Now that we have a home base again, what is it going to be like to travel? We spent four years with only a storage unit in California, so there were no worries about a house, or about things and stuff. We had with us what we had with us. It all got packed up and moved with us every time. A lot of thoughts and worries can now swirl around our brains. The house. The small garden. Our friends and neighbors. And, an even bigger worry is how will we be greeted in the world now that American leadership has lost even more international credibility and respect?
After seven months of no international travel – except one fun train trip to Vancouver BC – have we lost our nomad travel mojo? Well, we’re about to find out. We’re headed out for seven weeks of bike touring in France.
One big thing we don’t have to fret about is boxing and flying with our bikes. Our wonderful Koga World Traveler S bikes are still in France at our ‘What Did We Do to Deserve Such Good Friends’ place. We don’t really have to worry too much about our home either, since another set of WDWDDSGF will be checking in on it when house sitters aren’t in residence. We don’t need any new vaccinations or visas. So, any real worry is all in our heads.
But the biggest cloud over our American heads is what our country is doing to the rest of the world and ourselves. We always bike tour with small American flags flying from our bikes. We know that everyone’s first question about travelers is “Where are they from?” The flags answer that question and start a lot of fun conversations with folks. This time we’re adding a No Kings flag to show our dismay over our current leadership.
We can’t hide our nationality, we don’t pretend to be Canadian- which is always silly but particularly rude these days, in light of how we’ve been treating our lovely neighbors to the north. We’re American. It’s obvious in so many ways. So, we’ll see how the conversations are going to be different on this trip.
What is our basic itinerary? A fun meet up with friends in the Haute-Savoie, and sort out our bikes, then Brittany and Normandy, and Paris. The travel planner (Rich) has many ideas and tricks up his sleeve. And, since he’s actually had time to travel plan, bookings for the first week or two! Our usual fly by the seat of our pants travel isn’t necessary when he has time on a laptop to research and plan. His one client (me) has absolute confidence in him.
So here we go! More from the roads of France later. As our SF friend BikeDave always said: “Have a nice ride home.”
Less Car, More Life 
So excited for you to visit France. Especially interested in your findings about Paris (and I’m over the moon about Emmanuel Gregoire’s election).
Also, I love that you will be carrying the #NoKings flag with you.
Hope you’ll be out on the streets locally this March 28th too!
Thank you! We are so happy for Paris. Watching the city change has been an absolute joy. We will look for a Saturday protest but we’re going to be in a fairly rural area so we might just have to make our own.
FYI:
Hands Off on April 5 had 1,400 sites / 3M+
NoKings I on June 14 had 2,100 sites / 5M+
NoKings II on Oct 18 had 2,700 sites / 7M+
And now…there are at least 3,000 (and counting) for NK3, so you might be pleasantly surprised.
Also, this article is worth a read (though to be clear, I’m definitely not asserting/assuming that your ‘rural’ destination equals Tr*mp-supporting).
Bon voyage!
We recently returned from a trip to Italy. Several folks mentioned “So, you’re Americans?” with a little hesitation, like they were trying to feel us out. My response was usually “no worries, we hate him too,” or “no, we didn’t vote for him and don’t agree with anything he’s doing.” You could see them visibly relax!
Great responses! That’s what we say too. Yup, led by a madman.