Nancy to Epinal: Would someone please turn off the fan!

September 9, 2017

We loved our hotel in Nancy, the Hotel Residence. It was about fifteen minutes walk from everything you want to see, the room was great and the people at the front desk were so helpful.

Keith had no trouble getting us out of Nancy. We went through big box land, which wasn't very inspiring, but there was a bike lane the whole way that took us back to the river. We started in the IKEA, Aldi, Supermarche zone and then travelled through the places to get your pneus or your whole auto for that matter. It was hilarious. The rain fell very briefly at this point so we put on the Rainlegs and our goretex jackets. They proved unnecessary for the rest of the day. The wind was up though, and in the wrong direction.

Who lets a little thing like a gate stop them when they are on a bike tour?

The riding surface was starting to deteriorate. Note the size of some of that 'gravel'.

We wound up, still evidently on the bike route, in the forest bumping over roots and rocks. It was beautiful, but very slow going. We even had a couple of downed branches we had to lift the bikes over.

We emerged into farmland and these girls came running to meet us. It isn't often you see cows running. Someone must feed or fetch them by bicycle I figure.

At this point we had been riding for over two hours and had only managed about 25 km, between picture taking, route finding and the wind, wind, wind. We did some D road riding to put the km on and it was lovely. We virtually had the roads to ourselves. We ate lunch in a bus shelter on the side of the road...again to shelter from the wind.

No one but Keith and I on this road. Very relaxing.

We went through many sleepy small towns.

We arrived in Charmes and found our unexpected sight of the day. There were a series of motorcycles with sidecars - that would have been unexpected enough, but each side car had a very elderly person in it. When I went by the first one and glanced in the sidecar there was a man who was ninety if he was a day, and grinning from ear to ear. When Keith started taking pictures they started waving. We presume this is a motorcycle group who takes the elderly out for rides...what a fantastic idea.

So in the unusual and unexpected category here they are. What an awesome idea.

Somewhere after Charmes we left the smooth D road we were on to jump on a bike path. Big mistake. We could see our stress free D road, but couldn't get back to it for quite some time. Instead we bumped our way along at a snails pace, on a rough path.

And why not throw a little concrete down, just for variety? It was back to the D road for us.

Eventually the canal side bike path appeared and we were whizzing along, car free. We laughed so hard when we came to a French gravel pit beside the path.

Here is where they make the stuff, then throw it on bike paths!

From then on the riding was easy and we cruised into Epinal. The last two days have taken a toll on our legs with the headwind, so we are going to relax tomorrow and explore Epinal. We may tool around on unloaded bikes. That will feel easy.

https://www.relive.cc/view/1175804154

Today's ride: 76 km (47 miles)
Total: 603 km (374 miles)

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