Monthly Archives: June 2015

27 & 28 June 2015 – a bit of a rest and into the woods

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Before I recount tales from the last couple of days, here’s bit of a stats summary for the tour so far, which includes today (29 June). Slight warning; this post may have been compromised by the introduction of Sangria this evening, courtesy of the very friendly staff at Camping du Lac in Ondres.

Distance pedalled: 3,441 miles, or 5,538km
Days since Nordkapp: 55 (including a couple of rest days)
Average distance per day: 100.69km, or 62.5miles (includes rest days)
Number of punctures: 5, but none recently, touch wood
Number of punctures in Thermarest: 3 after thorny ground last night (d’oh)
Number of new chains: 1
Number of new rear cassettes: 1
Number of new saddles: 1 – changed to a Brooks in Sweden and it’s now worn in, very good decision
Min temperature: About 0 degrees Celsius – have cycled in a snow storm
Max temperature: About 33 degrees Celsius, supposed to be hotter tomorrow though
Did I bring too many pairs of socks: Yes, as well as a few other clothes I’ve never worn
Favourite city: Hamburg or Bordeaux, with Paris and Stockholm very close behind
Favourite leg so far: Current leg down from Bordeaux to Spain proving excellent, Scandinavia also fantastic, but parts of it very hard work with headwind

Let me know if you’re interested in any other info.

Here are my routes and stats for the last couple of days:

27 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/818715809
28 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/818715885

–> 27 June
I was up early at the campsite just outside Bordeaux, mainly because the Spanish motorcyclists were up early and it was a very small camping area. I thought I may as well get up and on the road to maximise my rest day opportunities later.

Surprisingly it had rained slightly overnight, and was still overcast in the morning, with a slight drizzle which kept everything cool and fresh. I packed up and pedalled off by 08.30, slightly nervous about the route which involved using one main road marked red on the map. You’re mostly allowed to cycle on these, but they can be very busy, and I was hoping there was a cycle path running alongside it. I didn’t really have much of a choice in any case, roads being less common South West of Bordeaux.

Pedalling to Biganos

Pedalling to Biganos

As it turned out the road was fine, and did have a cycle path running alongside it for some of the way. Compared with the E04 in Sweden it was positively heavenly! Although there was a fair bit of traffic it was pleasant riding in the cooler temperature, through some forest, and the sun came out by the time I made it to Biganos. I pedalled 44.5km today, however about 10 of these were once I got to Biganos as I had a quick ride around the town once I’d checked into the campsite, before having a siesta.

Charlie - the friendly campsite dog

Charlie – the friendly campsite dog

I’d arrived at Les Marache Vacances campsite by 11.00, so had plenty of relaxing time left, but needed to get my washing done first. I was greeted enthusiastically by Charlie the campsite dog, who then decided to have a nap too.

Les Maraches Vacances is an excellent campsite, and I was able to set up my tent in a partially shaded pitch, leaving enough room in the sun to dry my washing!

Washing done and drying at Les Maraches Vacances

Washing done and drying at Les Maraches Vacances

After that it was down to the serious business of chilling out, starting with a Grimbergen beer.

Grimbergen beer - best beer of the tour so far

Grimbergen beer – best beer of the tour so far

This was closely followed by some reading, whereupon I dozed off again, but roused myself for a swim a bit later on on the afternoon; it’s a hard life sometimes.

Swimming pool at Les Maraches Vacances

Swimming pool at Les Maraches Vacances

After doing some planning I went to the campsite restaurant for dinner, splashing out a bit on a very nice meal, served by a singing waiter.

There were several other cycle tourers at the campsite, included one family all on bikes; two adults and 3 children, all kitted out.

I think the cycle route down the coast from Acarchon is very popular; the Velodyssey. Over the next few days I saw loads of other cyclists, most just out for the day but a few tourers too. It’s not surprising as the Velodyssey is a fantastic cycle route, passing through lots of forest, right next to the coast and lots of beaches.

After a bit of a blog update and some Rose wine, I fell asleep very quickly!

–> 28 June
It was a bit of a longer ride today, covering 118km in 6hrs and 40 mins. As the crow flies it was probably half that from campsite to campsite, however I was following the coast and Velodyssey route, which isn’t very straight, plus I enjoyed a few detours.

Leaving Les Maraches Vacances

Leaving Les Maraches Vacances

Bidding goodbye to Charlie, the campsite dog, I was on the road by 09.30, and headed to Arcachon first, through a bit of forest and past a big canoeing centre.

Through the forest to Arcachon

Through the forest to Arcachon

In Arcachon I picked up the Velodyssey route, which is also Eurovelo 1, down the Atlantic Coast. Arcachon looks to be very popular spot for a holiday, with a busy harbour and lovely beaches.

After Arcachon I followed the trail South, mostly on dedicated cycle paths, with occasional bit of road thrown in to keep things interesting. The route weaved its way down the coast, through nice shaded forest where the smell of pines and lavender permeated the air. I passed some enormous sand dunes in Pylar, before arriving in Biscarrosse where I stopped for some lunch; just fruit and biscuits after yesterday’s spending!

I went down to the beach and watched the surfers for a bit, enjoying the sea breeze. This part of the coast appears to be a surfing hotspot, and I can see why with all the fantastic beaches and a decent swell. I was definitely starting to feel like I was on holiday too; a feeling that is persisting but might come to an abrupt halt when I hit the Pyrenees and higher temperatures.

Post Biscarrosse the trail went a little bendy, heading inland and slightly back on itself to go around a military training area. This is mostly why I ended up doing 118km; I could have stayed on the road and cut a few km off the route, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere as nice a ride – the forest trails are lovely, despite a few hills.

I cycled past two big lakes, packed with people enjoy a hot Sunday afternoon, both in the water and on the beaches; loads of water sports too. Just around the corner from the beach there was a nice harbour with sailing boats moored up. A little further on I missed a sign and accidentally diverted to another smaller lake, where it was good to see the Union Jack flying.

After a long ride I made it to Mimizan-sur-Plage, where I had my eye on the Camping Municipal du Plage. It turned out to be a huge campsite, packed full of kids learning to surf for the most part. The Wifi was rubbish so I could do any planning or blogging, but ended up chatting to a retired Scottish tourer, Ken, who has cycled down from Roscoff; good to swap a few stories and tips. I also didn’t need to do much planning, as the route to Bayonne is well signposted along the Velodyssey trail.

Dinner was pizza from the campsite snack bar, as well as a new concoction made up of leftovers; Camembert, bread, raspberry jam and Tabasco goes surprisingly well together! Ken was finding the heat a little over the top, however I’m enjoying it so far; as long as I remember to drink plenty of water it’s fine, and I’m going to start setting off earlier in the morning to avoid the heat later on. The hottest part of the day isn’t midday, it’s more like 15.00 or 16.00, so I’ll aim to stop around then, and do a few shorter legs when the hills get bigger.

One minor issue today; I didn’t notice the thorny ground where I pitched my tent, so my Thermarest mat ended up with a few holes in it, as did the bottom of my tent. They were both however already a bit compromised, the tent by Scandinavian varmint incursions, and the sleeping mat just has a slow leak somewhere; nothing to be majorly concerned about.

Tomorrow it’s onwards towards Bayonne, before turning inland towards St-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the Spanish border; getting close to starting the Camino de Santiago, as well as a visit from my parents.

25 & 26 June 2015 – to Saint Christoly-de-Blaye and Bordeaux

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I’m writing this on 27 June, from a small town South West of Bordeaux called Biganos, near Arcachon, where I’m having a day off cycling; although that’s not strictly true as I pedalled about 40km to get here this morning, but have had a siesta since then. It’s cooler today, and I’m lounging next to a swimming pool which is most pleasant. In fact, I think I’ll go for a quick dip before starting to write this, but in the meantime here are my routes and stats for the 25th and 26th.

25 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/814790274
26 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/815605832

–> 25 June
I covered 94km today, in 5hrs and 20 mins of riding, mostly through more vineyards; not unpleasant but it does give one a bit of a thirst. I awoke slightly disoriented as I’d slept the wrong way round in my tent, due to a gradient, however once that was all sorted out I was on the road by 09.30, bidding ‘au revoir’ to my friendly hosts and riding on to Chateauneuf-sur-Charente.

Ready to leave Sireuil

Ready to leave Sireuil

It was already hot by 10.00, and only got warmer as I cycled up and down hills on my way to Archaic, then on to Jonzac. One thing about this part of the world, aside from all the vineyards, is that a lot of the towns and villages are built on hills, which would no doubt originally have been for defensive purposes, and certainly gives cycle tourers a good work out nowadays.

Vineyards near Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

Vineyards near Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

I pedalled through mile after mile of vineyard, with workers out in the fields tending the vines, as I made my way towards Bordeaux through Cognac country. The grapes are only just appearing on the vines, from what I can see anyway, but it’ll no doubt be a good harvest/vintage if the weather carries on likes this. The people tending the vines were all heavily tanned from long hours working out in the fields, and sometimes surprised me by appearing from between the vines and saying ‘bonjour’ as they made their way along the rows; a lot of the work seems to be done by hand.

More grape vines

More grape vines

I nearly went up to Cognac, but it would have added about 30km on to the day and I’m trying to force myself to slow down a bit, in preparation for some hard work over the Pyrenees.

Hotel de Ville - Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

Hotel de Ville – Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

As with yesterday I managed to zone out a bit as I cycled along, whilst still remembering to drink lots of water. This helps the kilometres fly by, as well as the hills, and meant I could give more thought to book writing; got a few ideas coming along nicely.

After Jonzac it was on to Montendre, through more wine country, and then some forest which provided a nice change. The countryside as well as architecture is really looking like the South of France now; the smell reminds me of living just outside Marseille near the Calanques – dry and pines.

I stopped at a supermarket in Montendre for some lunch, enjoying the cold aisles for a bit, and downing a litre of chocolate milk which was absolute bliss. It must have been over 30 degrees, and it’s due to get hotter, however at least I’m acclimatising to it and when cycling you always have a breeze. It’s strange to think that a month and a half ago I was in Northern Scandinavia with temperatures just above freezing; bit of a contrast.

My destination today was Le Maine Blanc campsite, however I pedalled past it to Saint Christoly-sur-Blaye to get a few supplies first, before returning, setting up, and going straight to the swimming pool. I could definitely get used to campsites having swimming pools, long may it continue! Le Maine Blanc is an excellent campsite, in the countryside with lots of shaded pitches, and fairly peaceful aside from the faint noise of the autoroute which isn’t that far away.

Dinner consisted of Camembert and baguette, fruit and biscuits, with a glass or two of Rose to wash it all down with; would be rude not to sample the local wine after cycling through so many vineyards. I did some planning, then retired for the evening listening to the sound of frogs ribbeting in the surrounding woods.

–> 26 June
Today was a shorter day, covering 78km in about 5hrs as I wanted to spend some time in Bordeaux. This proved a good decision; Bordeaux ranks up in the top 3 cities I’ve visited so far on this tour.

