Take 2 : F-Type Grand Tour of alpine regions in Europe.

Dan_Veluwe

Dan_Veluwe

New member
This is a second tour, two years later. We aim to drive through some passes closed in may and june 2019. due to the heaviest snowfall since eighty-years,
according to the Swiss weather bureau that keeps the records.

First tour (most videos removed) : https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=3525


This time we started from Albertville in the foothills of the French Alps. From there we entered into Italy over Sainte Denis pass. We head east through Italy after.

I intend to past a short video every (other) day . There should be about 8 videos each around 8 minutes.

If you want to watch them all in one go : set your alarm for ten days from now.. 8-)

There is no music in the background, only my son and I talking (Dutch), since the music leads to blocking the videos by youtube due to infringements.

I hope you enjoy watching it : https://youtu.be/rVy1erEzR1g
 
Nice drive, shame about the bus for a while there at the start, at least the cyclists were helpful we don't get a lot of that in Australia they tend to just sit two abreast and block you.
 
Thanks ! The cyclist are used to Italian and French drivers, and completely at loss why we don't push on in corners blindly like those drivers do... :shock:

This clip is a tiny part of the recordings. It takes about one hour to drive this pass. But many scenes are trees or straight sections. People stop watching then,

so I left most out.

I know some older forum members will say : "..but you overtake blindly too.." , what we actually don't. We drive and pay attention together and we only overtake if we know

for sure the stretch we need and beyond is empty, while we also cater for the stretch that might be covered by oncoming traffic in the time/stretch we need to pass.

We only had one surprise with a car parked in a blind bend. Its not logical to stop there to take photos. No harm done, big brakes work wonders.. 8-)

For many car drivers, cyclist and motorbikes are a level of annoyance, acceptable as its understandable that everybody wants to enjoy these roads in their own way and means,

we have to share the space /roads in a fair and reasonable, - most important- safe way for all.
 
Dan_Veluwe said:
There is no music in the background, only my son and I talking (Dutch), since the music leads to blocking the videos by youtube due to infringements.
Click to expand...

I prefer it without an overlaid soundtrack. Listening to the engine and the blip of the shifts up and down the gearbox is the best music.
 
Some good roads there, looks great. All our plans for touring in Pyrenees and Alps last year (and this) scrapped sadly, although did manage a week in the Scottish Highlands earlier this month which was great - although no GoPro.
 
mickjaguar said:
I prefer it without an overlaid soundtrack. Listening to the engine and the blip of the shifts up and down the gearbox is the best music.
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Sure, but the music was what we played in the car. Now when the roads look "clip material" we switch the music off.. :idea:
 
GusA said:
Some good roads there, looks great. All our plans for touring in Pyrenees and Alps last year (and this) scrapped sadly, although did manage a week in the Scottish Highlands earlier this month which was great - although no GoPro.
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Last year my son could not go : exams and uni entry. After a month he decided uni wasn't his thing, switched to Technical college, now is in his element.

Additional advantage is : 3 months of summer break, plenty time to go for a tour. My wife gets sick from driving in the mountains. With her I can only go

straight on highways, and she complaints about the seats being too hard (other car is a D5..).

The filming is not a go-pro but a normal dashcam, make and type readable in the left bottom corner. This is a 2018 model, just HD.

We took the Go-Pro with it, but just couldn't be bothered to use it.
 
I am ahead of scedule : early release of part two, same day. Driving in the valley only gives houses and cars..

Second part : Col de L'Iséran ..

https://youtu.be/fOgVTqhCKmI
 
Nice roads and weather. Had similar experience in Scotland as lots of single track roads with passing places which drivers use to pull over and allow others to pass. Some of those road surfaces look quite uneven - did you scrape the bottom of the front splitter (the black plastic extension pieces) at all?
 
GusA said:
Nice roads and weather. Had similar experience in Scotland as lots of single track
roads with passing places which drivers use to pull over and allow others to pass. Some of those road surfaces look quite uneven
- did you scrape the bottom of the front splitter (the black plastic extension pieces) at all?
Click to expand...

I'd love to go to Scotland ! Now I'm almost 60yrs, wanted to go when I was 17 with my Zündapp 50cc bike..

Also England, Wales and Ireland are on my "to-do-list" , but with the never-ending waves of covid and subsequent eternal lockdowns, I don't think it will ever happen. :|

We scraped the front lip on sleeping policemen, the central bottom section also on some kind sharkfin ridge in Italy, and the small spoiler in front of

the rear wheel when my son reversed into a whole on the parking of Col de L'Iseran.. .. but no serious damage.

Only real damage was on a curb in a parking garage in Tignes le Lac, when we missed a turnoff and could only get out through the garage, made for Peugeots 205... :roll:
 
Nice inspiring videos there! I'm looking for inspiration for some nice new places to drive since I have some spare time and no family around for the moment. :) Was going to pop over to the Nürburgring tomorrow afternoon but it's unfortunately closed currently (for very good reasons though). Anyways this reminds me that I should figure out a good time to do the route Napoleon.

Yeah, those French garages can be an utter nightmare. Why oh why can't they build them like the Germans. Even old German garages are usually better than most French. I've driven loads in France over the years and have learnt to be super picky when choosing garages. The wheels on both my previous XFs miraculously survived many French garages and I once literally had a nightmare about driving my XF in a garage in Monaco. I dread the day I end up in one of those with the F-Type.

The car sounds great in the videos by the way. Somehow much better than the P300s I've driven.
 
Leaving the Isére valley, 'passing' over to Italy.. ..( is this English or a travesty ?)..

https://youtu.be/-YsWpk5Iqs0
 
The next morning we headed from Montcenissio to the big lakes.

The first bit is a small road down the hills : https://youtu.be/S8-6Mjr1nVg

Then a long stretch over the plains north of Turin. Later today I hope I finish that clip.
 
Lovely roads and weather continue! Hardly any traffic too - very jealous!
 
Dan_Veluwe said:
GusA said:
Lovely roads and weather continue! Hardly any traffic too - very jealous!
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You needn't be.. .. now you have the car, in 2019 you were still in waiting.. .. go 4 it !!
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8000 miles so far, thoroughly enjoying it! Driven loads of great roads in England, Wales and Scotland - Just wish I could get to mainland Europe though but with the current situation and ever changing rules it doesn't make any sense, hence my jealousy!

IMG_8415.jpg
 
GusA said:
Just wish I could get to mainland Europe though but with the current situation
and ever changing rules it doesn't make any sense, hence my jealousy!
Click to expand...

Gus, its the same for us, on the other side of the same line..

We'd love to go to the UK. Have some elderly friends I'd like to see again. My osteopath ( British ), who livers here would love to see his parents..

We live in a virtual reality made for the purpose of making the few more powerfull and richer.
 
The Italian and Swiss Great Lakes..

No curves or revving almost.. .. just scenery.. .. la Dolce Vita..

https://youtu.be/GnK-Ugj10tk
 
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