For the past few days we have been following the Marne river and the Marne river canal. Riding next to a canal is nice, it’s flat, until you come to a lock and then it’s only a short not too steep up or down and then you are on the flat again. The kilometers go by easily and one’s traveling partner is happy.
However . . .
Sometimes the trip navigator isn’t paying close attention to the way finding app (We are using a map program called Komoot) when planning things out the night before. Sometimes those crafty French civil engineers sent the canal into a tunnel which sends the bike path up and over the offending elevated object. Sometimes the elevation profile generated by the app clearly shows the offending elevated object but the trip navigator wasn’t paying close enough attention to details. Sometimes one’s marriage is tested. I am always lucky I married a patient forgiving woman.
We spent today off the bikes in a campground outside the city of Nancy. Did laundry this morning and took the bus into the city this afternoon. Nancy was the capital city of the Duchy of Lorraine, a slice of land west of the Rhein and east of the Mosel. As such it has lots of the fancy old stuff associated with kings and what not. The afternoon’s culinary high point was the crème brûlée ice cream (Stewarts are you listening) the low point was the fancy cone it was in that tasted mostly like a potato chip.
Tomorrow we head south following the Mosel River and paying close attention to canals disappearing into tunnels.
Anita cresting the offending elevated object and still smiling
Prayers for the trip navigator and may the quad muscles surprise you both with their strength and resilience. The Neikirks are now the proud owners of 2 bicycles and haven't yet been out on the trails other than yours truly taking a spin up and down the block, testing the expression "Just like riding a bike" to see if it pertains to 70+ year olds riding a bike for the first time in decades! 1-2 minutes on the bike was felt by my quads the next day! PUH-thetic! You two are biking for 6 months!! AMAZING. A bit crazy...but AMZING!! Thanks for taking us along!
You're a VERY lucky man. (Remember that often. Say it out loud repeatedly within hearing distance.) 😆