The temperature definitely went over 30 degrees today, hitting 33 at one point but I think it topped even that. Someone at the campsite mentioned it’s due to go up to 40 degrees Celsius next week, around Bordeaux anyway, but it might be cooler in Northern Spain around the mountains; although that might just be wishful thinking. I’m very much looking forward to starting the Camino de Santiago in about a week’s time.

I’d slept well in my shady spot at Le Maine Blanc, and as a result was up and on the road by 09.00, keen to make sure I made the 10.30 ferry across from Blaye to Lamarque, just down from Fort Medoc; Medoc being the next wine region on my route. I’d decided to take the ferry over the Gironde, rather than stay East of it and go down to Bordeaux that way, as the Western side looked quieter and was purportedly good for cycling.

As it turned out I made it in plenty of time, as it was only 16km to Blaye, and mostly flat, so I stopped at a boulangerie and bought second breakfast; France is very good on the second breakfast front.

I had a quick pedal around Blaye, and arrived at the queue for the ferry just as the boat pulled in; another advantage of cycling is you can go straight to the front of the queue. There’s a big citadel in Blaye, presumably built to defend against English ships coming up the Gironde to attack Bordeaux; I wonder if I should call them British ships or English ships? Whilst looking at the citadel I had a chat with a French cyclist out for day’s ride; he wished me ‘Bon route’ et ‘Bon courage’.

I boarded the ferry along with a number of motorcyclists, and lots of cars, for the short crossing over the Gironde. It must have been about 3km in total; nice scenery and a pleasant break that gave me a chance to eat my croissants and pain-au-chocolat before Lobster finished them all.

From Lamarque, where the church bells tolled 11.00, I rode through more vineyards, each with their own sign; there are loads of them and I wonder if some are owned cooperatively, with everyone pitching in to take care of the vines. I also spotted a group of young workers, who might’ve been travellers earning a few quid before going on to their next destination; pretty hard work in this heat – at least I get a breeze.

I passed a lot of buildings called chateau, but not all of them looked chateau-like. Perhaps that’s just what each building that’s central to a vineyard ends up being called, whatever it looks like. I enjoyed riding through the flat countryside, and spotted lots of wildlife today, including buzzards, Goldfinches, Black Kites, Swallows, cows (thanks for the reminder Lobster) and two Coipo – one alive and shuffling into the reeds next to the river, and one unfortunately dead, probably hit by vehicle.

It was a hot ride down to Bordeaux, some of it alongside the Gironde, and then the Garonne, and some of it on back-streets as I followed a diversion around road works. I had to negotiate a lot of bumpy cobbles again, which always fill me with fear that something is going to break, however there were no issues on this occasion.

The ride down the esplanade alongside the river to the centre set the scene for Bordeaux, a magnificent city, and one that I knew little about beforehand. According to Wikipedia it was founded by a Celtic tribe, then the Romans came along and introduced wine growing, which has persisted in the area ever since. I believe there are still Roman remains in the city however I’m not sure if I saw any as I meandered about its narrow streets, then wide boulevards and squares.

I think I prefer Bordeaux to Paris, which might be a bit controversial, but it has the same appeal from a historical and architectural point of view, and was far less packed when I visited; much easier to relax and take it in. I enjoyed a walk around the antiques quarter, then had a ‘Baguette Steake Frites’ at the Esplanade Des Quinconces. The square is massive, and home to the Monument aux Girondins; a tribute to a group of ‘deputes Girondes’ executed during the French revolution, and regarded as heroes of the republic.

After a quick trip to the tourist information, where I acquired  map, I headed down to the Miroir D’Eau, next to the river, which is essentially a large open area where water slowly trickles up from the paving stones, and occasionally mists the area; very refreshing on a hot day and the ‘miroir’ was packed with people relaxing in the sunshine. I had a paddle, and was spotted on a webcam by the ‘stalkers’ from Norwich; good job!

From there I walked through the shopping district, which was positively bustling, then headed to the Cathedral before making my way out of the city.

Bordeaux is definitely worth a visit, with lots to see and a great atmosphere. One thing I realised latterly; I didn’t see anyone begging or homeless, which is in stark contrast to other cities I’ve passed through, and I couldn’t tell you why this is the case. Maybe Bordeaux is too remote, or the authorities move people on.

My intended destination for the night was Gradignan and the Beausoleil campsite, about 10km outside Bordeaux. To get there I rode through the university district, arriving at the campsite about 17.00, and feeling very hot. Whilst the small campsite was fine for one night, it didn’t have any shade, and was lacking the swimming pool I’m getting used to, so I decided I’d move on in the morning rather than take a rest day.

Beausoleil camping, Gradignan

Beausoleil camping, Gradignan

I nipped up to a local shop and bought melon and taboule for dinner, as well a couple of Grimbergen Blonde beers just to keep my calorie count up, then managed to find some shade to relax in for a couple of hours. Two Spanish motorcylists arrived at the campsite, on their way to Kiev, and I chatted to them for a bit, before calling it a day once the sun had gone down and my tent had sufficiently cooled to permit sleep without slow-cooking myself.

Tomorrow I plan a short ride down towards the coast near Acarchon, rather than follow the Eurovelo 3 route inland which seems to bend about a lot and I’m not sure why. The coastal route down to the border with Spain, near Biarritz, looks very pleasant, with a marked cycle route and miles of forest and beach to enjoy. I’m also more likely to meet people and maybe find some fun activities to do if I go that way. Whatever happens it’ll be an interesting side-trek before I cut back inland to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and the start of the Camino de Santiago. Tomorrow is also a bit of a rest day, which’ll hopefully involve getting some washing done in-between doing some lounging, however the next few days will, touch wood, be pretty relaxing as I slow down in order to rendezvous with my parents in Spain.

Hope all is well back in the UK, and summer has properly arrived; I haven’t looked a the news in a while, and intend to try and avoid it for the most part, but let me know if it all goes bad for Greece; fingers crossed it won’t but can’t see how they’ll get out of the current crisis.

23 & 24 June 2015 – Poitiers & Angouleme

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Routes and stats from the last couple of days, not including today which I’ll do tomorrow:

23 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/813009251
24 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/813683185

Pedalling 70 miles a day seems to be becoming the norm, however I need to slow down a bit so as not to overshoot a rendezvous with my parents in Northern Spain in about a week. I think I’ll have a day off in Bordeaux and enjoy some wine.

–> 23 June
A bit of overnight rain freshened everything up, and washed the dust off my tent. I awoke to another gorgeous morning in the grounds of Chateau Rolandiere, and got away by 09.00, heading down to Pouzay where I stopped at a boulangerie for breakfast; two croissants, and a pain-au-chocolat which I saved for later.

After that it was a case of riding down quiet roads alongside the Vienne river to Chatellerault, passing fields of young sunflowers, and being passed by quite a few road cyclists who all said ‘Bonjour’.

I was riding at a good pace, averaging 20km/h in the morning fuelled by a couple of Grimbergen beers from last night; a slight tailwind also helped. I passed a number of chateaux,  however this one in Dissay was especially impressive.

Dissay - downhill to the Chateau

Dissay – downhill to the Chateau

Dissay - Chateau

Dissay – Chateau

For the first time I wore my summer cycling gear, as it’s getting pretty hot, and applied judicious amounts of sun-cream to avoid burning my rather pasty arms.

I cycled past the ruins of Old Poitiers, and the site of the Battle of Poitiers. I’m not sure if the latter is the site of the battle of 1346, during the 100 Years War, or the previous battle in 732 when Charles Martel defeated the Umayyad Caliphate, thus turning back the tide of Islam and preserving Christianity in Europe. The battle of 732 is regarded as a major turning point in European history, and laid the foundations for the Carolingian (Frankish) Empire. The 100 Years War Battle of Poitiers was won by he English lead by ‘the Black Prince’, who won the previous Battle of Crecy and the next battle at Agincourt.

After passing a large golf course and enjoying cycling alongside the river I reached Poitiers, and found it one of the easiest cities to get into so far, albeit with a steep climb to get to the centre, up some lovely narrow streets.

As it was lunchtime I stopped for a couple of panini; some might call two excessive but not when your burning 3,500 plus calories cycling each day. I had a walk around, enjoying some shade, then continued heading South through lots more farmland, dotted with chateaux and old ruins.

Heading South from Poitiers

Heading South from Poitiers

South from Poitiers; lots more Farmland

South from Poitiers; lots more Farmland

I arrived in Couhe, my destination for the day, and found the campsite had a swimming pool and water slide, as well as a jacuzzi. The Peupliers campsite has got to rank in my top 5 of the tour so far. I nipped to the supermarket to get some food, et du vin Rose, then took the plunge. I grinned all the way down the water slide, several times, feeling like a kid again, and a swim post a hot day’s ride was blissful. I practically had the pool to myself, and with free wi-fi the campsite was definitely winning.

I spent the evening, post swim, catching-up with things on the Internet, as well as my blog, and bought a ticket for Bellowhead’s Farewell Tour next April; sad that they’re calling it a day but don’t want to miss their last gig.

Whilst I coped with the sun and heat well today, and am continuing to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, I had a few equipment fails. My tent zip broke again, but I’ve since mended it, and my rear panniers partially came off over a speed bump and had to be re-attached. I lost two of the spacers from the pannier rack attachments, which I’ll need to replace at some point, but they’ll be alright for a bit longer; just means they’re slightly loose and might detach more easily over bumps.

–> 24 June
It was a bit of an effort getting up this morning, after a good night’s sleep and it being a very comfortable temperature in my tent, shaded by trees. Perhaps the broken zip was a good thing, as it lets cooler air circulate, but I don’t want the circulation to include mosquitos!

Peupliers - Smaug packed for another day

Peupliers – Smaug packed for another day

I probably should have taken a rest day at the Peupliers campsite, but as usual I felt the urge to be on the move. A few of us cycle tourers have been discussing ‘Why go cycle touring?’ and what drives us to keep going, or what pace to go at. It’s an interesting topic and can depend on whether you’re cycling solo or as part of a group. Tony wrote a blog post on it here – http://gillandtony.co.uk/why-go-cycle-touring/

I tend to travel quite fast, relatively speaking, and bank time to use in the future in case I find somewhere I want to stop, or divert to. It would probably be different if I was touring with other people, as I’d spender longer in places, maybe, I don’t know, will have to give it a try sometime. To an extent it can depend on how you’re feeling, and usually the battle is a mental one not a physical one.

Feeling pretty good, mentally as well as physically, I got off to an early start and pedalled off through lots of countryside and small villages, passing old churches and fields full of ripening corn and growing sunflowers. You get the impression not much has changed around here for hundreds of years, aside from the fact they’re using combine harvesters now, a few of which are already seeing some action.

I headed down to Ruflec, then on to Verteuil-sur-Charente, a delightful small town with a beautiful château, and very picturesque streets and buildings built alongside the river. I stopped for lunch and was reminded that Camembert doesn’t travel well in the sun – it was a bit runny but still tasted fine, and the bananas complimented it well.

Then it was a long ride down to Angouleme, involving quite a lot of hills and many more small towns. I went through a lot of water again as the temperature approached 30 degrees, and may well have exceeded that. It was pretty dusty too, and the pollen count is still a bit high which can cause irritation; lovely down by the river though.

