Spending a couple of rest days here in Nice. Apart from all the flash cars and mega-yachts, we were somewhat underwhelmed with Monte Carlo - Nice is a much nicer place to spend some time. Sampled some good seafood last night then found a bar with some live music. Normally, we have to spend a good deal of time looking for cardboard in order to box up the bikes for the return plane trip. Not so this time. When I put the bikes into the baggage store of our hotel ...

Cycled around the F1 GP circuit, smelling the money.

An easy day's cycling today, what with Nice almost within sight and the only thing left to do is to explore Monte Carlo, go around the F1 GP circuit and start thinking about from where to purloin cardboard (to box up the bikes for the plane). From Sanremo, we pedalled along the coast and into France at Menton. The coastal route was very up and down - like the rest of the riviera the mountains rise out of the sea, leaving only a narrow coastal strip into which al...

Climbed back into the high mountains today. Over 4,000 ft of climbing took us from Albenga, up through Villanova, Garlenda, Casanova Lerrone, Degna, Vellego and on up to the pass at Ginestro, from which the views in all directions were stunning. Plenty of free food to be had en route, in the form of wild fig trees. At the pass we met a couple of Germans. They advised us on a place to stay tonight. That place was Taggia - so to Taggia we pedalled. Posters in Tag...

A flat day today. From Genoa, we headed west and along the Italian Riviera, passing through such places as Arenzano and Savona. We were heading for the coastal town of Finale Ligure which is where we have now stopped for the night. From Finale Ligure, we can, tomorrow, climb up the valley of the Torrente Aquila river which will take us into a range of the high Ligurian mountains. Alternatively, we can carry on along the coast for a bit further, and turn up one o...