not be able to phone me (Matt etc).

 

Whereas on my 2012 trip I felt like the biking gods were smiling on me, this time they're farting in my general direction. Am managing to find silver linings to most clouds so far (missed original ferry - should have set earlier alarm clock - but did get chatting to Brit bikers heading for Italy (not WDW) on boat; failed to avoid Tour de Frace in Vosges, but detour took me on Route des Cretes which I'd like to do again sometime without the low cloud/fog and TdeF spectators in Winnebagos; while France shuts down on 14 July; the boulangeries/patisseries seem to stay open so I got a slice of blueberry tart (local speciality) for lunch).

Currently spending an unplanned 2nd night in Mulhouse after bike conked out yesterday, rather than in Swiss mountains. Could have been a lot worse: having stopped to ask directions to hotel from police who had closed road in front of my hotel for 14 July parade, it wouldn't start again (displaying dead batteryish symptoms) - friendly Police Municipale bike cop helped me push it the 150m or so to hotel secure car park in the sunshine, Mulhouse has a Ducati dealer with a nearby hotel. (I would have been a lot grumpier if it had died on a deserted country lane or village in the rain earlier in the day). Dealer reckons it's the alternator - they have managed to track down another as Bologna HQ have none - fingers crossed that it arrives and fixes it tomorrow, otherwise I will be heading to WDW in a hire car and having to detour via Mulhouse again on way home to collect bike. Sadly it looks like whether on 2 or 4 wheels my route will now involve Swiss and Italian motorways and not the Grimsel or Sustenpasses or Lago Maggiore.

Still can't get the hang of bizzare French keyboard for typing ...

 

That's rotten luck. Still, if you're going to break down best do it in the sunshine with a nearby Ducati agent and hotels. Good luck getting it fixed.

 

Hope you make it on 2 wheels tomorrow

 

Much rushed packing last night. I hope I haven't forgotten anything, but it is too late now as I have left home for WDW.

The first leg of my journey went ok. I got stuck behind some traffic for a while but in the event had a bit of time to spare when my wife dropped me at Taunton railway station after a gruelling 17 minute journey from home in her car.

I managed to get a bacon roll and a cup of tea from the Pumpkin cafe on the station platform. I'm currently on the second leg of my journey - the train to London Paddington - and the weather is lovely sun shine. We have just stopped at Reading and the carriage is now standing room only but I've got a seat and it looks like we are going to be on time. Last time I did this trip it took me six hours because of signal problems and I had to divert via Waterloo making me three hours late for a training course I was running. I need to be on time for my client today before catching the Heathrow Express this evening - so let's hope the Underground is running OK.

 

Oh, nearly forgot - here's a pic of me on the train

 

So after a hard days graft trying to pursuade HM Gov that there really are ways of working whereby they could waste less taxpayers' money on IT systems, I am now on the Heathrow Express and officially on holiday

 

I spent the morning walking around the Roman city of Pompeii looking at the ruins. The ordinary houses and shops, of which there are thousands, are nothing special (although any one of them would be a national treasure in the UK), but it is the forum, temples, baths, theatres, villas, and amphitheatre which are worth seeing. Waggon wheels have worn tracks in many of the streets, a bit like railways:


In the afternoon I rode along the Bay of Naples shore to the Sorrento Peninsula (which the Italians spell "penisola"):


and onwards to Positano, Amalfi, and back over the mountains to Pompeii. I just love these Italian road signs:


Bit tired now, need an early night.

 

I agree with you. Today I rode into Naples and spent a while in the National Archaeological Museum viewing the mosaics, paintings, statues, metal ceramic and glassware most of which had been removed from Pompeii excavations. This enhances my appreciation of the buildings I viewed yesterday.

The traffic in Naples is quite something. The road surfaces are amazingly bad - broken
pavé, many of them - road lining and signs largely absent, everyone double-parks at random, people continually pull out into traffic without looking, and scooters (of which there are thousands) buzz about like wasps. Still, I coped and it was rather fun. The one saving grace is the total absence of pedal bikes - I didn't see one in Naples today.

 

Did you venture into the 'over 14's room....? Enhance your appreciation of the Luparnare in Pompeii....

I personally never visited, but it was widely reviewed/commented that a visit to Herculaneum, was superior to that of Pompeii. More untouched feel to the ruins, and a bit less 'touristy'/crowded.

It may be however that one hot day pounding the cobbles is enough- you could always stroll/jog up Vesuvius?

 

I attempted to ride up Mt Vesuvius, but I find that you're not allowed to now. You have to park near the bottom, but there's no cablecar or funicular - it's taking a bus up the road you're not allowed to ride to near the top and walk the rest. Sod that. As volcanoes go, I have been to the very top of Mt Teide (in Tenerife) which is three times the height of Vesuvius, so there.

 

It's so hot and sunny in Misano today, really baking. I met Mrs C, Matt, nuttynick, stressed hippo, and several others.

 

Total mileage for the trip to Italy came out at 3,053 miles - about what I expected.