February 12, 2012
Summary and conclusions: after three tours in France
This was our third autumn cycling tour in France, and we enjoyed it as much as the first two. Although this trip was longer, there were more non-cycling days, so the total kilometres for this tour were about the same as in 2010: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/zigzag/ (from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean). We had a good deal more rain this time, but luckily the rainy days were balanced by some lovely warm sunny ones. Our MEC rain gear and Ortlieb panniers performed very well, our Bike Friday Crusoes were so comfortable and reliable that we pretty much took them for granted, and the Schwalbe Marathon tires provided a puncture-free ride. Most places we stayed had wifi, so our Asus eee netbook was handy for email and Skyping, and this year we packed a Kindle instead of hauling around heavy books.
PS (on equipment added Feb. 16, 2012) After Eva lost her MEC glasses with interchangeable lenses on the way to Montpellier, we checked out many sporting goods stores and bike shops in this quite large city, and were surprised to not be able to find a replacement for them. No one we asked seemed to be familiar with such an item. However in one of the large sporting good emporiums, Eva found a pair of inexpensive thin silk gloves to wear under cycling or skiing gloves or mitts, and these have proved to be extremely useful since we've been home, both for cross-country skiing and for occasional cold-weather cycling. Silk gloves are not readily available here, and are difficult to find in small sizes, so if you need a pair and happen to be in France...
Of course the food was generally very good, and we noticed regional differences, particularly in the cheeses and breads. The people we met were uniformly friendly and helpful, and patient with our limited French.
This year the cycling was varied and very pleasant. Burgundy was quite hilly, with some stiff climbs into Chateauneuf-en-Auxois and up to Vezelay. We enjoyed the rolling countryside and glimpses of Charolais cattle, poppies, and of course the extensive vineyards near Beaune. Each town we stayed in was picturesque and had an old section, with winding streets and historic buildings.
The southern portion of our trip on both sides of the Rhone featured some of the major Roman ruin sites in France. The information from museums and English language audio guides added greatly to our understanding of life in this part of the world 2000 years ago. What still remains seemed very impressive, especially Pont du Gard, Vaison-la-Romaine and the theatres in Lyon, Orange and Arles. Another highlight was the fortified town of Aigues-Mortes on the edge of the Camargue, which was extremely interesting and very pleasant in the warm, sunny November weather. Once again, we were so glad to be visiting all these sites during the off-season, thereby avoiding crowds and the heat of the summer. For example, in our opinion, our route east along the Mediterranean from Beziers to Aigues-Mortes would not have been worth doing in high season traffic and heat.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
As in the other two tours, the detailed route planning and booking our accommodation in advance meant we could concentrate on the scenery without worrying about getting lost or finding a place to stay the night, but it also allowed enough fore-knowledge for last-minute shortening of some days' rides due to inclement weather. We hope we will get the chance to use the same approach for another cycle tour in France soon.
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |