When I came to France 19 years ago, you had to speak French or you were simply ignored. The French government got the memo, ENGLISH IS SPOKEN AROUND THE WORLD! English is taught in all the schools now. I was never treated poorly for my inability to speak French, like I was before. I always found someone within shouting distance that spoke English. People would say BONJOUR I sometimes responded with good morning, and they responded back good morning , with a laugh, it was fun to be in France. I felt very welcome by everyone I met. Im very happy and I got share that with everyoneI I met. France was truly an awesome experience for me.

I`VE BEEN CALLED THE BIG LOUD AMERICAN, ME?
ALL the cyclist I met agree>French drivers are impatient, rude and aggressive. For them to have to wait 5 or 10 seconds is too much for them. Ive had drivers pass me and immediately turn in front me. Isn’t 10 seconds worth a life? When I did traffic control, by not allowing people to pass in dangerous situations, I usually got a friendly wave, thumbs up and maybe a toot of the horn.
I did have food thrown at me, and the same car was waving a knife at me too.. The police were always super friendly with me.

AT FIRST THEY SAID NO, THEN I SHOWED THEM MY OTHER POLICEMAN PICTURES AND THEY EAGERLY AGREED TO THE PHOTO

Hey France you host the worlds most popular and well known bike race in the world. When the race is over there is still work to be done for bicycles, connect the bike network that is in place. There were days when biking was the best I’ve ever ridden and other days where I feared for my life. I sat by the road several times contemplating whether to go on or just stay put. Ive never been so scared in my life. You could start with a national campaign to cut the curbs, EVERYWHERE. I would use the sidewalk as a bike lane if they were easily accessible. If your handicapped or in a wheel chair, your in for a life full of barriers. I would just stay home, think about it, you might be disabled sometime in your life. The handicapped in America should be so thankful for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

THIS IS A BIKE TUNNEL, ONE OF THE MANY GREAT EFFORTS TO MAKE BIKING SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING CAR DRIVERS.
The dirty secret of tourism, is the mountains of recyclable garbage. I have no idea what their doing with it all? France needs a comprehensive recyling education program and to implement it country wide.

THE STEALTH CAMPING I DID IN FRANCE WAS SUPER NICE
The French and other tourist would treat me to coffee or a snack. I was invited to several family dinners.

THEODORE, FABIEN AND AUDREY (LA WOMEN)

AUDREY TOLD ME ABOUT ST. TROPEZS SIGNATURE DESERT MADE FAMOUS BY BRIDGET BARDOT (very sweet,but good)
Everyone I met was very supportive of what I was doing. I was given free and/or discounted camping, I never asked once, French Hospitality was very top notch. Staying at Corey’s apartment in Antibes, was a lifesaver.
Seeing Neil Young at the Arena in Nimes was an experience ill never forget. The 1903 tradition of BOAT JOUSTING in Sete was quite entertaining.
I look forward to visiting France and exploring small towns like Tende and visiting the people I met, in the future.
So France, thanks for a great time hope we see each other again in the future.
RIDE ON,
JEFF
NEXT? WHY IM NOT BIKING IN ITALY

I grabbed a flyer from the campground in France to write something on, then I read it. It talked about a train ride from Nice to Tende going over and through 47 bridges and tunnels. The TRAIN went to the town of TENDE along the Italian border. The Lonely Planet Travel guide that I occasionally use said- the train passes through scarcely populated back country. That sounded very good to me. Theres only one train from Nice to Tende a day 9 am so I take the train from Antibes to Nice switch trains and here we gp, lots of tunnels it was dark actually quite often. This is where these countries have invested in public transportation, they dug many tunnels to get this train to the top of the mountain.
The tourist office is packed from the train arriving. I wander over to the MUSEUM that had displays of Petroglyphs and many other historical artifacts. The museum was truly awesome, the link doesn’t do it justice. I wonder over to the farmers market and stock up on Peaches, Blueberries and some Pork Salami. I ate the fruit in my morning cereal,mmmm.
I visit the local art show and see a painting I love. I tell them Ill sleep on it.
Yep, Im going on a hike! to the chapel on the hill. I heard you had to use a cable for the last part up to the chapel, the cable is attached to the mountain side, not the cliff side! I almost turned back.
.

THE CHAPEL IS AT THE TOP

YES, IM SCARED SHITLESS IN THIS PHOTO, I ATE MY LUNCH ON THE NON-VIEW SIDE.
I met Marie and her son Erwan who were rock climbing and took my photo. I shared the cherries I had and talked with them awhile.
This is a famous rock climbing region.

