May 29, 2014

Here we are, back in France again, a country we know and love; there is no where quite like it.  It has many positive features, like its beautiful open spaces, the camp-sites that are around every corner and the most famous cycling race in the world, to name but a few.  We also discovered one or two negative points when we last cycle toured here.  The maniac drivers on the main roads being the one forever etched into our memories.  Well, that shouldn’t be a problem this time as we’re on cycle tracks the whole time.  The thing that had slipped our memories is that if you find yourself travelling outside the tourist areas you can travel a long way without coming across any shops to buy supplies or any cafés or bars.  If you do actually find one anywhere then usually it is closed.  We nearly starved to death during the French part of our 2011 tour.

We set off with the idea of having breakfast in the next village, but after two circuits of the village we have that ‘dejar vu’ feeling – no sign of any life at all.  Still we are bound to come across something – aren’t we?  By 12.30pm we spot a hot dog van at the side of a ferry crossing, not much good for two vegetarians, but the lady in the van makes us two cheese baguettes.  It’s a good job she did because during the whole of the 98 kilometres we cycled this is the only food we come across.  Even cycling across Strasbourg we did not see a single food shop, café or bar that was open.

The cycling itself is the most straight-forward yet, literally.  The first 50 kilometres are on a straight, level track with the flood bank at the side of the Rhine on one side (unfortunate, because this blocked the view of the river) and a row of tall trees on the other.  It was like cycling on a rolling road with a green stripe each side.  We then had a bit of variety as came into a forested area on the outskirts of Strasbourg.  We had taken the decision when we set off this morning to risk going through Strasbourg and hoping that the cycle track the other side was open.  Just as we emerged on the south side of the city we saw a big yellow ‘Road Closed’ sign, but fortunately, just below it said from 2 to 6 June – phew, that was lucky.  

The next 30 kilometres or so were along the tow path of the Canal du Rhone au Rhin, also dead straight but with the advantage of a view of the water and the boats as we cycled along.  As we arrived at the camp-site we had identified on the map for our overnight stop we were greeted by the sight of a pizza van standing in the village car park.  Pizza out of a box it is then – our staple diet when in France.  Still, tomorrow we’ll be back in Germany, land of the sausage, like I’ve said before we don’t like to make things too easy for ourselves.