Author Archives: mike
Day 1 – Arrival Day
Day 1 in the USA
Picking up our campervan today.
We’re off to the USA
Day 50 Trains, Planes and boats
Today is a rest day in Bacharac. Sat watching the boats passing by on the Rhine.
Found some shade and also watching g the trains om the opposite bank as they take their goods and passengers from here to there.
Some boats are struggling with the current as they crawl up the river, others glid effortlessly down towards the ocean.
Where do planes come in. Well only. Our way in to have a look around Bacharac we heard the screen of a fighter jet. We turned around to see it disappearing at low level up the Rhine. If only we had left camp 15 mins later we would have had a grandstand view of it.
Day 47
A first for us today, we’re up and off by 8.30. We are leaving g a nice basic campground with swimming lake early as we have a hotel booked for tonight and a few kms to ride. The plan is to get there early so Jo can do some editing.
The ride is pleasant and flat, making for good progress. That is until we get to have a choice on routes.
We decide to bypass Mannheim and head to Worms. The EV15 has routes both ways.
On a particularly nice at straight besides the railway things start to go wrong.
At this stage the wind is behind us, a warning sign in itself, as we’ve always had a headwind.
After going g u der a road bridge we are both distracted by a large factory, both missing the turn off.
This little error cost us at least 6 kms extra riding. Not as bad as I first thought, thinking we had gone at least 10 kms off route.
Back on the trail it was again flat riding along side the dykes protecting the farms from the Rhine.
Near to our destination we turned to the Garmin for assistance and at the 6km to go mark it directed us to town on a signposted but not ev15 road. That was mistake 2 for the day. This way turned into a dirt track and added at keast another 2km to the route.
Doing back we finally made our way to our pre-booked Hotel, hot, tired and exhausted right in the middle of dinner service. Not the best time to check in.
But all ended well and we ended up cycling 101kms for the day
Oh on the way we passed this cool transport museum at Spyers but didn’t have time to look around.
Day 42 A long day
Today we started with an hotel breakfast, thankfully. We had our fill if fruit, cereal, bread with meat & cheese, coffee and chocolate bread.
After loading up it was off through the old town again to pick up the ca Al route to the EV15.
Along the way we met up with an angry Swiss German, angry at the maps and signage, not at us. As we have found out the signs show small villages that we can not see on Google maps while browsing. He however was using printed maps which helped even less.
After listening to him rant for 10 minutes we left him to it.
The ride into Strasburg was long straight and flat.
As we approached the city the sound of the traffic increased. It’s surprising how you get used to the peace while on the remote paths snd then hate the noise of traffic.
At one point two drivers tried to run us off the road as we were not as quick crossing the road as they thought we should be.
We tried booking a hotel in Strasburg a Kobo but booking had run out of the offer. Jo rang ahead and was told they had plenty of room. So we navigated our route to it.
The hotel was in a modern building and the reception was on the first floor, the entrance to the stairs was locked so the only way up was via a lift. No hotel for us.
We decided to give the city a miss and head off to a campsite.
Another 7kms we arrived at the campground to see a notice saying it was complete ie full.
We waited in turn hoping they could fit us in. Finally we are served, yes there was space near to a school camp. We weren’t going anywhere else so gladly accepted it.
The campground had a restaurant so no cooking tonight, just as well as we have no food..
Day 32 – The first all wet say.
Having gone to bed with a beautiful clear blue sky I was woken at 4.00 by the sound of rain on the tent.
Dam now I need to pee. The rain eased after 10 mins and I made my dash to the toilet and back.
A few minutes later the rain came down heavier, then heavier and then even heavier. The wind increased and then boom. Thunder rattled around outside. At least I was tucked up warm in my sleeping bag.
The rain finally stopped at around 6.00.
As usual we are the last of the cyclists to leave, but the tent did get a chance to dry out a bit before being packed away. The down side was it started to rain just as we were leaving. Not much, but it was still rain.
To get to the quiet canal route we first had to negotiate the town traffic. Most of the time there is no real problem, but today was no ordinary day.
It started near the town centre. There appeared to be a car stopped waiting for a carpark. The car behind suddenly reversed as I was preparing to go round them. We then had to stop at a junction. Jo took off but I wasn’t sure if I could get across before the approaching car, so I didn’t move. The driver behind us must have seen Jo move and they then moved forward stopping with a joint meer inches from my back wheel after I had shouted at them.
After that near miss it was time for a coffee.
Then it was into main road traffic. I led the way. My trust was then restored in French drivers. We had to make a left hand turn ie a room the traffic. I saw a car behind Jo about to make his move past her, but when he saw me ahead signaling to turn he held back to let Jo follow me. You wouldn’t get that in NZ or even the UK.
After that it was canal paths and quiet roads. We set a cracking pace for us as we tried to stay ahead of the rain. There was a slight drizzle at times, but nothing to really worry about.
We finally stopped for our pain o raisin at 12.45 and the rain finally caught us.
It was only light so no need for us to take shelter.
The second half of today’s ride was over rolling hills so some ups and downs. The downs are always good, but usually mean an uphill is to follow.
After one demanding uphill that we both ended up pushing our bikes we came up to a main road. With big trucks going but a d damp roads and brakes we were not prepared to risk it. So it was out with Google to find an alternative. This entailed a nice free wheel down the hill we’d just pushed our bikes up. A km along our revised route we again picked up the EV6 signs. Either there was sign missing or we both missed it.
Day 29 – Sancerre
We awoke to rain and it didn’t take us long to decide to book another night.
It’s not that we’re wimps, we maybe, it’s just that we see no point in cycling in the wet wondering if we will be able to dry out by this evening.
Also if we move, can we find somewhere dry for tonight.
We don’t have a fixed deadline so moving or staying makes no difference, except staying we keep dry.
Day 28 – Chantillon-sur-Loire to Sancerre
We departed after out typical French breakfast. No eggs, bacon and fried bread, nor fruit and cereal, just bread, jam, coffee and croissants. Although our coffee came in a large cup and not a bowl.
Again another flat day of riding, well mainly flat. The trail varied from following canal paths, along the Loire levees and quiet country roads. The canal paths run alongside the canal lateral de Loire.
There were a few uphill section which we are now able to ride up instead of having to get off and push our bikes up.
We passed close to another atomic power station today, the closest so far.
It has been threatening to rain all day so we decided to take a mobile home this evening. A good call as it started raining shortly after we arrived and has rained on and off all evening.