September 8, 2017
Zetting photos added
We have very mixed feelings about Sarrebourg. The hotel (apart from the man that let us in early) is probably the worst we have stayed in. Awful room with an uncomfortable bed, the promised 7am breakfast didnt eventuate till 7.30 etc etc. However other things were very good. We had a great meal of half a pizza, salad and chips for 5E a head with a charming Turkish man as host. Audrey at the Tourist Information was fantastic. She gave us maps and perfect straightforward instructions to get on the canal for todays ride and thus saving us about 20km
The 13km to the canal was straight forward then we were once more on a super highway. Where we joined it was near the etang system which is at its highest point and it fell very quickly with an ecluse ever 100m or so to start with. It really reminded me a lot of the Canal de Nivernais and like that canal the country it was going through was remote. With the ecluses so close together nearly all the boats we saw were in them and that is what their journey would be like - very tiring I imagine and slow. We were speeding along as not only were we going downhill but we had a howling tail wind. After around 30km we stopped at Mittershein were there was a hotel right beside the canal - I imagine this was the place Kathleen and Keith stayed at. The people were charming and the cup of coffee enormous.
It was cold and we couldnt get in until 3pm so we decided to search out a Menu de Jour so we got of the canal at Herbitzheim. It looked particularly hopeless to start with - there was a pharmacy and a coiffure but then Ken spotted a restaurant around the corner. What a gem. Firstly Stephen that was serving us had spent a very enthusiastic year in New Zealand, he delighted in telling us about it. Then we spotted lots of cycle jerseys and photos of Thomas Voeckler. Stephen told us he was his cousin and had had ‘Dix jours en jaune’. They were very proud and the proudest of the lot was Caroline, Voeckler’s aunt. Stephen said that it was lucky Caroline only spoke French otherwise she would talk about it to us for hours. The meal was delicious too creamy vegetable soup, then Veal, roti and beans followed by a tart of blackberries and raspberries. All the produce had been grown in their garden. After the meal the father joined the fun as well and we left happy and well fed to wobble back onto the track.
We are staying tonight in Zebbing in a Chambre d’Hotes - the room is probably the most elegant I have ever stayed in (pity about all our luggage). We have showered and are now relaxing watching BBC World.
Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 1,821 km (1,131 miles)
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