Here are some of my final thoughts on our France/Portugal trip:

I think a little more organization on our part, would have made for a better trip. It seemed that for much of our time in France we were wondering around without any plan. Not that we are the type to pre-book hotels, etc. but I think we would have seen more if we had planned a little. We also did not consider the distance, or terrain of cyling from Northern France, through Spain, and into Portugal. Once we came to the conclusion that it was not feasible, it became quite a challenge to figure out the logistics of getting our bikes, and ourselves from France to Lisbon, Portugal. We then decided to rent a van, and tour for a week in a France that way, with our bikes, sadly boxed up in the back. Even though our trip last year, down the Danube, had many challenges with the floods, it was a better trip for us. Having said that, we still had many wonderful experiences this year. The Portugal part of our trip was with 22 friends, and it an organized tour. I realize that organized tours are not what CGOAB is about, but I wanted to include it in my blog for family and friends. Although it was great to meet up and cycle with our friends, we came to the conclusion that self contained touring on our own is our preference. We like the "stop and smell the roses", pace.

Things we liked about France:

Beautiful scenery and beaches Great food and wine The abundance of dedicated cycle paths or quiet roads Courteous drivers, who respect cyclists

Things we disliked about France:

The reluctance of people to help us, when we were looking for directions, or just help in general More expensive then other Europen countries Breakfast not included in hotels

Things we liked about Portugal:

English spoken everywhere

The history ans small quiet villages

Things we disliked about Portugal:

Aggressive drivers! There are not many cyclists in Portugal, so drivers are not used to sharing the road. HILLS! The long distance between towns

What's next? Maybe the newly completed Eurovelo 15 in 2016.