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Holly and KarlHolly and Karl
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We are a cycling & adventuring couple, turned family, with our 4-year old daughter now along for the ride. We enjoy adventures around our home in Whitehorse, Canada, and discovering the rest of the world by bicycle. Check out our photos & stories! Read more Whitehorse, Canada
  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 94

    Au Revoir!

    July 7, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Loaded up with two bike boxes and two large bags, we caught a van taxi to the airport, then endured a marathon of lines through check-in, security, duty-free (to spend our last € on French treats!), customs and boarding, only to wait for two hours in the plane while our flight was delayed. Fueled by airplane food and movies we endured our flight to Toronto, marking the end of our bike travels but the start of the next leg of our journey - cottage time! In all we travelled 3,000 km over 92 days through 5 countries (Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and of course, Monaco!). What an incredible, enriching, fun, challenging and rewarding trip it was, certainly with highs and lows along the way. We feel so much gratitude at getting to re/connect with long-time and new friends along the way - these connections are what feed our desire to continue exploring, learning and sharing through these kinds of trips!Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 93

    Lasts

    July 6, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    For our last day in Paris we opted for a small tour in the morning to see a few final sights prior to an afternoon packing push. Our metro ride involved the usual 'driving' of the train by Claire and other tiny conductors. We wandered around l'Île de la Cité, and enjoyed visiting Notre Dame and learning about the stabilization and reconstruction efforts that have been underway since the fire that destroyed part of the cathedral in 2019. We wandered along and around Rue de Rivoli and found a crêperie Bretonne for a taste of galettes and crêpes, before heading back home to pack up our bikes and gear. Despite the indoor focus, the beautiful sunshine made breaks on the balcony especially appealing. Then it was early to bed for the little one to rest up for a long day of travel to come.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 92

    Ocean Swim

    July 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We spent our last day in Normandy on the cliffs, at the beach and learning about the town's history. And as in the days prior, we enjoyed special times catching up with Catherine and Michel over delicious meals and through our explorations together. Catherine has known Holly's Mom since her university days, when they met through a family connection. And the connection has continued through the growth of both their families, although unfortunately we weren't able to catch up with Catherine and Michel's daughters, Pauline and Bertie on this trip. It was super lovely to spend time with Catherine and Michel, and have them generously share their little seaside getaway in Normandy with us. With the heat of the sun brightening and warming up the afternoon, we got inspired to head to the beach one last time and add swimming in la Manche to our achievements of the trip. Surprisingly it was much warmer than expected - quite pleasant actually! In the evening we said our goodbyes to Catherine and Michel at the Yvetot train station, and settled in for the most relaxed train ride of the trip (what a difference not having to manage bikes!) back to Paris for our final day in France.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 91

    Castle Hunt

    July 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Saint-Valery-en-Caux and the entire coast of Normandy was impacted by fighting during the Second World War. Our morning stroll took us through the historical part of town left standing after bombing during the war, to a war memorial and to the top of the limestone cliffs. In the afternoon we saw both the castles of Miromesnil (16th century), along with its flint and limestone chapel, and Arques-la-Bataille (11th century), with the surroundings now being naturally 'mowed' by goats. How fascinating to be in a place with such an abundance of castles! We enjoyed moules frites for dinner, but had to work for it, running through the rain both ways, with a drenching downpour on the way home that left us all giggling as we splashed through the puddles.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 90

    Wind and Tides

    July 3, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    It was quite the change to be in Normandy, with a strong wind coming off la Manche (the English Channel) keeping temperatures cool. We strolled around Saint-Valery-en-Caux in the morning, checking out the harbour and the beach at high tide under impressive limestone cliffs. After lunch and a nap we headed to Veules-Les-Roses, another small harbour town just a few kilometres away. The Veules River flowing through the town is the shortest river reaching the coast in France. Less impacted by World War 2 bombing than Saint-Valery-en-Caux, the historic flint and brick buildings, some with thatch roofs, were surrounded by beautiful roses throughout the town. For dinner we got to taste a local variety of boundin blanc without meat, with a side of cooked apples - an interesting and delicious meal that was enjoyed by the whole family.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 89