Angouleme itself is built on a hill and dates back many centuries. It commands an important convergence of several roads, and because of this has been the site of many conflicts over the years, coming under siege a lot. After a fierce climb in the heat to get to the centre, I paused for a look around before heading West.

It took me a little while to find but I joined a cycle path alongside the Charente post Angouleme, which took me towards Sireuil, my destination for the day.

Latterly I passed quite a lot of grape vines, an encouraging sign, before reaching Camping du Nizour. I stopped at a shop on my way there and bought some strawberry milk, which hit the spot. I think milk, and flavoured milk, is going to become a new staple, it being cold, and full of calories and protein. I drank loads on my Bike around Britain tour but had forgotten about it until now; it really is perfect for long distance cycle touring, and recovery from any sort of exercise.

Grapevines in Sireuil

Grapevines in Sireuil

The campsite was another good’un, with a swimming pool and bar/snack cafe, and not expensive. The pool was a blessing after hot day, and really revitalised me, having pedalled slightly further than intended due to a bendy route. The friendly and helpful owners gave me another chance to practise my French as I tried to decide on my route for the next few days; they also supplied reasonably priced cold beer.

Planning session in Camping du Nizour - where to next?

Planning session in Camping du Nizour – where to next?

As I may have mentioned already I need to slow down a bit so that I don’t overshoot a rendezvous with my parents in Northern Spain, in about a week’s time, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll definitely have a day off before then, probably near Bordeaux, and will try to have couple of slower/shorter days which might be a bit of a challenge given earlier comments; it’s really hard to slow down sometimes. I’m on track to get to Salamanca for my birthday, which  looks like a great city to visit, and whilst I have time on my side I don’t want to get too distracted and end up not getting there in time. I think it’ll all work out fine, but I must remember there are some rather large hills/mountains coming up!

One other thing from today; I’m finding it easier to get in the zone, and not keep looking at my odometer and how far I’ve pedalled since breakfast. Cycling for hours gives me time to think about lots of things, especially when I’m ignoring my Garmin, whilst keeping one eye on the route; I’ve neglected to do that a few times and ended up in a few odd places – usually fun but sometimes frustrating. Stuff I’ve been mulling over recently includes writing a book based on my journey, but a parallel fantasy version thereof involving an adventure, trolls, no doubt a quest or two, and giving people, places and events I’ve encountered a slight twist. For example Helsinger in Denmark might turn into a place where monks sing day and night, to keep the demons escaping from hell. I probably ought to think about writing and trying to publish a factual account of my tour too, but one thing at a time.

I also keep thinking about what I want to do with the rest of my life, the eternal question that so many ask of themselves. I envy those people who seem to know exactly what they want to do when they grow up, although I don’t think there are that many who are certain. Maybe I just haven’t grown up yet! I’ll keep mulling possibilities over, but one thing’s for sure, more adventures either by bike, foot, or otherwise, are on the cards.

I pedalled 113km both on 23 and 24 June, but it took half an hour longer on the 24th (6.5hrs) due to more hills. My total miles since Nordkapp, including today (25/06), now stands at 3,233 miles; that’s over 5,200km!

Apologies for any spelling errors, I’ve had to write this a bit more quickly than normal due to wi-fi limitations. I’ll also try to re-label some of the photos more accurately at some point.

20, 21, & 22 June – cyling La Loire

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Firstly, Happy Birthday to my brother Will, hope you’ve had a great day! (okay so that’s 24hrs late as couldn’t publish this on the day, but it’s the thought that counts yes?)

Secondly, in this post I’ll try to cover 3 days, quite quickly. I say quickly but we’ll see how that turns out; cycling the Loire along some of the ‘Loire à Vélo’ trail is another highlight of the tour.

Here are my routes and stats from the last 3 days.

20 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/810720516
21 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/810722368
22 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/812011726

Also, I passed the 3,000 miles since Nordkapp today; about 4,880km, averaging 102km a day including rest days which I’m pretty chuffed about. I’ll do another vital statistics post at some point, maybe tomorrow; more punctures to add to the tally!

–> 20 June
I was awoken by a roaring sound, which I kinda recognised, but needed to get out of my tent to check; hot air balloons going overhead in the morning sunshine.

Hot air balloons in the morning - Grez-sur-Loing

Hot air balloons in the morning – Grez-sur-Loing

Once the balloons turned their burners off it all looked and sounded very tranquil. I gave them a wave and got on with breakfast, then packing up (evicting more ants), and saying hello to even more climbers who’d turned up during the night; there was some audacious trampolining going on, as well as some tight-rope walking attempts which appears to be the new ‘thing’ to do.

It was easy riding pedalling South to Montargis, aside from one cobbly bit. I stopped for some lunch at a boulangerie just outside the town, consuming a couple of fine goats cheese tarts and a chocolate roule; French boulangeries really do compliment cycle touring perfectly, and have cut down on my visits to fast food establishments!

I joined a canal path for the ride down to Coudroy, which was a bit off-road but very pleasant chilled out cycling. For the first time on this tour I listened to some music whilst riding; the soundtrack to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode followed by some Bellowhead and Greenday. I didn’t have my earphones in, just quietly played it through my phone which was being charged by my dynamo, worked really well and no-one else around to annoy.

As well as a family of swans, I pedalled past some ducklings and their parents, and added a new bird to my ‘spot it jot it’ list, a Black Woodpecker which I’ve never seen before, and pretty amazing with its red crest; too quick to photo though.

Cycling pots

Cycling pots

For some reason I’d been feeling a little down, however the ride really perked me up, and listening to music or singing always helps. After the canal path I rejoined roads down to Chateauneuf-sur-Loire, and the Maltournee campsite on the southern side of the Loire.

The campsite proved pretty average, and I couldn’t connect to the Wifi which was annoying, but no-one else could either, however Chateauneuf-sur-Loire was excellent and it was great to finally be on the Loire.

After setting up I headed into town and discovered there was a music festival on, with bands located on the streets which had all been closed for the evening. Although a day early this was to celebrate midsummer, and throughout France there are similar music festivals happening today and tomorrow. After meandering through the town listening to various bands, all pretty different it has to be said, I stopped at a restaurant and sat outside having a pizza, listening to a two-man act – guitar and jambee, who were very good. I think the band were called Sadyra, with a Senegalese influence; I loved the acoustic guitar, drum, and impro nature of the music. The crowd all joined in for various bits as well, with a few people taking up a jambee on occasion; I was too focussed on my Calzone pizza and wine to participate overly.

The street bands finished about 20.00, whereupon the main act kicked off in the central marketplace. They were a 6 piece act complete with accordion, trombone, trumpet and guitars, creating a great atmosphere for the next couple of hours. I filmed a bit of it but still haven’t quite worked out if I can insert a movie into a blog post without having to link to Youtube.

I headed back to the campsite feeling pretty relaxed and happy; the Rose probably helped but the atmosphere and music definitely put me in a good state of mind. I was ready for tomorrow’s ride down to Orleans, and then on to Tours alongside the Loire.

Dusk falls on the Loire

Dusk falls on the Loire

I covered about 96km today, in 5hrs and 45 mins, accompanied by the sound of crickets for a lot of it, which I’ve realised has recently become a permanent feature in the countryside.

–> 21 June
It appears doing quick posts isn’t easy; I’m too verbose for my own good, however I’m enjoying writing this in my tent with a cold beer, listening to what’s either light drizzle or insects hitting the canvas. I think it’s insects, which reminds me of the midges in Scotland, however there was a small shower earlier which was refreshing post a very hot day’s ride.

The night had been muggy however it was a cooler morning to wake up to, and slightly overcast which was nice. Unfortunately there’d been no rain to dampen down the pollen count and dust. I could also do with a shower to give my tent a wash; the outside has got a bit sticky from camping under trees – sap and aphid residue I think. Trees do provide welcome shade though so that isn’t going to change.

After a good evening in Chateauneuf-sur-Loire I was enthusiastic about the ride along the Loire towards Orleans and Blois. Unfortunately I’d forgotten to buy any breakfast so had to make do with a banana, cheese, and some biscuits; not actually too bad considering, however I need to get better at shopping.

Leaving Chateauneuf-sur-Loire

Leaving Chateauneuf-sur-Loire

I was on the road by 09.00, and spent most of the day on cycle paths, or small roads shared between bikes and the occasional car.

Good cycle paths on Loire à Vélo route

Good cycle paths on Loire à Vélo route

Heading South West it was easy riding, it being mostly flat. The only annoyance was the number of small flies swarming about. They weren’t midges, but were a similar size, and got everywhere. My arms and legs ended up covered in them as I cycled along, and I’m sure I inhaled more than a few; dunno if that counts as valid protein intake? It wasn’t long before I reached Orleans, where I decided to take a look at the Cathedral rather than cycle straight past.

I also had an ulterior motive; second breakfast. I found a good boulangerie doing 4 pain-au-chocolat for the price of 3, and tucked in. Lobster was more impressed with this than the cathedral, however I liked Orleans, and would return for another look around; this tour is a bit like a scouting trip finding cool places to come back to really. I did have to dodge the tram lines, and actual trams a bit, but made it safely out of the city.

From Orleans I continued on through the countryside next to the Loire. The route encompassed a lot of farmland which was a bit monotonous, but also small towns with markets going on, the occasional cafe, lots of people fishing, and a power station just to make things different.

I passed a lot of cycle tourers as well as day cyclists going both ways along the Loire à Vélo route today, the trail along France’s Royal River being extremely popular; I think it’s over 800km all the way to Nantes. Just before Blois, which I’d decided was far enough for one day, I met up with Ben and Alex who were on the first day of their tour along the Loire, having started in Orleans.

Cour-sur-Loire

Cour-sur-Loire

We ended up staying at the same campsite South of the river in Blois; Val du Blois. It was good to meet up with a couple of Brits, and the campsite was swarming with cycle tourers from all over the place; French, German, American, to name but a few nationalities. After setting up, plus an icecream, and realising the wi-fi was once again crap, we headed into Blois for some food, and discovered another ‘Fete Musique’ celebrating midsummer.

There were bands situated all through the town, in a similar fashion to Chateauneuf-sur-Loire but on a bigger scale. One metal band was enjoying their moment in the limelight, scaring the locals slightly, however there were a few stalwart metal fans flinging their hair about. The steak dinner I had, whilst not particularly in budget, was very fine, and I reckon necessary to ensure a balanced diet that will enhance my cycling ability.

Bridge across the Loire in Blois

Bridge across the Loire in Blois

Blois is another picturesque town on the Loire, one of many, and good for a visit. After dinner and a wander about we headed back to the campsite before it got dark. It was good to chill out for a bit before cycling on to Tours and then South towards Poitiers tomorrow.

Relaxing in Val du Blois as sun sets

Relaxing in Val du Blois as sun sets

I covered 98km in 5hrs and 38 mins today.

–> 22 June
Today was a bit of a longer ride; 114km in 6hrs and 40 mins, taking me down to a campsite innate grounds of a Chateau.

