French breakfast with Laurence and Jean-Jacques, the tougher climbing work presents itself, a few times in and out of France and shelter and to a cosy old-fashioned cinema in Bouillon.
Sep 28: Villers-Sir-Nicole - Chimay (58.79 km - 494 m climb)
After a hot shower and a rich breakfast of croissants, pains-au-chocolat and a glob of coffee, I said goodbye to Laurence and Jean-Jacques. On top of the hospitable welcome came a big donation for the Braille League asbl. Such lovely people, that fills my spirits.
Full of fresh breakfast energy, I started my ride. The energy was much needed, I was riding south and thus had the Z3 wind right upwind.
My first stop was in Solre- sur-Sambre, to go put a card in the bus at 'Welcome to my garden' hostess Hélène, who had intimated that she was not at home during the day.
The lock, which was not accessible last year due to works - which meant I had to detour 2 km in the heat to the next bridge over the Sambre - was now open. So I was able to pull some photos of the church and castle that I missed last year.
Between Solre and Thirimont, where I also left a thank-you card with Boris' WTMG host family, it was tough stuff with lots of steep altitude metres. I rode at an average of less than 10 km/hour, hardly a brisk jogging pace....
First I had to cross the barren treeless plateau that I traversed last year in scorching heat, then I drove past several small villages, each of which was in a new valley. Up and down and up and down.
At Montigny Saint-Christophe I passed a Marian grotto and a remnant of a so-called "Roman" bridge dating back to the 16th century.
I still had 30 km to go until Chimay, so I was counting on another three hours or so of hard labour, but thank goodness I was able to go from Thirimont following a ravel. This also continued to rise, but very gently, and the overgrown verges broke the Z3 headwind. So my pace went up two gears and I was at the Camping Communal of Chimay.
Being seriously tired, I treated myself to a veggie pizza and a blonde Chimay at the Grand Café. More cosy than cooking in my tent porch, as it starts to cool down seriously to just about five degrees here at night.
Tomorrow I plan a shorter ride.
Sep 29: Chimay - Olloy-sur-Viroin (27.93 km - 255 m climb)
Last night turned into a heavy rain night. When I went to pee this morning - still in the pouring rain - there were serious puddles all around the tent, but luckily I had placed the tent on a higher part and kept it dry.
From 10.30 a.m. onwards, Buienradar said it would stop pouring, and fortunately that prediction came true. For most of the day, it was even quite sunny.
As I had only planned a 27km ride, I first browsed through Chimay and paid a visit to the Collegiate Church of St Peter and Paul, the oldest part of which, the choir, dates from the 13th century. Several restorations followed afterwards. I took some interior and detail photos. The mausoleum is from Charles De Croy (died 1527).
The first 13 km were very easily earned: a gently descending Ravel with W3 wind at my back, as my route turned due east today. It's okay to be lucky. I rode this section at an average speed of 22km/h.
On the Ravel I came Joe encounter, who is heading to Brittany on foot with two donkeys and two dogs.
After the Ravel it was back to climbing and descending on the regular asphalt roads. In the larger and apparently touristy village of Nismes, I was able to have a drink and take a breather.
That was a good idea, as the climb out of Nismes was a fairly long one to 9% - which still managed well - but the last lead, an even steeper climb over 800 metres, only partially succeeded. I had to push bike several times. As a result, I still ended up with an average of less than 10km/hour. Tomorrow I'd better not plan another too long ride ...
Interesting to know for soft road users: In Camping Ardinam the friendly gerante Vanessa told me that it would be more interesting for cyclists and hikers to follow the Ravel, which starts in the village, for a while and then take a lane that leads to the campsite's back entrance. That would be much less steep....
And currently the temperature here has dropped to 6° and I am sitting in my closed tent porch - which is just high enough for my Helinox chair, typing my reports. Getting used to the cold after the past mild weeks....
Sep 30: Olloy-sur-Viroin - Gedinnes (36.31 km - 646 km climb)
Today, my paltry 36 cycling kilometres were not lightly deserved.