YOU HAVE TO CROSS THE CABLE BRIDGE, SCURRY AROUND THE ROCK, HANG ON THE FACE AND WAIT YOUR TURN TO RIDE THE CABLE ACROSS, WHICH PART OF NO WAY!
If you enlarge the photo you can see 5 people waiting their turn, no way you couldn`t pay me enough. The views were amazing

Im back in town using the local wifi, Serge is out of town, but was kind enough to write the password down for me. I was able to share the password with several people, who walked by.

Serge was a great help, he even took my shorts to get them fixed, verdict? unfixable. Definitely visit his family run pizza place when your in town.
While on the internet several people came up and said someone was looking for me to invite me to dinner. I waited around, but was getting hungry. So I head back to camp to open my favorite, a can of lentil soup. Im about to start the stove and someone runs over and invites me for dinner, score!
Omelette for dinner, with bacon awesome and their homegrown organic cherries for desert. Next morning Im getting my daily chocolate croissant and someone walks up to me and says they were looking for me last night to invite me to dinner. It was Marie’s husband Pierre. I tell them I was thinking of leaving but I will know by 2pm.
I head off to buy my painting, I slept on it and yes was the answer.

ITS THE TENDE VILLAGE PLAZA. I LOVE IT!
The bad part it cost me $65 to send it home, 1/2 the cost of the painting. Ive only bought 2 pieces of art, but both are very meaningful to me.
The tourist office tells me about this Church LE SANCTUAIRE DE NOTRE DAME DES FONTAINES and about this village Granile. I told her I really liked the stone roofs

SHE TOLD ME THE WHOLE VILLAGE OF GRANILE HAD THESE ROOFS.
First I bike I to the church (again, one of the best parts of touring with bike is having a bike to explore once you set up camp).
This is the road to the church

THERE WERE VERY FEW CARS, AWESOME!
While I was riding to the church I pass this weird stone bridge. I thought I`ll take a photo on the way back. I spent a long time at the church, the host told me so many awesome stories and took this photo

ITS A SCENE OF THE VILLAGE KILLING THE LOCAL BANKERS, ITS AMAZING HOW HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!
I asked her about the bridge I passed on the way up. She said it was built to look un-finished. It was done to prevent the plague from entering the village. It worked, it was the only village to avoid the plague.

Then she told me about the fresh spring, that women who want to get pregnant, dip in.

So I bike to Granile, I miss the turn, but I climb back to the turn-off. I check my watch and dinner is in a couple hours and I am NEVER late for anything. So its 6 km up, thats an hour, so I decide to try and hitchike with my bike. 5 minutes later I’m in a min-van heading up, score. I can`t believe how lucky I am.

I can`t believe where I am, my ride and town host is Honorat

Honorat took me around the village, meeting people and taking me to the best views to get pictures.

THIS IS THE VIEW OUT HIS LIVING ROOM WINDOW.

THERE ARE ONLY 14 YEAR-ROUND RESIDENTS AND 26 SUMMER OCCUPANTS. THIS IS ONE OF THE SUMMER RESIDENTS HOUSE.

Remember it was 6km up and now 6km down, a very hair raising road. This was the last village without a road in France. In 1975? or so after years using horses they got this road.

This rock face is 5-7 stories high, they had a falling rock sign, i`m thinking if this rock comes down, its over.
So after getting this ride hitchhiking I think I can do it again. NO, Then I start riding its only 3km to Tende, lazy shit.
I ride in for a quick shower and stop and talk to this couple.

THEY RENTED THIS FULLY EQUIPPED VAN TO TOUR EUROPE WITH, THEY SAID IT WAS NEARLY THE SAME PRICE AS JUST A CAR, BUT THE SPACESHIP COMES WITH A BED AND KITCHEN.
Marie walks up and we head for dinner. I don’t like to be late so a car drives by and I stick my thumb out, Score! He takes us part way to dinner. Mary told me it was at the end of the road, well in America, the end of the road is a long way. Not in Tende maybe 100 meters. Pierre’s aunt willed four cousins this house to share. I asked if they had changed anything? NOTHING. The aunt had art and treasures from around the world, wish I had taken a few photos.

MARIE, ERWAN AND PIERRE, WE HAD A TRADITIONAL FRENCH MEAL CALLED– RAGOUT DE VEAU A LA MENTONNAISE
There was a little talk about the French tradition of cleaning your plate with baguette bread. So, we made a VIDEO on how to clean your plate with french bread.
The Campground was awesome all the campers were friendly there was a river running through camp.