Up early and packed, ready to head to Tours

Up early and packed, ready to head to Tours

I’m always slightly surprised when I’m up in good time, not really being a morning person, and ready to start pedalling before 09.00. This turned out to be one of those days, and I think I need to adjust to earlier starts as it gets hotter; start early, have a longer lunch break, then a short ride in the afternoon. It’s probably easier to be a morning person when you don’t have to go to work.

Morning view of the bridge over to Blois

Morning view of the bridge over to Blois

Ben and Alex hadn’t quite surfaced by the time I left, so I left them a good luck note and got underway; good luck guys, hope the wheel issue is fixed, and the rest of the tour goes well.

Cycling through more farmland - corn and poppies

Cycling through more farmland – corn and poppies

I followed the Loire past Blois, as the Loire a Velo route took me South West, occasionally turning away from the river through small villages; this ended up adding on quite a few kilometres to the day’s ride, however it was much better being off the roads, and nice saying hello to other cyclists.

Loire a Velo sign - these appear at regular intervals

Loire a Velo sign – these appear at regular intervals

I passed through Chaumont, and continued on the road to Amboise.

Amboise had been another possibility for a campsite, however I was glad I hadn’t pressed on yesterday, as it would have taken me at least another 2 hours to get there, probably more on tired legs. It was pretty full of tourists, and I could see why with a picturesque chateau, and the home of Leonardo da Vinci; Clos Luce. It was once home to the French Court too, and I think it was King Francis that invited Leonardo to live here.

After Amboise it was on to Tours, where I turned away from the Loire to head South, following the EuroVelo 3 route; I haven’t seen a sign of EV3 for a long time, but think I’m going roughly the right way. I paused in the city to visit the Cathedral, which was on route and nice and cool.

I like old buildings like castles, cathedrals and churches. The latter two are often quiet and peaceful, and offer a moment of quiet contemplation away from an otherwise hectic day, in the same way a tranquil spot in a forest does. Tours Cathedral, as well as being nice and cool after being out in the sunshine, was pretty impressive. It was built in the 12th century, and they needed to knock down some of the old Roman walls to fit it in.

Heading South to Trogues

Heading South to Trogues

I headed South from Tours, and it got hotter, which combined with a bit of a headwind could have led to dehydration. I drank all three of my water bottles and a cold can of pop, and am contemplating adding a 4th water bottle to my array, just in case. This is all good acclimatisation for Spain and Morocco, where it’ll be hotter. It’ll be manageable as long as I drink enough and don’t get sunstroke; been wearing a bandana or my lightweight buff, both of which keep the sun off my head, and I can soak them in water when I pass a clean source, which is very pleasant.

Eventually I made it to Trogues, after some dusty riding whilst navigating my way through a bit of a maze of country roads. I arrived at the campsite, based in the grounds of Chateau Rolandiere, about 17.00, hoping they had the snack bar/restaurant as advertised on the ACSI app; sadly they didn’t meaning I had to get a bit creative on the dinner front.

The bar was open though, so I had a nice cold Grimbergen beer as a recovery drink.

Cold glass of Grimbergen to end the day on

Cold glass of Grimbergen to end the day on

The campsite owners were very friendly and helpful, providing me with chair to sit on next to my tent, and complimenting me on my French which I think might be getting better; good to practice lots anyway. I guess I’d better start learning a few phrases from the Spanish book I brought with me!

The Chateau Rolandiere campsite was a peaceful destination for the night, and allowed me to catch up on my blog a bit. It also rained slightly which cooled things down and meant I slept very well. Tomorrow it’s on to Poitiers and beyond.

–> Okay, so that wasn’t that quick a blog post, but to does cover 3 days, and means I’ve only got today to write to be up-to-date now!

19 June 2015 – a day off in Grez-sur-Loing

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Whilst France is great, I’m not having much luck getting decent Wifi, so am a bit behind with my blog posts…I know…shocker…at least I’m not as behind as I was on my Bike around Britain tour, and will hopefully catch up with some ‘brief’ posts tonight. Here’s one about my rest day in Grez-sur-Loing, a lovely place for a stop.

I still cycled about 20 km, pedalling a very pleasant circuit to a nearby climbing area, and then back to Grez. Here’s the route I took:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/810719721

So what to do with a day off? It’s been a while since I had one and I’d got to the point where I felt like I needed some time to relax, to recharge mentally if not physically. Ian, a friend who joined me for a few days on my Bike around Britain tour, had recommended this place and it was certainly a chilled out venue for some downtime. There are however always chores to do, so I started the day with some washing, then had a snooze whilst reading Alice in Wonderland, which could have led to some weird dreams, then hung my washing up and thought I’d better do something. Ian had suggested a climbing area called ‘Elephant’, that isn’t to far from Grez, down near Larchant, and offers lots of bouldering opportunities; this was convenient since I ‘stupidly’ hadn’t thought to lug all my heavy climbing gear with from the UK.

So Lobster and I headed off in search of Elephants. We found some gorgeous forest first, very tranquil.

Pushing on a bit further we discovered the famed ‘Elephant’ bouldering area, and I spent a couple of hours trying to remember how to climb, without hurting myself. Several years ago, and the last time I did any serious climbing, I fell off from about 2 foot up, breaking my elbow and dislocating my kneecap; apparently I turned an interesting shade of green. I’m all mended now, however I my elbow can tell when a storm is brewing – it aches.

Having looked around a bit, we found the Elephant itself.

Elephant! And a Lobster.

Elephant! And a Lobster.

And lots of Lizards.

Lizard - there were lots of them scurrying about

Lizard – there were lots of them scurrying about

I climbed up a rock and sat in the sunshine for a bit; relaxing in a forest is a good way to spend a day off, and very therapeutic.

Post elephant I cycled back to Grez-sur-Loing, via Larchant, with slightly aching arms. I was however quite pleased that my wonky hand hadn’t impeded any climbing activity; still a bit wonky due to all this cycling though.

Back at the campsite I did some bike maintenance, which mainly involved tweaking my gears; front shifter needed realigning slightly after chain and rear cassette change. As the evening progressed and I caught up on blogging and route planning, more and more people arrived for the weekend; mostly climbers by the looks of it. I spoke to a few who come here fairly regularly, just because the area is so good for climbing and getting away from it all, and it’s not far from Paris, with a great little campsite that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

All ready to get back on the road down to the Loire region, I hit the sack, after evicting quite a lot of ants from my tent again; varmint holes providing entry points, which I must gaffer tape up again.

17 & 18 June – Paris & Fontainebleau

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Scandinavia and Nordkapp seem like quite a long time ago now, but they aren’t really, it just appears that way when you’re filling each day with new sights, sounds and experiences, and lots of pedalling. If I’d been at work for a month and a half instead I’m sure I find it difficult to distinguish one day from the next; on balance this is much better, however one does of course fund the other!

Nordkapp did look and feel a bit different though…

Nordkapp - Smaug made it - that's the name of my bike, from Oxford Bike Works

Nordkapp – Smaug made it – that’s the name of my bike, from Oxford Bike Works

Here are my routes and stats for the 17 & 18 June, which took me to Paris and then on to a little town and campsite South of Fontainebleau, where I’m having a day off; very pleasant it is too.

17 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/807014462

18 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/808001165  & https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/808001251

–> 17 June
Today was mostly about getting to Paris, where I thought I might spend a couple of days, however I changed my plans once I got there; great place to visit but expensive and noisy. I covered 123km in about 8 hours, so a long day, but worth it.

I left Vic-sur-Aisne pretty early, riding up to Attichy and Berneuit-sur-Aisne thinking about how the area must have looked and felt during both World Wars, when it was on the front line; there are lots of cemeteries and markers that testify to this.

Vic-sur-Aisne

Vic-sur-Aisne

I could have headed up to Compiègne, or to the nearby Armistice site, however I decided to cut through the forest to Pierrefonds instead. The Armistice site has a duplicate of the railway carriage – Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage –  used in World War 1 to sign the agreement bringing an end to hostilities. The same carriage was used in World War 2 when Germany forced France to surrender; Hitler brought the carriage from Paris especially, to humiliate the French, then took it to Berlin to display before it was destroyed by the SS in 1945.

But I skipped all that, as thoughts of the War were leaving me feeling a bit chilly. Riding through the Compiègne Forest was much more pleasant, and then I turned a corner and saw the Chateau in Pierrefonds, which is just like something out of a Disney movie; I think it might have inspired the Disney Castles you see.

Pierrefonds Chateau is truly magnificent, and the surrounding town very picturesque. It was however quite tricky getting a good photo of it due to the sun being in the wrong place. Leaving the town involved a steep climb, followed by more ups and downs as a made my way through the forest and out into open farmland. It was very pleasant riding even if I was burning a lot of calories in getting anywhere; I passed several other cyclists out enjoying the shaded lanes and lovely scenery.

As I cycled slowly over the bumpy cobbles in Orrouy a Belgium tourer with fat tyres caught me up; he was having an easier time with the terrain. We had a quick chat and cycled together for a short while, before he turned off towards a campsite on the outskirts of Paris – probably better move than one in the middle of Paris but we live and learn.

My map ran out on the outskirts of Paris, before getting to the suburbs, so I was reliant on my Garmin to successfully penetrate the city’s outer arrondissements, and get to the centre. It was no easy task, with a lot of twists and turns, and pretty slow due to all the traffic and traffic lights. I was also feeling pretty tired, both physically and mentally, after a few days hard riding and the hot weather, and had to step up my alertness a few levels due to the crazy Parisian driving tactics; they don’t give you much space, are fast and pretty aggressive. I managed to get on cycle paths for some of it, Greenways I think, but not sure if any of it was the actual Avenue Verte; London to Paris route. I shared one section with a few rats out routling about for food; good to see them cleaning up after us humans.

I made it to the centre and slowly walked/cycled through to my campsite in the Bois du Boulogne, a story best told through pictures. Needless to say Paris was as impressive as ever, with stunning architecture, wide boulevards, and a great atmosphere. It is strange to think the last time I was here was with Lucy several years ago.

Riding up Les Champs-Élysées dodging buses, taxis and cycle taxis, all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, is an experience I’ll never forget; it was great to reach this iconic landmark in the centre of Paris. I spent quite a lot of time dodging people taking photos and selfies too – I wonder if they actually take the time to take in what they’re seeing; the street traders selling selfie sticks were doing well in any case.

After a long, hot, and dusty day I finally made it to my campsite in le Bois du Boulogne, the latter being slightly tricky to navigate through, and I did nearly go the wrong way down a one-way cycle path with pelotons coming the other way, which could have proved disastrous!

Camping Bois du Bologne

Camping Bois du Bologne

The campsite was expensive at €17, very noisy being next to main roads, and getting tent pegs in proved challenging to say the least, but I’d not expected anything less of somewhere in the middle off Paris. It has good facilities, as well as a restaurant, bar and snack van, although I couldn’t get the wifi to work. I enjoyed a ‘Rosbif’ dinner from the snack van, as well as a cold beer, and slept well despite the rock hard ground and noise from traffic.

