Summing up - 1380km

These comments are purely my thoughts and experiences in relation to a particular event or day. I hope they are helpful. 

SNCF are still poo. Mostly unhelpful staff. Old trains not suitable for loaded bikes. That said, the train system is efficient and got us out of a sticky situation with a broken bike. 

This is the most continuous hot weather I’ve ever experienced in France. Day after day of 38+ degrees on the bike takes its toll. The water in my bottles was hot enough to make coffee! 

When riding in hilly areas, consider your gearing. I need a lighter bike with more gears. 

When booking accommodation in summer, check for air conditioning. In Australia it is standard but not in France. And you will likely pay extra for the cost convenience. 

Electric bikes are the norm here, adults and kids alike. I’ve never seen so many electric bikes particularly in Annecy! 

French campgrounds are so variable and quality can’t be determined by stars. The best facilities for cyclists was provided at Les Violettes just outside of Toulouse. They provided tables and chairs and free electricity for cyclists. The campsite was grassy and shaded. Five stars from us. 

Never underestimate the generosity of people. We had a shitty campsite in a beautiful location but no possibility of food apart from a few small provisions. The restaurant at the lake was booked out. The lady running the restaurant was also celiac so had the kitchen prepare us paella for two and gave me a loaf of gluten free bread. So kind. 

Travelling with Elodie was a highlight and then having her meet us in Lyon was icing on the cake. Such a beautiful person. 

Lyon is a beautiful city and quite possibly my new favourite. It seemed so clean and well organised with so much to see. I would definitely go back. 

Always, always check the bolts and fittings on your bike. Use Loctite and be vigilant when you hear new noises. Always check them out. 

Some routes are not suitable for a loaded touring bike despite suggestions to the contrary. The Canal du Midi and the Voie Bleu are in my opinion only suitable for mountain bikes. 

The Hotel de La Porte Doree in Paris was again outstanding. Holding my bike boxes until my return. Great breakfast and lovely people. Would definitely recommend. 

Riding the Champs Élysées was a highlight. So happy I got to do this. 

In general, beautiful and safe cycling. More impatience this time than I’ve ever experienced before but still delightful cycling. I’ll be back. 

Emirates vs Singapore Airlines: interesting debate. Personal preference. I really dislike the long haul to and from Dubai. My vote is Singapore Airlines. I prefer their airport. They also seem to have more control of the plane - enforcing day and night. It didn’t happen on Emirates. We were in darkness for 24 hours. Totally 💩 for jet lag. 

Always clean your bikes and gear when coming into Australia. Don’t bring food and always declare anything you are uncertain about. It makes for an easy transition through security. 

Another amazing successful trip of almost 1400km. Drink wine out of the bottle if you have to.  🤣🤣🤣

Now for the next adventure. 🤔 🤔🤔🚲🚲🚲✈️✈️✈️ ☀️ ☀️☀️

Last day in Paris

What a final day. 

After riding the Champs Élysées, we packed the bikes, had a sneaky drink at Samaritaine, went to Printemps, Galleries Lafayette and visited the Crypt of Notre Dame. Oh, and also had one of the worst meals and service ever in the Latin Quarter. 😬🫤

Tomorrow we head home. We can’t wait to see friends and family. It’s been a great trip. I’ll post my summing up blog soon. 

Thanks for following.

Riding the Champs Élysées

This morning we rode the Champs Élysées. The video is posted to my Insta account as it is too large for this blog. 😬

Here’s some pictures instead. 

Beaune to Paris by train

We decided to do most of our cleaning before we left the campground given the train didn’t leave until 1pm. For quarantine reasons, everything  must be cleaned before we re-enter Australia. We disinfected our belongings including the tent. We washed shoes and cleaned panniers, and discarded many unneeded items.

We said a brief farewell to Andy and Lisa and made our way slowly to the train station. The rear rack is near impossible to ride with now.

The train arrived and as mostly happens, it’s an old train with stairs so we must unpack the bikes and get them on in the two minute stop timeframe. We waited for everyone else to board with their luggage as we normally do. And alas, the bike bay that the unhelpful SNCF staff member directed us to was full. I asked for assistance and she just shrugged her shoulders. So we muscled our way into a tiny spot between doors with two bikes and panniers just so the doors could close. After a search of the train we found another bike spot and loaded our baggage into the same area. We settled in for the three and half our train ride. 

We arrived at our hotel without too much trouble apart from the bike issue. After a quick shower we headed out to find dinner. We had researched gluten free restaurants in Paris before we left snd Kapunka came up with great reviews. It has multiple outlets in Paris but check their website for closures during August. Google told us the first one we visited would be open but it wasn’t. 

Kapunka is Thai food which is one of our favourites and after having hardly eaten all day, I was starving. The food and serving sizes didn’t disappoint. We agreed that it was the best vegetarian Pad Thai we had ever had. It was very casual and quick which suited us as we were tired. 

One last day in Paris before we head home. Bikes to pack. Places to see. 😁

Les vois des vignes 60km

We decided to leave the baggage behind today and get one last ride in before heading to Paris tomorrow. We chose the Vois des Vignes which didn’t disappoint. Beautiful country side. 

Beaune - train and 22km

We caught the train to Beaune given it was impossible for Russell to ride any distance with the issue with his rear rack. I had been carrying most of the baggage and this was quite physically tiring. Just moving the bike was a struggle.

After finding a campsite we cleaned our bikes and then set off to explore the town. Beaune hosts a number of beautiful buildings including a hospice that was run for five centuries. It was once believed that wine was better for you than water - mostly because the water was contaminated. The hospice is now a hotel and museum and the funds gained from this and their investments in wine to continue to contribute to the new hospital.