Back on the road. On the 22nd of January, I set off with Jonny, a friend from home, from the French coastal city of Caen, on a bike ride that would see us cross the worlds biggest landmass. That is, of course, if coronavirus hasn’t killed us all, and the planet is isn’t inhabited only by cockroaches. Upon arriving in Caen, we both tried not to think about the mammoth task ahead. We still try not to think of the end place; things seem to turn to mush as soon as we attempt to comprehend what that place will look like or how we will feel if and when we get there. Like a murderer who is given a life sentence isn’t able to allow themselves to think far ahead to their release, to give an overly facetious analogy… Anyway, the -3 degree temperatures that greeted us on the pitch black coast of France helped ease the nerves of setting off, and we continue to take things day by day, minute by minute, croissant by croissant, etc.
Every day we head east, east, east. After 5 days in the saddle, we had a rest day in the town of Troyes. Sitting in a medieval market square drinking a cafe au lait, ordered by myself in my completely fluent french with a slight hint of an English accent, I remembered what I missed in America about cycle touring; good coffee, towns that had a square with old buildings, and the challenges that emerge from not being able to understand a word anyone is saying.
So far the riding has been across almost entirely flat agricultural farm land as we head for France’s border with Germany, and the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The first mountains we seek to cross are those of the Black Forest. The number of photos I have taken so far in France is much lower than I would like, due to the freezing cold temperatures that leave my fingers unusable to the next 15 minutes. My most prized possessions at the moment are my incredibly warm down jacket and down sleeping bag, as well as my insulated socks. Every campsite we have visited so far has been closed, so we have camped there for free. No water or showers though…
