Putting down routes

 

Some more about where we have ridden, how far, and when.

Monday June 16: Neustadt to Wissembourg (in France) along the Weinstrasse. A fantastic day's ride, if a trifle exhausting, as we climbed more than 900 metres over the 65kms dipping in and out of picturesque villages. Our climbing legs, except for Garis of course, were strained by the last of the 17 or 18 hills. Weinguts and Weinstubes provided lots of choice for tasting different wines and enjoying lunch, not that we did either. Stupid, in retrospect. If you decide to ride this route, take in the entire 120kms or so and do it over three days. Great signage and surface.

a village along the Weinstrasse

Storks nesting

Tuesday June 17: Wissembourg to Rastatt (back in Germany). Quiet roads and paths through woods and farmland for 50kms of flat riding. Some gravel, benign quality, and a ferry crossing. At one point we riding on the Rhein embankment, it appeared as if it had snowed, such was the cover of cottonwood (poplar) floss. We stayed in a former convent in Rastatt, quiet, beautiful and roomy.

Wednesday June 18: Rastatt to Strasbourg then onto Colmar via train. A beautiful day's ride of about 65kms along the Rhein through woods and along quiet roads into Strasbourg, which is home to a mammoth cathedral.

A break in proceedings which included a 55km loop ride from Farges-les-Chalons to St Leger-sur-Dheue along the Canal de Centre.

along the Canal

Sunday June 22: Farges-les-Chalons to Macon Sud. We set off finding la Saone at Chalon-sur-Saone, then through farm and woodlands along a former rail line to Cluny where we had lunch. Then the climbing began - short and sharp - to reach the Tunnel de Bois Clair, 1.6kms in length and home to bats and other animals, not that we saw any. The 85+ day finished with a bit of totuous navigation to locate our hotel on the outskrts of Macon, a veritable desert where our only dinner choice was the Buffalo Grill. Suffice to say, Texas is better. Actually, anything is better.

Garis emerging from the Tunnel de Bois Clair

Monday June 23: Macon Sud to Lyon. Our first drop of rain, not that it lasted very long, nor was it very fierce. We began the 75+ day on the Saone then diverted onto farm paths as the gravel along the Saone was NOT benign. In Trevaux we joined the Rhone. Garis' detour to avoid some of the gravel took us climbing and descending, paths so steep I chose to walk down. A highlight was stopping in a tiny village at a cafe that had been around for many a year, rutting donkeys out the back and a regular propping up the bar with his morning glass of rose. Riding into Lyon seemed to take forever as we clung to the banks of the Rhone.

morning tea with the regular

Wednesday June 25: Lyon to Chanas. A difficult exit of 30kms to find ViaRhona, the bike route to take us to Marseille. Finding it was delicious relief, but no shade and tree roots made it less appealing but still enabled speeds of 30+kmph. An 80km day, ending up at another out-of-the-way hotel that managed to serve the worst meal we have eaten thus far. Ye, even worse than the Buffalo Grill.

Thursday June 26: Chanas to Ste-Peray. In contrast to the day before, the ViaRhona path was brilliant and we sailed along for 70kms with a tail wind through shady groves and farmland hugging the Rhone until Valence. Ste-Peray, a short ride across the river, is a small village and shopping area. We dined outside in the lee of a rocky hill topped with an ancient castle. Swam in the municipal pool with our bathing caps purchased from Decathalon nearby, regulation wear in French pools.

bicycle police in Valence

Friday June 27: Ste-Peray to Suze la Russe. A personal best day for all - Barb and Maggie notching up 109kms and Des and Mick doing a staggering 121kms. I drove and missed the action, shopping at the village market and plunging into the hotel pool instead. The first of the sunflowers and lavender fields adjacent to a nuclear power station, a sustained climb after lunch, good and rough paths, farmland with tractors - Des and Mick's favourites, a bash through wheat fields, and a hot afternoon. I take my hat off to them!

Some choice pics

 

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