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2023 Itzonagen European Ride2023 Itzonagen European Ride
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2023 Itzonagen European Ride

August - October 2023
Early in 2018 I started making plans for a new European Cycling Adventure, to be conducted in September 2020. However, Covid 19 put a stop to those plans for three years. Now finally "Itzonagen". Read more
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  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 6

    A (Very) Chance Encounter

    August 23, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sometimes it is surprising that you can bump into someone you know, even when you are travelling thousands of miles from home. Yesterday Greg took this one step further.

    While walking around Amsterdam, he happened to meet a fellow Australian. Since Greg is a garrulous guy, they started chatting. WHen Greg asked him where he was from, the answer was Melbourne (not that surprising). "Oh, which part of Melbourne ?". The answer was Emerald (a bit more surprising). Greg explained that he used to live in Emerald, and further questioning revealed that Greg's new friend was actually living in the same street ! This was getting interesting. The real icing on the probability pie was that when Greg asked what house number he was living in, it turned out to be the very same house that Greg had sold 13 years ago. You would have to admit that it was probably a bigger long shot than winning Tattslotto.

    Today was the day for our group to travel from Amsterdam to Maastricht. This city is now most famous for being the place where Andre Rieu regularly adds to his overflowing bank account by staging those cheesy outdoor summer concerts. It is also the town where our ride will start.

    Before we could get to Maastricht I first had to work out a way to get 17 Australians and their huge suitcases from the Wiechmann Hotel to Amsterdam Central Station. Maggie and I had spent quite a deal of time trying to work out a practical solution to this problem - one that involved multiple taxis, some people who could not walk, other that did not want to walk, and a multitude of other considerations,

    This morning, when I went down to breakfast, I was still trying to work out a solution to this problem, when something quite miraculous happened. A large black shiny minibus parked on the footpath right outside the breakfast room window. The wheels in my mind started slowly turning. If only we could get a big bus like that, our problem would be solved.

    I watched as the driver got out of his bus and came into the hotel. He even helped himself to some food from our breakfast buffet. This was my chance to strike. When I asked if he might be available, he seemed not only available, but keen to assist us.

    Within a couple of minutes, we had devised a plan for him to make three trips back and forth, each time carrying six passengers and their luggage. The cost worked out at a modest $10 AUD each, so it was a win-win for everyone concerned. It was another amazing example of how the solution to a problem often just walks up to you and pokes you in the eye.

    A little later in the morning, all of us were safely at the Central Station, ready to board our special, low coast, off peak train service to Maastricht. The cost for each of us was a modest 7 Euro to get us all the way to our destination, several hundred km away.

    We climbed aboard the train and settled down into the baggage storage area with Greg, Andrea, Michael and Christine. Our bags were securely tucked away in the opposite corner of the compartment. The only problem was that, as soon as the train braked a little, our bags all went happily rolling away on their own private excursion. I had visions of them rolling all the way into the next carriage.

    It was at this point that Michael adopted his famous "Inspector Gadget" persona, producing a pocket full of caribiners, ropes, pulleys, clothes pegs and other assorted items. He then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes securing all the bags in one huge bundle. It was quite a sight, I had to admit that I had never seen anything like it. I wondered how we would ever get them unsecured, when the time came to get off the train.

    Somehow it all worked out OK, and at around 1 pm we were all climbing off the train into the very warm sunshine in Maastricht. Our first impressions of this city were certainly very positive. With its elegant buildings and clean wide streets, it certainly was very different to Amsterdam.

    Some of our group decided to head direct to the hotel, while we went in search of lunch instead. We found a lovely shady location and enjoyed a relaxing lunch, before making our way to the Valk Hotel.

    The hotel is a complete opposite to the Hotel Wiechmannl. It is a huge, ultra modern, place on the edge of the city. It was even equipped with elevators and air conditioning. Although this is not my preferred style of hotel, it was nice having room to spread out (and the bathroom was amazing).

    Tomorrow, we have our last free day, before we stop walking and start riding.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 7

    Very Muggy in Maastricht

    August 24, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We awoke to another hot and (very) humid day in Maastricht. I also awoke to find that the hotel had charged me about double what I had expected for our two night's accommodation. When I approached the reception with an irate look on my face, the girl behind the desk seemed to lose her ability to speak clear English. I think she explained to me in Dutch that the money would eventually be refunded (provided I lived to reach 90).

    Since the hotel is in a business precinct, there are really no other options than to have breakfast in their fancy restaurant. I have to admit there were a huge number of food selections, although I could not find most of them. It was a bit like going shopping in an unfamiliar supermarket, where nothing is where you would logically expect it to be.

