A Veloscenie Anniversary [Overview]

Celebrating 10 Years of Marriage with 10 Days of Cycling from Paris to Le Mont St Michel
This blog entry is a trip summary and testimonial written for www.veloscenic.com 

To mark our 10th wedding anniversary, we wanted a special trip and the Veloscenic fit the bill. Deciding to ride the entire length of Paris to Le Mont St Michel on 2 Brompton folding bikes, self-supported, we planned for 10 days of cycling - one for each year of our marriage. We would cycle in relative luxury, staying in hotels and B&B's and enjoying lots of foie gras and canard along the way! Full details are available on our trip blog at http://veloscenic.blogspot.com 

The first day was spent enjoying Paris, as our overnight flight from Singapore arrived in the early morning and we unpacked our bikes and warmed up our legs. We spent the afternoon visiting the wonderful sites in Paris, including the Seine river to the Louvre, Champs Elysee, Arc de Triomphe and of course the Eiffel Tower. The consummate city of love worked it's magic and we got off to a wonderful start!


The second day was when the longer riding of 40-70km/day began. This is our first time cycle touring, so we felt this schedule would be enjoyable yet appropriately challenging. Ivan is an avid cyclist and commuter, while Renata is a leisure cyclist. Wonderful small towns like Palaiseau gave us reasons to stop for coffee and give us frequent breaks from the saddle.

The weather in mid-September turned out to be perfect and we didn't have a single day of rain! French locals we met were very friendly and helpful to us, despite my poor command of their beautiful language. Several were surprised we rode out of Paris with "all that traffic" but being from Singapore, we found it no problem at all. We had mapped our routes in detail on my Garmin 810 using routes provided by Veloscenie.com. Meeting locals and riding through small towns and seeing many horses were a wonderful part of our trip.



The protected cycle paths and the Voie-Verte were wonderful as well. The Rambouillet forest, cycling by fields of corn, and streams were precious memories. We saw squirrels, deer, goats, and horses. We stopped for pictures of wild mushroom and picked wild blackberries after seeing locals doing the same! Only then did us city folk know this was safe!



Crossing countless bridges and rivers, we learned about "lavoires" and soaked up information about medieval life, cathedrals, and the very interesting towns visited along the way. Wherever we travelled, the experienced lush grass, verdant greenery and flowers everywhere - both wild and beautifully cultivated in the gardens and along city streets.






In the countryside, the roads were smooth and the traffic infrequent. Vehicles patiently gave us time and passed us with plenty of room. We saw more cyclists only at the beginning and near the end towards Le Mont St Michel, with most being out for the day or short rides and only a few carrying touring luggage like us. 

There were some harder days of climbing during the trip, most notably the ride into Carrouges. Others were easy days of flat riding. Our final day day from St Hilaire du Harcouet to Le Mont St Michel was a wonderful ride that was interesting, varied, and not too taxing. After 10 days of cycling, seeing the Mont loom larger on the horizon is a wonderful feeling. Even more wonderful was experiencing this with a loved one after 10 years of marriage, knowing that memories and challenges of these past 10 days would be etched in the tapestry of our lives, weaving us closer together and stronger in our marriage.

Thank you France, Normandy, all the friendly and hospitable people we met along the way! Thank you to the people behind Veloscenie.com because without your efforts and your website, we would not have been able to make this trip!

Ivan and Renata Liew
Singapore
http://veloscenic.blogspot.com 

Bike Tour Packing Reflections

Despite research and thoughtful light packing, I still brought a little too much! Though we did very well for our first bike tour, I had erred on the cautious side and could have done with less clothes and less inner tubes (glue patch kit to repair tubes at night). In the future for a lightweight spring/autumn trip like this:

CLOTHING

- 1x long sleeve cycling jersey

- 1x short sleeve cycling jersey (doubles  as off bike top)

- 1x short sleeve dri-fit T-shirt (sleeping, general wear)

- 1x bike shorts

- 1x cycling rain jacket (double as regular cycling jacket and off-bike jacket)

- 1x long pants (double as leg warmers on cold mornings < 15 deg C)

- 1x thermal base layer (cycling under 10 deg and in case of cold nights out)

- 2x underwear

- 2x socks

- 1x cap, sunglasses, gloves

- 1x cycling touring shoes (minimal off bike walking, max 1-2 hours, even on this relaxed tour)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

- 2x spare inner tubes and patch kit with glue

- 1x tyre boot and needle/thread (no need spare tyre)

- Multi-tool, pedal allen key, lubricant

- Emergency spoke, knife, tape, cable ties

- Basic lights (plenty of time to recharge and minimal use at night)

- Garmin GPS, iPhone, bluetooth selfie-stick

11.Le Mont St Michel > Singapore

We left the Mont in the dark hours of the morning. The bus that we had specially asked for, was waiting for us at 7am just as requested. After the short trip to the mainland, we collected our equipment from the lockers and began riding the short 6km to Pontorson, stopping for a quick coffee on the way. 

