clairedavieswriter

Well this was definitely the highlight of my day: I’d gone off piste to visit the small town Schwaz (of Swarovski fame) and this handsome trio (together with half the town, it seemed) were just leaving an outdoor celebration of the Feast of the Assumption in the church garden. When I asked the one on…

Why do I do this? Here’s one reason: I defy anyone not to feel content when freewheeling downhill in the cool of the early morning towards such a magnificent view: It helped that today’s route offered almost the perfect recovery ride for tired legs: Team Bernard picked up where we left off yesterday, following the…

Well that was epic. I’d felt very different an hour earlier, as I pedalled towards the wall of hairpins rising behind the town of Stuben: After Guillaume’s scare stories about double-figure gradients, I was full of self-doubt. The sceptical looks from hikers waiting at a bus stop didn’t help. When their bus drove past, with…

A thundery squall rolled round the mountains last night and brought the temperature down a fraction, but it was already 19 degrees when Team Bernard set out before 8am: Unlike some of the international boundaries I’ve crossed, there was no mistaking this one (Vorarlberg is Austria’s westernmost province): Technically, Austria’s westernmost spot is at Border…

It’s time for Team Bernard’s 11th European end-to-end. Bernard the bike is raring to go, Gloria Google is always willing to assist and even Guillaume the Grumpy Gallic Guide (aka my Garmin) seems grudgingly enthusiastic. As for me, I’m hoping my legs will be in peak condition (rather than knackered) after pedalling 493 km /…