Where were we? Quimper. Another one of those amazing French cities where we get to be the only American tourists. As far as we can tell, anyway. One of the best things about visiting non A list sights is how friendly and nice and patient the locals are with tourists. A nice city for a rest day after a cranky ride from our last stop. You never know when the moodiness will hit. Sometimes it’s obvious, long ride in the rain or wind, sometimes it’s just bad luck of the day. Quimper was definitely an antidote to travel moodiness.
Le Steir, a canal off the Odet River in Quimper. That turret is part of the old wall of the city.So many half timbered buildings in Quimper. Beautiful old wooden carved figures still adorn some of the buildings.Nice pantaloons!Examples of different Breton regional wear in the Breton County Museum .We saw depictions of this ceremonial hat in carvings, paintings, and even stone as we rode the countryside of Finistère. Apparently it is a fairly recent adaptation from the early 1900s.
It’s easy as a tourist to focus only on the quaint history of a place and forget to look at the modern life. Yes, this is our fun vacation, but people live their modern complicated lives here as everywhere.
Street art in Quimper. I love this one.Smurf beating up Mickey while Mario … watches? Tries to stop them?Cubist cool French woman with ubiquitous vape?Selfie rat!
As usual a rest day involves taking care of business. This stop in Quimper allowed us to have our front hydraulic brakes looked after. The kind man in this shop installed new pads and rotors on both of our front wheels. Good timing as Rich’s really needed replacing. A big Rich plus a loaded bike means serious wear and tear on the brakes.
We rode the bikes over in the morning and got them back that evening. Phew!Rich searched on line and picked a shop fairly close to our hotel that specialized in pretty high end mountain and gravel bikes. And of course e-bikes.And I did some laundry! Fun fact, both laundromats I’ve been to include the laundry detergent. Lessive Incluse. I was worried it might be scented but didn’t notice any strong smell so all was good.
It was a bit rainy/misty/mizzly during our time in Quimper, which was fine since I’d rather walk around and have a rest day in the rain than ride in it.
Tucked up in a cozy crêperie drinking La bolée de cidre. Still catching the spring blooms in parks.
Then where did we go? We headed out to Brest after two nights in Quimper. It was still raining lightly but since the route from Quimper to Brest isn’t completely bike friendly, as we were warned by on line resources and a fellow cyclist we met waiting for the train, we rode a fairly short ride to Châteaulin, 26k/16 miles but with 480m/1600ft of climbing. There we would catch a quick train to Brest, as the V45 route that traverses most of the Finistère coast had a gap here. It’s one of the few places we’ve encountered in France that has no bike routes marked and online forums confirmed parts of the route were on steep and often busy roads. No thanks.
Quéménéven chapel. The color of the granite stones continues to fascinate me. Worn from sea wind and rain, speckled with lichen and moss, but not blackened by city pollution, they have a unique look.Climbing the final ridge to Châteaulin. Two things cheer me up on this damp climb: 1) I know wind turbines are always at the crest of a mountain or hill, and 2) The way the turbines are facing means we have a tailwind. Some curious horses and the storm being pushed our way by that lovely tailwind.Top of the climb! And still a tailwind. The rain is chasing us. Châteaulin. L’ Aulne River and some more pretty flowers. Yes! We’re getting on a train now! Not so fast, says Rich, the train station is up a decent sized climb above the river.Now we’re at the train station. And relaxing on our well timed train ride as the storm caught us and started pouring down rain.
By the time we got to Brest, about an hour and a half later, the sun was out and who cares about the wind when your hotel is only about 500 meters from the train station? Brest has been a ship building and important military port and harbor since the 1600s. It served as a crucial embarkation point in WW1. Thousands of US troops came through Brest heading to the front lines. And WW2 saw Germans use it for submarine and ship docking and repair. Which made it an important target for Allied forces to destroy. Only a tiny number of buildings were left standing after 1944’s Battle for Brest.
On arrival we pedal out of the Brest train station on a lovely bike lane. Look at that beautiful tram.I lobbied for a rest day in Brest to visit the Musée National de la Marine. 400 years of navel history in a castle! It was supposed to be open the Thursday we were there. It was not. Extraordinary closure. That face says, I plan and I plan, and still. Denied the Military Museum we had to take a deeper dive into Brest attractions.Off we went to Tour Tanguy museum. Which turned out to be a charming museum.It’s full of dioramas of old Brest, pre 1939. all created by a local artist Jim-E. Sévellec. (1897 – 1971)Each has detailed information on what you are seeing, in French and English.Such detail. Humor and nostalgia.The dioramas show and tell the story of Brest and helps you realize what got destroyed .But as we explore the city more, we are reminded what hardy and innovative people the Bretons are. Here is the Téléphérique De Brest, which crosses the Penfeld River harbor area.Huge dry docks.Riding the Téléphérique back across the harbor.This mural does not lie about the blue water and white sands of Finistère. And yes, there have been cats too!What a great storefront celebrating the sights of Brest.
Even though the Maritime Museum was closed, we still had a good rest day in Brest. The city is different than the rest of Finistère. Wider streets and more car traffic due to post war rebuilding. No half timbered buildings as we’ve admired in other Breton Cities. But nice tram lines and good bikeways, as we’ve come to expect from French cities. In fact, our ride out of Brest was one of the more pleasant rides leaving a city.
First an avenue of trees.Bike path, tram tracks, sidewalks. I think there is a car lane far left.Now that’s a protected bike lane. The bikes get to do what cars do, cross a valley on a road. When I see something like this I say with envy “Oh France.”And another bike ped bridge saving us from a down and up.Reading some WW2 history and the resistance in Gouesnou, not far out of Brest.
Well designed and comfortable bike paths are very welcome on this day since we have 85k to ride to Roscoff, and the English Channel to greet. We’ll finally be leaving the Bay of Biscay.
So far so good.You got this, says the glamour pony.On days of long rides it’s best to eat early and often. Our favorite Gazpacho flavor, cucumber and mint.Champagne gravel. Such a pretty path. Such blue skies.Fields of shallots. It took us a minute to remember what they are called so from now on we will call them scallywags. The style of chapels and steeples in this region is called Pont-Croix school style. Nothing exists to document if this style was the work of one architect or a guild of workers versed in specific techniques. The steeples look noticeably airy and with distinct buttresses.The English Channel! I texted this photo to a friend in Wales “We’re waving to you!”Made it to the Channel. Plouescat and the dramatic rocks of a low tide.Now get back on that bike and keep pedaling.Fields of artichokes. Another stop for food. I think this is our third lunch. And we made it to Roscoff. 85k later.The fearless tour leader. Successfully getting his one client (me) through a long day.The port of Roscoff was more charming than we anticipated. The big ferries from Ireland and England stop a bit further north, saving the historic harbor from the deluge of cars and trucks.A peaceful evening stroll after dinner.Some of my favorite things: pretty gate, blue shutters, and a well behaved gull being picturesque.It can be difficult to tell if buildings are inhabited. Shutters in disrepair, but curtains in the lower window. Rolling out of Roscoff the next day. Église Notre-Dame de Croaz-Batz behind me. Headed to Morlaix.Église Notre-Dame de Croaz-Batz has a very unusual and distinctive steeple.We had been joking about not seeing high tides as we always seemed to leave harbor towns at low tide. Finally – a high tide! Sweet chapel on a hill outside Roscoff.We’ve ridden a lot of places. I can be forgiven for sometimes forgetting for a moment where we are. In this lane I looked up at Rich and thought- Wait, are we in Wales? The narrow lane up a hill brought back strong memories of Pembrokeshire.But this allée of trees says France to me.And I will definitely remember the coast of Finistère. The marked cycle route took us down along a boat ramp which made for a perfect break spot.Our much loved and well ridden Koga World Traveler S bikes. Taking yet another break in Penzé. A picnic table! Perfectly timed for lunch.
Next post will continue the ride to Morlaix and on.
This is what I’ve been dreaming about for the past 9 months. To be back in France, over our jet lag, and ready to head out on our bikes again to live the simple cycle touring life. Carrying just what we need and no more. And a credit card or two, of course, as we’re not camping.
Wednesday Morning leaving Angers, France
It took a week from our home in Seattle to get to this place, but we also had a lot of fun along the way. Cheryl noted that this will be a new travel experience for us; home owners again AND retired, not nomads wandering from temporary home to temporary home. And indeed it has been different.
A nice walk with friends to fight off the arrival jet lag in the Haute Savoie.
But so far a lot has been pleasantly familiar. Ah yes, the wonderful maze of a Heathrow transfer at 6am in a jet lagged fog? (Follow the purple signs!) The windy but stunning flight approach along Lake Geneva? The new extra manic rush to immigration in Geneva post Brexit! (flight from London!) The indifference of the Genevois.
This area was our hub during our fully nomadic years (are we ”partially nomadic” now?) so coming back here is a bit like returning to an old friend, and actually, our old friends were here this time too. Bonus.
Snow and sun in the Lower Alps.This is a bike tour?Hannah and Cheryl at Hirmentaz.Some of our friends skied, but we opted for snowshoeing, as didn’t want to risk our 6 weeks on the bikes, especially when we haven’t been on skis for years!
It also turns out Seattle is closer to the UK than SF (thanks spherical earth) and it shaves 1-2 hours off getting to most of Europe. Add a strong tail wind and our flight was just 8 hours. Somehow it makes a big difference as the flight felt a bit more like a cross country trip. And we had almost no time or inclination to sleep, especially departing mid afternoon. But our British Airways Premium Economy seats were very nice and the flight was quite pleasant. It’s always great to be settled in your airline seat after a week of prep and packing. All done, bring it on!
Strike a pose Cheryl!
After landing in Geneva there was no time for jetlag as we had a stimulating four days with our hosts and 4 other friends from the UK in the Vallée Verte. So much catching up on both conversation and wine! And we had the luxury of travelling light, since our touring bikes and most gear was still here. (Thank you kind friends) So we had a few days to prep our bikes, sort our gear; and decide what we would really take out on our planned 6 weeks on the bikes. We did have the luxury of knowing that we can easily mail things back via French post if we find them redundant, which often happens with your warm gear by late April.
Are we really heading out on our bikes again in this weather?The calendar says spring, but the plants say winter.
Once on the bikes and with a proper send off by our friends, we roll out down a local road, still icy, and extra careful to not crash on the first 300m of our trip by dragging a foot along and being ready to slip and recover. All good. And a right turn onto the salted main D road and we are free and clear, knowing we have gravity in our favor today with over 700m down today and only 150m climbing to get to Geneva.
Finally loaded and heading down the valley below the snow line ~800m.Cheryl getting used to her loaded touring bike again, but as they say, “it’s just like riding a bike” -;)But first, mandatory stop at the boulangerie in Boëge for pastries and Poulet Curry Sandwiches for the train, tastier and only half the price of Geneva Station.Cheryl staying warm on the platform in Geneva as it was a very cold and windy day. And no, the TGV/Lyria train which runs to Paris was not ours as it requires you to dismantle your bike as baggage.Villages and historic sights abound.Ready to catch our local train to Lyon, but alas, it’s 30 minutes late.
As usual, two French trains got us where we needed to be, albeit 30 minutes late each time; first a short 2 hour trip to Lyon, and then a 6 hour cross country intercity journey to the city of Angers; in the heart of the Maine/Loire Valley.
We have written endless scribes on the travails of taking two loaded touring bikes on trains and we’ve come up with a few golden rules. Always get on at the beginning of a train journey when possible; avoid transfers, and get off at the end if possible too. So we cycled all the way to Geneva this time instead of taking a train from Annemasse and transferring.
I had to try the new circular bike ramp to bike parking at the renovated Lyon Part Dieu A tidy photo of our upgraded room at the bike friendly and well located Best Western Pont de Wilson in Lyon before we spread out our junk. If only all rooms bike touring were this spacious.
After a pleasant Sunday evening in Lyon we peddled back to Lyon Pernache station to catch a 6+ hour intercity train at its start (always!). Our destination was Angers, in the heart of the Loire Valley. Cycling back to the starting station was the right decision as we were ensconced in our seats and bikes/baggage stored by the time it got to the much busier second station – Lyon Part Dieu. We did have bike reservations, which are mandatory for intercity trains (not local TERs).
Cheryl was looking forward to her Pot Lyonnais, a slightly reduced carafe size with extra thick glass on the bottom, a relic of the owners cheating the silk weavers (Canuts) out a bit of weekly wine ration in the 19th century.This was one of our favorite takes on Sichuan food we’ve ever had, Frites de la maison à la sichuannaise. Crispy red peppers and toasted sesame seeds clinging to all.Enjoying an aperitif on the sunny and lively Quay de la Rhône in Lyon.The beautiful new welcome cyclists get at Lyon Part Dieu after traversing Lyon effortlessly on new separated bikeways that feed into the station area from all directions. Ah France, je t’aime.
One down side I was reminded of on most French trains is the ubiquitous 4-person cafe table seating. It’s great if there are just two of us in a 4 seater, but otherwise I need to fold my legs back to fit under the table and therefore must stand up or walkabout frequently to stretch in the vestibule. The seats, table height and metal supports were clearly not designed for my 6’-5” lankiness. My discomfort stresses Cheryl out too, as seasoned travelers know when their partner is not happy.
Cheryl at Lyon Pernache making elevators look easy. This one was roomy, but the previous one down closed on my back wheel!
But I can adapt and get in a zen place as needed (really!) and it was all fine in the end as the French are pretty friendly and helpful on trains. And this time we decided to get all the outbound train pain over early in our trip as we got warmed back up to bike touring mode. And hopefully we won’t need to get on another big train journey for awhile; just the joy of linear bike travel; where every day is new, and there are no time or space constraints.
Our Chateau view from the super friendly (and bike friendly) Hotel Marguerite D’Anjou in Angers.A stark reminder to us that our presidents used to help and inspire people globally. Angers has a lovely old town and dozens of half-timbered houses dating back more than 600 years.And colorful and extensive trams.…Eco landscaping companies.The majestic Cathédrale Saint-Maurice d’Angers.And even big pink doors.
Angers is a small French City that dates back to Roman times and I’ve always wanted to visit, yet we had just managed to miss it on our past trips on the Loire. It has about 150,000 people and a nice center city aspect up on a significant hill above the Maine River, a tributary to the Loire.
Angers is a center of urban horticulture for France.Lovely spring gardens and a defensible space.Clean, green, lively and full of endless pedestrian space, Angers is very pleasant to wander for a day or two.Another dream of the past 9 months was a proper French Breakfast, and the Hotel Marguerite D’Anjou did a very nice version, with perfect croissants and baguettes from the bakery next door, local yogurt, and Museli.This picture ca. 1962 in the history and Art Museum showed the threat of redevelopment on the historic city center of Angers as the French emerged from the economic challenges of WWII into a period of prosperity. The contrast of old and new is stark.Heading down the Maine River to the Loire.Our ultimate destination was Nantes, but in two leisurely days of riding.Cheryl on the gravel in her pink wool racing jersey.In the chaos of USA news this year, we somehow missed that the Department of the Maine et Loire had some of its worst flooding in 25 years in mid February. These historic markers in La Pointe don’t yet indicate the 2026 flood.This friendly man was tracking every cycle tourist through town with push pins on a world map. Seattle, WA is now represented for 2026!We were actually the first cycle tourists of the season at both our hotels in Angers and Saint Florent Le Viel, as it was a rough winter with 43 days of rain out of 48, record flooding and continued cold last week. First pastry break along the Loire.A reminder of our home neighborhood cat Charlie looking for the start of lunch in Savennières, but alas, a few minutes too early.We mostly had the Loire to ourselves so early in the season…just the way I like to wander.A separate bike path on a bridge is always appreciated as you can stop to enjoy the view.Along a pastoral section of road, I was suddenly shocked to see the 2026 flood height indicated in blue chalk ABOVE me, outside this farm house!To Cheryl’s disappointment, the yurts and bar are not yet open for the season. Babacool heaven.A gray first day with a bit of mizzle reminded of us of our new Seattle home.So you take some chances on your first full day out on tour.But Pork Rillettes are officially off the lunch picnic menu forever.A great room overlooking the Loire in Saint Florent le Viel. Swing season score.And short days on the bike means plenty of time (and energy) to explore the cute little town.Not our Chateau.Dinner at the little family run hotel was very good, especially the home made smoked salmon, which tasted more like fine sashimi.Cheryl’s white wine glass choice, an adjacent appellation of Savennières, recieved high marks.And another new Loire appellation (maybe?) for us was our red choice with dinner.Family run for three generations…first cycle tourists of the season! There will be many to follow.The second day on the Loire started to brighten up.The path pleasantly followed the north bank of the river, with an occasional train whirring by.Nearly our entire 110k between Angers and Nantes was on path, bikeway, or extremely quiet road. Spring was following us to Nantes and time to shed some layers.
So our first week was great, but we both do feel a bit weird still as we settle into freewheeling mode again…we do have a home in the Pacific NW now which we like very much. We’ve planted things, decorated, and made new friends. Our bed is now a huge CA King, our coffee and tea just as we like, and the neighborhood is blissfully quiet at night.
Bikeways greet us into beautiful Nantes.
Yet we go forth and ride. We cuddle closer in a queen (or smaller) bed again. We search to find food we crave each day, and yes, I even sip instant coffee all day in my thermos again. Ah travel, I love it -:)
Sunshine and feeling back in the swing of things. Vive La France!
After two amazingly easy and short train journeys from Paris, we were ready to get on with our cycling adventure.
Heading up into the central Ardennes of Belgium from France
The goal was to hit some hills and slightly different cultures after a lot of time in France. But we didn’t want to rush out of our adopted country of choice too fast, so started with a nice easy ride from the train to our first night’s lodging in Remily-Allincourt; all topped off by a surprisingly gourmet and pleasant dinner at our countryside hotel. But we really shouldn’t be surprised by a countryside gourmet meal in France anymore.
After our TGV to Reims, this lovely Grand L’Est regional train to Charleville-MézièresReims had some tight elevators but smaller Charleville-Mézières had really small platform elevators. I took stair rails down, while Cheryl opted for turning her bike upright in the elevator. By the way, a heavily loaded bike can slide out of control on the metal checker plate, especially if anything is wet!But hey, a new elevator up -:)
Transition travel days with a few train hops are always tiring, so I’ve learned to not plan too much riding on those days if possible. Just warm up the legs to make us sleep soundly. And of course, create some room for dinner!
Nice to be touring again after our 4 day break in Paris Where are we going? Briefly on the popular Meuse cycle route, now also Eurovélo 19.The history of WWII in the region still feels fresh and even more interesting as you traverse the same landscape as advancing or entrenched forces. So many buildings were occupied by the Germans and repurposed, while others served the resistance.Cleaned up and with our best shirts on for a Saturday night dinner at the Hôtel la Sapinière. Our usual French restaurant trick is I get the 3-course menu and Cheryl just a main plate, and we split appetizer and dessert.Cheryl looking fresh and lovely in her new shirt. I think splitting dessert was a good idea.
As we left Paris, we had the prospect of a week long cat sit in Luxembourg, and were both anticipating a video call that night to seal the deal, which we did! For better or worse, the house sit constrained our route a bit and certainly eliminated any options of heading further North. So we had about a week to cover a distance we could theoretically do in 2 days if needed.
We were headed to Libramont from Douzy, so had a choice of routes. We went left.The RAVeLs are a series of fantastic routes in Belgium, mostly on repurposed rail lines, and mostly paved.
But adding distance is never much of a challenge in the dense web of great cycling routes of the Benelux region. So we decided to wander a bit in the central and southern Ardennes and it was very rewarding, both in scenery and in fascinating history.
I wanted to see this beautiful rail viaduct near Bertrix, so we opted for a hillier route off the RAVel for a bit. Smiling at the top of one of the many climbs in the Ardennes
It was also tough terrain defined by endless rolling hills and steep river valleys. No easy going here, unless you find your way onto one of the nice rail trails or a free train in Luxembourg.
The pavement was smooth but a climb right out the door is not always appreciated.Very clear signage and markings in Belgium.
We love the way history unfolds as we ride through a new area. We now understand why people come to visit this area solely to revisit the WWII history. This area was occupied early by the Germans and then liberated by the Americans and other allies in the fall of 1944 as they advanced from the beaches of Normandy.
Climbing through commercial forests outside of Libramont. The drab monoculture was offset by the beautifully smooth new concrete path.The high point at an eye watering 560m! Ok, the Ardennes are not a high mountain range. But the buttery smooth pathway decent and rollers through lush mixed forests was a blast.Our favorite Gazpacho flavor currently; Tomato, Mint, and Basil
But Hitler’s last major effort in late December, 1944 aimed to split the allies in the middle of the Ardennes and crucially, isolate and take the strategic port of Antwerp. This is how the famous battle of the Bulge got its name. It seems the Battle of the Bulge has been rebranded as the Battle of the Ardennes to broaden its scope appropriately to all the stages of the war in the region.
The entire area was the front lines of the advancing Germans after the battle of the Bulge. Virtually every village had a story of war, occupation, suffering, destruction, more war, and finally liberation in early 1945.What are you looking at?More ups and downs on the way to La Roche, but the weather was perfect.A typical quick picnic lunch of luscious pate, healthy sweet potato hummus, cucumber, and seeded whole grain crackers.Our final approach to La Roche had miles of Beaver habitait along a small tributary stream to the Ourthe River.So it was not the best time to spot one of the diurnal European Beavers, but the evidence of their work was everywhere. like the trees gnawed and ready to fall, and many dams across the stream.Reattaching my bottom water bottle cage after a full bottle flew off on a fast and bumpy decent. I was lucky not to go down as I might have if it had gone under my wheel. Reminder, check all the bolts on the bikes!
