It's that small country in the middle isn't it?
Yes, but there is more to it than just the eponymous city. The north contains an extension of the Ardennes ranges, into its own "little Switzerland", full of forests and steep sided valleys, and people effortlessly switch between speaking French, German, and a Luxembourgish dialect, such that you never know what language to start with.
I headed to Vianden, location of the most charming of castles perched on a lofty outcrop, and then next morning turned south, following a stream through delightful sandstone gorges with leafy forests and neolithic caves
Je suis Charly
Charly being a little steam train which ran between Luxembourg city and Echternach for fifty years. Now I'm following the route of the old line to get into the city. On the way, another cyclist comes alongside, a Belgian bloke who works at the European investment bank, but today is travelling to the city centre for a gathering of cyclists from all over the country, to take over the streets to demand better cycle lane provision and raise driver awareness.
So after a quick detour past the European Court of Justice, I had to join in, great fun and always feels meaningful to be part of a mass movement.
In general I've found their cycle lanes to be quite good, never mind that you are allowed to take bikes on buses, and all public transport in Luxembourg is free!
A little behind schedule, next stop Schengen - the village with 8 petrol stations, and more significantly, the location for the signing of the 1985 accord granting free movement. Schengen being chosen for its location at a border between France, Germany and Luxembourg.
On average it's always uphill...
Immediate reaction is false: everything balances out, but in terms of time and effort... 10% of the day is spent in the glorious weightlessness of freewheeling downhill, and the other 90% is struggling up the other side...
Chimay. Stopped at a Trappist monastery for beer and cheese, which are allegedly carefully tuned into complimentary pairings. Although not actually at the monastery, as the monks prefer seclusion, and actually the beer and cheese are largely made off site anyway... But at the visitor centre/brasserie at least! Anyway, beer=good. Cheese=good.
Continued into the edges of the Ardennes, and to first wild camp of the trip, at a paragliding take off site overlooking the le Meuse valley.
Lazy river
Making a mockery of recent statements, today was 100% flat, following the Meuse river at water level, with the forest clad hills rising steeply either side. Occasionally punctuated by charming townlets, where, after previous days of supermarket shopping, I finally popped into a boulangerie to utter the immortal words "je voudrais une baguette s'il vous plait".
All in all, a charming and easy ride.
Stopped at a campsite out of convenience, but turned out to be rather noisy due to a combination of nearby road, marauding tractors, and adjacent local airstrip which started doing helicopter lessons at 8am.
Back on hills today.
Today the main focus was to visit the Orval Trappist brewery for lunch. This one has the ruins of a mediaeval monastery and adjacent a rather spiffy modern built replacement, complete with the obligatory brewery and cheesery on site. Much more interesting visit, but I don't rate their produce!
The roads around here, much through forest, always look like they are slightly downhill but feel like they are slightly uphill. And that was before the beery lunch. Brings to mind the " magic road" in that episode of Father Ted.... (S02E01)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_hill
And then I saw a Raccoon! Wasn't expecting that. But just googled it and apparently a load were imported into Germany for fur farming and escaped, and are now colonising Europe in their millions.
And then I saw a dog in a sidecar! Stereotypically sticking its head out from behind its little windshield.
In other news, bees seem to be attracted to my bike helmet likes its a giant buttercup, but seems like earwax is a disappointment.
Not sure where I'm going tomorrow, little Switzerland?
Immediate reaction is false: everything balances out, but in terms of time and effort... 10% of the day is spent in the glorious weightlessness of freewheeling downhill, and the other 90% is struggling up the other side...
Chimay. Stopped at a Trappist monastery for beer and cheese, which are allegedly carefully tuned into complimentary pairings. Although not actually at the monastery, as the monks prefer seclusion, and actually the beer and cheese are largely made off site anyway... But at the visitor centre/brasserie at least! Anyway, beer=good. Cheese=good.
Continued into the edges of the Ardennes, and to first wild camp of the trip, at a paragliding take off site overlooking the le Meuse valley.
Lazy river
Making a mockery of recent statements, today was 100% flat, following the Meuse river at water level, with the forest clad hills rising steeply either side. Occasionally punctuated by charming townlets, where, after previous days of supermarket shopping, I finally popped into a boulangerie to utter the immortal words "je voudrais une baguette s'il vous plait".
All in all, a charming and easy ride.
Stopped at a campsite out of convenience, but turned out to be rather noisy due to a combination of nearby road, marauding tractors, and adjacent local airstrip which started doing helicopter lessons at 8am.
Back on hills today.
Today the main focus was to visit the Orval Trappist brewery for lunch. This one has the ruins of a mediaeval monastery and adjacent a rather spiffy modern built replacement, complete with the obligatory brewery and cheesery on site. Much more interesting visit, but I don't rate their produce!
The roads around here, much through forest, always look like they are slightly downhill but feel like they are slightly uphill. And that was before the beery lunch. Brings to mind the " magic road" in that episode of Father Ted.... (S02E01)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_hill
And then I saw a Raccoon! Wasn't expecting that. But just googled it and apparently a load were imported into Germany for fur farming and escaped, and are now colonising Europe in their millions.
And then I saw a dog in a sidecar! Stereotypically sticking its head out from behind its little windshield.
In other news, bees seem to be attracted to my bike helmet likes its a giant buttercup, but seems like earwax is a disappointment.
Not sure where I'm going tomorrow, little Switzerland?
Covered some ground, approx 200km, so plenty of variety along the way.
Starting reasonably flat, on Sunday I stumbled into a line of american tanks (at a parade) and a motor bikers meet in the centre of Bethune, which I had popped into to see the historic clock tower. They do like cobbles in these old town centres...
