It is hard to describe the cycling in Europe, when you think it can't get any better, it does, what a magnificent place to ride. If only the various Australian governments would take a page out of their book about cycle facilities and paths. The people also have so much pride in their houses, it is hard to go 100 metres without wanting to stop and take a photo. I am not a great fan of flower gardens, but Europe in July is just spectacular, flowers everywhere.
The Rhine Trail and the path around the Bondensee was a great ride, very well signed and plenty of facilities, including water fountains, with beautiful drinking water at every village / town / city. The motels (and camp-sites if you go that option) are geared for cyclist and there’s so much to see it’s hard to clock up too many km as you want to stop all the time. Even though it was summer with all the festivals and fairs, we never had a problem finding a motel and bed. Just arrived at a place where we wanted to stay and either followed the motel signs or went to the local tourist office, who would book it for us. The motels are immaculately clean, very friendly and all had a lockable shed or room for bikes. The European breakfast is a cyclist’s dream, with a whole array of cheeses, meats, eggs, cereals, yoghurt, bread, croissants, pastries, tea, coffee (they love it strong) and fruit. Most of the time it was included in the price but when it was not, we paid the extra. A great start for a day’s ride. Beds ranged from 20 to 40 Euro (A$1 = .62 Euro) each, twin share. You can spend as little or as much as you wish on accommodation and food. There were plenty of cyclists doing the camping thing also. We usually just had bread and fruit for lunch and then went to a reasonable restaurant for dinner.
Catching up with the Le Tour in Mulhouse was a buzz and seeing the “circus” that precedes it was fun. However, it is all over very quickly and hard to get a good look due to the crowds and the speed of the peloton. If you ever happen to find yourself in France for their National Day, (Bastille) you will see a great deal of patriotism, military parades and celebrations. But be prepared for a lot of interrupted sleep. The fireworks just drove me nuts (even more than normal). It would appear that it is the tradition in France to drive everyone stark raving mad for a week leading up to and a week after 14 July with fireworks, 24 hours a day!!!!! And they don't care if they lob one on your lap or beside your ear. In small towns where the streets are narrow and the walls are high a cracker sounds like a 25-pound shell exploding at 11pm, midnight, 1am, 2am, etc till 5:30am through your hotel window, which you have to leave open as it is still 25deg. But apart from that nasty little habit the touring was fantastic and it has exceeded all expectations.
Language was very rarely a problem, and I managed to make myself understood on most occasions, bit of schoolboy French and a lot of pointing. However, in Luxembourg I came unstuck trying to be very clever and ordered "un cafe lait s'il vous plait” and tried to emphasize the fact that I wanted more lait than cafĂ©. I know I'm a girl but that is how I like my coffee, not too strong and plenty of milk. I ended up with a very expensive coffee cup full of frothy hot milk, complete with two lumps of sugar and a petite in the saucer. I didn’t drink coffee again in Europe, except where there was a Starbucks. I’m ok in London as there’s a Starbucks, or similar, on every corner.
On the way back to London I opted for the train, Calais, ferry, and train, worked a treat, but not quite as convenient or fast as Bike Express. I did it this way as I wanted to stay flexible on the way back, didn’t know exactly where I'd end up or how long I'd stay on the continent.
There are some areas around the UK (like the Lakes & Peaks Districts and London) I love cycling, however Southern Wales is off my list. Just to finish off the tour I caught the train out of London across to Swansea. I set off for a coastal tour, however it took me only a day to decide to give it a miss, and head back to Cardiff. The roads were narrow and dangerous, the headwind was nasty, and the scenery was dull and boring. Okay maybe I was spoilt after Europe, but the coastal area of Southern Wales is downright depressing. It may be that grey stone / brick they use, but I had toured Northern Wales in 2003 and loved it, so it’s only the south that I’m over.
Back in London for a couple of days before I flew home, I
noticed that it seemed quieter, after the bombings. Also noticed that people
tended to talk to strangers more in the street and there were many more bikes
being used as transport to and from work. Bombings aside I think London is one
of the most exciting cities in the World.
So, if you have been promising yourself that Euro bike tour, don’t just talk about it, do it You can spend as little or as much as you wish.
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