A bit of a side note on our trusty Koga World Traveller S bicycles. Inevitably heavily laden touring bicycles have mechanical issues and require maintenance, especially drivetrains, brakes, and tires. We’ve both had our bicycles tuned up and overhauled once since their purchase 2 years ago, but at different times and usually spurred on by an issue. I had to get a new disc and pads for my rear brake last year in Salzburg, and Cheryl needed her brakes bled and refilled, along with new brake pads this year in Narbonne, France.
Thankfully, most shops will take some pity on touring cyclists and accommodate a fix into their schedules. But not always, and major work or overhauls sometimes are scheduled out months in advance.
Happy for a day off the bikes in scenic La Roche-en-Ardenne.Exploring the small and fairly charming La Roche, including the local cat population.Is this cat trying to escape from Cheryl?The local Charcuterie…the reformed pigs were a little creepy to me.
So after numerous flat tires before Paris, I felt my Schwalbe Evolution rear tire was near retirement age. I had a chance in Paris to get a brand new first choice tire (Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700×38) but opted to ride on as the tire tread still seemed ok to me. What I didn’t notice until on the way out to Gare d’Est in Paris, was the wobble in my rear tire. It had a small bulge. Too late to get that perfect tire replacement!! Ugh. And no open bike shops for a few days. And then I noticed a second bulge. So it was rideable, but a constant wobble feel and concern that it would finally blow out the side made my cycling way less fun for a few days.
Not the alps, but a good little climb to warm us up out of La Roche en route to BastogneSo nice on TOP of the ridges. And most of the roads here are so quiet. Trying to ignore the bulges in my back tire!Just proving Cheryl was still with me. She was climbing like a pro after 7 weeks on the bike!And ripping up the gravel!Some fun off road sections in the Ardennes, but it can be rocky and muddy. Yes, thank you for slowing for the nice black cat!
So luckily after 3 days of riding, my back tire kept it together and we made it to Bastogne and a nice, well equipped bike shop that had a replacement tire. Not my dream Schwalbe tire, but actually a wider 700×50 Schwalbe mid range tire. This is as wide a tire as our Kogas will accommodate, and it certainly does have a nice supple ride now. But lesson learned, right? And Cheryl keeps reminding me that she said I should have gotten the new tire in Paris… and Cheryl is always right!
This tank is dedicated to the U.S. 10th Armored unit who were the first to defend Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge. They were soon joined by the famous 101st Airborne Division who have their own museum in Bastogne. About 50m from here is a monument to the nurses in the battle.The beautiful and dramatically located Mardasson Memorial on the edge of Bastogne.A strategic location to defend.The RAVeL Line no 163 runs from Bastogne to Gouvy just along the Luxembourg border and traces a critical front line of the Battle of the ArdennesAnd more cow curiosity; what are these crazy people doing on top of our ridge?!And this cute little guy (gal?).And did we mention it’s Spargle (white asparagus) season!!Our nice bike friendly guest house in Sankt Vith. Nice new rooms and a self serve bar filled with Belgian Beers. (Of course.)
Another interesting quirk of this region is the bizarre mix of languages and political boundaries. After leaving Bastogne, we headed to Sankt Vith, the cultural hub of the small German speaking region of Belgium. Germany wanted this region back from Belgium after both wars, but Belgium resisted and it remains a semi autonomous region of Belgium with about 80k German speakers. We noticed a unique feel here, not quite like Germany, but also not like the French or Flemish region of Belgium. They also seem to speak an old dialect of German and not cater to the multi lingual flexibility offered by most Belgians.
Cheryl trying out some local bike art next to a brief local history on the occupation, resistance, and use of the local farm houses during the war. Everyone and everyplace in this region was in the heart of the long struggle. Yes, we felt pretty welcome in this corner of the world.We were now on the Vennbahn for a while, a long distance route from Liege.As they refurbished the rail line, they discovered numerous bat species in the Lengeller tunnel. It’s closed to people now and they have turned both approaches into an informational journey. Bats are cool, so we were happy to divert.On the steeper pass road, we met these two nice young German guys out for a week of bike packing and camping.And swapped cameras to get pictures of the sticker laden border sign to Luxembourg.Passing under our first train station in Troisvierges, the southern terminus of the Vennbhn. I had to check out the nice departure screens and fact that all the trains and buses are free! All the time, everywhere. Very exciting!We arrived in sunshine to Clervaux, Luxembourg, and its beautiful church which looks ancient but was actually built in 1912.The Church of Saints Côme et Damien is just as impressive inside. Incredible quality and workmanship which was an effort to boost and promote Clerveux’s status as an economically successful village.The Clerveux Castle is in a dramatic spot on a bend in the Clerve River. It now houses a war museum and is permanent home to the Family of Man; a impressive presentation of 512 black and white photographs collected by Edward Steichen in 1956. Its focus on the commonalities of the human experience around the world felt especially poignant to us with Trump’s administration of uber-nationalism.A simple but effective monument to the American GIs who liberated Luxembourg twice from the Wehrmacht.And the townspeople cheering on their liberators.Waiting for our first FREE train in Clerveux, Luxembourg.Multiple bike cars, level boarding: and horizontal placement of bikes! (No hooks!!) Luxembourg spends even more than the Swiss per capita on train infrastructure.No tickets, no worry about missing a train. I think I like this!After our FREE train hop, a short ride today to our hotel near our cat sit. All on excellent cycle paths and routes. Have I mentioned all the trains are free in Luxembourg since 2020?!!Today’s ride was perhaps a bit too short so we had to kill some time along the river in our Chair Zeros.My first Battin, the de facto National Beer of Luxembourg. A pretty tasty lager with a malty and satisfying finish.
So we finally made it to Luxembourg (first time!), and so far, it’s been fascinating in its own right: unique languages, economic prosperity, and great infrastructure. But more on Luxembourg next time from Cheryl. Happy travels!
These nomads are still smiling and ready for our next cat sitting adventure in Luxembourg!
After quite a bit of countryside riding, with the food and lodging challenges taking their toll, we decided to just take a train from Limoges to…somewhere. Somewhere closer to Belgium which was on our want to go list. The easiest train from Limoges went to Paris, with just a few stops. Unfortunately we would not be getting on at the beginning of the run, the train was an Intercity coming from Toulouse. There was the usual medium stressful drama of getting the bikes and bags on the high boarding train, but two women, one taking her bike off the train, whom we helped, and another just boarding the train with no bike, both jumped in to help.
Two very nice Dutch cyclists whose names we failed to get were on our train. We had good platform chat and shared bike touring tips. They rode off to catch their connecting train in Paris.We headed to our favorite neighborhood in the 12th, our fourth time in this area, this time at the Adagio Apartment Hotel. Back to our favorite neighborhood bar, Bar & Beer Picpus.And to Le 217 Brasserie Restaurant for dinner.
The joy of being somewhere familiar. Other nomads will understand how pleasant it is to walk out your door and know where the market is, where the metro is, how to pay for it, and how to get to the fabulous greenway down the block. And, as an added bonus we have our Amis des Louvre cards and they were still valid.
Pichet of vin rouge.Somehow this was my first steak tartar of our time in France this year. Worth the wait as it was delicious.The street life in the 12th is wonderful. So much density, wide sidewalks, and folks who take their house cats out for a walk.A cheery shop window.A yummy shop window.This was the biggest and most curious missing cat poster we’ve ever seen. There were two attached to the front gate of a large apartment building.
Our Friends of the Louvre cards continue to more than pay for themselves. Once again we visited using the special members only entrance, and went to two of the special exhibits. The first was The Experience of Nature, Art in Prague at the Court of Rudolph II.
Hans Hoffman Hare.This work of art has a fascinating back story: Artwork recovered after the Second World War Provenance: Baudson collection, interior decoration (?), Paris; possibly acquired on 21 May 1941 by Jane Weyll, art dealer; auction Paris, Drouot, Baudoin, 16 December 1942, no. 41; acquired by Karl Haberstock, Berlin dealer, in 1943 for the Führer Museum in Linz, no. 2687; work recovered at the end of World War II; Central Collecting Point in Munich, 15 July 1945; transported to Paris on 25 June 1946; retained by the 3rd Commission for the Recovery of Works of Art and handed over to the Musée du Louvre on 22 December 1949 by the French Office for Personal Property and Interests; awaiting return to its rightful owners, should provenance research underway establish proof of spoliation or forced sale.
We’ve been to so many museums that display artwork still in limbo from WW2. It’s so moving to read the stories, and to see exhibits where remaining family members have made sure the work goes to a museum where it can be seen by the public, and the story of the family told, rather than disappearing into a private collection. The business of special exhibits also fascinates me. Imagine being able to put together an exhibit from not only the Louvre’s huge collection, but to borrow works of art from other world class museums to realize your theme?
Detail of animals from a painting by Roelant Savery, a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Rich and I decided we would have loved to been at the museum staff meeting where they discussed how to get visitors to venture into lesser known and less crowded parts of the museum. Maybe it was an intern who had the fantastic idea of placing 99 works of Haute Couture in the decorative arts wing?
Louvre Couture. Art and fashion: statement pieces.Very thoughtfully placed.Azzedine Alaïa, a Tunisian couturier who museum I visited with our friend Nancy on our previous Paris trip.It’s not just inside the museum that we spot works of art. These new 100% electric buses are worthy of admiration. I call these the Bubble Butt Buses. Are they coming or going? That is the rear of the bus.The push me pull you bus. Sadly we didn’t get to ride one, but I could see the seats in the rear were arranged in a conversation seating style.Sunset bus glamour shot! I used the clean up feature to remove a car from the photo which is why the bottom left looks odd.Bicycling in Paris is a blast. Rush hour can be pretty crazy but if you head out after rush hour it’s fantastic. You do have to be careful of the Parisian cyclists- they ride ‘em like they stole ‘em. Prepare to be buzzed with just inches to spare, and be super cautious when stopping at red lights or for pedestrians. You might get rear ended.Our own bikes! Without panniers. So light and fun to ride.Notre Dame, construction side.The front is construction scaffolding free.What a way to sightsee.Break for hot chocolate.A mini Statue of Liberty, or Liberty Enlightening the World, and Le Tour Eiffel.Riding closer.The bikes pose for their Insta shot.And merrily we go along home for lunch.And back out in the afternoon for a visit to the Musée Cognacq-Jay. During our last visit to Paris this museum was closed after a brazen robbery.The museum has an exceptional collection of fine art and decorative items.Cute dog enhance!Our final day was a lot of walking. We were over our intense tiredness and ready to put some miles on our feet. Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.What’s your one funny Paris tip? Ours is that the cemeteries all have public toilets. Caffeine and croque monsieur stop.That old photo bomber.New clothing! I ventured out for some shopping. Last dinner atLe 217 Brasserie.Goat cheese bruschetta and salad.Shhhh…don’t tell the French we bought our breakfast bread the evening before! Packed up and leaving the Adagio Hotel. I can’t take many photos while cycling in Paris. Too much going on and a valid fear of crashing.Gare de l’Est. We arrived nice and early, ready for the train dance.But wait! What’s this? Smiling cyclist? Empty platform?A very nice SNCF staff member saw us waiting with our bikes, confirmed which platform our train was leaving from, and let us on the platform early. I’m sitting and reading my book, the bikes and bags are stowed, and all before any other passengers arrive.The Happy Travelers celebrating a successful train boarding.