    Maggie tried to use the coffee machine and only ended up in spilling hot milk, coffee and boiling slop all over the machine. She brought the final messy result back to me, and then tried to pretend that she had done it on purpose, just for me.

    I am not sure if I managed to eat my $40 worth of food, but I gave it my best effort. After breakfast our group all went off in different directions, each on their own search for scenic satisfaction. Michael only made it as far as the hotel door, before he somehow managed to lose his credit card. I really am beginning to think that it is not just Allan that needs a personal carer. The way we are going, I think we all need constant mental supervision.

    Maggie and I managed to reach the centre of Maastricht, without leaving a continuous trail of personal possessions behind us. I headed to the Travelex office, in an attempt to get robbed blind by swapping Canadian dollars for Euro. I know I must have made Mr Travelex very happy in the process, considering the tiny number of Euro I was given in exchange for my $250 CAD.

    The temperature had soared to around 30C, and the humidity made it feel like Singapore, as we staggered to the Old City. Our stamina quickly went to zero and we both looked for somewhere cool and quiet to sit. Somehow we found the Maastricht Archive building. It was quiet and they had a water cooler that dispensed free cups of cold water. I think it was the first free thing we had enjoyed since arriving in Europe.

    After a rest, we ventured back outside to discover that a thunderstorm was brewing. The sky had darkened, and drops of rain were falling. Is it pure irony that the only rain that has fallen since we arrived almost a week ago, has arrived just as our ride is starting ?

    The rain continued for most of the afternoon, but it did bring a welcome relief from the humidity. Maybe the rain will clear before we start riding tomorrow morning. Maybe we will see flying pigs also.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 8

    A Thoroughly Wet Start

    August 25, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After our time in Amsterdam and Mastricht, we were all looking forward to finally getting on our bikes and riding. We had been told that someone called Erik would meet us at the hotel at 9 am. That would also be the time that we would receive our bikes and get underway on our first ride.

    Although Erik turned up on time, the weather then went completely pear shaped. The sky blackened, and then opened up with a sustained downpour, that soon sent floodwaters into the foyer of the hotel. If that wasn't bad enough, the rain was also accompanied by regular peals of thunder. This was most definitely NOT the way that we had hoped the ride would start.
    At least we used the time to take the obligatory group photos, before venturing out into the elements. With everyone proudly decked out in their Ghostrider shirts, we certainly did make a colourful spectacle. Of course the shirts were immediately then hidden under layers of rain jackets. Michael even took the time to don his infamous oompa loompa rain pants.

    In one brief respite from the rain, we did manage to get our bikes, and have a short test ride, before the skies opened again with even more venom. We waited. And we waited. And we waited some more. No one actually wants to begin a ride in torrential rain, however it was beginning to look like that is what we would have to do.

    Finally, some time after noon, the rain finally stopped. That is when we started. For a few km, we rode in dry conditions, and then the rain started again. It poured, and we got wet. Very wet, The shortcomings of many a so called "rain jacket" quickly became evident.

    In spite of the horrible weather, the group actually maintained a good level of morale. This morale improved greatly when we found a likely looking cafe to stop for lunch. The rain gradually diminished and then stopped altogether. The sun even came out in short bursts, allowing our sodden clothes and shoes to dry out.

    The scenery also improved as we rode close to the bank of the Meuse River. Now this was what we had come so far to enjoy. And that is exactly what we did.

    Although the entry to Liege is rather industrial and somewhat ugly, and the peak hour traffic made our final couple of km to the hotel quite challenging, we had finished the day on quite a high. The forecast for the next couple of days is quite promising, so we might be able to stay dry.

    Tomorrow we ride on to Namur. It will be a much longer ride, so we really hope the weather is kinder to us.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 9

    One Rider Crashes, Another Gets Lost

    August 26, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Completing an extended ride in a foreign country always throws up lots of challenges – some expected and some unexpected. Of course there is the challenge of not speaking the language, riding on the wrong side of the road, trying to control an unfamiliar bike, tormenting your nether regions with a different saddle, the constant packing and unpacking at a multitude of different hotels, and so on. It is certainly not for those who just want a relaxing doddle. They are the ones who take the “all of Europe” bus tours, where they can sleep in the bus for about 18 hours of every day.
    Fortunately, the Ghostriders are made of stronger stuff and always prefer the harder option.