'Rosbif' dinner - Camping Bois du Bologne

‘Rosbif’ dinner – Camping Bois du Bologne

I decided to head straight for Fontainebleau the next day; Paris was just too busy and expensive, although I want to come back without my bike for visit, to go round the catacombs and a few other bits I haven’t seen before; perhaps a visit to La Moulin Rouge!

–> 18 June

I was up early and on the road by 8 o’clock, keen to get down to South of Fontainebleau for a rest. I realised I was pretty tired as was finding it harder to speak French than a couple of days ago, so definitely time for a pause. Still covered about 100km, but it was slow going, especially getting out of Paris.

Leaving Paris - top of the Eiffel Tower in the clouds

Leaving Paris – top of the Eiffel Tower in the clouds

If Charleroi had been a akin to Mordor, then Paris is more like Minas Tirith, however I can’t help feeling it’s a bit under siege from the surrounding arrondissements, not all of which feel that friendly. It was a struggle to reach the outer limits, and took ages to finally reach countryside again. It didn’t help that it was a grey and drizzly day, however it was quite nice to be out of the sun for a bit.

I pedalled alongside the Seine for a bit, and generally followed it South to Fontainebleau, through lots of towns and villages, including Melun, where I think there must be a prison on an island in the middle of the town.

Fontainebleau proved to be a useful town; I reached it in good time, having started early, and checked Smaug into ‘A La Petite Reine’ for a service, as well as a replacement chain and rear cassette. I’d emailed the shop from Paris and they proved helpful, good value, and efficient; cost me about €75 for a new chain and cassette, as well as new rear brake pads, and the mechanic threw in a replacement part that I can fit to probably mend by bike stand. I just need a Allen key I don’t have with me to do so, however my parents are visiting in a couple of weeks so – Dad, will be in touch ref what tools to bring!

Whilst my bike was being serviced I had a wander around Fontainebleau, had a 12 inch Subway sandwich, followed by a Tuna baguette from a boulangerie, and a pain-au-chocolat for good measure. I also picked up a Michelin map for central France so don’t have to completely rely on my Garmin, which is a relief; I prefer paper maps, far more interesting.

It’s a relief to have a new chain and rear cassette fitted, as the old chain was starting to slip, and whilst I could fix a broken link it’s a messy job. I don’t think I’ll need to get them replaced again until I’m on my way back from Istanbul, and perhaps not until the UK, however I’ll need new tyres before then so might get everything done at once. The chain and cassette did over 3,000 miles which I don’t think is bad, however I’d be interested to hear opinions on how often you should change chains, cassettes, and the front chain ring for that matter, and also on how often people clean their chain, and how they do it, whilst on tour? I’m pretty amateurish when it comes to bike mechanics so advice is always appreciated.

It was only a short ride down from Fontainebleau to Grez-sur-Loing, and my campsite for a couple of nights; Camping Les Pres. It did however start rain quite hard, and that coupled with the spray from passing traffic left me quite damp.

By the time I reached Grez the sun had come out again, and I dried off quickly. The small town proved lovely, and has in the past been a place frequented by many artists. It has narrow streets, some cobbled, pretty architecture, a great small shop and boulangerie. In short I could probably spend at least a week here exploring, and doing some climbing in the surrounding area; loads of people come here for the outdoor activity, especially climbing. Les Pres camping is also a brilliant place to stay; fairly basic, but that’s fine, and only cost me €12 for two nights, which makes up for the wifi being expensive.

I’ll write about my day off in Grez-sur-Loing, and doing a bit of bouldering on an elephant tomorrow, however for now I’d better figure out where I’m going next; towards Orleans I think. I’ve also downloaded eBooks reader on my phone, as I’ve been missing a good book; been working my way through Alice in Wonderland as it was on 50p, and been ages since I read it. Might revisit LOTR next, so be warned; they’ll be more analogies with the landscape of Middle Earth. Thinking about it the area surrounding Fontainebleau is a bit like the Shire, without those pesky hobbits. A demain tout-le-monde.

14, 15 & 16 June 2015 – Brussels, Waterloo, et en France

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Bit of a catch-up post as I should hit Paris tomorrow, and want to be up-to-date blog wise. I’ve come quite a long way in the last few days, well mostly today really, and am now firmly en France. Here are my routes and stats for the last few days.

There are 3 entries for 14 June, due to my Garmin crashing twice; it sometimes freezes when I’m using it to actually navigate somewhere, rather than just record my route.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/803827972
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/803828064
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/803938255

15 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/805092925

16 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/805983261

–> 14 June
Last night I’d only been thinking nothing had broken in a while, so it wasn’t really much of a surprise to find myself fixing one of my rear panniers before setting off in the morning, or that my tent zip had broken; I’d have a go at fixing that later. Luckily I’ve brought some spare bits for my panniers, and could replace the bolt that had pinged off somewhere from the rack attachment.

Today was a sort of rest day anyway, in that I wasn’t intending to go very far; ended up covering about 70km, in 4hrs 30 mins, so still went a fair distance in the end. After mending stuff I packed up slowly and said goodbye to River and Eugene, who left for the airport & Barcelona, and Amsterdam respectively. Good luck guys!

First stop for me was Brussels, which is only about 10km down the road from Grimbergen. Getting into the city was pretty straightforward, and I had a good walk around, taking in the central square in the old town, and cathedral. It’s always tricky in a busy city, packed with tourists taking photos and moving about randomly, when you have a heavy bike to deal with, but I made it through. The Friteries smelt very tempting, but the queues were massive and not really an option with the bike; one of those occasions when you need a travelling companion – Lobster just doesn’t cut it in these scenarios.

As well as all the other people taking photos I took a few, here is a selection.

I might have labelled some of those wrongly, and would welcome any corrections; I’ll try to look them over again when I have more time.

Brussels is certainly a melting pot of cultures, and a great place to visit. I guess it puts Belgium on the map, it being the seat of the European Parliament and where Nato is based. There’s a buzz to the city, and it’s definitely on the list to come back to at some point. It was great to hear people speaking French too, as well as signs being in French; finally a language I’m more familiar with. To be fair though I heard all sorts of languages being spoken from Flemish and French, to English, German, Italian, Chinese and several others.

After a couple of hours I tried to extricate myself from the city, which was easier said than done. It took me about an hour to get to the outskirts and on the road to Waterloo, with a lot of bumping about on cobbles, and getting stuck in traffic. I also had to be very careful not to get ensnared by tram lines!

Tram lines - deadly for cyclists if your wheel gets caught in them

Tram lines – deadly for cyclists if your wheel gets caught in them

A strange thing happened as I rode South; I started encountering gradients, hills had entered the fray once again. It was actually very nice to pedal up and down a few hills after mostly riding across flat landscapes for several days, and you get more variety on the scenery front.

Nice church on outskirts of Brussels; in Alsemberg

Nice church on outskirts of Brussels; in Alsemberg

I rode on to the town of Waterloo, bumping about on the unfriendly Belgium roads, stopping briefly in the town where there are a couple of museums, before pedalling on to the Butte du Lion, the site of the Battle of Waterloo.

The battle site has a few signs showing you where Wellington set up the defences to stop Napoleon reaching Brussels, and where the French cavalry, about 8,000 of them, charged the Allied defensive squares; they were repulsed but after a lot of casualties, and some of the squares were broken. Then the French elite Imperial Guard attacked, but were driven back. Wellington sounded the advance and the battle was won. That’s a rough summary anyway, it’s mostly potato fields and coach loads of tourists now. These signs amused me:

I continued through the countryside, passing through Nivelles towards Charleroi, stopping at the Trieu du Bois campsite in Luttre, just down from Pont-a-Celles.

Crossing to Pont-a-Celles

Crossing to Pont-a-Celles

After a relatively easy day, despite the bumpy roads, it was nice chilling out at the campsite; a tranquil spot next to the Brussels-Charleroi canal. The campsite owner brought me a chair; a total luxury for a cycle tourer.

I also managed to fix my tent zip, which wasn’t easy but came as something of a relief.

I’d definitely recommend this small but lovely campsite if you’re in the area, good wifi too. I chatted to a couple of French cycle tourers from Lille, on their way to Namur, and a Dutch motorcyclist on his way home and intending to ride 1,000km tomorrow; bit further than I’ll manage. Also did a bit of beard maintenance, keeping it for the time being, and fell asleep listening to the sound of lots of frogs going ribbet.

–> 15 June 
Bit further today; 97km covered in 5hrs and 45 mins. I noticed my front tyre was flat when I emerged from my tent, so I had to fix that before getting on the road. I just used a new inner tube this time, but found the puncture in the old one, which is already patched; a tiny pin prick whole which I can patch later. I couldn’t find what caused it which is always a worry, as it might still be in the tyre.

Packed up post puncture fix - at Trieu du Bois

Packed up post puncture fix – at Trieu du Bois

The two French tourers left before me, as did the Dutch motorcyclist, however I wasn’t far behind them despite the puncture. i turned right out of the campsite onto the canal path, hoping it would take me to the centre of Charleroi; it looked like it should.

On the towpath to Charleroi

On the towpath to Charleroi

Canal connects Charleroi to Brussels and still used lots

Canal connects Charleroi to Brussels and still used lots

I caught up with the French tourers on the outskirts of Charleroi, as they tried to find the route to Namur. I was similarly confused in my attempts to get into the city. The cycle path signposts had vanished, and the canal path I’d been followed stopped at a factory. I eventually made it into the centre but really shouldn’t have bothered; it was a bit like making my way into a more industrialised version of Mordor, and I’m sure I passed a gateway to Hades at one point.

Charleroi itself wasn’t much better, but I felt a sense of achievement at having penetrated its defences and making it to the Crack of Doom; could’ve done with the Eagles coming to carry me back out of the city though. It’s a bit of a dead place, very industrial which harkens back to its origins, but now just dirty and smelly with not much greenery. Maybe the overcast day didn’t help, but I’d been hoping for a bit more as I joined up with Eurvelo 3; didn’t see any signs for that by the way.

I made my way out by roughly the same route, but on roads as opposed to the canal paths; they were busy, narrow, and had lots of lorries. Thankfully the situation improved when I reached a lovely canal path, starting at Landelies (I could have probably joined it earlier if there’d been adequate signage), and staying on it all the way to Thuin.

The canal path wound through forested hills, with the occasional lock, a few boats chugging along slowly, and no traffic; bliss after Charleroi, which on a good point provided an excellent contrast.

After lunch in Thuin I cycled South West to the  border with France, crossing at a small village called Bousignies-sur-Roc; there were no signs to suggest I’d entered France, however my phone changed to a new provider and I got a text alerting me to the fact.

Entering France via Bousignies-sur-Roc

Entering France via Bousignies-sur-Roc

The rest of the ride down to Fourmies was very pleasant, if a little hilly in bits (legs coped fine), however the roads were much smoother compared with Belgium, and it felt good being in France finally.

Solre-le-Château - spire looks wonky

Solre-le-Château – spire looks wonky

I pedalled through a big forest; Parc Departmental du Val Joly, where there are wild boar, wild cats, deer, and all sorts of other Flora and Fauna. I stopped for a banana break; Lobster spotted a squirrel but little else.

