It never gets easier you just get faster. Greg LeMond
Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades. Eddy Merckz
Tomorrow I ride to Fumay which is a gentle ride so I selected something interesting for today rather than having a full day off. Charleville-Mézière feels too big after a week navigating canals and railway embankments but it is certainly a good base for bike rides, and has the spectacular Place Ducale, the big square by the town hall, lots of waterways to walk, a cathedral and a museum to Arthur Rimbaud, French poet active in the 1870s. The breakfast room at my hotel is covered in extracts of his poetry and there is a local beer named after him, or so they say.
Sedan is a major town and the main attraction is the Fort which is substantial, here is the left half.
I pause in Pussemange where again there is advice for walkers and cyclists.
A church.
And a sign which I interpret as saying "This is Belgium so expect rain, hail, snow or all three!"
I have navigated 250 miles from Dieppe and 50 miles yesterday and this includes country lanes and more complicated junctions in Dieppe and Charleville-Mézière. Using bone conducting headphones linked to Komoot on my phone has meant I have seldom taken a wrong turn. The instructions are excellent and I have become attuned to interpreting the guidance allowing me to enjoy the actual cycling. Though there was a split second when I thought I was very lost.
France has a strong tradition of honouring history, traditions and produce. Here is General Margueritte. The statue was originally sited in French Algeria and, reading between the lines, I suppose Algeria wanted to divest itself of any symbols of earlier French influence after gaining independence from France in 1962. Good of them to gift it to France rather than recasting the bronze in the likeness of the new leader.
Sedan is a major town and the main attraction is the Fort which is substantial, here is the left half.
And here is a model so you can appreciate the scale. Like Le Puy-en-Velay they host a medieval themed event with costume, music, re-enactment, food stalls and so on. It's on next weekend and I was tempted.
This is a typical street scene. Though if I am taking the trouble to take a photo it means it's not typical, though it does encapsulate the feel of the town and the region.
The second half of today's ride involves some climbing and in light of this, and the fact that it's Sunday, my cunning plan was a rare proper sit down lunch in Sedan. I still have trouble pacing myself and will put in too much effort in the first 40km making the second 40km tiring; this leads to lots of morning fun followed by a need to dig into reserves for the last 10k.
Stopping for a photo of the broom that grows wild on the foothills of the Ardennes I see I'm only halfway up the hill.
The squished-up graphic makes it look more challenging than it is.
Dipping a bicycle wheel into Belgium.
I pause in Pussemange where again there is advice for walkers and cyclists.
A church.
And a sign which I interpret as saying "This is Belgium so expect rain, hail, snow or all three!"
Today, like all days, has been about concentration, on navigation, on spotting poor road surfaces, managing effort, enjoying the sights, and watching out for Sunday traffic.
With a late start, a proper lunch stop and hills it is already 4pm when I reach the river Meuse which will guide me back to Charleville-Mézière. I'm not unhappy about the last 10km being flat on a 70km hilly day.