Tuesday 19 June 2007

Day 8 - Bourg et Comin to Vitry-le-François (122 km)

More like a proper distance for once. Got up and out in decent time and finally found a map shop in Fismes where I picked up the next couple of Michelin sheets, then dawdled over the Montagne de Reims to Epernay, a pleasant enough ride although it appeared that the only comestibles that you could buy for about 40 km were the local fizzy drink by the half case. Stopped at what were probably the last WW1 cemeteries for a while at Marfaux, British and German side by side, mainly casualties from the second battle of the Marne in the closing months of the war.


At Epernay I stopped for a sandwich, and after a small rain squall decided that going east and flat and inhabited was the better part, etc. - there was a nice looking route south-eastwards on white roads but it looked as though it might leave me a long way from anywhere with anywhere to stay - and so allowed myself to be blown up the main road up the Marne valley at a decent lick - beatiful road surface, tailwind, constant stream of heavy trucks passing my left ear meant an easy 30-35 kph - to Chalons and then after a quick stop for a beer in a bar owned by an amiable mountain biker, still briskly onwards ("tout plat, une longue ligne droite") to Vitry, where the Hotel de la Poste provided an excellent dinner and bed.

1 comment:

TomatoQueen said...

That's a lovely picturesque view, and a most touching memorial.