On the train again

Unfortunately it looks like our tour is over a little early. We won’t be able to cycle our last few days as Russell’s bike rack isn’t strong enough to hold any weight. It’s disappointing but we are so close to the end of the trip, it makes sense to have the repairs done at home. 

We have decided to head to Beaune by train and spend some time there. Whether we head to Dijon or straight to Paris on Tuesday remains to be decided.

Hopefully we can get a little more cycling in this region albeit without gear on. 

Lyon to Macon with a train and riding and a broken bike! 😬 62km

We left Lyon in plenty of time and thanks to help from Elodie, found the train station. It was so sad leaving her but I am so grateful for the time we have had together. Such a beautiful person that I’m so glad to call my friend. ❤️

We decided to take the train to Villefranche-sur-Soane to get us out of Lyon and on the path to Macon. We had sought some advice and it seemed like the Voie bleu was a good option. Big mistake! This route is only for mountain bikes IMO. Result = broken bike. We lost one rack bolt and the other sheared off in the frame. After some roadside triage, we continued albeit slowly with me now carrying most of the baggage. 

We limped into Macon and the bike shop was amazing. They gave us options and in the end given we have only two more cycling days, we’ve opted for multiple cable ties to try to hold the rack to the frame until we return to Australia. 

Not ideal but you just have to find solutions and this was the best option for now. We are on the train line so we will see what tomorrow brings after some sleep for us. We may just jump on a train or we may ride or we may do both. 

Keep your fingers crossed for us. Just two more days on the bike. 

Lovely Lyon

Lyon might just be pipping Paris at the post for my most favourite French city. I haven’t been here since 2010 and before that it was the year 2000. Lyon is such an interesting city with so much beauty.

We took the Funiculaire up to Notre Dame du Fourviere and then walked down to the Roman Amphitheatre. From there we explored the old town some more before heading uphill to the Maison du Canuts to view the amazing silk garments made locally. A huge walking day and lots of fun. 

Tomorrow we head of Lyon by train to save a bit of time. We are heading north for our final few days of cycling before returning to Paris for the long haul home. 

We’ve had an amazing time with Elodie in Lyon and are so grateful she made the long journey from Moissac to spend a couple of days with us before we head home. ❤️

Lyon

We caught the train from Annecy to Lyon and spent the day wandering this beautiful city. An absolute bonus was having Elodie join us for a couple of days before we head north towards Paris and our flight home. The last time I spent any considerable time in Lyon was 22 years ago so it’s nice to see the city two decades on.

Annecy ride around the lake with a coffee stop 41km

 A beautiful ride around the lake with a challenging climb. So many electric bikes here.