This was our first cycling trip in a very long time, so we took the easy route through the Ardennes. We left from home with basic luggage mounted on the bikes and cycled five days to Reims where we were picked up by car. Nothing to do all day but pedal, chat and admire the scenery, supremely relaxing.
For breakfast we get a baguette, margarine, jam and a knife (no plates), so we’re done pretty quickly. We get a baguette from the bakery for our lunch and set off. This time we’re able to follow the canal road, since it’s used as a service road for a series of 26 locks, closely spaced… Continue reading LE CHESNE – CAUREL: 60 KM
It’s a short day, so we get up a bit later, take our time with breakfast and leave around 9h30. We get turned around leaving town, but once we find the right waterway we’re off. The weather is still stormy and windy and we’re expecting rain, but it’s a beautiful road along the Maas river.… Continue reading CHARLEVILLE-MÉZIÈRES – LE CHESNE: 50 KM
We follow the Maas river south the whole day on the Trans-Ardennes route, though fortunately the river loops back and forth so we don’t have the wind straight in our faces the whole way. The weather is pretty stormy with fast moving clouds and occasional rain squalls. When it rains, it rains a lot but… Continue reading GIVET – CHARLEVILLE-MÉZIÈRES: 85 KM
to Namur Today is the longest day (counting in kilometers), so we have breakfast at 8 and leave around 9h30. The first stretch is supposed to be really easy, since it follows an ancient railroad, however it seems that though the incline is small, it’s significant and continuous, so it’s basically a long way slightly… Continue reading GELDENAKEN – GIVET: 95 KM
to Leuven We packed most of our gear on Saturday, got some new t-shirts etc. and checked the bikes, so on Sunday morning we just need to have breakfast, load up and start cycling. I go to the bakery to get pistolets for a carb-rich start of the day and we try to finish off… Continue reading LINT – GELDENAKEN: 82 KM
Febe writes 