We needed that Paris break. To stop moving for four nights and rest. We slept a lot. We had breakfast and lunch in our studio apartment with kitchenette, and dinner out. After our month in Paris last year, four days felt short, but we knew our way around and had plenty to see, and eat. So we’re headed north now to the Ardennes and a few new countries!
Bourges through a window of the Palais Jacques Cœur.Lyon is the bottom heart, then Bourges, then Orléans. All by train as our bicycles have entered winter hibernation.
Looking forward to a month’s stay in Paris we left Lyon, and the sunshine, although we didn’t realize it at the time. And we headed to Bourges. Bourges isn’t a big tourist destination, although Rick Steves tours do stop there to enjoy the half timbered houses and the huge gothic cathedral with its 13th century stained glass windows.
Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges. Seriously huge. We called it a triple decker cathedral.The soaring interior and lovely chandeliers.
Bourges has nearly 500 half timbered buildings, more than any other French town, and the ruins of a Gallo-Roman wall. A tea and cake shop, Cake Thé, uses one tower as a dining room, if you follow the path to the shop you will find the remains of the wall and a lovely walking path.
Twilight on a street of half timbered buildings.The upkeep of the buildings must be very challenging. We saw a few supported with external bracing like this.It was a great town to explore.With sweet little cobbled streets.Lined with small houses.And more half timbered buildings on a quiet street near the center of old town.Of course a Camino route goes through town. And, this is the last you will see of our sandals for a while.
One of Bourges’ other sites to see is the Palais Jacques Cœur, a large Hôtel particulier – a grand urban mansion, freestanding and not connected to its neighbors. Cœur was a government official and successful merchant in the 1400s. Too successful, as his ability to lend large sums of money led to his eventual arrest and downfall. It seems never to pay off to have a King in your debt.
He did not get to enjoy his mansion, traveling during construction, arrested before he could live in it.So many craftsmen were employed to make this building an absolute masterpiece. Gargoyles abound.Stone carvings on every surface.You’d need a fireplace this size to heat the massive rooms.Another view through the old windows.A bat detail on the mantle piece.More fantastic stone work.
Although the palais is not furnished, it changed hands several times and was the town hall for a while, the audio guide helps you picture life in the building, and understand the amount of money and work that went into its construction.
And more gargoyle downspouts. Unfortunately for me the rain had stopped. I love seeing these in action.
Our two night stay gave us enough time to visit one of Bourges other fascinating sites, Le Marais, or the marsh, or swamp, in English.
A sign pointed the way as you walked down a neighborhood street.On the map the Marais looks like a city of water. We caught a glimpse from the train and had to see it on foot.
The Yèvre River is the source of water, and the swamp had provided a defendable space for the town. The 300 acres now hold 1,500 garden plots on which locals grow food, build small summer huts, and enjoy strolling on the levees. Some plots are only accessible by boat.
I imagine the locals know their way around the small paths and bridges, we had to check the map frequently.Whimsical folk art.A building being taken back by the vegetation.Very nice for an afternoon stroll.A boat ready to carry gardeners to their plot.We imagined quite a lovely summer scene in the Marais.Hey bourgeoisie, keep out!
It’s a fun way to travel, a few nights here, a few nights there, get the sense of a place and understand its place in the region and the country, and then off we go! But first, a nice dinner out at a restaurant we spotted our first night, and made a reservation for our second night. La gargouille.
Such a cozy looking spot.With plenty of namesake decor.More gargoyles, and Rich, not a gargoyle. Anticipating dinner.Gargoyle tartar! (No gargoyles were harmed.)The second best tartare I have had in France.And off to the train! Even when traveling bike free we can’t help but check out the bike spots on the trains.
Our last stop before Paris was Orléans. We went through Orléans on our bicycles when we rode along the Loire River in 2021. We enjoyed it then, in a sunny October, and knew there was enough to see still for a short stay. This is where the grey November weather caught up with us. What the morning news show called la grisaille. The greyness.
The Loire in la grisaille.The fog made for a very atmospheric walk along the river.This narrow building caught our attention in the old streets by the river.The old town streets giving framed views of Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans.The front of the cathedral.Always crossing Camino routes.An autumnal display brightens a grey day.Inside the cathedral on All Saint’s Day. St. Joan in stained glass.
Joan of Arc, Jeanne d’Arc in French, is honored as a patron Saint of France for her role in defending Orléans in April 1429. You can find her in cathedrals, as statues, and paintings in the Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans. Her story is powerful and poignant, as she was only 19 when she was tried for heresy and burned at the stake.
Many lit candles that day.St. Joan at night, dramatically lit.The Happy Travelers looking ahead to Paris.
Even on long travels, the end of any travel segment can start to drain your enthusiasm as you start thinking about the next phase of your journey, or worse, the work waiting for you back home.
Heading to Albertville on a beautiful spring day in the Alps. Our minds are now addicted to new.
We’ve all had that end of vacation feeling or remember our childhood summers of freedom coming to a close in late August (Ugh!). But one of the reasons we gave up or locked up most of our material possessions three years ago was to experience the world without that constant end of trip deadline. No limits or boundaries. It’s a magical feeling and one I appreciate more and more as we traverse the world. We are lucky and know it. We recommend everyone tries it someday.
Spring in the Place de la Liberation of Dijon
But our last few weeks of spring bike touring in France took a concerted effort to stay focused and motivated. Don’t get me wrong, parts of it were wonderful, and some warm spring (summer?) weather gave us a “vacation from our vacation” feeling in Annecy, a perfect cap to our recent journey.
Signaling my intentions for Cheryl and the locals in Dijon. Église Saint-Michel in the distance. BTW, French cyclists don’t signal much, and seem to thrive on the organic flow familiar to the Dutch.
After a brisk morning cycle to our train hop from Les Laumes – Alésia on the Burgundy Canal, we rolled into Dijon Ville station mid-day. We were pleased to see a train platform ramp and the option of an at-grade exit to the street. Outside the station was a bikeway towards center ville. This abundance of bike infrastructure is one of the major reasons why we’ve been exploring France by bike for nearly 3 months!
Dijon Gare. We love platform access ramps; the best station solution for all when space permits.
This was our second visit to Dijon while cycle touring, but this time we planned to spend two nights to allow a bit more time to explore the beautiful city at the heart of Burgundy. It’s an extremely pleasant and lively city, with a bike and pedestrian oriented core, parks, and beautiful architecture. Free museums and a wide array of food options add to the draw. It’s also extremely well connected by train on the Paris-Lyon mainline.
History plaques add to the joy of wandering historic Dijon. Many stately buildings with grand courtyards were built by the wealthy in the mid 1700’s. Vive la Révolution!A few hours to kill before checking into our bike friendly hotel. Often nomadic life includes sitting on park benches; maybe travel planning, reading a book, or just watching the world go by.This area of Dijon was being upgraded this year to meet the Mayor’s goals for livability. We noticed a lot of new streetscape improvements and tree planting in urban areas of France.Upgrading to City 2.0 – more walkable, more trees, and limited car traffic.E-bike cargo and mail delivery is really put to the test in France and the perfect tool for compact urban centers.What is behind these beautiful blue doors?
After enjoying a day off the bikes in Dijon, we had planned to continue south and east towards the Jura mountains and Geneva. But as I looked into the details of our planned route, I was thinking maybe we needed a Plan B.
Jardin Darcy at sunset.Le chien de la Tabac.Access to the Dijon city center is controlled by retractable bollards, making it a pedestrian and bicycle oasis.
First, there was a lot of flat sections of the Burgundy canal and Doubs River to pass along with a likely headwind. Blah. Second, lodging with food in the Jura is very limited and I was challenged to find places to stay early season once we climbed up to the 3,000+ foot plateau. (Probably better to camp up there.) Third, more unseasonably cold weather and rain was predicted. No thank you.
High boarding train to Lyon. Local TER trains are your best bet with bikes or IC trains with bike space reservation. TGVs also serve this corridor but have very limited bike space, so only work with advanced planning.Two hooks with pretty easy access inside.
So we pivoted last minute and instead caught a train south to Valence via Lyon, and headed up the Isère River valley into the heart of the Alps. It was the route I had originally scoped for our return to the Vallée Verte. It has a lot more lodging options, lower elevations, and trains for backup. More importantly, we were excited by this new route, which is a key component of (nomadic) life. It’s good to suffer sometimes for the sake of a goal, but also ok to make sensible choices for yourself.
A perfect cafe to people watch in Dijon.The Musée des Beux Arts permanent collections are free and it houses a wonderful collection of art, sculpture, and antiquities.Paulus Potter’s “Head of a Sheep” at the Dijon Musée des Beaux-Arts.
The Isère River enters the Rhône north of Valence and is the namesake of the Department that is a part of the region of Rhône-Alps. We had actually passed through Valence in March on the Via Rhôna, so had to retrace a bit of our route upstream this time. Strangely, the lower part of the Isère River is actually still in the department of the Drôme.
The skies are starting to look threatening as we head up the Rhône near Valence.Spring really is here!Great bike bridges on the Via Rhôna and Isère An homage to our favorite woodland creature.
We just beat the forecast rain to our first night stay in Romans-sur-Isère, but were a bit stunned by the somewhat incessant and gridlocked traffic through this old riverside industrial city. We slogged through to get to our surprisingly charming lodging on the edge of the city, and walked back into the center of the town in the rain for dinner. We did find a (the?) fun and friendly place to get a drink and dinner and everyone was very nice to the two noticeable American cycle tourists. The town clearly gets few cycle tourists, although sits on the recently developed V63/V62 cycle route know collectively as “La Belle Via”.
Heading into Romans-sur-Isère. We hadn’t hit the traffic jams yet.Heading out in the rain the next day from the very nice Hôtel L’Orée du Parc.Full rain suit and a feigned smile during a slight rain breakWe did manage a pastry rain break under a shop awning. Can’t let our French baked goods levels get too low.
We love to learn about the history of places, even for a one night stay, and Romans has been influenced by its strategic location on trading routes and a major river. Shoe manufacturing is still a business and there is a small museum dedicated to the industry that was unfortunately closed by the time we rolled into town. Further down river are abundant walnut orchards. On the way out of town, we learned another source of major traffic was a nuclear fuel manufacturing facility. But Romans is not a bicycle city and the bike infrastructure was sad or non-existant. There was a renovation of part of the Main Street in progress which may help the pedestrian environnement, but otherwise it seemed to be a bit overrun by cars and parking.