Continuing to Lens, the landscape dotted with massive slag heaps from mining, one of which had been turned into a ski slope. Lens itself didn't seem too interesting, but maybe I circumvented the good bits. Toddled on, pausing only to eat some baguette and cheese in a bus shelter during a passing but heavy shower, and ended up in an area of lakes and canals, "les marais" at a municipal campsite which was basically empty. Don't know why I am so surprised, school holidays don't start for another month.
Lundi. Few more hills today, I'm sure I saw a contour for 150m Not many local shops and businesses open. And they haven't even official instated the 4 day week yet, its just "a French thing". However -
Great inventions of the 21st century - they have vending machines for everything! Bread, refrigerated meat, vegetables, in the absence maybe of an open village shop. Most ingenious.
Went through a few nice leafy forests, and an impressive fortified town, Le Quesnoy, one of those places with massive 8 pointed star walls and a big most. Liberated by new Zealanders.
Ended up at another municipal campsite since the last one was OK. This one turns out to have some other occupants, all seem to be dutch campervans towing trailers with motorbikes on the back. Noisy church clock that seems to do random numbers of chimes so have no idea what time it is. But its definitely too early!
Starting reasonably flat, on Sunday I stumbled into a line of american tanks (at a parade) and a motor bikers meet in the centre of Bethune, which I had popped into to see the historic clock tower. They do like cobbles in these old town centres...
Continuing to Lens, the landscape dotted with massive slag heaps from mining, one of which had been turned into a ski slope. Lens itself didn't seem too interesting, but maybe I circumvented the good bits. Toddled on, pausing only to eat some baguette and cheese in a bus shelter during a passing but heavy shower, and ended up in an area of lakes and canals, "les marais" at a municipal campsite which was basically empty. Don't know why I am so surprised, school holidays don't start for another month.
Lundi. Few more hills today, I'm sure I saw a contour for 150m Not many local shops and businesses open. And they haven't even official instated the 4 day week yet, its just "a French thing". However -
Great inventions of the 21st century - they have vending machines for everything! Bread, refrigerated meat, vegetables, in the absence maybe of an open village shop. Most ingenious.
Went through a few nice leafy forests, and an impressive fortified town, Le Quesnoy, one of those places with massive 8 pointed star walls and a big most. Liberated by new Zealanders.
Ended up at another municipal campsite since the last one was OK. This one turns out to have some other occupants, all seem to be dutch campervans towing trailers with motorbikes on the back. Noisy church clock that seems to do random numbers of chimes so have no idea what time it is. But its definitely too early!
Train to London, no drama
Rock band at Alexandra Palace, (Mogwai), ear punishing volumes, good stuff.
Train to Dover, check. No bike reservations, so
turned up early to avoid disappointment!
Good job too, as am soon joined by a combination of 3 bikes, 2 pushchairs and a mobility scooter. Never mind the hundreds of partying youths heading to a dance festival.
So, speeding towards the channel, pondering the other side, and then -
At Ashford the tannoy announces: "Everyone off! Signal failure in the Dover area!"
An hour later its "this train calls at Folkestone.... And hopefully Dover. Maybe". But it isn't.
Only 10 miles from Folkestone though so I saddle up and actually ride the bike for once, and after a gruelling climb out of town, its a lovely run along the cliff tops, with what looks suspiciously like a spitfire buzzing overhead.
Arriving at the ferry terminal I met two lively French lasses on a tandem, each precariously balancing a suitcase on the handlebars - I definitely read about this somewhere - the ferries aren't taking foot passengers, so people are turning up with any excuse for a bicycle to get on board! I thought this was generally put into practice coming the other way but whatever. You could make a killing with a second hand bike shop at each end of the crossing
Just now a 30km cruise through the flat, tranquil french countryside, with the champions league final kick off being delayed long enough for me to extricate myself from the various fields that the villainous sat nav directed me to, and find an airbnb for a "soft landing" first night. Shame about the result, but the game panned out on entirely predictable fashion.
Anyway, tomorrow is another day, and I have only the vaguest idea where I'm heading. Hooray!
Rock band at Alexandra Palace, (Mogwai), ear punishing volumes, good stuff.
Train to Dover, check. No bike reservations, so
turned up early to avoid disappointment!
Good job too, as am soon joined by a combination of 3 bikes, 2 pushchairs and a mobility scooter. Never mind the hundreds of partying youths heading to a dance festival.
So, speeding towards the channel, pondering the other side, and then -
At Ashford the tannoy announces: "Everyone off! Signal failure in the Dover area!"
An hour later its "this train calls at Folkestone.... And hopefully Dover. Maybe". But it isn't.
Only 10 miles from Folkestone though so I saddle up and actually ride the bike for once, and after a gruelling climb out of town, its a lovely run along the cliff tops, with what looks suspiciously like a spitfire buzzing overhead.
Arriving at the ferry terminal I met two lively French lasses on a tandem, each precariously balancing a suitcase on the handlebars - I definitely read about this somewhere - the ferries aren't taking foot passengers, so people are turning up with any excuse for a bicycle to get on board! I thought this was generally put into practice coming the other way but whatever. You could make a killing with a second hand bike shop at each end of the crossing
Just now a 30km cruise through the flat, tranquil french countryside, with the champions league final kick off being delayed long enough for me to extricate myself from the various fields that the villainous sat nav directed me to, and find an airbnb for a "soft landing" first night. Shame about the result, but the game panned out on entirely predictable fashion.
Anyway, tomorrow is another day, and I have only the vaguest idea where I'm heading. Hooray!
having shared the links via email, forgot to post them here for posterity.
High Res Photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/deadbad2019/albums/72157716033271873
Video! on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/ON3oMFzdlzU
High Res Photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/deadbad2019/albums/72157716033271873
Video! on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/ON3oMFzdlzU