    Chateau de Versailles

    July 2, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We got an early start to join the masses at the Chateau de Versailles for the day... But our arrival in Versailles was a step up from the regular visit because we were met at the train station by Catherine, a long-time friend of Holly's family. Catherine and her husband Michel live right by the train station, and following our visit at the palace we were heading to Normandy with them for a few days. After Catherine and Michel treated us to tea and pastries, we headed to the gilded castle. We wandered through the gardens, complete with musical fountains, took a quick peak of the Petit and Grand Trianon estates, picnicked on the grounds, then got our chance to visit the main palace. Going from the appartments of the dauphin and dauphines to the State Appartments and the Hall of Mirrors provided a glimpse into the history of the French monarchy and the artists that created the beautiful decor. Compared to the solitude of mountain roads, it was quite the contrast, with the crowds at some points along the visit feeling quite overwhelming. We caught our breath over a mid-afternoon snack, then headed back to Catherine and Michel's to load up the car for the 2-hour drive to Saint-Valery-en-Caux.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 87

    Montmartre

    June 30, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    In an effort to respect Claire's energy levels after another late night, we kept it simple for the day with a visit to Monmartre. We climbed up the steps toward the Sacré-Coeur Basilica with ever improving views of the city and increasing tourist densities. After visiting the impressive church and, Claire's favourite, lighting a candle for loved ones, the merry-go-round was the next coveted destination. After lunch, then returning home for a nap, we headed to La Gare de Lyon to connect with François and Isabelle, who were hopping off a train from Avignon and just in town for the night. Isabelle is Marie-Odile's sister, and Holly's family spent time skiing and enjoying summer trips with François, Isabelle and their four sons. We swapped adventure stories and family updates over a drink, and all too soon our visit was over. We certainly hope we'll get to connect for longer on a future visit, as we actually missed François, Isabelle and their sons by just a few days at a few different locations along the way on this trip... We finished the evening at a Cat Cafe (of all places!), where you could pet the resident cats while you ate and/or drank, much to Claire's delight.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 86

    Jardins!

    June 29, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We had a garden-themed day for our third day in Paris. We started out at the Jardin des Plantes, checking out the various gardens showcasing the evolution of plants. A short hop on the bus took us to the Place de la Contrescarpe for a tasty lunch - with a french toast dessert! We then wandered past the Panthéon to the Jardin de Luxemburg, where the highlight was sailing a little boat on the Grand Bassin in the centre of the garden - not sure who had more fun, Karl or Claire! We had fancy ice cream in the 6ème arrondissement, then walked past the Louvre again before heading home for a rest. In the evening we enjoyed a lovely visit and delicious dinner with Marie-Odile, Franz and their daughter Anne-Sophie, long time friends of Holly's family.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 85

    Catching our Breath (& Visits)

    June 28, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It was a more low key day, starting with a big sleep in for Claire after a late night. After Claude's departure back to Savoie the previous day, we had new "roommates" - her daughter Clemence's mother and father in law Samia and Jean-Yves, who were in Paris for medical visits from their home in Tunis. We enjoyed chatting with them over breakfast and learned more about life in Tunisia, as they moved there after retiring from their medical careers in Paris, and Samia grew up there. We made a trip to Decathlon to figure out bike boxes, prioritized a nap for Claire, then headed back out on the bikes to the Marais and Bastille districts. We met up with Gisèle's daughter Dominique, her partner Clodagh and son Cody (22 months old) for a drink on the terrace of a brasserie. We caught up on our lives, since it had been ages since Holly and Dominique had last seen each other, and Claire sang Cody songs to entertain him - it was a super nice little visit! We had a simple Greek-inspired dinner along Rue de la Roquette, then headed home for an earlier bedtime.Read more

  • Holly and KarlBaguette Bike Travels
    Day 84

    Biking in Paris

    June 27, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We spent our first day in Paris cycling around on cycle paths, separated bike lanes and at times along roadways, both paved and cobbled. From Vincennes we headed to the Seine River and biked along former roads on the edge of the river, now restricted to active transportation. We popped back up from the riverside to see the clear glass pyramids of the Louvre Museum, and walk our bikes through the Tuleries Gardens. After a playground break, we headed up the cobbled Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triumph, the centrepoint of the large and confusing roundabout in Place Charles de Gaulle. We rode along a few more avenues to reach the Trocadero for a view of the Eiffel Tower. The ride home along the left bank of the Seine River took us past the Eiffel Tower, the Hotel des Invalides, Saint Germain des Près and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. In the evening we met up with Jérome, Jean-Paul and Claude's son, and were thrilled to meet his partner Caroline and their children Benjamin (18 months old) and the newest addition Chloé (1 month old). It wasn't the easiest dinner for them with two tired little ones, but we were so happy that we were able to connect and Claire loved getting to hang out with tiny baby Chloé.Read more

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