Sometimes experience is an excellent teacher. I met a cyclist who asked me why I wasn't staying to see Basel and when I told him I couldn't get a place, he said he would have offered me a place if he wasnt going to soccer practice. A good city.
I got lost on the way to Mulhouse and asked a lady where it was. She put the town in French and explained well. Odd that all the names are German but pronounced with a French accent. Got lost a second time on the bike route and rather than go back and catch the main route I used the old go forward routine. This lead me to a spot where I could see the road but was separated by a farmers field. I started to walk along the edge (30 metres) which was covered with overgrown grass and found that the mud built up on the tyres so that they wouldn't roll. I had to stop and take the mud off several times. The next treat was the wild roses with massive thorns! I got a system going where I rolled over the plants as best as I could but my left flank was exposed and my calves were really taking a beating! Once that stage was past, I had a nostalgic visit from a patch of stinging nettles. Just like Canada! A real treat. Last hurdle was to make it over the compost pile and onto cement behind the designer shop. When I came around to the side, I found the bike path was just beyond the wall at the roundabout where I'd been 30 minutes before. When I emerged on the bike path, I looked like some 1970s Vietcong soldier with all the mud and foliage sticking to my bike. Good times. Nice to be back in France. Call Sam but no answer when I arrive in Mulhouse. Continue on to Lutterbach and promise to call again. It's actually sunny and nice outside so it's a pleasant change from normal.
I got lost on the way to Mulhouse and asked a lady where it was. She put the town in French and explained well. Odd that all the names are German but pronounced with a French accent. Got lost a second time on the bike route and rather than go back and catch the main route I used the old go forward routine. This lead me to a spot where I could see the road but was separated by a farmers field. I started to walk along the edge (30 metres) which was covered with overgrown grass and found that the mud built up on the tyres so that they wouldn't roll. I had to stop and take the mud off several times. The next treat was the wild roses with massive thorns! I got a system going where I rolled over the plants as best as I could but my left flank was exposed and my calves were really taking a beating! Once that stage was past, I had a nostalgic visit from a patch of stinging nettles. Just like Canada! A real treat. Last hurdle was to make it over the compost pile and onto cement behind the designer shop. When I came around to the side, I found the bike path was just beyond the wall at the roundabout where I'd been 30 minutes before. When I emerged on the bike path, I looked like some 1970s Vietcong soldier with all the mud and foliage sticking to my bike. Good times. Nice to be back in France. Call Sam but no answer when I arrive in Mulhouse. Continue on to Lutterbach and promise to call again. It's actually sunny and nice outside so it's a pleasant change from normal.