We were following the V63 cycle route up (and down) the Isère which includes some dedicated path sections, but mostly quiet roads.Hills, rain, and another forced smile.
The challenge of the next day was 84km to Grenoble which would have been manageable except it was raining out the door and rarely stopped. We had a low point this day as the traffic getting out of Romans, steep hills, and incessant rain seemed to zap the energy and motivation of Cheryl, and I could sense it. We both have our bad days, but generally one of us keeps it mentally together. Today we were both just a bit over it. Travel, rain, eating out…all of it.
The Isère river valley was beautiful, even on this moody and stormy dayA lunch snack at a welcomed picnic area was cut short as we saw a massive thunderstorm front approaching. Ride fast!
We did manage to miss the worst of an epic thunderstorm and hail in a farmers shed. Cheryl is a travel trooper and rarely complians, but the ups and downs of 10 weeks of cycle touring was weighing us both down. (I generally complain first -;) We had a train bailout option in the small town of Vinay, but arrived to just miss a train prior to a 2 hour gap in service. The days lack of progress sent me into a travel tailspin too, and let’s just say, that afternoon was one of the low points of our France sojourn.
Made it to a farmers shed just in time for the skies to open up.The rain and hail let up a bit finally so we headed back out.Rain booties on, trousers off. It’s a look.
But the sun came out as we waited for our train. and the short train hop to Grenoble was fine. The city was lively and green, and the next day was beautiful. Travel and cycle touring can propel you on a rollercoaster of emotions, but that is why we continue on. The next day IS generally better -:) .
Grenoble was home to the 1968 Winter Olympics and now 700,000 people live in its region, making it the biggest metro region in the Alps.Nope, not a cute animal, but the 2024 Paris Olympic mascot takes the shape and form of a Phrygian cap; a symbol of freedom and revolution! Love the theme and inclusion of a Paralympic prosthetic leg.There was a surprising abundance of street art and murals in Grenoble.Hey, Grenoble is cool!Love the green tram tracks (but not all the rain).Next level cargo bikes in a seriously green city.Trams and bikes, what’s not to love?!The cranky travelers recovering in Grenoble and ready to explore another day.
We loved Grenoble but only stayed a night as hotels were unusually expensive due to a conference. We vowed to come back and explore more there soon as it’s nearby the Vallée Verte and has a lot of top museums, not to mention outdoor adventure in every direction. The next two days cycling further up the valley were inspiring and relatively short, so allowed for plenty of time to stop at sights, take photos, and bask in our positive attitude!
The ride out of Grenoble was flat but pleasant along the Isère River and valley.But soon heads up some small hills into the Coeur de Savoie.The Savoie wine production region near Chingin.Cheryl heading to the wine!Views and history at Chateau LaViolette, a very friendly and lovingly restored B&B in the Porte-de-Savoie. This magnificent cypress tree was over 200 years old.Views from LaViolette of vineyards famous for Mondeuse Noir and Jacquere. The infamous land sliding Mt Granier is obscured by clouds.Our next day was greeted by spectacularly blue skies cycling the D201 road to Albertville. We passed on the steep climb to the historic Château de Miolans.A wonderful day rolling through the tidy and historic villages of the Savoie.Usually there is a great water source in these mountains…just need to make sure you see the “Eau Potable” sign.The D201 road rolls up and down along the edge of the valley towards Albertville and is a great alternative to the flat V62 route in the bottom of the valley.
We found a nice little apartment in Albertville to spend the first two nights of the long Corpus Christi holiday weekend, as Albertville is actually not much of a tourist town, despite hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics. It’s pleasant enough and was a good place to relax, do laundry, and explore a bit, but otherwise would recommend other places in the Alps for scenery and charm. It has the old Olympic park and a small medieval town, Conflans, on an adjacent bluff. We realized all the charming Olympic shots you saw in 1992 were probably of Conflans, not Albertville per se.
Our cozy apartment in Albertville had convenient balcony drying The medieval village of Conflans is just a short walk up the hill from downtown Albertville. We really enjoyed learning more about life and history of the Savoie at the small museum.Spring fragrance in Conflans.La Bicyclette in Albertville is a great bike themed bar with craft beers, a very pleasant garden, and of course, wine -:) .Heading out of Albertville for a short day to Annecy. How can we make this longer and more fun?Taking the rolling side gravel and dirt paths instead of the paved cycle path.Happy to snag a lunch bench on this busy holiday weekend.Another side excursion to get some views and hills.Oops, too much hill and wicked steep in parts! A bike push assist.Yup, the trail goes through this farmhouse. We’ve learned that France is quite liberal with protecting historic rights-of-way and unless there is a clear Privé sign, we press on.Cheryl enjoying the side excursion downhill.Fun descent in a bit of mud. First one to fall down buys the wine!
After Albertville, we had an easy day to Annecy planned, but I did my best to make it a bit more challenging as we couldn’t get into our apartment there until 5:30. But the weather was spectacular and the route a joy, minus a few rough patches off road. We got to the south end of Lake Annecy just after lunch, where our route joined the 40km lake loop. It seemed that most of France was outside that day as the weather was finally warm. We merged into the pathway mix of fast and slow, families and dogs, and racers kitted out still thinking they might achieve their personal Strava best weaving around thousands of people. It was fun and the scene was memorable as we got closer to the center of Annecy.
You can circle Lake Annecy on cycle routes which is a very popular day trip.The lake path was full on France the Sunday of a long holiday weekend (Corpus Christi).We were waiting for a mishap in the Sunday spring fever and lakeside chaos, but it all seemed to work out.So this is what cycle touring in warm weather is like! We felt the joy of everyone as well, since we’d been experiencing the same wet and cold spring across France.Chillin in the lake on the hottest day of our spring trip.Postcard shot, Annecy.Annecy’s lakefront has the historic aire of a long visited and cherished place for relaxation.The enchanting crystal waters of Le Thiou, a short river that flows out of Lake Annecy and is one of the clearest in the world. It eventually flows into the Fier and Rhône.
Annecy is a lovely French city with a great density, beautiful lake front, summer swimming, boating, and strolling. It benefits from easy access by train including daily direct TGVs to Paris. For our California friends…imagine a 2 hour train from San Francisco to North Lake Tahoe. We can only dream.
New play space for people as Annecy had recently expanded the car free core.Bollard access again keeps the lakeside traffic out of old town core.The lake and mountains are omnipresent.We stayed another night in Annecy after the holiday rush to enjoy a more tranquil experience and more swimming!Beers with friendly British cycle tourists we met on the path. Greetings Clive and Alan!Swimming with the swans.Big hair on Lake Annecy.
Our final route from Annecy to the Vallée Verte included a morning train hop as the V62 route is sadly incomplete and we’d been warned about the road near Cruseilles. The terrain is steep and rugged north of Annecy and it would be too long to do in one day as well. So we enjoyed a scenic hop on Line 2 of the recently upgraded and completed Léman Express system centered around Geneva. The trains are modern, frequent, and bike friendly. Bike space is somewhat limited, so we imagine at peak times it could be challenging, but we had a very peaceful ride on the 10am train which starts Annecy. Note that you need to buy a Swiss bike day pass if you stay on the system into Switzerland. (we did not.) The fixed price Swiss bike day pass (regardless of distance) is not a cycle friendly solution for short hops and really should be revised by SBB.
The final day push up the Col de Perret. Cheryl climbing with little effort and record speed; a testament to our almost 3 months on the bikes France does fresh vending like no others. This wonderful 24/7 farm shop had artisan yogurt, cheeses, eggs, and a wide variety of vegetables.Biggest farm vending ever near Reignier. We got fresh broccoli and some yogurt. A great solution for staffing costs while still providing access to fresh foods.Vallée Verte welcome committeeFeeding our kitchen scraps to the neighbors pig; strangely they don’t like cabbage.Reunited with our great friends and their visiting family for a spectacular day hike in the Alps.Happy to be back in the Vallée Verte after another successful bike tour.
We shaved over an hour off our last time climbing up the high valley route and felt a strong sense of accomplishment as we rolled into our friend’s house again. We appreciate everyday of our freedom. Happy travels!
After barely getting all our wet gear dry in a hotel room with no heated towel rack, and only barely warm radiators, we loaded up and took the train for a boost from Aurillac towards Issoire.
Even after a long date with the hair dryer my shoes are still a bit damp. Ready to roll off the train in Brassac-les-Mines.
Our train ride took us through a tunnel and got us past the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d’Auvergne, a mountainous area with ski slopes. Looking out the train windows as we emerged from the tunnel I was quite thankful to not be pedaling, although the area was gorgeous.
The Allier River was still raging from all the rain.Raging muddy rivers were starting to seem normal.Now we’re on the Via Allier. The French regional routes are super scenic.Riding through Orsonnette. We’ve entered the Puy-de-Dôme department.“The love is in the Fields.” We needed help with this translation, thank you Finn. The look of the buildings has changed. No more slate roofs and buttery yellow stone buildings, now it’s red roofs and more of a grey or brown tone.The cats are still cute in this new region.Climbing up a ridge towards Lamontgie. Grey skies, but still dry.Lunch stop at a bench with a lovely church view. And the rain started.Quick, stop in front of that beautiful gate at Château de Parentignat.
It will come as no surprise to Europeans and perhaps a medium to big surprise to Americans what an impactful holiday May 1st is in Europe. May Day, Labour Day, or Fête du Travail will see shops and museums closed, and many restaurants as well. We planned two nights in Issoire since the weather on May Day was scheduled to be rainy again. We cozied up in our hotel room after dinner on April 30th and planned to rest, read, travel plan and blog. We went out to find lunch and see what might be open for dinner. Lunch was a Chinese restaurant, and we saw a few other places open, brasseries and cafes mostly. However, when we ventured back out in the rain for dinner, we were having no luck. Those businesses which had been open for lunch were now closed. Uh oh. Panic setting in. Rich spotted a restaurant whose hours on line proclaimed a 7pm opening. The metal shutter was half open and people were inside! Success? Not exactly. The four guys inside were staff having a Fête du Travail celebration. When the Manager, Hugo, figured out we were Americans he hustled us inside for a drink.
Enjoying a Fête du Travail drink and camaraderie. They may have been a few drinks ahead of us but we had a fantastic 45 minutes talking and laughing.
What had been a slight stop of desperation in Issoire turned into a memorable experience. Towns with fewer tourists seem to lead to fun interactions. No one in Issoire is tired of American tourists clumping around town.
Abbatiale Saint-Austremoine which has uniquely painted walls and columns.Rainy streets on our way to an Indian restaurant for dinner. We ate there both nights, it was that good and open!
