Two of the best views:
#1 - looking down before descending from the Col de Rousset to the valley of the Drome
#2 - looking down from the Jura to the Lake of Geneva
Longest day's ride: 115k Langres - Arc et Senans
Most relaxed day's ride: along the Canal de Nivernais (in the rain)
Hardest ride: two days climbing 5,000ft through the Jura
Best combination hotel, dinner, and value: Les Clarines, Chatelard, Savoie
Worst: Novotel W of Grenoble
Best night at Crest Jazz Vocal: Friday, Chucho Valdez
Log:
Calais - Geneve 809k 503m 14days 12cycling
Geneve 2days
Geneve - Crest 354k 220m 7days 6cycling
Crest Jazz Vocal 5days 1cycling 3nights of concerts
Crest - Calais 1047k 651m 15days 14cycling
total 2210k 1373m 43days 33cycling
Left Etaples a little fragile after celebrating with 2 men from Swansea my last night of the trip and their first.
Excellent cycle track most of the way to Boulogne, then an up and downer through country lanes to Calais and the 1600 ferry.
Smooth crossing. Picked up by Will in Dover.
Viewed the 1346 Crecy battlefield.
from a tower that replaced the original windmill
giving this view looking N
and this looking S
Cruised down the Authie valley then across the coastal plain to Etaples.
Avoided most of the vacation Saturday changeover traffic until the last 5k.
Weekend cycling is popular here. Overtaken by many, on light weight racing bikes, no heavy panniers, but distinctly grey hair under the rear of the helmets, women included (different shaped saddles).
Spent a long time finding my way out of Amiens.
Most of the day's cycling in drizzle.
Relieved to find, after several phone calls, that the only hotel in Crecy is open.
Crossed the relatively flat land from the Oise to the evocative valley of the Somme.
Cycled through the 2000k mark for the trip.
Disappointed that the armistice carriage was housed in a museum where photos aren't allowed. Actually the carriage is a twin, the original having been carted off to Germany, then perished.
Flemish town hall architecture prevalent again
Lots of ups and downs crossing river valleys until the last third through the foret de Compiegne.
Decided to take a day's rest in this historic place, explore, and catch up on the washing.
