Metz Loop Ride

May 27, 2024

The “Metz tour to somewhere” got another way point for the next two nights: a Château half-way between the Moselle and Meuse Rivers. In anticipation of the longer, hillier ride, my touring partners were taking it easy today and Vivien George and I were on our own. I mapped out a loop ride to the northeast of Metz, passing through Saint-Julien-lès-Metz and up toward Sanry-lès-Vigy before looping south and west back to Metz. The day turned out to be a mixed bag, with Grampies-traps, wrong turns, and navigating autoroute round-abouts in rush hour traffic.

The ride started out on a lovely cycle/walking path that wound past the historic ramparts and towers of Metz. After crossing a small wooden bridge over the river, I soon found myself in a classic Grampies trap – a small muddy path that led up a short steep incline and ended at a fence. The choice was to turn up the hillside and continue on a walking path, or retreat. I chose option B and found my way back to the route. Almost immediately, I took the wrong fork in a road, climbing 1/4 mile up a steep incline before I realized my error and turned around. I stayed on track through Saint-Julien and after the route topped out near Fort Saint-Julien I was rewarded with a nice straight downhill into the countryside.

Just me and Vivien George on the route today

The delightful cycle/walking path took us past the historic ramparts of Metz

Portal along the Allé de la Tour au Diablo

Finally heading down into the open countryside

Over the next 15 miles I rolled through a rural landscape of pastures, cropland, and woodland that was peppered with small towns and villages. I was a bit surprised that most of the villages featured large numbers of newer housing – I even spotted a row of modern condo/apartment units on the outskirts of Charly-Oradour. Signs of the 21st century reaching rural France. A few threatening clouds appeared in the north, but I stayed dry throughout the day. More annoying was the brisk headwind as I turned south. I detoured into Sainte-Barbe hoping to find something warm to drink, but settled for a sheltering nook along the church wall where I snacked on my breakfast sandwich.

A row of identical modern housing units on the outskirts of Charly-Oradour

A more traditional French house in Charly-Oradour, in obvious need of repair

But there is always one out standing in his field

Patterns and colors of late spring cropland

Distant clouds look a little threatening, but they were all bark and no bite

A sheltering nook at Eglise Sainte-Barbe

I continued south on wonderful small roads, passing through Les Etangs to Landonvillers where I picked up a Voie-Verte heading south. The tree-lined greenway was short on views but offered welcome relief from the wind. The cycling was easy and I had hopes that it would take me all the way to Metz and connect with the city’s network of cycle paths along the river. But this was not to be. After just five miles of greenway, I turned northwest in Pange, leaving the Voie Voie-Verte as it continued on its southwesterly trajectory.

Traffic increased as I approached the outskirts of Metz and things got a little crazy navigating the series of round-abouts on the designated cycle paths, reaching a nadir when I crossed the N431 highway and the cycle path seemed to disappear. I ended up going through a large industrial parking lot to find a bike path heading toward the center of Metz. From there it was a series stops and starts on a variety of bike lanes/paths, not all well-marked, that took me at last the hotel. Not a fun beginning or ending to the ride, it was a day best described as lots of enjoyable cycling sandwiched between stale crusty bread.

In Metz, following the blue route line that eventually led me to the hotel

Heart

Comment

Link

Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 1,102 miles (1,773 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	10
Comment on this entry	Comment	0