Chez Bear Lodge. This place is amazing! Best let the pictures do the talking. Overview, it's a 350 year old 17th Century wooden lodge. The owners/hosts live in on one of the floors, the rest are for guest usage with accom rooms up top. The view from the balcony is postcard esq the view outback from the bedroom windows equally spesh. The running gag of the trip so far.. Upon arrival at the lodge, Phil pulled on the the door handle unaware the door was snibbed l...

Turn here? Rght! Right! I don't mean yes correct, or right turn I mean Right Hand Side.. Get over to the right hand side..!! In fairness, other than a group agreement on carefully choosing words to describe correct and right turn. The Right hand side driving has been a non issue as we drove the 100 plus km from Italy through the mountains and tunnels across the border to France and our destination for the next five days, Chez Bear, Briancon France.

AA 760... The collective sum of two A380's. 14hrs Mel-Dubai, 7hrs Dubai-Rome. Add in one or two domestic connecting flights and we're just about there.. 34oC at 8 in the morning in Dubai, not missing Melbourne's frigid winter finale, the sun shining brightly.

11.00pm. The journey begins. The talking, planing and training (or lack there of it) is over. As much as reality kicks in, this midnight departure enhances the surreal nature of what lies ahead. Bhang and Schtoppt Racing is the team name of a group of mates who don't mind getting out on the occasional bike ride. The term has it's origins from the literal context of when things simply go bang and stop. Obviously not taking themselves too seriously, these lycra c...