Well, that was a good start, certainly the best I could have hoped for. I had fretted about the chances of doing 100mile days right from the off, but it all went pretty swimmingly really, and the GPS statistic on the map, calculated using an aggregate, is actually a little way behind the on-the-ground reading of my speedo.
There is no precise way of summarising all that has been going on, in truth, it probably isnt even all that eventful; Im having twinges from my left knee, dealing with that using a combination of sympathy and *you are my knee and will turn painlessly if I want you to* ... the single toughest things to have occured are the typical dilemmas of how to invest my monies at the boulangerie, and also the task of using a squat toilet, in a pair of carbon fibre cycling shoes, whilst trying to read a map and hold my shorts out of the way. Today was comfortably the toughest day as far as terrain is concerned, I passed by the foothills of the Vosges mountains, which is just about as close to gradient as we circumnavigating pussies seem inclined to venture... After 105miles I was well ready to stop, and between then and the 35mile mark I was cursing the bastard whose directions sent me deeper into the hills... Just goes to show that one really can never trust a stranger.
Apart from, that is, the wondrous souls who have taken me in the past couple of nights... My wood shed and hay loft have left me remarkably well-rested, and my hosts have left me stumped, as ever, at how the world can get to seem so wrong when there are so many great people all around... Shall save that sort of ranting for another time... In the meanwhile I attach a few photos to show you all what you are missing out on by not cycling in France this week...
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