We have ourselves one hour of extra time just in case we had a flat tyre or two on the way to Pontorson! We couldn't miss this train because we needed to get to the airport for our flight tonight. Still we managed to stop to see the last Of horses up close. 

Then it was a proper breakfast and waiting for the RER train from Pontorsson to Rennes. 

The short ride on the local train went smoothly. The passengers waiting for train were wondering what we were doing with our bikes, then gawked as we folded them up into suitcase size! We arrived at Rennes and unfolded the bikes on the platform as it was easier to carry our luggage this way, reminding ourselves that this was allowed since we weren't the on the Singapore  MRT.

Rennes was much bigger than other stations and we were immediately reminded that we were back in a city once again. 

Our next mission was to find the Guedaed Cycles bike shop near the station, get some boxes and prepare to pack our bikes for the airport. 

As it turns out, the plan would have been perfect except that it was Monday all all bike shops are closed the entire Monday or open too late in the afternoon. We cycled around the city, looking at other bike shops but all were closed. The backup plan was to buy the Air France bike box at the airport but why pay 20 euro per box? Eventually we found boxes by the side of one closed bike shop and a large LCD TV box that would do just fine! I cut these down to size with the knife and measuring tape I had brought along and we brought them back to Rennes station for our 14.08 TGV to the airport. The TGV was nice but we've been spoilt by Shinkansens, which are faster, smoother, and more comfortable as the TGV doesn't bank during turns!

At the airport Ivan finished assembling the boxes and packing the bikes, then we checked in and had our final dinner. 

After one stopover in Dubai we finally arrived home to this wonderful welcome home sign the kids had made! We did it!

What a fantastic and worthwhile journey this has been, and an extremely meaningful 10th anniversary trip. Much more than just a holiday, the challenge, teamwork required, and going beyond our comfort zones together has certainly strengthened our love and marriage!

10.Le Mont St Michel

The tiny main street was filled with tourists, especially Japanese ones! It felt immensely crowded after our time out in the country yet we knew that this was the much improved off-peak season! We found our tiny hotel, entered a narrow stone archway and climbed some narrow stairs to find our room and the view of the main street below. 

Our window overlooked the city walls to the tidal flat that were visible as it was now low tide. 

We began the climb, this time with stairs, to the abbey at the top of the Mont. 

Along the external walls you can see the surroundings and imagine what this would have looked like to medieval people. The causeway was where we came across from the mainland and we cycled here from further than our eyes could see over the horizon. 

The Mont is both a place of worship and a fortress, with fortified walls designed for shooting arrows from protected nooks and pouring hot oil on invaders from recessed crannies. 

In fact, the Mont resisted several English attempts to take her, resulting in her becoming a symbol of French Independance. Turns out that the English have their own St Michael's Mont, probably because they decided it was easier to build one of their own!

We took the self-guided abbey tour and walked around the abbey for an hour. The windows were very simple compared to Chartres!

Near the top of the abbey a beautiful roof garden peeked at us between the myriad of miniature collonades.

Overall, the structures were amazing and quite a sight to behold!

That night we dined at one of the restaurants overlooking the tidal flats, seated comfortably within the town walls. Romantic and wonderful 10th Anniversry dinner venue!

We knew that the prices and food would be touristy, unlike the small towns we had been travelling through. Despite that, my shrimp and scallop crevettes was quite superb.

Renata's seafood platter was very fresh and appealing!

Our main courses - lamb for me and mussels for Renata were nothing to write home about however. We walked around the town a little and took some pictures of the abbey lighted up, before retiring early. 

I was very sleepy but was planning to sleep a little then take the bus back to the mainland so I get my bike and ride back to the Mont. The free buses run late into the night so at midnight I walked out of our hotel and down main street. The shops and roads were deserted, making the miedieval town feel even more medieval. As I walked out of the Mont, I noticed the Abbey lights had already been turned off! I should have cycled earlier but was exhausted and had no way of knowing what time the lights dimmed. 

As I walked further even more of the lights above turned off, leaving this city boy feeling a little worried , but I really wanted to experience the night ride to the Mont so I caught the last bus from the Mont to the mainland at 12.30am. 

Back at the mainland, I had difficulty I didn't expect. I couldn't find my bike! Not that it was missing, I couldn't find the entire bike park because my poor sense of direction. I lost my bearings and the darkness didn't help! Finally after wandering around for half an hour and talking to a bus driver, I found the bike park in a different direction than I has been looking!

All the trouble was worth it however. I rode a slow and magical 3km back to Mont, along the new pathway that was provisionally open, due to officially open later in November. Very dim lights along the floor guided the way and in the distance, Mont St Michel loomed larger. It was perfectly quiet and quite dark. As I neared the walls of Mont, I felt quite emotional as it was such a privilege to be riding up to Mont in solitude and silence. 

I held my breath as I passed under the main entrance. One is normally here only with throngs of visitors, but tonight it was just my Brompton and me, with Renata fast asleep in her cozy bed. 