After a near-ice cold evening and night - with a crystal-clear open sky, the temperature dropped to 3 degrees - it first took me a lot of work to get my soaking wet condensed gear a little dry. I emptied the tent and moved it to a spot in the sun, which fortunately was shining this morning.
Because of all that hassling, I could not leave until 11:30.
After a serious climb out of the Valley of the Viroin I passed in the village Vierves-sur-Viroin Past a graveyard with a Mausoleum of Baroness de Mesnil de Volkrange. That kind-hearted lady of nobility donated the land in 1903 at the request of the municipality because the village cemetery was full by the early 1900s. For her family, she had a mausoleum with perpetual concession built on it.
During WWI, the brave Baroness also saved the lives of many villagers who had fled into the woods from the advancing German army. The Baroness, who spoke perfect German, managed to persuade a German general to call off a manhunt, arguing that they were only frightened civilian refugees and that there were no armed resistance fighters among them.
That brief historical photo stop was followed by a descent to Treignes, the village where last year, after an 8 km walk there and back, I found myself in front of a closed Delhaize because the manager of the campsite where I was staying had made a mistake about the Sunday closing time. Which left me very short of alimentary supplies.
A few kilometres beyond Treignes I photographed in Cité du Maroc a row of houses that, to my sense of style, belong more on the embankment of a coastal town. Totally different from the red brick village houses that are common here.
And then I was in France for about 15 kilometres. And what kilometres they were. After the bridge over the Meuse river in 'Village Fleuri' Vireux-Wallerand, there followed a long climb of more than 4 km that I had to ride largely in my smallest gear. So at a snail's pace of 5 km/hour. Almost an hour of continuous climbing, but fortunately without bike pushing....
It then continued in a seriously undulating manner until Gedinne, eventually bringing me up to more than 600 vertical altimeters.
At Camping-Caravaning de la Croix-Scaille the young patron Pierre-Yves immediately gifted me another free overnight stay for charity when I handed him the thank-you card for last year and the new flyer. A great guy.
Fortunately, there is a tavern open in this village, so I don't have to sit in the chilly tent all evening. Seffens straight into the bag.
1 Oct: Gedinne - Bouillon (38.74 - 665 m climb)
Another 38 hard-earned kilometres today. Since Googlemaps suggested almost exclusively major N roads with no cycle path, I followed the Komoot route along small inner roads, which of course resulted in a lot more altimeters. The number was about the same as yesterday, but now with a heavy headwind that was sometimes just a bit too much. On gentle descents, I even had to keep pedalling.
Other than beautiful, sweeping scenery at the highest points, there wasn't much special to report. In one of the climbs out of a valley, I saw a horse standing belly-up in a small pond. For a moment I worried that the animal could not get out because the pond was fenced. I observed him for a while and he seemed to be eating something. He was not panicking in any way. As I continued on my way, I saw a little higher up at the entrance to the meadow a sign saying that the horses were having a good time in the pond and there was nothing to worry about. So apparently I was not the only one....
A little further on, on a long descent, I passed some hunters engaged in a manhunt. Hunting season starts here on 1 October and there are plaques at many forest trails with dates when hunting takes place there and the trail is closed.
A few kilometres before Bouillon I did a long descent on a gravel road until the bank of the Semois, where Ruben and his dog Fien living. Ruben was happily at home. Both were putting up with it. Fientje is already 13 and Ruben is disabled, having lost his left leg due to diabetes.
Last year, after a long and tiring hike from All to the Semois, in his homemade 'log cabin caravan' overnight. One of my better nights... I stayed there for over an hour neighbouring it.
Ruben explained that hunting is big business in Wallonia. Much game has already been sold by auction to the highest-bidding restaurateurs even before it has been shot. Opposite Ruben on the other bank of the Semois is a private hunt where you have to pay 1,600€ to hunt it for one week. On top of that, you also have to pay a sum per animal shot.
Ruben also told me about Ireland, where he lived for seven years. In Doolin near the Cliffs of Moher, where I stayed for two days in 2019. I must have then walked past the cottage overlooking the ocean where he lived during my trip to the cliffs.
