Jeanne d'Arc Country

July 13, 2023

Villers to Dom-Rémy-la-Poucelle

Ok, so I'm clearly fully warmed up now, going metric century in hilly country.

My faith in the Eurovelo 19 planners is restored today, as the route was much more pleasant. The morning still had a little bit more highway traffic but soon even the roads became less trafficked, and many cases much narrower. There were several stretches that were on "C" roads, my favorite French roads, because they're just wide enough for a tractor. (Most roads are "D" roads and then autoroutes are "A", so like A2, D128, C1, etc.)

I think a lot of the traffic might have been caused by Verdun itself, both the industry of its immediate area, and also there's just a lot of tourists who come to visit there for the war stuff. Plus maybe just a lack of alternate or minor routes for some reason. There was also some paved tow path on the canal de l'est:

I got a late start, but that also meant that I got a lot of sleep. In order to do a metrics entry I didn't get into this campground until about 8:00 p.m.. that makes the whole day a little bit later, but I'm getting more efficient with my end of the day routine, and it is really beautiful riding in the evening: golden light, fewer cars, birds are out.

It is light until 10:00 p.m., so even getting in it 8:00 p.m. isn't all that late; except for the fact that I need to eat dinner, wash clothes come up right a journal entry, and set up my tent. I doubt that I will be able to go so far in the next couple of days. Part of the reason I went a hundred kilometers today is because it was a beautiful day, also there were no other campgrounds in between without going off the route. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot, in the next day is supposed to rain. Nevertheless come out the source is not that far so in the next couple of days I should get there.

There it is on the map, the end, er, start of the line

I am now in Lorraine, birthplace of Joan of Arc, who am sure has her tourists (ice seen two museums already) but so far seemingly not quite as many as The Great War. It's still hilly, although to me they feel more like slow rolling hills. The Ardennes seemed steeper. Looking through my GPX track, it looks pretty much like a steady ascent. As soon as I reach the source, though, it looks like most of the rest of my track is pretty downhill. Maybe I'll finish this thing after all, we'll see.

Here's me at a random bench midway though the day

Here's a pseudo-sandwich I invented that I'm calling a French Twinkie, making a hole down a wide baguette and filling it with Crème de Munster (which I thought was going to be Munster cheese, which comes from not too far away in the Vosges, but it was instead this stuff that tasted like Munster but had the consistency of sour cream, instead of the more cream cheese texture of actual Muenster). It sounds terrible, it looks gross, but it tasted pretty good and it got me up the last hills to the campground.

Just like a normal Twinkie, see, but with no sugar and four times the calories

I ate a more sensible salmon rillets (cat food basically) and quinoa for dinner.

Other things I saw today:

Everybody always talks about coming to France to see the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, but have you considered the gsile?

My day ended at a municipal campground, the best kind because they are small, cheap, and no frills, no mobile homes, and usually fewer motorhomes as well. I got a spot, a beer, a baguette and a pain au choc for 12€, which is one of the best combo values I've encountered in my life. Quatorze Juillet tomorrow. Bonne nuit!

Today's ride: 100 km (62 miles)
Total: 691 km (429 miles)

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