Farewell Issoire, thanks to the hospitality of a crew of celebrating workers we had a memorable time. But, May 2nd and we’re back out into the rain to ride to Clermont-Ferrand. We’re timing our train from there to arrive in Paris for a four night stay to catch up with friends, so we have a two night stay planned in Clermont-Ferrand. The amazing travel planner Rich figured out the puzzle of loaded touring bikes/trains/Paris.
Still raining.Allier River still flooded.Nothing like a climb to warm you up on a chilly morning. Col de la Croix des Gardes.From here we get a lovely decent to Clermont-Ferrand.Dramatic volcanic mountains with a dusting of snow.Equally dramatic Pain Suisse enjoyed in Vic-le-Comte. My favorite riding snack in France. Pain Suisse is brioche dough filled with crème pâtisserie and chocolate chips.A perfect square for a pasty break.Nice signage.Some lovely new pavement on the cycle track.An old water mill on a side street of Les Martres-de-Veyre.This signage was worth making Rich turn around and come back for a drama shot.
We didn’t expect much of Clermont-Ferrand. Rich had read that it wasn’t that charming a town. It’s funny how quickly and easily we can have our minds made up, or changed about a place. Coming in up a climb up a commercial street, grump grump grump. Construction zone, grump grump. Oh! A plaza. Oh, street cars. Hey, we’re really liking this town.
Drying out our fluorescent yellow shoe covers after another day of rainy riding.Fascinating rubber tired single rail streetcars.The town is bordered by the volcanic Chaîne des Puys mountains. Which makes for some fantastic views, like this one of the Puy-de-Dôme.And the stunning Notre-Dame of Assumption Cathedral? Not dirt or soot blackened as you might first assume. Carved from black lava stone! It really stands out from the red roofs when viewed from Parc Montjuzet.Very dramatic, the black spires against a grey sky.The black stone makes for some fantastic contrast.This building is like a giant pumice stone. Well, not exactly. It’s made from scoria which is denser than pumice.Black lava griffin fountain.Inside the cathedral. The black stone makes the lighting and windows really pop.
What else did we enjoy about Clermont-Ferrand?
Fountains which had drinkable water were clearly marked with this symbol.A water glass. Drink away.L’Adventure Michelin. A museum all things Michelin here at the headquarters of the company.The Michelin Man band.A gift shop with a wall of maps.And we learned why the streetcars are rubber tired. Yup, Michelin money.It’s a university town. With 140k students come some good restaurants. We had Mexican food. The best we’ve found in Europe so far.The graceful Pl. de Jaude, just outside our hotel, had a statue of Vercingétorix. He was a Gallic king and chieftain.The statue is by our old friend Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, who also created Liberty Enlightening the World (the Statue of Liberty) and whose own statue we saw in Colmar, France.
And yes, the weather did dry out for our day of fun in Clermond-Ferrand. It got a bit windy but our next mode of transportation was a train to Paris so no worries about wind. Rich booked us on a train that started in Clermont-Ferrand and ended at Gare de Paris Bercy. With loaded touring bikes end to end trains are so much less stressful than trying to board and disembark mid line. One more story about how wonderful people are in cities that aren’t overwhelmed with tourists. We got to the train station super early, as we do, and as we stood staring up at the big board, waiting for a platform to be listed for our train, a station police offer came over and asked where we were going. When we said Paris, he leaned in and told us it would be platform H. The doors won’t be open yet, he added, but you can go to the platform now. The train is there. Super grateful to get a jump on the eventual platform rush we headed to the elevator to do the one by one transfer down and back up. The elevators barely hold one loaded touring bike, so we’re slow, taking turns in the elevator. Once out at the platform an SNCF train worker helped us find the bike car, and our seats. By the time the rush of passengers got to the platform we were settled in.
We were as chill as this little guy on the train.He developed a bit of a fascination for Rich.The happy travelers thinking ahead to Paris and friends to visit!
After a nice rest day exploring Cahors, Cheryl and I continued our spring tour further up the valley of the Lot River. The middle Lot is a magical place of endless meandering and pretty villages with a variety of terrain to match.
Riding out of Cahors over the Devil’s Bridge The Middle Lot is still navigable with occasional weirs and locks
The route out of Cahors immediately took us up a hearty 300m climb over a ridge, but the reward was a descent down to the beautiful Saint Cirq de Papopie. It’s a storybook medieval village perched on a rocky edge above the Lot. Our friend Dan had mentioned his time in this area and we thank him for the tip.
The route does not always hug the river and has some pretty decent climbs to connect the rugged and remote parts of the riverApparently we were also on the Vagabond route…very appropriate.Cheryl was fascinated with these mortarless stone buildings known as capitelles or cazelles, which are endemic to the regionAnd another oneAnd a wiff of wild mint for the descent
Apparently tourism exploded in the town after a popular French television shown voted it the most scenic place in France in 2012. We can’t disagree with that call. It was sparsely visited the weekday we passed through and is really a beautiful spot.
Our first view of Saint Cirq Lapopie We couldn’t pass up this prime view spot to picnic on some yummy quiche and veggiesAfter lunch ussie Sometimes I do some further exploration while Cheryl minds the bikes and maybe reads a bit. « Oh no, you go ahead »
The ride from Cahors to Cajarc spans the Parc Naturel des Causses du Quercy from west to east. The villages are extremely tidy, with some restored houses, cottages, and farm buildings. There are also nice sections along the cliff walls, and the roads are not busy. We made it to the scenic village of Cajarc and our Logis inn (with dinner!) after a rewarding day of cycling, and I began to plan our next day.
Saint Cirq feels like a movie set. Picture perfect and so tidy What’s this? Fossils on the canyon walls?We love interpretive fossil trails. This was a nautilus from the old sea bed.Many piped water taps have still been off for the « season », but we found most of the hand pump and twist wells delivered.
But the weather was starting to get tough. The next day a front was coming through with winds of 25mph and gusts to 50, and if we headed up the Lot route it would be right into the headwind. Yuck. We could shorten the day to account for the wind, but instead decided to head over the big limestone ridge to the next valley of the river Célé and the small city of Figeac.
Another interesting Komoot trail choice from our grocery diversion out of Carjac. But one of our mottos is “never go backwards!”. It usually works out.Le Célé River.Inside the ruins of the Abbey Saint Pierre, parts of which date back to the 9th-11th centuries.The ruins are atmospheric and the adjoining church has been restored and is still active.Carved stonework of the abbey.
I had picked a fairly direct route using my goto navigation App Komoot, and mentioned this to the friendly hotel host as I checked out. Good thing as he suggested an alternate route that turned out to be a gem. More climbing and longer, but it would take us deep into the scenic Célé river valley and keep us in the park longer.
The climb was quiet and the aspect of the huge limestone gorge that defines the Cele valley protected us from a lot of the wind, or at least made the ride alternate between headwind and freakish tailwinds off the canyon walls. But you can’t escape gale winds and the last 10k into Figeac were exposed and a bit hellacious, with grit blowing in our eyes and branches falling from trees. But we made it to town before the rain started to dump and salvaged a memorable day from a potentially mundane slog.
A power picnic lunch in Marchihac-sur-Célé. PB and banana on Wassa crispsCheryl demonstrating how to spread the peanut butter with the back of the wooden spoon, so it’s easier to clean -:)We are always impressed with the French dedication to a proper and social lunch. Despite the increasing cold and winds, we watched behind us as they set up tables and laid out a spread of food.
Figeac is a pleasant river town with enough of a buzz on Saturday night for us to get rejected at our first Creperie restaurant pick, so we settled on a fast and casual burger place and a beer before we had a meltdown. We were very hungry and a worn out from the wind.
Canyon walls for wind protection, yeah!House built into canyon walls.Onwards along the Célé.A 3 star village is always worth a stop.Riding through the old town gate to find our second break stop.Et voilà, a sheltered picnic spot.This route is along one of the French Camino routes and we were surprised by the number of pilgrims/walkers we saw in this region. Almost no other cycle tourists.Another restored mill house.And accompanying millstone. Our friend Nancy says you can tell what kind of grain was processed by the groove pattern.Getting closer to Figeac, and the wind picking up.Wind filtered Wisteria pedals in old town Figeac.Hotel view of the Célé in Figeac.
We wanted to get back to the Lot valley, so that meant going back up over the plateau of the river canyons on Sunday morning. But we are pretty strong now and Cheryl powered up over the two fairly steep climbs. Here’s the thing with loaded touring bikes, they are actually surprising easy on flats a gentle grades, even carrying 20 kilos or more. A 4 or 5% grade is pretty sustainable for longer climbs, but each percentage increase after that really makes a difference. Physics, gravity, and vectors. Over 8-10% and you may need to start serpentine S tracks across the road to keep on the saddle for a longer climb. You can even stay in the bike for short bursts of 12-15% grade, but it’s tough to sustain.
Heading out of Figeac along the Célé.This climb indicates an average grade of 7%, fairly manageable.
Touring bikes are so much more sensitive to headwind and grade than a lightweight road or mountain bike. They fly downhills with the extra weight and often act as sails with a hefty tailwind. As we continued to push up some of the steeper hills, you can’t help but think about the extra junk in your bags; the two kryptonite locks, cable, tools, 4 spare tubes (really?), ground coffee, binoculars, a small backpack, a yoga mat…extra socks and shirts, and my biggest luxury, 3 pairs of footwear. The thing is we are living on our bikes for three months and really appreciate the extra gear at times and when we are off the bikes for house sits or city stays. So we press on with twice as much weight as we could manage for a short tour.
Goodbye Figeac. Very green and lush in this wet European spring.Banana recharge, a reliable favorite.A horse intrigued by the two bright things on wheels.This is a popular hiking area with its limestone cliffs and jagged valleys.And pilgrims are sometimes sharing the road with us.Initial hazards of our descent back to the Lot.
Once over the climb we followed a Komoot route that took us down the side of a mountain on a rutted farm track that turned into a rocky debris blocked ravine and creek bed with steep edges. It turned a “10 minutes flying down to the river for our coffee/tea break” into an epic reconnaissance and stream forge that ranks up as our most memorable.
Hmm, Komoot is routing us down this muddy farm track. Better have some tea now as we discuss options. It looks like only a kilometer or so down to the valley bottom and a paved road, and the alternative was way back and up, so we decide to go for it.Hmm, the gps trail drops left down a rutted gorge blocked by tree so we decide to try to the farm field.After a reconnaissance mission to the creek gorge on foot, we found a spot where we could maneuver the barb wire and get the bikes and gear underneath. Cheryl followed determined not to turn back!A muddy mess.Resigned to walking the gear down the creek to a spot we could get up the embankment. That trail you see was blocked by a large tree fall and landslide.Yup, the water is cold.Worst Komoot routing ever!Out of this pickle. A sense of accomplishment and amazingly no torn gear or flat tires as the area was littered with thorns and briars.