Opposite the monastery I visited last year, I photographed some cows watering themselves at a spring. Apart from horses, cows are my main supporters on the road. I always feel a bit gloomy when I see them grazing or ruminating unconcernedly, unaware of the gruesome slaughter awaiting them. Good thing they don't realise this....
It eventually ran towards seven o'clock before I got into the Youth Hostel of Bouillon arrived. And at that moment, it just started raining. Heavy rain is forecast here this weekend. I will comfortably sit that out here until the worst is over. Youth hostel prices are now 'normal' again: 23€ incl breakfast for a bed in a room with six. Last year, because of Corona, they were asking 100€ per night alone in a group room here. I stayed then in the fancy 'Hotel de la Poste, right in the centre, for a lot less money....
3 Oct: rain-and-wind day in Bouillon.
A disappointment, the 'Archaeoscope' and a cinematograph.
Friday when checking into the Youth Hostel I had asked if I could extend my stay by one day if the archi-poor weather forecast for Sunday came true. That would not be a problem, room to spare.
It was not weather today to chase a dog through so this morning I pulled up to the reception to go and pay extra: closed. Only the woman in charge of breakfast and clean-up was there. She knew nothing.
She called one of the reception staff and they replied deadpan that the premises would close on Sunday due to not enough guests. The kitchen madam just had to lock everything up properly when she finished. And I was allowed to go about my business... well, class Auberges de Jeunesse de Wallonie, high I don't run with it. Last year they asked 100€ for an overnight stay here, this year they put you on the street without notice or apology... I have never experienced that in other countries.
Tourism is pretty much at a standstill here, so finding a B&B was quickly arranged. However, the room was only available from 2pm and to kill the rainy season I followed a show in the 'Archaeoscope' on the life of Godfrey of Bouillon and the Crusades.
While walking through the old town yesterday, I passed a droll neighbourhood cinema and decided I would catch a movie today at 5pm: l'Origine du monde, a comedy by Laurent Lafitte from 2020. It had been an awfully long time since I had been to the cinema. For that, you have to take a bike ride around Belgium....
And when I came out of the cinema there was another evening sunshine in the sky. Tomorrow, happily back on the bike and in the tent.
4 Oct: Bouillon - Gerouville (45.04 km - 552 m climb)
As expected, from Broth a long climb awaited. About two kilometres went along a rough gravel road that I had to bike push uphill for the most part as I patinated on the muddy sections as a result of the heavy rain yesterday.
On the descent towards N83, I met Maaike and Lieke, two likeable young Dutch women who were taking a short hiking and mountain biking holiday in Bouillon. They did find the slopes here tough with the MTB, which I 100% could confirm.
Initially, we conversed in English. Only when I handed over my flyer did we realise that all three of us were Dutch speakers.
Maaike and Lieke consider a donation, for which my thanks in advance.
After this tough stretch, it continued for a long time gently climbing over the N83which coincides with the French border for a bit. I was expecting a much steeper climb, which turned out to be fantastic.
At the highest point, I took a biscuit break on the sill of yet another empty café.
It then went downhill for a long time until a panoramic view over the village Chassepierre. There I came Hugo Van Acker from Lochristi and his wife. Hugo regularly ran marathons abroad with a running group until 2003. I asked if the tour guide's name was Hugo, and that Hugo turned out to be, as I suspected, my running and taichi knowledge Hugo Van Krunkelsven to be. The world is small.
During the second part of my drive between Florenville and Gerouville, where I was in the 'Welcome to my garden' garden of Leonor camping, during a long climb a driver passed me and pushed me up a bit with his hand on my back. When we reached the top, we stopped and had a short chat. What a friendly man. I, of course, gave him another flyer.
The cycling today was much easier and more pleasant than the previous days. The Gaume region also offers beautiful wide views, and that with regular sunshine, not too much crosswind and a beautiful sheep cloud sky makes for delightful cycling. I therefore arrived fairly early in the garden of Eleonor and was still able to write this report in the sunshine on the porch of my tent. Until Facebook fell flat....
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
