Day Zero: Collioure to Ventimiglia

And we’re off!! Father and son for four weeks of delightful bonding, arguing, laughing…and biking….all the way to Istanbul.

We stopped for a quick farewell-to-Collioure on the way to the station.

A grand cycling distance of 3kms today…as we hop across France by train to start up the next Mad Bike Ride ride in Italy. Having cycled this route before, I am happy to cheat, which we will do until we reach Pisa!

So today was all about hopping on and off trains at Collioure, Narbonne, Marseilles, Nice and Ventimiglia! 

Apparently there have been rail strikes every year in France for the past 75 years.

And 2023 is no exception. Striking in objection to the increase in the  pension age from 62 to the grand old age of 64….still probably the lowest retirement age in France.

But the really odd thing is that the train drivers have special dispensation…and their average retirement age…with a full-salary pension…is between 50 and 54. So in the French tradition of brotherly revolt…..they are supporting the less fortunate. 

The locals seem to just shrug their shoulders. But if you do have a plan to cross the country….it can be all a bit stressful. It seems however that there is a decipherable pattern to the strikes..so the advice right now is: do not plan to travel on Thursdays, and probably not on Wednesday or Friday either as they wind up…or down…from the disruption, and you should be ok!

And we were. Indeed.with everyone avoiding those Thursdays (and Wednesdays and Fridays)….all the reliable-on-Saturday trains have been absolutely rammed…with not a seat to spare!

And so it was – after 13 hours door-to-door – that we pulled into the wee town of Ventimiglia, must across the Italian border……long past beer-o-clock. 

A mis-booked apartment…on the lift-less third floor, with a narrow steep  staircase up which to haul the bikes….was probably not the best start. 

“Please do not eat the food in the fridge” we were asked…for it seems someone lives there unless they are (un)fortunate enough to score a booking!! (…actually, looking at the chilled offerings, there was no chance of us stealing anything!)

But it worked…and it was certainly better than our first night’s accommodation in Menton last year!

Time for a quick shower….beers, food and bed!