Tjs recovery ride 5. The low countries and France

Some bugger stole my backup battery and charger. Few updates until.its replaced. ****. Thats the second one

There appears to be a massive traffic-free cycle path down the Atlantic coast:

https://www.cycling-lavelodyssee.com/

I’ve ridden this twice now, when I first did it about 11 years ago it had a few sections made of concrete slabs with varying gaps before the next one. 7 years ago it was all tarmac and wider, it can be busy but it’s a great route for getting down the coast.

Got the charger and battery replaced ok. Camped in Livarot 🙄🤣

Lots of nice woodland and orchards today.

It actually feels cold out there tinight. 14C ish? I can see my breath. Today felt autumnal tho is too early for that but a huge drop in temperature

Have you tried the Calvados yet?

I have always said that autumn round here often begins the last week in August. Trees are all brown and dropping leaves as a result of the heat stress this summer.

Up bright and early this morning. Should be on the road by 9. Not a cloud in the sky this morning but it was cold last night- well cold in comparison.

On a camping municipale last night. 4 campervans and one other tent on site but im still paranoid about my battery on charge in the loos block🙄

Feeling a bit blue and meh this morning. Dunno why really. I guess a bit mid ride blues. Seems i have been riding for ages since Amsterdam but im only 400 of 1100 miles done.

Ill bet that all changes once i get moving

Won’t be long until you have covered more than 50% of your distance and the weather might improve the further south you go?
I was able to occasionally charge my camera batteries from the electric hook up points on campsites when I was unable to charge in the toilet block. Before smart phones, tracking and electronic navigation though.

Yeah you’ll make some progress on those open D roads. Bon voyages.

Thats better. Got my croissants and patisserie for breakfast and lunch. Nice freash bread some local stinky cheese and some nectarines. Now sitting in the sun stuffing my face

That is a LOT of croissants.  That’s enough to make me want to ride my bike to be able to scoff that

Feeling a bit blue and meh this morning. Dunno why really. I guess a bit mid ride blues. Seems i have been riding for ages since Amsterdam but im only 400 of 1100 miles done.

Stop counting miles and count croissants

Camped up in a delightful camping municipale. Short walk into town to get resupplied. Not too many miles todsy but plenty of climbing. The price of meandering along wee tiny backroads. Woodland and fields and beautiful wee villages today and i bet I’m quite a bit higher than this morning

In Carrouges on the edge of a national park

much nicer than eurovelo though?

More direct and some very quiet roads. I can pick up a marked cycle route here

I’m quite a bit higher than this morning

Mentally as well as physically I hope!
Really enjoy following your travels. I frequently use the cycle track between Paisley and Lochwinnoch as a conduit to the tranquil lanes of Ayrshire and every time I use it now I think of you using it early on in your journey. Puts my wee day trips into perspective.

A thousand feet up here. Thought i had been climbing all day

Carrouges I thought I knew that place but it was Alencon I stopped in, not far but I think I snapped my chain pulling away from a junction there!

I was going west to east so from now on I don’t know your route on a bike think I camped at Bourg-le-Roi that night and got bitten by a wasp while trying to steal some apples 😮

Still waiting for your arrival for the DH World Cup here in Les Gets. If you put a shift in I reckon you can get here in time.
Tartiflette awaits.

The land of cheese and pastry,
Raclette mmmmmm, yum.
Glad your mind is in a better place today TJ.
BH x

Im sitting in the corner of a field eating bread and jam for second breakfast. Feeling good today.

Found an old railway to follow for a while

Found an old railway to follow for a while

You’ll be well chuffed about that.

Lolz

Second lunch of bread and some rather dangerous cheese. Thunderstorms around. Im following a cycle route and about to hit a second much longer greenway i think that i might be on for a couple of days

dangerous cheese.

Sounds yummy. Is it stinky or runny or full of mould – maybe all 3?

Camped up for the night

i will drink to that – cheers TJ

now going to find the bit of the thread with your packing list, pics – its gotta be round here somewhere

Good luck finding it. End of the first section maybe?

if anyone else is interested

Tjs recovery ride: advice, routes, rides n beer

EDIT: bottom of page 4.

The cheese was both stinky and runny and very nice. I spent most of the day on old railway lines and think i have a canal to follow tomorrow. Maybe some old railway as well. Decent miles tiday. 50ish by wheel but 40 odd in a direct line.

Looks very calming…

Looks very calming…

I’m not sure that cloudy cidre fermier coupled with dangerous cheese is going to be calming 😂

And way back when. staying in a camping municipale in Provence while climbing, some had confused the showers for the shoot and shit traps – had to make a hasty exit that morning when i was after a freshen up

On kit. There is nothing i have taken i havent used and the only thing I would change would be either a dynamo or a solar panel for phone charging. Two batteries have been pinched when left in the loo block to be charged and its been a bit of a pain keeping everything charged.

More containers for food perhaps is the other thing that would be useful

2 croissants and a pain au chocolate scoffed this morning and a nice fresh baguette for today

I’m not sure that cloudy cidre fermier coupled with dangerous cheese is going to be calming

I saw Dangerous Cheese supporting Cloudy Cidre Fermier in a small venue before either signed a record deal, great mosh pit

<insert John Peel dot jpeg>