Geoff Jones

Inveterate dabbler in business, travel, gadgets & life

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Day 8 – Mailly to Vitry le Francois

After a restless nights nightmarish dreaming I awoke and very carefully made sure I didn’t leave anything. I was at the breakfast table for 8.30 sharp. The Dutch couple & kids arrived a few moments later, enough to cause the landlady a little consternation. He was told immediately, for no apparent reason, to move his car 2 metres away – so that the breakfast came complete with diesel fumes 🙁

A real cycle path
A real cycle path

I raced off after breakfast to a glorious morning with a slight chill to the air & empty roads, apart from groups of friendly cyclists 🙂 It was very undulating to begin with but I had my strength back so it was relatively easy. I was determined to stick to my resolution to only do 50 miles today.

I had coffee in Chalons with quite a few UK tourists, then I discovered the Marne canal with its superlative cyclepath (at least to begin with). However, at la Voie Berger the path disappeared and I was once again on stony tracks (it has to be said The Dawes is superlative as an off road bike even fully laden). I have finally worked out how to stop the panniers jumping off.

I arrived in Vitry 50 miles and 6 hours later from setting off with some very fine riding a lot in top gear.. @AroundMe came up trumps again with the Hotel Tambourin, great place especially in one of the disabled rooms on the ground floor. Proper shower that you can move around in and so beautifully laid out  for ease of access.

The evening meal (and lunch)  at Le Grillardin was excellent especially with a pleasant English couple who are driving back to Henham near Saffron Walden tomorrow. The meal cost about 1/3 of last nights!

A perfect days cycling 🙂

Todays Strava is here:

Strava_Ride___Mailly_to_Vitry_le_Francois

Todays pics are here

 

Day 7 Reims to just outside Reims

I woke up really late (for me anyway). Went for breakfast to be met by a gaggle of girls on a hen party weekend boasting of their previous nights exploits.

IMG_3240Retrieving my bike from the luggage locker at the Hotel Bristol I set off, the roads are in pretty bad shape here, eventually I found  my way onto the canal, pleased to be out of the traffic. In one place they had set the path up as a beach resort complete with sand.

I then headed up towards the Champagne Hills. As a wise man once told me where there are grapes there are hills 🙁  Feeling a bit worn out I stopped at the retail park and visited Cora. I can see why Carrefour are doing badly: caught in a pincer movement between the Aldi’s & Lidl’s and the Cora’s it must be tough for them.

On the move again, I had to escape from the high speed Saturday shoppers, so dropped down into Rilly-la Montagne where the beautiful Chateau de Rily beckoned, I decided it was to pricey for poor old me, later I would regret it 🙁

I continued on up and down the hills till finally after 12 miles I gave up and stopped in Mailly where I checked in at the Chambres de Hotes run by a lady with and OCD on a OCD. I promptly fell asleep totally worn out.

At 7pm  I summoned up the energy to cycle down to Sillery to have a meal in the Michelin  Le Relais de Sillery a good ending to a not very good day.

Here is the Strava data:

Strava_Ride___Rheims_to_MaillyThe pictures will be here