So we wiped off our bags and bikes, changed into our sandals, and put our soaked shoes and socks on our racks. Luckily, we were cheered up quickly as the remaining 35km up the Lot to Entraygues-sur-Truyère was peaceful and scenic. Our room for the night in Entraygues was up a big steep hill from town, which meant a bit of pushing. But the kind host was waiting for us at the door and offered to dry our shoes by the fireplace and gave us some fresh juice and cake. We would survive. And better yet, one proper restaurant in town was indeed open Sunday night, so that meant a bit of wine to warm us up.
Back on the Lot!Riding up the Upper Lot, wet shoes getting some air on the rackSant Partèm is the Occitan name for Saint Parthem. Occitan is still spoken in southern France, and bits of Spain and Italy Saint Parthem had a bit of a hippy (baba cool!) vibe, including 60s and 70s music on a dozen mounted speakers from village end to end. We assumed it didn’t play all night?!We entered another national park briefly.We noticed the houses getting even fancier and were very well kept.And more wisteria.
But that night set me (the travel planner) into a bit of a panic. I had planned that we would continue East on the V86 Lot route another 100k through the hilly Parc Naturel de L’Aubrac and then catch a local train north to get us closer to our booked train link to Paris. But I discovered part of that local train line was shut with replacement buses that don’t take bikes.
And the weather forecast was grim. Rain and lots of it the next day. No trains and no alternate routes out of this immensely rugged junction of mountains and river valleys. I explained this to Cheryl and she said, “Yup, we’re in a bit of a pickle.”
Le Lot route V86 continues and a somewhat mysterious sign about communities with burlesque names? Anyone?Entraygues is dramatically located at the confluence of the Lot and the Truyère rivers. The Truyère is the muddy one.
Instead I decided that heading north to Aurillac was our best option, as from there we could catch a train over the highest parts of the Massif Central. But the routes would be tough, especially in a cold rain. We could try to wait the rain out a day, but that put our train travel on May 1st, a French holiday and the trains were very limited out of Aurillac. And there were flood warnings.
So we decided to ride.
Leaving the lovely and cozy Le Clos St. George. Its verandas and views would be even more stunning in better weather.The rain was light as we started up the Truyère The first tiny shelter for a yogurt and pastry. The cold rain had already soaked us.
How do I manage difficult days for my favorite (and only) client. First off, I try to note some of the difficulties of the day, especially climbing. But the key is to not overdo it. Don’t talk about too much. I knew this day was going to be extremely challenging, both mentally and physically. Our route climbed up and down short steep climbs up the Truyere and Goal rivers, up a steep ridge climb and finally up to the huge rolling plateau that separated us from Aurilliac. We are now better at eating something every hour and staying hydrated, but it’s hard in a constant and cool rain. And there were no real towns or villages for the entire route.
It was remote and a bit creepy as we headed further off the main routes and up the Gaul River. The hills and walls were flooded with oozing water and we didn’t see a car or person for quite awhile.This tiny hamlet had a welcome little shelter and even a person who I was able to ask about our route onwards, gunshy from our Komoot mud and river adventure the day before.Not a soul outside all day, even to hike the GR65 route. Hmm, maybe it was the relentless rain, cold, or flood warnings?Finally up on the plateau after 3,000 feet of climbing, and the cows are in awe. Or dumbfounded.The rain lightened up a bit, but never stopped.
Perhaps the worst part of the route was the main road we had to join for our plateau and descent. There was an option on quieter roads, but that added another 15k and 300m of climbing, and we decided that was even worse as we were cold and a bit shattered. So we decided to grit out our teeth for the direct route. It had speeds of 80-100km and was fairly busy with fast traffic and some big trucks, with no real shoulder. But sometimes you need to take some chances and we had some pretty bright clothes and lights. Thankfully the drivers were all pretty good, and the pavement was very smooth, so it was manageable but certainly not a segment we’d relish.
At the end of 30km of wet cold and steep climbs. Cheryl was a trooper but not loving this day. This is where we got on the busy D920 main road to Aurillac. No photos.Boarding the train to Issoire the following day
But when we did finally roll into town and dripped our way through the lobby of hotel, there was not just relief, but a sense of accomplishment. We did it. It was over 1000m of relentless and occasionally steep climbing. And we could catch the train the next morning over the Massif Central to continue our tour. We were out of our little pickle. Happy travels!
After three days of romping around Taipei and getting over our jet lag, we set off from the city on a big clockwise loop of Taiwan.
Rail is in my heart at the Hualien Railway Culture Park
We were excited to head out of Taipei Central to Hualien City, at the north end of the East Rift Valley. Hualien is a city reinventing itself with culture and art, and is now more than a gateway to the immensely popular Taroko Gorge.
A bit too early on the platform at Taipei Central; Cheryl’s trendy TJs bag at my side Ocean view from the TzeChiang Express train. Plenty of room in the standard seats
But first, a few train tips for the wonky planners out there. In addition to local and high speed rail on the west coast, the east is served by modern Tze Chiang limited express trains travelling up to 125mph. They are spotless, spacious, and punctual. And although we tried the business class on one segment, regular cars and seats are plenty roomy. If anything, we found the new trains a bit too clean and sterile, but certainly a pleasant and very low stress way to go.
You can pre-order a train bento on the TRA App for less than $3 and it’s delivered to your seat
Taipei Central’s local platforms are not wide or particularly pleasant and there are not really any services beyond the pay gates, so I’d recommend getting to the platform no more than 10 minutes prior to departure as it’s easy to find the platforms and coach number sign. Hang out or get food in the adjacent shopping mezzanine. At some stations; they don’t let you onto the platforms until 10 minutes prior.
The regular meat bento was pretty good considering, although maybe not up to the hype of its somewhat cult following. Cheryl got the veggie version -:).Happy arrival at Hualien Station.
You can buy tickets on the TRA App or at the stations, but I found the app pretty convenient for booking tickets once you get the hang of it. One person can buy tickets using their passport number for up to 5 people and pay by Credit card or Apple Pay. You then collect your ticket on your mobile and have the other passenger (s) download their ticket on their phone (in the App) as you provide the reservation # and a 3 digit collection code.
Back at the railway parkThe charms of many smaller Taiwanese cities take awhile to reveal themselves in back alleys, converted old buildings and lots of plants.Red lanterns ready to be deployed in Hualien for the month+ long Lunar New Year celebrations.
Note that as soon as you click on a specific train after searching time and destination, a reservation and seats will be made immediately. You have a reservation and specific deadline shown to pay via credit card or Apple Pay (very convenient) or at the station. You can delay paying for tickets for a day or two (it gives you the deadline). This gives you an easy option to change or cancel tickets, but a word of warning, I did this a few too many times as I was learning the system and it locked my passport number for a month! I’m guessing the limit was about 4-5 incomplete/unpaid reservations. I could have called customer service and perhaps begged for tourist mercy, but we got around this by reversing our process and buying the tickets on Cheryl’s TRA app (and her passport number) and then I downloaded second ticket to my phone. You only need one ID to buy tickets via the App.
The hipster guide to Hualien
It also is smart to wait to collect the tickets on the App (or at the station) until you are sure that you want to take that specific train, as this allows you to change a ticket on the App, not just at the station. Apparently locals don’t “collect” tickets until the last minute for this reason.
Funky and green charm in Hualien.Hip coffee shops abound and are generally only open after 11am or even later as the coffee cafe culture is an afternoon thing in Taiwan.
By the way, there are also local trains that you can see on the App timetables but you can’t buy reserved tickets. For those, you just show up and use your IC tap card to enter and exit the station and take any seat on those trains. They are also the easiest option with bikes.
Ready to scan my QR ticket at the turnstiles. Taiwan is really promoting cycle tourism and these helpful signs are everywhere around cities, transfer areas, and stations.
Besides trains, I love to study the geography and geology of the very place we visit. It always shapes the history; culture, and economy. The geography of Taiwan is dominated by a central ridge of mountains, the remnants of the formation of the island from magma rising up between the junction of the Eurasian’s and Philippine tectonic plates. The central range reaches heights of over 3000m (10,000ft) and it does snow sometimes in the higher elevations in winter. So only 30% of the country is flat, and much of that is highly developed.
The coast north of Hualien.
A second smaller coastal mountain range hugs the east coast. These ranges are both actually rising as the Philippine plate continues to push against and under the Eurasian plate. The valley where the plates meet, the East Rift, is one of the only flat areas on the east side of the country. It’s also fertile for growing things year round and attractive for cycling. Most of the industry and population of Taiwan is concentrated on the north (Taipei valley) and west sides, so the east has always been considered a more wild and remote place.
We loaded up on veggies at the Azure Hotel’s amazing vegetarian breakfast buffet for three days and used it as an excuse for street food, night markets and other less healthy options the rest of the day -:).
Ok, so onto our travels. We spent three days in Hualien and used it as a base to visit the famous Taroroko gorge and Taroko National Park for a full day by train, bus, and foot. The geography of the mountains is dramatic and consequently there are a lot of issues with rockfall, slides and road/trail closures. There are very limited bus services up and down the gorge now due to construction around a massive landslide that occurred in October 2023. There is single lane traffic controls and you can wait for up to an hour to get through each way, even if you hire a scooter or taxi for the day.
Ready to go to Taroko Gorge!
But we love buses and challenges, so decided that we would catch the earliest #302 bus from Xincheng Taroko station at 9am (the #310 bus is not currently running into the gorge) and ride it all the way to its end at Tianxiang. You can drive (or bike!) further than that and apparently it is much less visited beyond the reach of the buses.
Oops, our electric bus broke down half way to our destination in the park.
Our short train hop from Hualien arrived Xianming about 8:30 and there were about 30 tourists waiting for the bus, including some other Americans from Utah. After we boarded, the driver made a long speech in Mandarin that didn’t sound encouraging but somewhat surprisingly, our young pale Utah friend spoke Mandarin and translated for us. It turns out he was half Taiwanese! The driver was just preparing everyone for what we already knew, that there would be significant delays at the construction. So the half of us who were still on the bus at the construction were all patient for the 40 minute delay.
So we started walking And enjoying the views Light traffic due to the road closures
We were finally rolling again through the closure and spectacular gorge scenery, when suddenly the electric bus started to stall and sputter. The driver mumbled, stopped, and fixed (rebooted?) the batteries in the back, and we rolled on again slowly. But alas 500m onwards the bus finally died for good. So the remaining dozen or so of us got off and walked on the road. But we soon figured how nice it actually was walking the road, as the normal continuous two way traffic didn’t exist due to the long road closures all day. Roll with it and we’ll see what we see.