AFTER THE CHAPEL HIKE I SOAKED MY FEET FOR 1/2 AN HOUR YOU CAN DRINK FROM THE RIVER TOO (maybe not downstream while I was soaking my feet)

I LOVE CAMPING

THIS IS THE WOMEN THAT RAN THE CAMPGROUND, SHE SPOKE NOT ONE WORD OF ENGLISH. BUT KICKED ASS WHEN IT CAME TO TAKING CARE OF THE CAMPGROUND.
I regret leaving Tende so soon, I will come back (warning Tende)
I took a few pictures before catching the train

YOU CAN SEE THE CABLE BRIDGE AND CHAPEL WAY UP THERE. THEY LIGHT THE CHAPEL AT NIGHT. YOULL HAVE TO ENLARGE THE PHOTO.
SOME MORE PHOTOS FROM GOOGLE OF TENDE
THANKS FOR READING, YOUR COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED (usually) If you comment and I don’t respond its because this post took 6 hours to write and I`m on a big trip and wifi isn’t American fast here.
MORE OF MY PHOTOS ARE HERE
RIDE ON
JEFF
NEXT? FINAL THOUGHTS ON FRANCE

I had to visit MONACObeing just 30 miles away, Ill probably never be this close again.
I’ve seen all the expensive boats & cars in St. Tropez, Cannes and even in Antibes. But being the James Bond fan that I am I had to go to Monte Carlo..

SO OF COURSE THE BOAT DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER IS PARKED THERE.
Monaco’s has a OCEANAGRAPHICMUSEUM. I was told it was good. I’m so so about aquariums, but i figured Monaco is only 2km x 2km, how much can there be to see? So I took my bike on the train and promptly headed in the direction of the Oceanographic Museun. I was promptly stopped and told no bikes allowed on the hill top. I wasn’t really told that I was just pointed and blocked me from going up the hill. I was a little confused so I rode around the docks and looked at the boats.

THERE WERE SOME AMAZING SAIL BOATS
So I bike along the shore and the road starts heading up, 3 sets of escalators later, yep Im at the Museum. I quickly lock my bike by a photo/plague with Jaugue Cousteau taken in 1962. The museum was built in 1910. I go in and am looking around thinking,this is pretty awesome. People around me are taking photos, Im thinking pictures of fish? Then I see fish that are well-blowing my mind.

I SPENT 10 MINUTES WAITING FOR THAT FISH TO COME OUT FROM BEHIND THE ROCKS (worth it)

THE SEA HORSES WERE SUPER TOO

I took a lot of fish pictures. There on my photo site HERE
They had a shark petting station. I left a little space in line and some people (French) cut in front of me, I didn’t say anything. It was our turn to pet the shark, so this little girl cuts in front of me, This time I stop her and tell her to wait her turn. Corey said he cant stand how Americans patiently wait there turn, I like it.

THEY WANT PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH SHARKS SO HENCE THE PETTY STATION.
There was some interesting shark art too.

MORE PHOTOS OF THE OCEANAGRAPHIC MUSEUM HERE
I bought a combined ticket that included the Princes Palace. NO PHOTOS ALLOWED. No big deal until you see the most amazing sculpture, so I figure there will be a post card of it? They have cameras everywhere I went back 3 times and finally took this lousy photo.

NO POST CARDS, SO ITS AN EAGLE WITH 6-8 INCH CRYSTALS STICKING DOWN FROM UNDER ITS WINGS. WITH A BASKETBALL SIZE AZUITE ALL MOUNTED ON A 4 FOOT CRYSTAL.
I searched the web for a good photo-NONE.
As I was riding from the Palace I was stopped by the police, told to lock my bike down the road, I wasn’t alone 2 other people were on bikes too.
So I head down the hill to where the first cop stopped me, quick right and he doesn’t see me.
I go to the tourist information and learn where the MONTE CARLO GRAN PRIXroute is and bike it, let me just say that was dangerous.
I go by the MONTE CARLO CASINO, Rolls Royce, Maserati,Lambergouni of course I got a photo

I CANT DECIDE WHICH ONE? THE BIKE ALL THE WAY.

CASINO MONTE CARLO
So Im looking for the exotic garden, I think I passed my turn. I stop and am looking at my Google map. Within 20 seconds someone came out and said I was on camera and the police would come. WTF? I told him I was just checking my map, he said I could do it on the side of the building.
Time to find the train station, well I get on the wrong train and within 30 minutes Im in Italy. But the same train went back to France and back to Antibes.
All in all Monaco was all I had heard about, money (Tax Heaven) for the rich. But there was a little Portland Oregon Influence

NEXT I TAKE AN AMAZING TRAIN RIDE TO AN AMAZING FRENCH VILLAGE FILLED WITH HISTORY AND SCARY HIKES.