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Monday 3 May
Speyer to Lauterbourg 75kms
Got up at 08:00 feeling really crappie the
room really sucked and we were glad to get out of there. Apart from
lack of sleep the day turned out to be pretty good. The cycling
paths were uber smooth and going through farmland and wooded areas,
it was really beautiful to ride through.
About 10kms from Lauterbourg this really dark clouds showed up and
we took shelter in this houseboat/restaurant for an hour till the
storm blew over.
Camping in Lauterbourg is pretty good with very helpful hosts.
1- More perfect cycling paths on top of
the dike.
2- More wildlife taken from the cycling path.
3- Beautiful woodland.
4- The storm that almost got us, a couple of kms later we found the
barge/restaurant we took shelter in.
Tuesday 4 May
Lauterbourg to Strasbourg 76kms Woke up
to a very cold morning, overnight the wind had changed, instead of
coming from the south it was now coming from the north, it was
good that it turned and it was now a tail wind but it was also
bitterly cold.
The cycling paths were very nice and the ride into town was easy.
Around midday our hosts contacted us and told us they would meet us
in front of the cathedral at 19:00. It was ok but we had to wait for
4 hours in the cold which was not nice especially when we found out
there was someone at home so we need to plan a bit better next time.
The couple is very nice and they have the cutest kids in town they
are just adorable. They are very well traveled being in the far east
a couple of times, south America and cycled from China to France
with the kids.
The apartment is open plan, very nice and clean and we have a good
time here.
1- Monique all ready for the cold day
ahead.
2- Entering France.
3/4/5- Some pictures of Strasbourg. I didn't include the cathedral
because I think everyone and their keen has seen it by now.
Waiting in the cold for our hosts to
show up. It was a bit disheartening to find out Pascal was at home
all the time.
NOT COOL! Wednesday 5 May
Rest day Today we chose to rest and just
as well because the weather was terrible. We went out to find a
dryer for our clothes because the cycling family didn't have one,
they only had a washing machine.
We found a Subway sandwich shop and had something to eat while the
laundry dried and also checked out the local mini market and bought
the ingredients for stuffed peppers and potatoes.
As a thank you we decided to cook for the cycling family. But the
wine Pascal chose was a bomb it gave me a hangover before I even
went to sleep LOL. Sorry mate but next time it's beer ;-)
All in all we had a great time and the cycling family Pascal,
Severine, Liman and beautiful Luna were great hosts and they are
always welcomed to stay with us.
You can check out their page at
www.cyclofamille.com, they
have done some great tours in far away places.
1- One of the many very old buildings in
the city.
2- Taking the kids for a walk around town.
3- I think this monument should be dedicated to the very busy
Severine that was running around all the time ;-)
4- The two adorable kids Liman and Luna, I had a lot of fun playing
with them.
Thursday 6 May
Strasbourg to Boofzheim 37kms We woke up
this morning and saw out the window that it was a heavy drizzle,
almost rain. We packed our stuff said our goodbyes and were on our
way by 09:00.
Getting our of Strasbourg in the morning rush hour with nasty
weather was not fun but we eventually made it to this canal that
goes to Colmar. The cycling path was ok but a bit bumpy from all the
roots from the trees that line it.
Anyway we knew today would be short kms so we didn't worry much. We
had planned it this short because of the weather forecast.
We made it to the camping just after 12:00 which is right behind
this super market. This place is really nice a peaceful but maybe
its just because of the time of year. They have these really nice
huts with heating, full kitchen, nice and compact living area and a
nice bedroom for €40 so we decided to get it as the weather just got
worst.
By nightfall we were right to do so as it got really cold and the
rain intensified.
So we warmed up the hut to 23c and watched 5 episodes of our
favorite series that we had downloaded the day before. Now this is
touring ;-)
1/2- Coming from and going too, along
the canal. these picture's don't show all the rain, I mean nonstop.
3/4- A couple more pictures of the canal we rode on.
5- Finally getting some work done in the warmth of the hut. We
cranked up the heat to 23c ;-) Friday 7 May
Rest day Woke up to a heavy drizzle and
decided to stay here another day. We're getting really spoiled now
;-)
Tomorrow the weather forecast is for much better weather so we plan
to continue then. For now its just rest here and enjoy some cold
Kronenbourg beer.
Off coarse as I write this the sun is trying to peek through the
clouds lol, we feel that if we were to leave today we would have
gotten wet, but who cares, its warm in here and the beers taste
great and that's what really counts.
Our nice and warm hut.
Saturday 8 May
Boofzheim to Heimsbrunn 89kms
We followed mostly small "D" roads today and there wasn't much to
see but flat farmland and once in a while a small woodland, as we
blew past one small farming community after another.
These roads didn't have a shoulder but the traffic was light due to
it being a Saturday and a holiday in France.
Camping at Heimsbrunn is a bit of a disappointment but for one night
its ok I guess.
1- Early morning ride with blue sky and
open fields.
2- What I see most of the day :-)
3- More open fields but this time the clouds are moving in.
4- And once in a while we saw some trees :-)
5- And checking to see if Monique is still there :-)
1- We saw this biplane flying over but I
waited a while and took this picture with dark clouds in the
background.
2- And a picture of our (10L) kitchen sink made by Sea to Summit,
but we have found a better use for it :-)
Sunday 9 May
Heimsbrunn to LÍsle s'-le Doubs 71kms
Last night it started to rain so I had to get out of my warm
sleeping bag and tighten the tent lines, it was no fun.
We woke up at 06:30 and passed by the reception at 8 saw nobody
there so we left.
The day began nice and dry with some sun even trying to peek
through.
We made our way to the canal and headed towards Montbeliard. The
cycling path is great and it was very nice cycling along the canal.
We had quite some luck today, first when we reached Montbeliard we
stopped at this market and checked out the kitchen tent got a couple
of sausages and fries sat down to eat and it started raining,
when we finished eating it stopped. Second when we reached camp as
soon as we set up the tent this storm blew in and it stayed until
the next day noon.
Camping here is not very good, it's a municipal camping and we think
there is a homeless person living in the shower building so we didn't even bother
with a shower.
This weather we've been having is not the best one cold front after
another with showers ever few hours.
So much for our sunshine tour, we should have called it a rainshower
tour and maybe then we could have seen a bit more sun.
1- Early morning after the all night
rain showers, a beautiful time to ride.
2- Some of the countryside we rode through on the way to the canal.
3- Eurovelo 6 route which runs from Nantes to Budapest.
4- The canal ride was just magical with a silk smooth cycling path.
5- These birds are usually hard to photograph, they fly away when
you get near but this guy was so preoccupied with his breakfast he
didn't notice us.
1- And one with the name of the canal
and the Eurovelo sign next to it.
2- Monique was tired of being the only one on the photographs so she
took one of me.
3- Our luch stop in Montbeliard. |