Belgium

Our first stop in Belgium was in the town of Hastiere to find information on the Ravel Bike Paths, the Belgian equivalent of the Voie Verte.  We were lucky to find a very helpful man at the Tourism Office, a cyclist himself, assisted by his young son.  He had traveled and worked in the US and spoke excellent English.  We were given maps and brochures and he made a reservation for us at a B&B.  He also told us not to miss a chateau right beside the bike path and, since we had the time, we listened to his advice...

This is the Chateau de Freyr, a magnificent fortified mansion on the river Meuse, built by Jean d'Orjo on land acquired in 1378, where twenty generations of the family have lived since then.  The orange trees in the formal gardens are 300 years old, there is a large maze, a "cottage" and an enticing grape arbor for secret assignations.

The interior is equally beautiful, with skilled artwork to be seen in a fireplace crafted from the local grey marble, the fine furniture and the ceilings

There are charming personal touches like playthings for the children - here is a carriage for the dolls to be pulled by a pet goat

and black and white photographs in every room of the family in more recent years 

We finally left the chateau to ride on to Dinant, home of Adolphe Sax who was a musician who invented the saxophone around1840.  The town honors him with saxes (made of fiberglass) which are brightly painted to represent member-countries of the European Union on the bridge. Unfortunately, it was threatening to rain while we were there, so we give credit to whomever put these on the internet.

The scenery seemed to deteriorate from fortified citadels on the Meuse and peaceful towns like Huy, pronounced "wee" with a lovely family-owned patisserie where filter coffee was also served...

To this !!

"So this is their idea of a bike path?  I don't think so!"

~~~~~

Our last stop in Belgium was Liege where we were told there was a very large "techno" parade going on!  We managed, however, to keep away from the "crazies" and enjoy the architecture of the very modern train station.

Food in France

The French love their food at least as much as their cathedrals, therefore it seems appropriate to share some of our experience with their gourmet delights!  It had been a wish of mine to visit the Maison Fournaise where Renoir painted the "Luncheon of the Boating Party", here on an island in the river Seine.

We enjoyed a truly elegant lunch on the terrace and, by chance, I was seated exactly where Renoir must have placed his easel.

Rue Cler in Paris was a wonderful neighborhood to see all the different food shops

fruit and vegetables

bread and pastries

cheeses

and many kinds of tea and chocolate here... marvelous in one emporium!

Sometimes we couldn't resist window shopping...

but cafes were in abundance and, although it was very hard to find any vegetarian dishes let alone vegan, we managed!

In Epernay, our charming B&B hosts brought us tea and "chouquettes" in their pretty garden.  In case you are curious, a chouquette is a type of choux pastry sprinkled with pearl sugar and sometimes filled with mmmmmmmm...mousse!   

Michel and Marie at "Chez Camille"

The weekly markets are a treat for eyes and tummies, too

And when hunger strikes, a baguette on the shady steps of a town hall (with the permission of a friendly Mayor) is the accepted way!

Adieu to la belle France and on we ride to Belgium. 

Voie Verte Trans-Ardennes

The  best cycling of our limited experience is this beautiful river valley extending from Charleville to the Belgian border. We spent several days in making the one-day trip and enjoyed all of it. The path is paved,

marked and groomed for all it's length.  Numerous cyclists and walkers were encountered along it.  Here is some information:
http://www.voiesvertes.com/htm_partenaire/departementpart08.htm

We saw some deer and a proud fisherman,

and the most peaceful scenery one can imagine except for a detour to avoid a nuclear power plant, which included a tunnel and a very steep hill until we were back on the Voie Verte alongside the river Meuse!

We were fortunate to have yet another beautiful sunny day, and enjoyed the flowers.  The towns compete for the best displays and are rewarded with a number of flowers from 1 to 5 painted on the signs as one arrives.

We arrived in Givet at the end of the "green path" along with the French Circus and at just the right time to enjoy our last French crepe at a riverside cafe.  Time to relax and watch the boats before studying maps and GPS for the beginning of the path at the Belgian border, 2 km away.