Well that was a transition. From Malaysia to bicycle touring in France.

That’s a little tiny Rich, headed into a rain and hail storm along the Via Rhôna.

Be careful what you wish for. How many times in Borneo and Kuala Lumpur did I wish for cooler weather? We swore to each other we wouldn’t complain about any cold weather when we reached France and were reunited with our touring bicycles.

What does the transition look like? It looks like this at first.
And like this. The sorting and decision making.
But we get to this. Loaded and ready to ride downhill in the cold. Wearing all our cold weather gear day one.
Rain trousers not only keep you dry, but make sitting down anywhere super easy. Wet bench? Who cares.
Follow the Via Rhôna signs for 815 kilometers.

I would love to report that we kept to that promise to not complain about the cold, but we did not. I would also love to say it was easy once we rolled out on two bikes with four panniers each. It was fantastic but not easy. It took some getting used to.

The bare trees and grey skies make dramatic landscapes.
Tabac stop for chocolate milk. A good riding snack and the only place open Sunday afternoon!
Sheltering from hail in a farmer’s yard.
The Via Rhôna is well signed.
The most adorable trail signage ever?
After a morning ride through Switzerland, back to France. Borders still resonate with us, especially when crossed by bike.
Yes, I’m on this ride too! Wet weather and thick gloves make pictures hard to take. Riding away from our first night stay in Valleiry.
The route has lovely pavement in stretches.
Pasty and tea break. We can usually count on churches to have benches.
With bare trees you get a better view, like of this rail bridge over the shockingly blue Rhône River.
Sometimes the chateaus hide behind corners and you don’t see them unless you look back.
The Rhône River and a backdrop of snowy mountains.
Another chilly morning in Chanaz. Day 3 back on the bikes. Those oven mitt looking things are my new bike sleeves, to keep my hands warm. Made in France.

It’s not easy to get back in the groove of bike touring. After months off the bikes it’s a bit painful to ride day after day. But, the best way to get into bike touring shape is to bike tour. So, on we go.

I like the signage. It makes you feel welcome.
Getting to closer to Lyon where we were meeting up with friends. (Hi Justina and Joe!)
Route side bike decor.
I’m a bit far behind Rich at this point. So, just taking photos of the scenery.
The cliffs are dramatic, and the stone buildings echo the colors of the mountains of the Rhône-Alpes region.
A community oven in an old stone building.
Across the street, a water tap which was much appreciated as most are still turned off for the season.
Proof that spring is near. Daffodils.
The bridges across the river are majestic.
And the river itself is no slouch.
More pastries, best raisin swirl we’ve had, and the weather is warming up.
Blooms and blue sky.
Well placed picnic table. View of the river and a chateau.
Small bottles of delicious white wine. I love this country!
Rolling out of Jons. I just noticed how my rain jacket complements Rich’s panniers. And his mine.
Riding into Lyon. Looking forward to seeing friends, and happy the weather is warming up.
One last break along the river before getting into Lyon proper.
Lyon, more proof spring is coming.
Someone in the Jean-Macé neighborhood is filling in cracked sidewalks with mosaic tile. Gorgeous.
I got to sit and tour Lyon via streetcar. Very relaxing.
Rich creating an accidental face at the EuroNews building near the Confluence in the 2nd Arrondissement in Lyon.
Colorful view of the Vieux neighborhood from the Musée Cinéma et Miniature. Well worth a visit of several hours.
Sunset over the Gare de part Dieu. From our Ibis hotel room if we opened the double paned windows we could hear the platform announcements.
The happy travelers even happier with friends. Thank you J&J!

The biggest impact of starting a bike tour is how pleasantly tired we are at the end of the day. Oh the sleeping is fantastic. Such deep sleep. Hiking in Wales last summer we met a guy who was powering up a hill with a loaded backpack on. Are you training for something, I asked him? No, just tiring myself out so I’ll sleep, he said. That’s us this week. So tired I can’t find many words for this post. More later from the Via Rhôna south of Lyon.

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cbink

After decades of living and working in wonderful San Francisco we gave it all up to travel the world. Not owning a car allowed us to save money and live hyper-locally. Now we’re living around the globe. Follow along to see where we are and what cats I manage to pet.

4 thoughts on “Well that was a transition. From Malaysia to bicycle touring in France.”

  2. Oh, I remember my brief stay in Lyon so vividly – the architecture, the food, the parks, the people. I love how your account warms up and (literally) blossoms as you move forward to Soringtime !

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