Two days ago we did our longest day riding, 110km leaving the flat farm lands around Paris we rode through the Champagne-Ardenne, pretty half timbered buildings and villages, the landscape changing to smaller fields with gentle hills. Late in the day we stumbled across a little mushroom festival with a scattering of prize chickens and rabbits as well as an excellent mushroom powerpoint display. The campsite at Jaulny was semi closed for the season with workmen fixing the roof of the reception building. It meant a free nights camping (our second).
We rode about 10km the next morning to breakfast in Prelly St Moselle and headed out for another 80km day (about 50 miles) of riding. A hilly ride including crossing the Moselle river.
Today (1 October) we make our way across the border into Germany posting the last printed cards from France on the way. The cards are the ‘live linocut’ that our friend Hannah Cousins did back in Bonneval.
The little 8x5 Adana printing press mounted on the back of the Printing Bike has served us well over these weeks. They were designed as hobby presses (though someone said that they may have had some kind of military use originally). They are a little troublesome and I feel like (a bit late in the day) I am getting to grips with the funny little oddities of the press. The bar that supports the postcards on the platen is too chunky and can obscure the bottom of a postcard block mounted in the chase. In the evening and morning the rollers will slide over the block and inking plate rather than roll (I think because of the moisture in the air). So the printing has not been without issues, but I have become very fond of the quirky little red press that I have dragged six or seven hundred miles on the roads of England and France.
Well, I think every adventure has a down time, and today for me it was it. After sixteen days of riding the bike old print bike between 40 and 70 miles each day (703 miles to be precise), the old body said enough. Well it was partly my body and partly my head and partly riding into Germany and forgetting how accommodating the French are with cyclists and how much less most other people are.
So we (well more accurately) I struggled a 60km into Germany and found a little guest house for the night.
I did enjoy though the little transition from France to Germany though, no border just a little sign and immediately all the cars change from Renaults and Citroens to Volkswagens, BMWs and well Porches.
Apologies to Robin for being slow and grouchy (again) today, I think I remember now why I tend to ride alone mostly, so that nobody can see me at my worst.
We are staying in one of those little businessy overnight house things, which is total luxury and which has been turned into a tourers drying station, with tent draped over the shower to dry and riding kit in sink being washed and sleeping bag airing over the office chair thing.
Early start tomorrow and a nice meeting with Jon Matthews in Bad Kreuznach (which has got to be good?).
Robin, map checking as ever, last day in France on Printing Bike adventure
Interleaving the postcards before packing up the tent and heading off (important process).
Nature stop
It's impossible, this year especially, not to stop and look at the memorials to the two great wars, many fields in northern France are full of wild flowers, often poppies, and I suspect that these are fields that saw some terrible battles.
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