I stopped in Fourmies, and the campsite at Etang-des-Moines, having made fairly good time; only €9 for the campsite too. After setting up I nipped to le Supermarche then feasted on salad, pasta, bread and nearly a whole Camembert, fruit, chocolate, and a few Grimbergen Blonde beers; a worthy meal to celebrate a new country.

Etang des Moines camping

Etang des Moines camping

I’m glad to be in France, a country I’ve always been comfortable with, perhaps because I can speak more of the language, but also because I lived in Marseille for nearly a year. I like the lifestyle and people, and am looking forward to the next week or so as I make my way to Spain, then the leg along the Mediterranean coast post Tarifa. The campsite was quiet so I spent the evening route planning and relaxing listening to music; the North Easterly wind made it a bit chilly so it wasn’t long before I burrowed into my tent.

Lobster assisting with route planning, with beer, what could possibly go wrong

Lobster assisting with route planning, with beer, what could possibly go wrong

–> 16 June
Today’s been a great day; 142km in 7hrs and 20 mins, riding down smooth and quiet French roads – sorry Belgium, it was good to visit, and there were bits I liked, but I’m not sad to leave. I left the campsite in good time, at 08.30, feeling energised after last night’s feast and finishing off the Camembert for breakfast.

Etang des Moines camping

Etang des Moines camping

From Fourmies I rode down to Wimy, and stumbled upon a Eurvelo 3 sign, will wonders never cease?!

First Eurovelo 3 sign of the tour

First Eurovelo 3 sign of the tour

With sun shining it was a lovely ride down the cycle track, all the way to Guise. I had the path pretty much to myself, aside from many cows in the surrounding fields. It wound through woodland as well as fields of corn, and the occasional village. I’m wondering if it was an old railway track as it was pretty flat, and made for easy riding, aside from the gravel surface which was a bit grating and kept flicking up under my mud-guards.

My chain slipped a couple of times, probably because of the gravel, but it reminded me that I need to get it changed when I get to Paris. After Guise I continued on through the countryside to St. Quentin, and had a break for lunch; loving the boulangeries! St. Quentin is a lovely city, with a few poignant reminders of World Wars 1 and 2.

It was a bit of a diversion to visit St. Quentin, but worth it. From there I rode South West on a long but very enjoyable ride towards Compiegne, passing a number of war cemeteries which made me reflect on how lucky we are in more recent times, and how I can ride through countryside enjoying myself in an area which was once the front line in two fierce wars, with so many killed and injured; I realise there are some horrible wars going on in other parts of the world but this bit is nice.

I didn’t go all the way to Compiegne, instead turning South to Vic-sur-Aisne and the La Croix De Vieux Port campsite. Before getting there I had to negotiate a few particularly steep climbs, which were difficult in the heat and after 120km already done; a road signposted up the ‘Old Mountain’ (nears Cuts) filled me with apprehension, but it was lovely and shaded, and I stopped for a break at the top.

La Croix De Vieux Port proved to be a great campsite, with a €10 special rate for cycle tourers. The owner also complimented me on my French, so it can’t be too rusty, and showed me to a quiet camping area away from the masses; there are a lot of Brits on holiday here, and it’s been nice chatting to a few.

Tranquil camping spot

Tranquil camping spot

The site has a restaurant, pizzeria, bar, swimming pools, bowling and lots of other stuff by the looks of it, and would be quite a good place for a family break judging from all the children and their slightly exasperated parents chasing them about. I relaxed and had a pizza; could’ve eaten two and might go back for another in a minute.

Pizza at La Croix De Vieux Pont

Pizza at La Croix De Vieux Pont

I’m thinking about stopping in Salamanca for my birthday, a reasonable distance to pedal between now and 05 July. I could probably get further but need to throw in a day to get the bike serviced, and might incorporate a few detours when I get to Spain. Tomorrow it’s on to Paris and hopefully a campsite on the edge of Bois de Bologne; I shall probably have a rest day there to do some wandering about, and get a new chain and rear cassette fitted.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good bike shop in Paris? There must be loads.

12 & 13 June 2015 – to Belgium and good beer

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Routes and stats for the last two days below, although my Garmin randomly turned itself off a couple of times, so there are two entries for each day:

12 June:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/801825032
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/801825063

13 June:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/802836559
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/802836588

The 12 June saw me cycle 117km in 6hrs and 45 mins. It was already hot when I was packing up, so I knew I was in for a scorcher. The temperature has rocketed over the last few days, got to 22 degrees Celsius by 10.30, and over 30 degrees Celsius shortly afterwards. You don’t notice it on a bike so much as you have a constant draft, but it’s hot when you stop, and you have to remember to drink a lot of water even if you don’t feel like it.

Ready for a hot day; time for the pirate look

Ready for a hot day; time for the pirate look

I attempted to pay at reception on my way out of the campsite, however the owner just waved me through with a smile; very nice of him and a bonus night’s free camping! I’ll put the money into the beer kitty. From Alverna and Nijgemen I made my way South West following cycle paths and ‘Nodes’, with a little help from my map. There were a couple of confusing bits when I mixed up numbers, however all-in-all the cycle network in Holland works really well, and the paths and roads are lovely and smooth.

Windmill - I'm in Holland after all

Windmill – I’m in Holland after all

I don’t have any complaints about the drivers either, mostly because I wasn’t on the road so didn’t encounter many, however the few times I did they gave me priority and were courteous.

Bridge over the La Meuse

Bridge over the La Meuse

In Holland they have strangely shaped objects by the side of the road that I was initially unsure as to the purpose of; they’re bins, and perfectly positioned and angled to throw stuff in as you’re cycling along, an excellent invention. Some are metal and some just have nets; here’s one of the latter.

Holland - an example of a most excellent roadside bin

Holland – an example of a most excellent roadside bin

I stopped for a refuel at a convenient McDonalds about 11.30, feeling hungry after a meagre breakfast, but also because they have air conditioning and free wi-fi. I hadn’t realised quite how hot it had got until I went back outside. Shortly afterwards I was pedalling into Eindhoven, an old city but one that appeared very modern. I walked through the centre, which was bustling with activity, but as mentioned in my post yesterday akin to most big metropolis; same shops etc.

After Eindhoven it was on to Reusel, and across the border into Belgium. It was a slightly longer ride than anticipated due to the cycle route going a different way to my planned route, however still got me to the right place. As I rode along I contemplated what would/will happen if/when the sea level rises. I’ve been pedalling across a lot of flat land, over bridges, rivers and canals, and a lot of it is only just above, or even below sea level. I believe Holland has some major sea defences however I fear they’ll need them in years to come.

Into Belgium

Into Belgium

They speak Flemish in this part of Belgium, so I’m still resorting to English, however I can switch to French a bit further South; probably once I reach Brussels.

De province Antwerpen

De province Antwerpen

Once I’d crossed the border I unfortunately noticed an immediate deterioration in cycle paths, and road surfaces in general. I think I’ve grown used to the luxuries of Holland, and to only a slightly lesser extent Germany, and will need to toughen up again.

Cycle paths not so good in Belgium

Cycle paths not so good in Belgium

Passed a great horse-drawn bus just inside Belgium, being steered with much enthusiasm by a slightly crazed looking and sounding driver; could have been something out of Harry Potter.

I passed through Arendonk, and on to Oud-Turnhout where I stopped to buy supplies at Lidyl. They had tonic water going cheap, which was really refreshing and helped lessen the irritation from hay fever; I think the pollen count is really high at the moment and I’ll have to visit a pharmacie to get some anti-histamines.

When I get to a pharmacie I’ll also pick up some anti-chafing unguent, having discovered I left my chamois cream in Stockholm. Now the weather has gotten hotter I’m likely to need it more, having felt the first signs of rubbing today; something to avoid at all costs.

I made it through Turnhout, passing lots of people sitting out in bars in the main square enjoying Friday afternoon and no doubt the evening to come. I noticed a French look to the town, despite this still being a Flemish area, but it might just be my imagination.

Central square and church in Turnhout

Central square and church in Turnhout

Then it was on to the campsite North of the town, near Ravels; Baalse Hei which I found via ACSI. I used my Garmin to navigate to it, and ended up going a slightly strange route, involving some sandy paths which were impossible to cycle on. It reminded me of one of the initial days of my Bike around Britain tour in 2013, when I tried to cycle down a sandy path on the Norfolk coast and promptly did a stunt (=fell off my bike).

Interesting choice of route from my Garmin to Baasle Hei campsite

Interesting choice of route from my Garmin to Baasle Hei campsite

The campsite was a good one, and slightly more populated than the previous. I pitched up as a thunderstorm hit, which didn’t come as a complete surprise after the hot day, and was quite refreshing; my top needed a wash anyway.

Pitched at Baalse Hei - bit steamy post storm

Pitched at Baalse Hei – bit steamy post storm

After the au-naturel shower I thought I’d better have a soap based shower, then nipped to the campsite cafe for a lasagna, salad and chips before it closed. They have free campsite wide wi-fi so I was able to retreat to my tent once the cafe closed, to update my blog and plan tomorrow’s route; also caught up on the news as I’m completely out-of-touch – not a bad thing probably, however the Greek situation is worrying, as is MERS.

Interesting moth - nice wing pattern

Interesting moth – nice wing pattern

The moth was one of the friendly insects, most of the others were a pain; midges and mosquitos, which was the main reason I hid in my tent. Before shutting out the insects I had a quick chat with a German cycle tourist on a short break, reliving a tour from about 20 years ago; he was describing how things had changed, and some of the language difficulties.

Lake and fountain at Baalse Hei

Lake and fountain at Baalse Hei

My route planning culminated in a decision not to head to the coast and work my way around to Spain, but to head down to Eurovelo 3 at Charleroi, the Pilgrim’s route, and work my way through central France via Paris. So it’s on to Grimbergen, close to Brussels, tomorrow. I’ll need to buy a new map.

–>

I pedalled a meagre 82km on 13 June, in just over 5 hours, but it was all I’d planned on doing in any case. I’m also suffering slightly from BRF (Belgium Road Fatigue); they’re a lot more bumpy than the ones in Holland and Germany. The cycle tourer I just met, from Taiwan, totally agrees, and has the same problem with slightly painful hands and wrists after riding for a while, because of all the jarring.

Packed and ready for another day in Belgium

Packed and ready for another day in Belgium

After a dry night it decided to rain as I packed up, typical, however I just got on with it and was on the road by 10.00, leaving Baalse Hei campsite and heading back to Turnhout, taking a more direct route back into the town than last night’s slightly adventurous trail.

On the road to Turnhout - Copper Beach provides contrast

On the road to Turnhout – Copper Beach provides contrast

As I rode South West the rain stopped, but it remained overcast for a bit, which was pleasant after yesterday’s heat.

