Sunday July 2nd
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| I should have studied it more closely! |
I had to take the tent down wet after another wet night. However apart from the odd spit it has been dry all day for the first time in a week. It has also been cold. I was so cold yesterday that I was prepared to commit the cardinal sin of socks and sandals. I started the day with four layers including my waterproof jacket. This is supposed to be summer in the southern half of France.
The route was much as yesterday on beautifully signed and surfaced "piste cyclable" alongside the Rhone. The route criss- crossed the river following first one bank and then the other until I came to the bridge at Groslee which was closed for repairs. The previous bridge was 8kms back. The next bridge was 7 kms on - reached by a route VTT (mountain bike ) It wasn't bad at first but it got gradually rougher and rougher. I thought my bike or me or both were going to be shaken apart.But I reached the bridge intact and appreciated the smooth tarmac all the more.
At one point I passed a sign to Belley on the Via Rhona saying 29 kms. On the nearby D 991 road was a sign Belley 17kms. Guess which one I took! I had misgivings that there might be some big ups but nothing too terrible was encountered.
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| Changing landscape |
I was hoping for a really big day to get to Geneva but by 17.00 having whittled the distance to Geneva down to 44kms my legs said it was time to stop at Seyssel where there was a fete on. Tourist information sent me to the municipal site on the banks of the Rhone where as part of the fete an 8 piece band were (still are at 22.25) playing in the bar restaurant.The plan is to reach Geneva for lunch time then head for Annecy. But plans are made to be broken. It depends on the weather the hills and whether the legs have recovered.
02/07/17 Sunday Le Nant
Matraz Seyssel €14 4
fete, band playing, special menu, good
site, supermarket near, walk to town, on Rhone
Well done - Brian. I am looking at Via Rhona on https//en.viarhona and thinking that you have put in a great day. I recommend that blog followers look at this and take in the route/parcours and the elevation information for Stages 3 and 4 that Brian is about to take on. Awesome comes to mind. Do not push too hard, Brian, and you will be ready for the journey south if you make the decision I would make. Another Scotsman kicked off his Cycling Challenge in Paris this morning. Mark Beaumont has set out on The Artemis Challenge to cycle round the world in 80 days. He is doing 240 miles per day. He has prepared for this for years. That might make the headlines but you are making headlines at home too, Brian. The walking group all had furrowed brows today as we asked ' Why does Brian punish himself like this? '; We know the answer is because he can and he will succeed in his awesome challenge before he achieves Fiscal Maturity. Whatever your decision once you reach Geneva, savour the moment where you achieve your first major goal of 8 Countries - Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Switzerland all visited in 3 weeks. Pretty impressive, Brian. Hope the altitude does not make for too much cold. Keep rolling. Pack away the ultimate granny gears for another trip.
ReplyDeleteWebsite to check out Brian's route is https//en.viarhona.com
ReplyDeleteGet out the full screen view of the map on a computer screen and marvel at what Brian is doing.