Happy travelers rolling with the bends in the road today Plan B, walk the Lushui trail for a few kmsOops; trail closed midway so back to the roadCheryl resigned to wait for the next bus…at least she had some books on her phone…
It was peaceful and beautiful, and we walked to a campground area with bathrooms a few kilometers up the road. We then decided that we’d hike some of the Lushui trail which branched off the road above and then try to catch the next bus as it rolled by in about an hour. Well, the geologic gods had also closed that trail in its middle, so after a pleasant 30 minute out and back, we returned to the campground bus stop and resigned ourselves to wait up to an hour for the next bus. It was too far to walk (15km) and there were dark tunnels with no shoulders. But after about 10 minutes, a nice young Dutch couple in a little white car came by and offered us a ride to the end! Very nice and put our day back on track -:). They also were going to the Bayiang Trail, so we avoided another km+ of road walking.
Made it to Baiyang Trail with time to review the rules of monkey engagement -;)A mysterious start to the trail takes you through a mountain to another side gorge We were lucky that the Baiyang trail had just reopened after its own landslide closures. We could see why.Beauty is everywhere in Taroko.After walking back to Tianxiang, we got some tasty food at one of the small cafes there.This crazy territorial macaque grabbed food from unsuspecting people coming out of the only 7-11 in the national park and was hilariously peeling off the warning signs!
Taroko is a special place and we’re glad we made the effort, but can imagine with normal traffic and tour buses it may be a bit much. We also noticed that cycling is possible, as the lower climb is spread out over 30km or so. You would be rewarded with continuous views but do need to mind the many narrow tunnels.
Exploring the East Rift valley on rental bikes (Giant of course).A surprise stop at an old Japanese temple. There is a strong Japanese cultural legacy on Taiwan due to its 50 years of occupation.
Next up was a short train ride to Yuli, where we spent two nights in a small hotel. This allowed us a full day cycling up to and exploring YuShan National Park. Much less visited than Taroko and the jumping off point for the Walami trail.
Oh how nice to be out of the cities.Destination reached at the pleasant Liyu Lake. A delicious indigenous influenced meal at the Liyutan Tree House near the lake. The preservation of indigenous culture is a priority on the East Coast where it survived longer due to its isolation.Cycling in Hualien was fun since we were really the only foreign tourists about.
We’ve been eating well, but the food customs and timing can sometimes pose a problem. We have loaded up at some our breakfast buffets, which generally have many savory and healthy options. Lunch is a small restaurant/shophouse stand. Street and night markets are always an option but you need to be up for crowds and eating small things standing up at the edge of the road or against a building. We actually prefer food oriented streets to night markets. Oh, and good pizza is popular here, and a trusty traveler break from a lot of (excellent) Taiwanese food.
About our fifth beef noodle try, this one with the works of tripe and knuckle…mmmm!Even the dogs know that scooters are the way to go in Taiwan.This giant fried chicken vat amazed us at the most popular stand at the Yuli Night Market (Fridays Only!) .
Yuli is a bit drab to be honest but the area around it is peaceful to cycle. Many of the Tawainese cities are spread out and walking not always the most pleasant as most locals use scooters to get from point A to B, they don’t consider long walking practical. We found it to be much better to bike from place to place and walk locally, especially when looking for restaurants. Small places on Google are often hard to locate, closed, or don’t seem to exist. But you’ll always find something and just need to stay flexible or pick a well established place with lots of reviews (including recent ones).
The area SW of Yuli is pleasant for cycling and a good way to get to YuShan.Uphill, 5 speeds, AND falling rocks?’Yea! we made it the official park boundary at El 1500 ft.Suspension Bridge Number 1 and my number one travel companion -:).Dizzying but stable.I hiked in to this beautiful waterfall complex and suspension bridge number two while Cheryl enjoyed promised reading time! The dramatic sea near Taitung.
From Yuli, we had another short train ride to Taitung, where we spent another two nights. Taitung has a great museum of Prehistory on its outskirts that was worth a stop on its own. Although Taitung has a bit of an art scene by the old train station, if you are short of days, you might consider a stop at Taitung train station and storing your bags in the train station lockers to visit the museum (10-15 mins by taxi or bus, cafe or picnic on site) and then roll on to your next destination. Of course if you have your own wheels, then the areas north and south have lots of natural beauty and are certainly worth it exploring.
Taitung’s old railway station has been turned into a pleasant cultural area.
And alas that’s one of our limitations without a car or cycle touring here. We do miss a lot of the places in between, but we’ve balanced that by getting out of each region by bus or bike and seeing quite a bit. It really depends on what you like, and we do like cities. And we’re seeing enough, as experiences can be had anywhere.
Bye for now from Taiwan.
So we’re now on the west coast and heading back towards Taipei. The lunar new year buzz has started and we look forward to sharing more about our experiences soon. Happy travels!
A well propped up tree in Kenroku-en gardens, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.
I will miss the trees. We visited a lot of gardens and parks to see cherry blossoms, but the blooms aren’t the only attractions. The trees, the green moss, the water features. Although Japanese cities were not all blessed with a lot of parks or green space, those that exist are so well taken care of.
A verdant carpet of moss.The green. The water. The old tea house. Kenroku-en gardens.This giant camphor tree in Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is estimated to be as old as 1,500 years. Feel insignificant yet?What was the progression here? Tree first than building? Small tree and a miscalculation of tree potential? Spring is not all about cherry blossoms, this tulip display in Shikoku Mura open-air architectural park in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture holds its own.
I’m going to miss the small streets, with restaurants and shops that cluster together, usually near a train station. Each city has its share of large arterial roads, with plenty of car traffic and sometimes intolerably long signal phases, leaving you standing for minutes waiting for a pedestrian walk signal. But, when you find the area of small streets the entire nature of that city changes. Narrow and mostly car free or very car light, the small streets give you an opportunity to feel you’ve stepped back in time.
Chuo district, Kobe, this an alley between the railway tracks of Sannomiya Station. It’s packed with businesses.Same district, Chuo, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The night time scenes are so bright and colorful.The neighborhood of Motoshikkuimachi, Nagasaki. On the hunt for a ramen shop, we wandered around for ages after dinner, entranced by this warren of small streets.An urban planner could explain how the geometry of the streets, the lights, and the heights of the buildings all work together just so, all I know is I love it! Still Nagasaki, one of our favorite places. Even the vending machines add to the charm of the nightlife.
Within these fine grained streets, with corners hiding the next view, are the amazing small restaurants. I’ve mentioned the awkwardness of sliding open doors and facing a tiny space perhaps already packed with customers. It can be cringe inducing, but so rewarding to be able to eat at a restaurant that is run by people who focus on one thing. This type of food – we do this and we do it well. You will wait the required amount of time, you will likely be served on hand thrown ceramic plates, and the food will be exquisitely displayed.
A chef waiting to cook our Kobe beef. Yes, he knows this cut and presentation deserves a photo.Tuna three ways said the menu at the sushi bar. Delicious, delicious, and delicious. Even a conveyor belt sushi restaurant has style.A burger place in Takamatsu. The chef/owner does burgers and cocktails. That’s it. And they are fantastic. Did I mention the restaurant seats maybe 9 customers? Shashimi at a small Izakaya in Shimabara. Mom and Dad cooking, their young daughter who started primary school that day sitting at the counter playing. The plate, which you can barely see under this load of fresh fish, was gorgeous.The same Izakaya. After this tofu salad course I typed into Google translate that their ceramic plates were stunningly beautiful. She turned to him with a look we all recognize: it said, see? I told you so! Another beautiful presentation at a Shabu Shabu restaurant in Kagoshima, famous for its black pork which was delicious. This sashimi course came with our set menu.
If it’s possible to desperately miss something you only got to do twice then we will desperately miss the Yatai of Fukuoka. The Tenjin neighborhood has small food stands, Yatai, which set up each night to serve up food in a space half the size of the storage unit holding all of our possessions back in the US.
That is a Yatai.And this is a Yatai. You look below curtain level to see if any seats are available, or you look for a line of patient customers waiting.Rich added for scale. We had dinner at this one. Not much room inside to take photos. And you don’t linger after dinner. For one, it’s not the most comfortable seating ever. And the owners need to turn the seats when there are only six or seven of them.Not much room to cook either, but the chefs were making it work. It’s warm and cozy once you’re behind the curtains.
The number of Yatai was shrinking, but in the last few years they’ve enjoyed a new renaissance and there are about 150 now. In addition to dinner at one we spent a hilariously fun evening drinking at a Yatai bar. Everyone is friends at a Yatai bar which measures 10×8 feet.
Fairly unassuming from the outside, this Yatai bar.But inside is magic.My pomegranate daiquiri. Rich with a martini. Round one.The tools of the trade. Apparently it takes 3 hours to set up this Yatai each day. And 3 to take down.My daiquiri and Rich’s mojito. Round two.A super fun young recently engaged couple from Osaka. We were communicating with English and google translate. And on Rich’s left two young women, engineers who had studied in Canada. Boiled peanuts and potato chips (gone already) were the bar snacks which the cover charge supplied. Yes, we have that beer mat. Again, it’s a seriously cozy space. You sit closer to strangers then you would anywhere else.
What else will I miss about Japan? The safety. The ability for Japan to have nice things that people respect and take care of. Public restrooms which are clean and stocked with rolls of TP which are not stolen. And the quirky things. Things you see and go, oh yeah, that makes sense to have.
Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu. You use these to remove dust from your shoes after strolling in the gardens. Hot tea from a vending machine. A can of Royal Milk Tea, black tea with milk and sugar. Hot. This is on the ferry coming back to Kagoshima from Mt. Sakurajima volcano. Hot cans of coffee too! The little cartoon mascots everywhere. Such a cute deadly volcano! A radish gets the cartoon treatment. Volcanic hot springs get a cartoon. The train to the Fukuoka airport has a cartoon dog keeping you safe.Who’s a good dog? Kuro is.
You will always feel you missed out on experiences and places when traveling. We immediately have a list for “next time”. It says a lot about a place that you want to come back, soon. Regret is a rear view mirror. So what do I regret about our time in Japan now that we’ve moved on?
There are themed stamps at every train station! I failed to realize this until we had already been through so many stations. And I had no cute notebook in which to stamp these unique stamps.Then I found one at a volcano park and was even more annoyed at myself. I could have had a whole book of stamps.
This is when Rich and I say to each other “I used to do important things.” Recalling our previous professional lives where we earned money, and made multiple decisions a day that impacted people and projects. And we laugh at ourselves. Another regret? Hotels in Japan supply you with pajamas. Really. Instead of a robe you get pajamas or a button up nightgown contraption or a yakuta, a light cotton kimono. Somehow the pajama tops and bottoms fit both me and Rich, sometimes with pretty funny differences. Do I have a single photo, let alone a collection of photos? No. If you go to Japan learn from my mistake and take photos of yourself in the pajamas in your hotel rooms. And take a notebook to collect the stamps.
A very apt warning sign. I will not miss hearing Rich’s head connect with room doorways, low hanging light fixtures, and train doors. We hang things from the doors in our rooms as mitigation.Sunset light on the happy travelers in Nagasaki.
No regrets that we visited Japan. Such a lovely place with wonderful people. Goodbye Japan. Hello Korea.
Less Car, More Life 