August 31, 2022 to September 1, 2022
Sierck Les Bains to Metz
Tonnes of rain in Thionville
August 31 Wednesday 65kms
There are spits of rain as we pack up and some dark clouds hovering. We breakfast on muesli and tea then try our coffee filter. The dark roast is a bit of a killer- might have to remedy that.
Our SA neighbour kindly gives us a bottle of cold water as we’re about to leave. We’ve had some interesting chats- he’s quite philosophical about life and seems to think we’re younger than him because we can crawl into a tent, but I suspect we’re a similar age.
At the camp shop Madame Laura has now opened for business and we collect our baguette and are finally away with many mercis and au revoirs as we leave Camping Les Tuilles.
Church bells call the quarters and it’s an easy route alongside the river. We never seem to be too far from a village. There are fewer vines and more cattle now.
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The horizon is broad and the clouds are gathering threateningly. We miss a turn in the trail and end up in a small village from where we enter Thionville.
By now it’s raining heavily and we’ve got jackets on. Thionville itself is a busy, non touristy looking town with quite a number of students. With the rain showing no mercy, we stop at a Turkish place and eat a wrap under one of their outside covered tables. Light gradually appears on the horizon, in fact in the distance the sky is clear. Is it in our direction? Yes it is!
We find the way out of town along the river and past some industry until we’re under clear skies again. There’s a growing heat as we follow canals and waterways. We see cement works positioned to fill barges and coal yards also. No doubt, clean coal.
A couple we meet at a stopping place identify us as Kiwis by our Ground Effect gear. They tell us that they’re also Kiwis and have lived and worked in Switzerland for 14 years. They look confident tourers and tell us that they’re headed for Basel.
We come into Metz along a canal and easily find Municipal Camping. It’s very close to the old part of the city and on an island in the river. We pitch our tent under a small tree, close to the water. Looking up, I spot the MSR tent belonging to our Canadians and sure enough, we catch up later. They tell us how they were lured onto a boucle after Konz and spent some time going up and down hills.
It’s a pleasant campground so we think we’ll take a couple of days here. We have enough food for dinner and eat at a covered picnic table. This is a 3 T camp - trees, table, toilet paper. Not toilet seats but our SA friend, a former gynaecologist, told us that this is much healthier, and he should know. The motorway traffic hush is nonstop through the night, but we sleep on.
September 1. Thursday.
Metz
A stop at the camp cafe for a couple of coffees, a blast of wifi and we’re off for a walk around Metz. Metz was the scene of serious fighting and a siege during the Franco Prussian war of 1870. After much loss of life and death from combat as well as starvation the city was annexed into the German Empire.
It was francizised again after WW1 when the French regained it and controlled by Germany again in WW2. Evidence of the 1879 conflict and aftermath is in the neo gothic Garrison Temple built by German authorities. It’s the first structure of size we come across. Only the steeple remains but it’s worth noting that in the cause of one upmanship, it’s one of the tallest buildings in the city.
The buildings of the city are of a striking golden sandstone colour such as we’ve seen in Bath and the Cotswolds and this is uniform throughout the inner city it seems.
The cathedral of St Stephen is an impressive gothic structure opened in the 16th century. It’s interior with its lofty uncluttered columns is beautiful and despite the tuning up the organ is being given it’s remarkably peaceful. The colours of the Chagal stained glass windows are remarkably deep and the figures, though modern, fit well in this context.
A pleasant feature of the squares of the city is that they are busy with the activities of a city and seem less touristy than some we have seen.
We look through the covered market, with its astonishing array of meats, almost shocking in the full on presentation. There are displays of other foods also, the fish and vegetable and fruit stalls all visually enticing. We decide that we’ll return later for dinner supplies.
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1 year ago
We walk down to the arsenal and the Abbey nearby. From there it’s a pleasant walk down to the shade along the river beside the section with boats for hire. Those paddle boats move with remarkable speed when two girls are paddling. I wonder what an Olympic team could do?
Back in the market we sort out dinner- pommes de Terre, tomatoes, fruit and a wonderfully green floppy lettuce. A couple of slices of porchetta and that does it. The young guy serving us has good English and is interesting to chat to. Finally a small quiche- what else in Lorraine? After the big shop we relax in a small garden set around a fountain and slightly wacky sculptures.
Back to camp for a cuppa and dinner. There is a cool breeze off the river and we cook at our table.
Our Canadian friends have left. I wonder if we’ll meet again. There are two young German chaps next to us who’ve cycled from Mainz and are heading for Paris. Unfortunately the bike seat of one is playing up. ‘It has wounded me,’ he tells me. I feel his pain, and offer commiserations.
Another night on the obdurate ground but after a day’s walking it hardly matters. Much.
Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 493 km (306 miles)
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