A Brompton within the ramparts of Mont St Michel! Of course, I had to remember this with pictures. 

At the stone stairway leading up our hot room, I rested her against the ancient walls. Renata, I and our bikes had come so far and this was our final night. I felt satisfied and not sad. 

I couldn't sleep for a long time, even though it was past 2am and we were due to rise at 6.30am. We couldn't have had a more memorable final day of riding and evening!

10.St Hilaire du Harcouet > Le Mont St Michel

We were excited and full of emotions on our final day. This would be the last push to Mont St Michel. Would it be difficult? Climactic? Sad to end the trip? We had learned and enjoyed much of France and, more importantly, of each other during these past 10 days. Truly, we felt blessed to be on this journey. 

After coffee and Croque Monsieur we tightened down our straps and prepared to set off, with mixed feelings once again, reminiscent of the sweet sorrow we felt when leaving the kids at home more than 10 days ago. 

We were not disappointed throughout the day. While it is difficult to choose our favourite day of riding, today would prove one most memorable and a fitting conclusion to the Veloscenic. We left St Hilaire du Harcouet, following our GPS towards the Voie Verte.  

The first section was similar to the previous days, as we passed over roads and under motorways. However much of today was flat and downhill - a great feeling after 10 days of continuous riding!

This part of the Voie Verte is still the old railway lining. Many of the old buildings along the railway line have been bought and refurbished as homes, some even retaining the historic names of the stations! We saw patios, tended gardens, and couples eating their meals in their dining room as we rolled by. 

Possibly being a Sunday and also as we were nearing more populated areas, there were a lot more people - more than we had every seen on the Voie Verte. One group was doing a morning run at strong pace. 

And a large family had just unloaded all their bikes from their cars and campervan and were preparing to set off.

We sped down autumnal tracks, leaving green and golden leaves behind us. 

A pair of ponies were grazing with such gusto, as if they had been riding all day. Their tails swished and their manes bristled as they raised their heads to glance at us before turning back to their brunch. 

At many points our cycling track ran parallel to the road. Families with children and cycle tourists would be on the Voie Verte, while a few roadies passed us along the tarmac, making me wonder what it would be like riding my road recumbent in Normandy. 

One tended garden had the most beautiful pumpkins in various colours, nestled in the ground. Try as we might, I could not get the right angle to capture all the pumpkins with the lovely house in the background. 

We came to the town of Ducey, and were hoping for an early lunch but the Moules Frite would only surface at noon, another 45 minutes, so we continued on. 

So many towns we pass have gorgeous chateaus, big and small. Ducey had a medium sized one right opposite a park in the centre of town. 

The riverbank along this park was gathering strength. Our route was approximating its course, and soon it would empty into the bay that preceded Le Mont St Michel. 

We passed many families on their Sunday outing, but no cycle tourists yet. So far, we were the only ones who had ridden from Paris!

The bridge crossed the stream, taking us closer and closer towards the Mont.  

A flock of birds dotted the sky, cheering us onward through green meadows and cornfields. 

An orphaned railway bridge testified that this Voie Verte was indeed a disused train line. The classic structure was beautifully retained amongst the greenery.

Underneath, signage towards our destination urged us forward. 

We took our time however, as the valley preceding Pontaunault was truly gorgeous!

At Pontabault we opted to buy lunch from an award winning bakery that specialized in the largest brioche we had ever seen!

Stowed in our bags, our purchases became a wonderful picnic by the river just one minute down the road. 

Energized and excited after lunch, we sped up and down easy rolling hills until we glimpsed our very first sighting of Le Mont St Michel in the far distance. 

Ecstatic at our impending success, we pedaled onward. Each time the Mont appeared behind trees, it would be a little larger. 

The Veloscenic detoured us slightly up a hill through Huisnes sur Mer, upon which you can see an elevated view of the Mont, it's features now appearing. 

Our Bromptons had come so far, that they too paused to enjoy the view of the Mont. 

A fast downhill brought us to a farmhouse with the curious name of Rome, reminding us of our honeymoon destination 10 years ago!

The final few kilometers towards the Mont were filled with families enjoying the park, riding with trailers, and enjoying a picnic. 

We stopped for a crepe and coffee, and my Brompton S2L-X posed before the Mont, feeling very satisfied that he could come all the way from Paris without a problem.

We came to the Place du Barrage, reminding us of our own Marina Barrage. While Singapore's Marina Barrage functions to separate Marina Bay from the ocean as a freshwater reservoir, the Place du Barrage functions to keep silt from flowing out to the Mont. In this manner the Mont is regaining it's maritime character as separate from the mainland. 

We parked our bikes in a secure bike locker at the Visitors Centre and took a bus to the Mont as encouraged on the website. 

We did it! We made it through 10 years of marriage, growing in love and appreciation of one another, and we made it through 10 days of challenging and enjoyable cycling. We crossed 450km from Paris to Le Mont St Michel! But we still had more steps to climb to reach that abbey in the sky!

More to come...including Ivan's midnight outing to get his bike and cycle back to the Mont!