Albertkanaal in Belgium

Albertkanaal in Belgium

I crossed several canals as I pedalled through the countryside to Mechelen, a moderately sized town/city, not sure which. I’ve had to cycle on the road more in Belgium, and have noticed the drivers are becoming more like I’m used to in the UK; faster, less patient and more aggressive. This is no doubt a sign of things to come for the rest of the tour, as it’ll only get more frenetic as I head South.

Convenient place for a break - sign had info on Neolithic activity in the area

Convenient place for a break – sign had info on Neolithic activity in the area

Riding through the trees, sun's out

Riding through the trees, sun’s out

I passed through Putte, where the main street was closed for a fête of some description. There weren’t many people about despite all the stands. I stopped for a break and was the only one listening to a band playing ‘Blue Moon’, very well as it turned out; had it in my head for a few hours after that. They appreciated my solitary applause in any case, but it all felt a bit odd without even the semblance of a crowd.

Street fair in Putte - bit deserted

Street fair in Putte – bit deserted

Band playing 'Blue Moon'

Band playing ‘Blue Moon’

Anyway, where was I? Skipped back and forward a bit there, however here are some photos of Mechelen; some nice buildings, lots of flags, and lots of people sitting out in cafes.

Both Lobster and I were a bit confused by the fish head and lobster claw fountains, there was an octopus type one too. We both suspect a Cthulhu influence may be at work, which may explain the slightly deserted town fete in Putte…

I cycled on towards Grimbergen, my destination for the night, over a few more canals, and passing some donkeys just taking it easy in the good weather.

I was overtaken by yet another cycle club out for a Saturday ride, this time a large peloton; they didn’t bother using the bumpy cycle paths which would no doubt break their carbon road bikes quite quickly. I’ve mentioned the roads and cycle paths being bumpy already, and this continued to be the case, making me a bit tired and grumpy; the headwind and hay fever wasn’t helping either. A lot of the roads are made out of large concrete slabs, with joins every few metres which give you a regular jolt; annoying after a while.

Grimbergen proved to be a lovely small town, and very convenient for Brussels the following day. The campsite was the only one I could find in the area, is cheap, and had everything I needed including wi-fi near reception.

Gimbergen Church

Gimbergen Church

Almost immediately I met River, from Korea, who has been travelling the world for a few months visiting China, South America, the USA, and now Europe. He’d flown from Miami to Brussels last night, and is due to fly to Barcelona tomorrow; a bit random but the flight worked out cheaper that way. River works in restaurant in Seoul, but has decided like me to have some time off to explore and have an adventure; his restaurant sounds excellent, and he makes his own beer, so I’ll be sure to visit if I make it there some day. We walked into Grimbergen to explore and pick up a few supplies from the supermarket, and enjoyed a cold beer in he sunshine.

Grimbergen is famous for brewing beer, and I picked up a couple of local ones to enjoy back at the campsite. The weakest I could find was 6.7%, and they went up to well over that (10% +), alongside some Trappist brews. There’s a beer museum too, but we thought we’d enjoy drinking it rather than reading about it.

Lobster guarding a couple of 6.7% local brews

Lobster guarding a couple of 6.7% local brews

River told me a bit about his time in South America, which reinforced my desire to visit there one day, preferably on a bike. It sounds friendly, cheap, full of life and things to visit. He found the USA quite different; expensive, and unfortunately the people were colder, unless you paid them. He also mentioned the MERS virus which has hit Korea, and I’d read about last night; hope it peters out soon and no-one else dies.

Back at the campsite we met Eugene, a fellow cycle tourer, from Taiwan. He’s been pedalling around Europe for the last 6 months since finishing his PhD, starting off in the UK, and going all over the place since then. He’s only got a couple of weeks left before going back to Taiwan, then on the America to work.

River and Eugene - fellow travellers

River and Eugene – fellow travellers

A great evening was had, where I think we convinced River cycle touring is the way forward. Tomorrow I’m off to Brussels, then South towards Charleroi and Eurovelo 3, whereas Eugene is pedalling North towards Amsterdam. River of course is flying to Barcelona, and after that who knows, however it’s possible he’ll walk some of the Camino de Santiago so I might bump into him again; he might have to get a new tent before then, as his one from Wal-Mart, which he was extolling the virtues of, was apparently a bit drafty and chilly overnight!

10 & 11 June 2015 – to Holland and a heatwave

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Greetings from Belgium! As is often, if not always the case, my blog is a few days behind. You can usually catch up with where I actually am via my Twitter feed, which feeds into my blog site on the right hand side anyway. I could probably keep my blog more up-to-date by pedalling less, but I enjoy the pedalling bit and get frustrated if I don’t cover what I equate to a good distance each day; 60 miles on average, so nothing in comparison to the likes of Mark Beaumont on his Cairo to Capetown epic, but sufficient for me, and besides, my bike and gear is a lot heavier ;o)

I also get asked about rest days quite a bit. I sometimes have one, if I feel like it and it’s a nice spot, but I don’t generally yearn for them and can find myself getting twitchy and wanting to cover some more distance. I think for me at least half of this cycle touring malarkey is the journey not the destination, although I do have a few definite breaks planned for later on. Same with cities; some, like Hamburg, I click with and want to have a look around, others I can happily leave. I think I prefer the countryside and wilderness more, however a break in a cafe or roadside bar is always welcome!

Here are my routes and stats for the last couple of days, leaving Germany and cycling down into Holland:

10 June 2015: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/800978508

11 June 2015: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/799947473

The 10 June saw me cover 117km in about 6 hours and 20 minutes, enjoying some good riding through the last bit of Germany and into Holland.

Sunny day in Werlte

Sunny day in Werlte

I’m pretty sure I’ll be back in Germany later this year on my way back from Istanbul, probably via the Danube and Vienna, but I’ve yet to firm up those plans. Depending on time available before I have to go back to work I might have to get a train for some bits, but not if I keep up my current mileage. Lots of time for exploring yet!

It was a great ride through the countryside on my way past Meppen and on to Emlichheim, with a bit of a tail wind and loads of sunshine. I took a few cycle routes which went generally in the right direction, with a few interesting results.

River crossing near Meppen

River crossing near Meppen

River crossing near Meppen - narrow but serviceable bridge

River crossing near Meppen – narrow but serviceable bridge

The route turned into a forest path after this, but was still perfectly passable, just a bit bumpy.

Forest path on way to Meppen - keeping an eye out for tree root ambushes (and Orcs)

Forest path on way to Meppen – keeping an eye out for tree root ambushes (and Orcs)

After passing through Meppen and waving at an enormous group of cycle tourers going in the opposite direction, I headed West through Twist and on to Emlichheim, deftly avoiding a couple of close calls with water sprayers, much to Lobster’s disappointment.

After Emlichheim my maps got a bit vague as to how to get over the border, as they don’t show the really small roads, however I pointed my Garmin at Hardenberg and it did a superb job of directing me there (for once). I pedalled down small roads and tarmac’d tracks, and was suddenly in Holland almost without realising it. The only traffic came in the form of a few mopeds that generally use the cycle paths too.

Stuck in traffic on the way to Holland

Stuck in traffic on the way to Holland

I had to go down another ‘closed’ road at one point, however after navigating the last two successfully I took a risk, figuring the cycle path would probably still be open. Again the whole road was closed due to resurfacing, however the cycle path was mostly open, and I only had to duck under one JCB; I waved at the driver who waved back, so figured it was all okay.

Passed lots of cows and wind farms, as well as several nodding donkey oil wells in the last bit of Germany. Oh, and I’ve figured out why Lobster likes cows, apart from them making funny noises; they make milk which makes chocolate, which is his favourite thing.

In general cycling in Germany is good, with well signposted routes and maintained cycle paths, however Holland has proven to be a step up, with even better signage and wider, smoother, cycle paths; an absolute delight to pedal down.

One of my first Dutch cycle paths

One of my first Dutch cycle paths

Which made me pretty happy

Which made me pretty happy

There are even more people on bikes, which I wasn’t sure was possible after some parts of Scandinavia and Germany, and all, for the most part, riding sensibly. There’s a saying that Dutch people are born on a bike, albeit with stabilizers initially, which sounds a bit painful if you ask me.

The other thing I noticed today, both in Germany but more-so in Holland, was the number of ponies, mainly Shetland ponies (at least I assumed they were), and also horses; loads of them in paddocks, and thankfully little in the way of sheep.

Abundance of ponies - in Germany and Holland

Abundance of ponies – in Germany and Holland

Arriving in Ommen

Arriving in Ommen

So it was a great pedal down to Ommen, where I’d spotted the Recreatiecentrum Besthmenerburg campsite on my ACSI app. It turned out to be splendid site, and was cheapish at €11, with a perfect camping spot for people just staying one night.

Campsite near Ommen, nice spot in the woods

Campsite near Ommen, nice spot in the woods

I was just in time to catch the campsite snack bar before it closed, and quickly made my way there for a cold beer and some junk food to fuel tomorrow’s endeavours; had already had some salad etc in case you’re wondering! The restaurant also has free wifi, which was handy for planning and blogging purposes.

A Mexicana and chips; different from the Hamburg version of a Mexicana

A Mexicana and chips; different from the Hamburg version of a Mexicana

The campsite itself was very tranquil, with different camping and caravan/tourer areas dotted about in the forest, along with small lodges you can rent. It reminded me a bit of a Centre Parcs, but without the hordes of screaming children. The only downside was the midges and mosquitos, so it was time to break out the insect repellent which had mixed results. Still slept well though, and awoke refreshed to the sound of birds giving it there all.

Ready for another day on the road, in Ommen

Ready for another day on the road, in Ommen

There was a cockerel crowing too, from the small zoo area; it was an enormous bird which Lobster suggested he could use as an alternative steed.

The Besthmenerburg Cockerel

The Besthmenerburg Cockerel

Pretty sure it was bigger than the resident goats

Pretty sure it was bigger than the resident goats

The 11 June turned out to be mostly about cycling, covering 123km in about 6 hours and 40 minutes. It was just nice to pedal in good weather, along smooth and quiet cycle routes as I made my way down to Devanter, then on to Arnhem and Nijmegen. I didn’t stop in any town or city for a long time; they were busy and so much more hassle than the quiet countryside. It was just a joy to be riding, although my water consumption rocketed in the heat.

Before Arnhem I decided on a quick detour over the River IJssen to Bronkhorst, via a small €1 car ferry that was very popular, then down alongside the river on a dedicated cycle path and back over via another ferry. It was a great detour and I flew down the raised cycle path, which wasn’t on any of my maps or Garmin; the latter got a bit confused. There were lots of other cyclists out to say hello to.

Note on cycle routes in Holland; it’s all done my numbers or ‘nodes’. The number represents a destination you can find on the map, and you just follow the numbers on signposts until you get there. Pretty efficient, unless you don’t know the number you want, or get it mixed up, or forget it; I prefer place names. Thankfully there are also red signs with the place names on, most of the time.

I walked through a bit of Arnhem, which looked pretty much like the centre of most biggish cities, with the same shops (H&M, Mango, McDonalds, C&A, etc). I’m not sure what I’d been expecting really; I know I’ve watched a film involving Arnhem and a battle for the bridge, and there was no doubt a lot of fighting in the area in WW2, but I didn’t spot anything relating to it on my brief wander through. It was nice to cool down though, and pedalling over the bridge gave a good view.

