Day 11 Strasbourg to Huningue 89.34 miles

(Tues 22nd of July 2014)

Dist 89.34m ride time 7hr53mins av speed 12.09mph max spd 20.97mph  altitude up 641ft 

Spirits were high this morning, air-con in our hotel room had meant a good nights sleep and we knew if we did a big day today we could make up the miles we lost a few days ago.

(New saddle yay!)

John has had an issue with Chamois cream, I won't go on about it but will just say he lost 3 pots of it in 3 days. So because of this he was desperate to find a bike shop in Strasbourg and replace the lost cream.  I was also keen to replace my saddle and get a few essentials for the bike such as brake pads......important! 

We found espirit cycles just round the corner from the hotel. It turned out to be a vintage city bike type shop. The only saddle that didn't resemble a leather sofa, was a little brown leather number, when I picked it up I realised it wieghed more than my bike and cost a mere 140 euros!  No cream either, but I imagine john enjoyed watching me try to explain what chamois cream is for! Maybe him losing it was a deliberate ploy for this very  end!! 

I found a decathlon about 3 miles away that would sort us out! With some difficult navigating we got there, John got some creme/gel type stuff and I got a new saddle and shorts and the brake pads.

(The barges are bigger)

This all meant we were late to leave Strasbourg and we had a lot of cycling ahead, I haven't got much to say about the journey itself, it was flat, it rained, we followed a canal for about 60miles, sometimes it was on our right, sometimes on our left, the occasional kingfisher, buzzard, field of sunflowers or huge snail caught our attention, apart from that it was just corn fields and canals.

Riding on the flat sounds easier but over such a long way it gets dull and as you're not moving so much things get sore! You can imagine what gets sore!! Also my neck froze up, which makes checking behind you difficult. 

We followed the canal Rhine et Rhone for so long we had to get on a road again so we did, it was a welcome relief.

(This for 60 miles!)

(Lots of bike paths!)

(The road offered things to look at!)

We found Boulangerie Thuet in Blodelsheim and sheltered from the rain in there whilst eating some of the finest slices of tart, served up by a fine French....Lady! Top bakery!

Finally we neared our destination a bit more canal, but this one had lots of goldeneye ducks with little fluffy babies. We entered our campsite late , about 8:30 and the little officious man took and age to sign us in then tell us exactly where out of the huge number of free spaces we must put our tent, then why we couldn't use the electric, or put our bikes in the boat house, ...........I'm saying nothing!

(John and sunflowers one of my finer photos on the go!) 

I cooked and then tucked in to a risotto I've had since Belgium, but not been able to eat because John keeps buying me dinner! Good lad! and John had a ham sandwich, now it's time for bed!!