    Our ride today was planned to be around 78 km, as we rode from Lieges to Namur, both in Belgium. At the hotel I divided the riders into two groups. One group was led by myself and the other by David. Everything went well, until we actually left the hotel carpark. That was when the first disaster struck. The road was quite narrow, and some riders decided it would be safer riding on the footpath instead. It turned out to be a bad decision.
    While Maggie was trying to ride onto the footpath, she misjudged the curb, lost control of her bike and fell heavily on her head and shoulder. We had only travelled about 20 metres of the ride, so this was not the ideal start. The fall was a heavy one, leaving her quite stunned. After a few minutes of recovery, we resumed the ride, in search of a better place to examine her wounds more thoroughly.

    Lieges is a heavily industrialised centre, with endless factories, recycling centres, garbage dumps and even a nuclear reactor or two. It is neither an attractive or pleasant place to ride a bike, however we did manage to find a quieter spot by the Meuse River, where Maggie could sit for a while. After some painkillers, she was on her way again, shaken and badly stirred.
    We then twisted and turned through a confusing labyrinth of intersections, underpasses, interminable roadworks, rough cobbles, etc. The city seemed to go on forever. Since the navigation was tricky, we appointed Ken as the tail end Charlie to make sure that no one got left behind. This seemed to be a wise idea, until Michael looked back and noticed that somehow Ken had gone missing. It appeared that we needed a second tail end rider to look after the main tail ender. Or perhaps we should all ride at the back?

    On this trip we have decided to use WhatsApp as the preferred way of communicating between riders. It actually has worked quite well. Not only can we share messages, but we can also call each other. I decided to call Ken and check where he was. I eventually managed to reach him and ask him where he was. “I am waiting at the big power plant”, he replied. Well we could see the big power plant, but it was in front of us. It appeared that Ken had somehow managed to find himself at the front of the entire group. That is a strange place for the tail end rider to find themselves.

    “Stay where you are, we will ride to you”, I instructed. We resumed the ride. We reached the power plant. We looked for Ken. He was nowhere to be seen. Just as we were thinking that he must have continued riding, Allan spotted him. He was on the opposite side of the huge river ! We waved back and forth, and pondered on how to solve this interesting dilemma. A study of the map showed that we would eventually reach a big bridge where Ken could cross back over to the correct side of the river. So that is what we did.

    For the next ten kilometres or so, the main peloton rode on one side of the river, while Ken rode solo on the other. To add to the hilarity, we occasionally waved at each other. Eventually we did reach the bridge and the peloton was reunited again.

    The industrial wasteland continued endlessly. We all hoped that it would eventually come to an end. We passed a huge nuclear power plant. Interesting, but not exactly scenic. Maggie was suffering with the after effects of the fall. If all of that was not enough, a persistent headwind fought us every kilometre of the way.

    At about 40 km from Lieges, we reached the sizeable city of Huy, and looked for a place for lunch. We rode through a big carnival, but every stall was closed. When we finally saw a café, no one needed any persuasion to get off and stop for lunch. We were somewhat surprised to see the first group had also chosen that spot for their lunch spot. But we were in for another shock.

    The café was obviously managed by one of the grumpiest women in Belgium. Everything we did or said resulted in a torrent of abuse from the sour faced vixen. She would have made a perfect prison warden. We could have packed up and ridden on, but we thought this might have been the only opportunity for a feed. So we took the abuse. The food was OK, so it wasn’t a total disaster.

    It was only after we had finished our lunch and paid our money to the battleaxe, that we discovered we had made a big mistake. Just around the corner was a spectacular city square, complete with numerous outdoor eateries. Any of them would have made a glorious place to stop. Life is like that sometimes.

    The final 30 km after lunch became a real test of rear end suffering. The second day of a ride is when you really feel every uncomfortable perturbation on your rear anatomy. In the fullness of time, everyone learns to come to terms with their new saddles, but day two is when the suffering reaches its zenith. I tried sitting forwards, I tried sitting back, I lifted my backside from the seat. It hurt all the time. It was a long 30 km, but we had finally left the ugly factories behind. We were now able to enjoy much more pleasant riding alongside the river, regularly punctuated by small locks and villages.

    We did not reach the hotel in Namur until around 5 pm. It had been a long and tiring day, and we were all relieved to stagger off the bikes and seek the solace of our hotel. Our home for the night was the fascinating Hotel Les Tanneurs, a delightful 4 star hotel with the most confusing tangle of rooms, levels and staircases I have ever seen. Navigating within its walls proved to be more challenging than trying to discover King Tutankhamen’s famous Tomb.