I didn’t know anything about Nijgemen, but it was certainly bigger than I’d anticipated, and with a great bike parking area next to the station. Despite its size it was easy to cycle through and out of, although with the volume of cyclists on the cycle paths I had to take care not to bump into anyone, or be bumped into; lots of people going at different speeds, and saw several close calls.

There was one casualty; the rear reflector fell off my bike on a crossing, then got run over. Oops; I tightened it the other day but it must have worked loose again.

Rear reflector falls off and is run over

Rear reflector falls off and is run over

Via a bit of a roundabout route I made it to Alverna and another campsite I’d found on the ACSI app. Reception was closed but the staff at the bar next to it telephoned the owner who just said to pitch up and he’d be over at some point; the shower and toilet blocks were all open anyway.

Solitary camper at site near Alverna

Solitary camper at site near Alverna

There were no other campers around, but quite a few people in the lodges/caravans; don’t know if they live there all the time or if there just holiday homes – some of the ‘lodges’ were very done up. On a walk-about to fill up my water bottles I passed one Dad giving his young (under 8 I reckon) son pretty vigorous kickboxing lessons; rather him than me.

Set for another night under canvas in Alverna

Set for another night under canvas in Alverna

Unfortunately I’d forgotten to shop, so dinner was slightly limited involving radishes, a bit of bread and chocolate, then toasties and beer from the same bar. I’d have had something more substantial from the menu but toasties was all they did, and honestly, that was fine, especially accompanied by a couple of cold ones.

Good cheese and ham toasties though

Good cheese and ham toasties though

I stayed at the bar for a bit, chatting to the locals; it was very much a ‘local’ bar, and lots of people were smoking inside which is still legal Holland, but was a bit odd after it’s been banned in the UK for so long. One patron was preparing to leave for India a bit later this year, via the Himalayas; India and Nepal would be great for a cycle trip. I retreated after the music got just a bit too Europop; there’s only so much Vengaboys, Ace of Base, mixed in with Shakira, that one can take.

Set for another night under canvas in Alverna

Set for another night under canvas in Alverna

Back at the tent it was all quiet, aside from a few largish bats flitting about after insects. I’ve still got Vengaboys going round my head now!

Apologies for any typos or randomness; I’m in my tent after a very hot day (it’s still boiling now), besieged by insects of many varieties. Most of them seem to want a piece of me. What we need now is a big thunderstorm to clear the air.

08 and 09 June 2015 – Hamburg to Bremen, and heading West

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Since Hamburg I’ve been pedalling for 3 days, so a bit of a blog catch-up is in order. I’ll cover the 08 and 09 May on this post, and might get to today’s ride later, if not tomorrow; in Holland now, where cycling is just a pleasure.

Here are links to the routes and stats from the last couple of days:

08 May: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/799082018

09 May: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/799082125

–> 08 May 2015
I was frankly surprised not to have a hangover after a very good night out in Hamburg, however I’ve noticed before that a lot of cycling tends to reduce the severity of hangovers, plus I probably don’t drink as much as it goes to my head more quickly after all the pedalling.

First order of the day was to find a bike shop to get some replacement inner tubes, just in case. Reception pointed me in the direction of a few local to St Pauli, and whilst I couldn’t find any tubes that were exactly the right size, I bought a couple that will do the job, should the need arise. Again most inner tubes in Europe seem to use Presta valves, however I found one in one shop with a Schrader valve, and another in another shop that was Presta; my pump will work with both so think we’re good. I got my stand tightened up too, however I don’t think I’d better use it as the metal has fatigued where it joins on to the bike, and will eventually break; not structurally integral to the frame but annoying none the less. I might get a replacement stand fitted to another part of the bike, or use the forked stick trick; not vital in any case.

One other addition to the bike; added a St Pauli Jolly Roger sticker, their unofficial logo, to my panniers. I need to remember to get more stickers to add on my travels.

St Pauli Jolly Roger

St Pauli Jolly Roger

I’ll have to start thinking about getting Smaug serviced soon, and maybe a new chain and rear cassette, but I’m loathed to change anything whilst it’s all working. Will get the chain checked for stretch anyway.

Once back at the hostel I packed up and said goodbye to Alex, before hitting the road towards Bremen.

Preparing to leave Hamburg - with Alex, my compadre from last night

Preparing to leave Hamburg – with Alex, my compadre from last night

Alex was flying back to London later that day; weird to think the flight takes 1 hour, whereas it’ll take me another 5 months, admittedly via a rather roundabout route.

The rest of the day was fairly straightforward riding. I pedalled North West out of St Pauli, alongside the River Elbe, chatting to a few random people along the way (friendly place Hamburg), and got the ferry over to Neuen. You don’t quite realise how big Hamburg port is until you see it – goes on for ages.

Bit of Hamburg port

Bit of Hamburg port

Cool fountain in Altona, Hamburg

Cool fountain in Altona, Hamburg

On the ferry I ended up speaking to a man who is finishing his job in a week, and going hiking in the Alps for 7 months; amazing who you randomly bump into.

Smaug on-board passenger ferry across the Elbe

Smaug on-board passenger ferry across the Elbe

Then it was a case of skirting around the airport and heading South to Bremen, albeit it via a rather ‘scenic’ route.

Road to Bremen 1

Road to Bremen 1

ALERT – this post is being temporarily taken over by the CCFC – Crustacean Committee for Corrections. So, Lobster here, we did not take the ‘scenic’ route, the human pedalling the bike, known as James, went the wrong way because he wasn’t paying attention to sign posts. What a dufus. Probably added 20km on to the day’s ride, and meant we nearly ran out of chocolate, which would have been a crisis not worth thinking about. I had to take over the navigation for the rest of the ride; it was quite boring, apart from the cows who are funny, and the bit where James got sprayed with water from a farmer’s irrigation spraying device thingy; that was very funny. Luckily I have a carapace and am not averse to water, unless it’s hot, so it didn’t bother me.

Through the countryside to Bremen

Through the countryside to Bremen

Ahem, yeah okay, we might’ve gone the wrong way for a bit, but it wasn’t that big a detour, and we had an emergency McDonalds when we got to the outskirts of Bremen to make up for it; they accepted MasterCard, which was handy as I was running out of cash. It’s really quite tricky to find a cashpoint that accepts anything other than Eurocard/Maestro in Germany.

Wizards Tower on the outskirts of Hamburg

Wizards Tower on the outskirts of Hamburg

I found the campsite relatively easily – Stadtwaldsee, on the outskirts of the city, and unfortunately right next to the motorway so it was a bit noisy.

Stadtwaldsee Campingplatz, Bremen

Stadtwaldsee Campingplatz, Bremen

I had enough cash for the campsite, but not for the restaurant, which also didn’t accept MasterCard, so instead ate some biscuits and had a relatively early night. Tomorrow I’d find an ATM and get out a decent amount of cash so I don’t run short again. There were quite a few other tourers at the campsite, including a couple of French guys heading North; more and more cycle tourers as I head South.

Nice sunset at Stadtwaldsee

Nice sunset at Stadtwaldsee

118km pedalled, in 6.5 hours.

–> 09 May 2015
Today wasn’t an amazingly exciting day, but I covered a good distance and it was good to see Bremen, even if I did spend most of my time looking for an ATM that would accept MasterCard or VISA.

Visit from a Hare in Stadtwaldsee

Visit from a Hare in Stadtwaldsee


Smaug ready for another day on the road

Smaug ready for another day on the road

I headed into Bremen on cycle paths, taking care to avoid the trams, as well as tram lines which can be lethal if you get your wheel caught in them. I went straight to the historic Market Square, where the World Heritage listed town hall (Rathaus) can be found. I glanced at it then found the Tourist Information office who were able to point me in the direction of a couple of banks that would accept my cards; ended up at a Santander and withdrew some Euros – a big relief, and I can buy food now! I could also use the free wifi at the Tourist Info office to check my route for the day, and my emails etc, very handy, and meant I was able to check-in and get spotted on the Bremen marketplace web cam.

Bremen webcam shot

Bremen webcam shot

Bremen has a lot of older buildings, compared with Hamburg; here are a few photos from taken on my meanderings.

Somewhat relieved to not be penniless still, I made my way over the river and cycled to Delmenhorst, passing a ship called the Admiral Nelson on the river – probably a restaurant by the looks of it.

The Admiral Nelson

The Admiral Nelson

I was paying particular attention to signposts, so as not to take any unplanned detours, and to avoid a Lobster takeover again. It doesn’t help when the signs are missing from the posts, however a combination of maps and my Garmin saw me out of the city and suburbs, and into the countryside.

Fields of Barley with cornflowers

Fields of Barley with cornflowers

The roads took me through fields of Barley, where cornflowers added a vibrant purple colour to the landscape. There were cows too, much to Lobster’s delight; I don’t know why he likes them so much.

At one point I opted to risk it and continue down a cycle path next to a road that was allegedly closed. It turned out fine, just like the other day – the road was being resurfaced but the path was open still. They don’t do things by halves in Germany; if the road needs mending they close the whole thing and get it done quick.

Road being resurfaced but cycle path open

Road being resurfaced but cycle path open

The route to Werlte, my destination for the night, was easy-going and well signposted, with the next village on my map always having a handy sign to point me in the right direction. There were no hills to speak of either, so despite the 112km it felt like an easy day. My only complaint is that some of the cycle paths can get unexpectedly bumpy at times. Tree roots growing under the tarmac can ambush you, and are a little jarring to say the least. It doesn’t help that I’m a bit paranoid about my wheels, both spokes and punctures, so am constantly checking them.

Before checking in at the campsite I did a shopping run to Lidyl, and probably bought too much now I’ve got some money, however I’m sure it’ll all get eaten.

Smaug loaded with supplies

Smaug loaded with supplies

There were some interesting garden ornaments in a nearby garden centre; these are just a few of them.

German garden ornaments, not quite gnomes, but purple sheep are, urr, interesting

German garden ornaments, not quite gnomes, but purple sheep are, urr, interesting

I don’t think I can fit anything like the above in my panniers, so friends and relatives are probably safe, this time around.

The Humminglingerland/Werlte Campingplatz is a great campsite, and I’d arrived in good time; it was cheap at €6.50, and has free wifi. There’s no restaurant, but I didn’t need one tonight, and it’s lovely and quiet so I was just able to chill out for a while in the sunshine, enjoy a mug of wine and the birds singing; je suis tres sophistique, non?

Chilling out Humminglingerland/Werlte campsite

Chilling out Humminglingerland/Werlte campsite

I had some radishes too, so getting my 5-a-day, or thereabouts.

Radishes - awesome and wholesome

Radishes – awesome and wholesome

A bit of planning saw me work out my route to the Netherlands, however I’m still undecided on whether to visit Amsterdam or not; going towards ‘not’ at the moment, as it could just be a lot of hassle with my bike. I’ll make up my mind tomorrow, and try and work out where I’ll be around my  birthday for the purpose of family visitations; looking forward to that!