France or the home sweet home that we left

+ 600km

France, our beautiful France, the second "home" for both of us: 14 years for me and 5 for Alessio! It was with a mixed feeling that we left this wonderful country for a long journey and probably for a new life.

We crossed France after a bit more than a week during which we had, for most of the time, a perfect weather: the sun, spreading its honey-like rays of light, kept us warm, the wind, like a caress, kept us fresh. I loved rolling and watching Alessio in front of me, in the middle of those (ups and downs) roads and all these colors of the early autumn. 

The most marvelous sceneries were when we crossed Champagne, all these green fields of grape-wines under the blue sky (and also the perspective of this wonderful bubbling beverage) was so enchanting that it made the up hills less hard and down hills more joyful. (But we had to renounce, because of timing, to our will of stopping at a Champagne's cave for a little tasting.... snif snif).

The best rolling was on Monday 22th of September, from Vouecourt to Langres. Some 60 km of FLAT along the Marne river, no car, no noise, no slope but the quietness and the green going to yellow and red colors of autumn. The ones we crossed the most were not human but herons, graciously stretching their wide wings to fly over the river when we approached, probably to deliver some babies in the region nearby. But then, the day ended with 3km of non stop uphill to finally reach Langres, a beautiful little town "of History and of Arts" but which let us uncharmed. Maybe because its people had this gloomy monday look....

Needless to say that our life changed radically. No more house, no more comfortable beds but tent and sleeping bags to set and un-set every day. We spent a few days to find a good rhythm. So we get up between 6:30 and 7:00 AM (something inimaginable for me who had all the trouble in the world to get up at 8:00 in my working life), started cycling, after a big breakfast, around 9 AM. We make 4, 5 tiny stops (better for the muscles) and end the day around 3:00 - 4:00 PM, after some 75 - 80 km, in a campsite that we have spotted the day before.  

We got out of France by Alsace, without tasting any Riesling (snif snif bis). A vague nostalgia took us when we made the last moves to cross the French - Switzerland border. Bye bye la France!!!!

Potatoes on the road

That's it, we've been on the road for 4 days now.

Wednesday the 17th September, after a short night of excitement and stress, we left Steeve's place, where we stayed for a week after our return from Canada and Latin America and headed to Amine's place where our bikes stayed since we left our apartment late May (a bit complicated we do agree!)

                                                  (Photo: Steeve L.)

                                                  (Photo: Steeve L.)

The third departure was from Ze Kitchen Galerie and KGB, the restaurants where Alessio had worked for 2,5 years. Chef William kindly offered us a set for the first dinner (which lasted much longer then just a dinner). The farewell was touching and took a bit of time. 

                                          (Photo: Steeve L.)

                                         (Photo: Steeve L.)

                                                  (Photo: Steeve L.)

                                                   (Photo: Steeve L.)

So we arrived finally to Opera station (to take the train to get out of Paris and its complex road system) only around 1:30 PM. The last farewell to Steeve who was crazy enough to take a half day off to stay with us. Thank you Steeve, you did so many things for us. We loved the time spent with you.

We are finally on our own around 3PM and started our biking trip from Boissy Saint Leger. 

We wanted to make it easy on the first day and opted for something like 50km. But then, there was no camping in sight and we had to ride some 10 more to arrive at the camping, completely dead at 8:30 PM. Fortunately that the dinner was ready and we could go to "bed" around 9:30 (and slept like two pigs!!!!)

The next 3 days, we rode for 80km a day,not always by choice but mostly dictated by the camping sites. We were lucky that the weather was so nice. It's such a pleasure to roll under a clear blue sky of autumn. The blue that calls for love 

"I once fell in love with you

Just because the sky

Turned from grey

Into blue..."

And the scenery of French countryside is so romantic with the vivid yellow of sunflowers, green of (I don't know) plants, ochre of newly harvested fields.... It makes us light hearted and the roads seem much more easier....

To be continued....