After 1000 km on the bike, with lots and lots of time to think, there we go again, trying to get accustomed to the normal life again. The main program of this two week trip was indeed the cycling: following the Rhône, all the way down from Geneva to the Mediterranean sea. The sea was much cooler than I had it in mind and hence, I ended up swimming just once, but probably on one of the nicest beaches there is in this part of France.
We skipped all church visits, and instead developed an eye for the changes in the air and the vegetation, with every day approaching the sea. Following the little roads, without heavy traffic, you discover a little bit the France d’autrefois, dying as modern life is asking its tribute. No shops in little villages anymore, the old houses left, new houses built around the larger cities nearby. A French guy told us ” you know: these little cities and villages all die from within”.
France got a great thing indeed: Space and “la partrimoine”.  A bit too much patrimoine to carry into modernity. Thus, you cycle past dying houses and churches, from the 11th century, that would be a major tourist attraction over there in the US.
In the larger villages and cities you have all the shops in centers, very à l’Americaine, convenient, but hard to get to without a car, or a bike, and it is all cooled down to something around 16°C. France has got another great thing: a lot of energy, as a tour de Rhône easily proves you. We passed by a lot of nuclear power plants and enjoyed the idea of a cool refrigerator with a cool beer in the evening.

Be it:
One day we need to explain historians and grand-grand children that we used nuclear and fossil fuel to cool down supermarkets, where in rural France you could get avocados from Peru.
Electricity brought us back to Zurich, too.  But again, the French have this thing. They do not just have trains that run fast. They have “Grandes lignes” , but….the thing with their TGV is mostly: Quite old coaches, somewhat dirty, and a dysfunctional organization, that is not client oriented. Having said that: the train brought us back. I am reaching a point one day in my life where I prefer the plane to the train for adventures like that. I guess I am approaching my fifties and with it an increasing quest for comfort. Or I have reached a point where I simply ask for service in exchange for my bucks.
Having said that: The train brought us back from a place where every breath ended up in an olfactory adventure. I am not talking inner cities here, but cycling through the country side with wild rosmarin, thyme, resin and fir bark, bringing all these memories back from camping in the pineta 30 years ago.

I can handle a few functional disabilities for this scent.

You know: we’ve got a great thing here!

After 1000 km on the bike, with lots and lots of time to think, there we go again, trying to get accustomed to the normal life again. The main program of this two week trip was indeed the cycling: following the Rhône, all the way down from Geneva to the Mediterranean sea. The sea was much cooler than I had it in mind and hence, I ended up swimming just once, but probably on one of the nicest beaches there is in this part of France.

We skipped all church visits, and instead developed an eye for the changes in the air and the vegetation, with every day approaching the sea. Following the little roads, without heavy traffic, you discover a little bit the France d’autrefois, dying as modern life is asking its tribute. No shops in little villages anymore, the old houses left, new houses built around the larger cities nearby. A French guy told us “

you know: these little cities and villages all die from within”.

France got a great thing indeed: Space and “la partrimoine”. A bit too much patrimoine to carry into modernity. Thus, you cycle past dying houses and churches, from the 11th century, that would be a major tourist attraction over there in the US.

In the larger villages and cities you have all the shops in centers, very à l’Americaine, convenient, but hard to get to without a car, or a bike, and it is all cooled down to something around 16°C. France has got another great thing: a lot of energy, as a tour de Rhône easily proves you. We passed by a lot of nuclear power plants and enjoyed the idea of a cool refrigerator with a cool beer in the evening. Be it:

One day we need to explain historians and grand-grand children that we used nuclear and fossil fuel to cool down supermarkets, where in rural France you could get avocados from Peru.

Electricity brought us back to Zurich, too. But again, the French have this thing. They do not just have trains that run fast. They have “Grandes lignes” , but….the thing with their TGV is mostly: Quite old coaches, somewhat dirty, and a dysfunctional organization, that is not client oriented. Having said that: the train brought us back. I am reaching a point one day in my life where I prefer the plane to the train for adventures like that. I guess I am approaching my fifties and with it an increasing quest for comfort. Or I have reached a point where I simply ask for service in exchange for my bucks.

Having said that: The train brought us back from a place where every breath ended up in an olfactory adventure. I am not talking inner cities here, but cycling through the country side with wild rosmarin, thyme, resin and fir bark, bringing all these memories back from camping in the pineta 30 years ago. I can handle a few functional disabilities for this scent.