Catching Up

Catching up (in more ways than one!)

So my time in Besancon was cut short because….go on, you’ll never guess….oh, bugger, that’s right….I might have mentioned this once or twice before….the camp site shut on Monday!! But I had a delightful Sunday (once I had defrosted) -I went in to the town and enjoyed the sunshine and scenery, then dawdled back to what was now a deserted campsite (in France that’s the norm just about everywhere!). I read, I cleaned the bike, I watched some QI on line and generally had a very quiet day. Blissful actually, though working through some of the ‘worksheets’ in Bessels book wasn’t easy on the emotions! Given the clocks changed last night it was dark (and bloody cold) by 5:45 so after cooking up some pasta on my little stove I hit the sleeping bag around 7:30 🕢 🤣.
I had noticed when I left Dole there was a distinct twinge in my right leg which grew worse during the day, and by the time I left the campsite on Monday morning it was extremely painful but only when cycling! I nursed it all day to get to Montibelaird but had wanted to get to Mulhouse- that wasn’t going to happen! So I found somewhere to stay and tried to recover! Well…I tried first to get in to the accommodation! In France they favour an approach of ‘leave the guest guessing’. So I rock up at the address and ….it’s a doctors surgery! And private apartments! Nothing to indicate it’s an accommodation option! So begins a process of trying to work it out. I spoke to a resident of the building who confirmed it was the right address but shrugged (yes, the French really do do that!) at any suggestion there might be a room to rent (paid for by the way)! Another resident joined in and she had a moment of recall about one unit being a rental (turns out it’s right next to hers but let’s not dwell on that). Anyway they managed between them to get hold of the owner who guides them by phone to a small ‘key safe’ attached like a bike lock to the railings in the car park behind the apartment block! And, with code to hand, she opened the key lock/safe to reveal keys to the apartment! All of this took an hour! It’s utterly bizarre how they treat guests. No instructions. No codes. No body to actually talk to. No response to emails. That’s 55 Euro please 🤣🤣

Aside from the pain ( in the leg and the neck!) it was a delightful day with such discernible changes in landscape and buildings – everything started to feel different the closer towards Germany/Switzerland I got. The roofs of houses started to take on that familiar Alpine look and even the cows looked different! The houses had a lot more timber on show and their character changed.

I awoke Tuesday morning knowing I could only do a short distance – the groin/hip were simply not playing today. I’m accepting of it -I’ve put my body through some pretty hideous stuff of late and I always knew at some point either bike or body (or both) would kick up a stink. Turns out it’s the body!! This trip is indeed catching up with me! I slowly pedalled the 60k to my stop in Mulhouse along the canals. Try as I might, I couldn’t get coffee anywhere!! Yep,…closed! Even a bike shop/cafe….closed! But Mulhouse is stunning -picture postcard east France/German/north Swiss melting pot! And strangely…things are open! There’s cafes and bars, and people everywhere!! Welcome back to civilisation 🤣! I’ll miss so much of France in terms of its beauty and scenery but gee it’s frustrating too. I laughed when I was listening to a Mick Hanly song on my iPhone today

‘Have you ever spent a Sunday afternoon in France, in a station That’s barely made it onto the map

I can tell you that you’ll have time enough to write the novel.  Write the second, and the third and do the first redraft

The natives disappear into the ether, with their grannies and their children.  For an afternoons’ fruit-de mer’….spot on Mick, except it’s every day, not just Sundays 🤣