Only a week to go and we're on the road with our bicycles. Time to get a journal up before we are in a last minute dither of preparation for a tour that has been in the planning since ... when? I can't remember when the idea was born or exactly whose idea it was.

Years ago, prior to our e-bike touring and with a tent, we cycled a week through parts of Burgundy. I concluded my journal of the trip with the words:

Burgundy is lovely and we are looking forward to going back to see the many places that we didn't get to this time - but then there are so many places we want to visit by bike, who knows when we will return to Burgundy.

That was 14 years ago. There have been many bicycle tours in the interim, some in France but none in Burgundy. So why did we decide on Burgundy now? 

The idea might have come when Rachael and Scott Anderson came through last September and were already planning to tour in France in 2022, or when I met up with Susan Carpenter around the same time and learned of her hopes to spend a year in Paris. Or was it when Scott sometime in January published his projected itinerary through France that we said we would love to meet up somewhere on their route? Burgundy maybe? 

I don't recall who was the first to suggest the plan, but here we are a week before departure and very excited at the prospect of touring with Susan, Rachael and Scott! We will ride the same route together for about a week, after which Janos and I will loop back to Beaune where we will have left our car. Our routes on Komoot are ready, hotels booked and even a reservation at a restaurant has been made for the first evening we are all in Beaune.

Since our last tour in Burgundy 14 year ago, our style of traveling has changed. Technology provides more support, our bodies less. We ride e-bikes now, navigate using Komoot on our cell phones and don't carry camping gear. If anything I would say the joy of cycle touring has increased over the years.