    Tomorrow, we continue our ride to the smaller town of Givet.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 10

    Bonjour France, but What a Hotel

    August 27, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    The prospect of a shorter ride of around 60 km, meant that our backsides would not be punished quite so cruelly today. The weather also came to the party by giving us a cool, but fine day that would be ideal for riding.
    We divided the riders into two groups, one led by Pascale and the other by Gordon. We have discovered the huge advantage that having a GPS can be on these rides, as compared to trying to follow the route with paper maps. Fortunately quite a few of our riders have come electronically enabled, and we have generally been able to find our way with a minimum of fuss. (Off course having a huge river like the Meuse to follow, also has some advantages).

    After winding our way back through Namur, we joined the riverside bike path and happily made our way towards Givet. We hadn’t ridden far before we found a trailside booth selling fresh strawberries. That seemed like a heaven sent opportunity to stop. We all contributed to increasing the proprietor’s retirement fund, and then sat down to feast on the lovely red berries. It is this type of unplanned highlight that really make such rides so amazing.

    For Carol, the strawberry stop was memorable for another reason. In spite of all our loud warnings she somehow managed to stand in a large, fresh dog turd. The next few minutes were spent trying vainly to remove the foul acretion by wildy rubbing her shoe on every blade of grass in the area.

    After the strawberry stop, we continued on our way in search of the next highlight. The notes told wonderful stories about a fantastic garden that featured cascading water fountains. They were supposed to be around 17 km from Namur. When we reached that location we found Allan and Sarah standing by the trail. They explained that the &%$@% garden was at the top of a huge hill, and so they had deserted from group one and decided to join us instead.

    With the information provided by Allan and Sarah, we quickly made the decision that we were not that interested in gardens after all. It turned out to be a great idea, as we soon stumbled upon a lovely café that specialised in making decadent crepes. It was obviously meant to be.

    After further filling of our faces and stomachs, we climbed back on our bikes to continue to the next significant city of Dinant. The timing was perfect, as we arrived just as a passing rain shower hit. We settled down at a popular riverside café precinct for lunch. Since dinner tonight was not provided, we all knew that we needed to have a significant lunch instead.

    The final section of the ride took us to the smaller town of Givet.

    Accommodation in this town was very difficult to find, and that is why the trip operator was somewhat apologetic when they explained that the only place that would take such a large group was the aptly named “Budget Ibis”. Budget by name and even worse by nature, this place really was a shocker.

    We entered into a dark, depressing and very hot foyer, where we were greeted by a vending machine. Our bikes were bundled into about half a dozen different guest rooms (although the hotel was quite large, I think we were the only guests). When our room keys were handed out, several rooms turned out to have been completely unprepared – unmade beds, dirty towels, etc.

    Maggie and I opened our door and found our room to be about the same size as a phone box. It was hot, so I decided to open the window. It turned out to be a bad move, as when the window was opened, it allowed a cascade of bird droppings to fall down into the room. It did not look like the window had been open for some time.

    What about the rest of the room ? Well the AC did not work, the pillows were the same size as hot water bottles, the bathroom was minute, you had to step out into the corridor to turn around and the towels were the size of place mats. Apart from that, it was pretty satisfactory. I was certainly glad that we would only be enduring one night there.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 11

    The Queen Arrives

    August 28, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    In every multi-day cycling event, there is one day that is known as the "Queen Stage". Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT the day for all riders to demonstrate their feminine sides. The Queen stage is the longest stage of the ride, and that is what today was.

    Anyone who chose to ride the full distance of nearly 90 km, would have no time to actually see anything other than their own handlebars and the backside of the rider in front. A much smarter option would be to ride the best part of the route, and then rely on the efficiency of the French Railway system to carry us the rest of the way to Charleville Mezieres.

    As our group gladly emerged from the gloom of the Budget Ibis Hotel, and into the bright sunlight, I asked whether there were any who would be happy to defy common sense and attempt to cycle all the way to Charleville. To my shock and horror, there were 6 (probably senile) riders who formed a group of obsessed thrill seekers, while the more intelligent 12 riders expressed their desire to enjoy the day instead.

    And which way did I go ? I am sure you already know the answer to that one. In my mind, 45 km on a red raw backside is enough agony to constitute penance for even the greatest of sins. And so we headed off.

    Soon we were out of Givet and riding the absolutely delightful Voie Verte Cycle Trail alongside the Meuse. This rewarded us with probably the best scenery we have experienced so far on this ride. As we are heading upstream, the river is getting noticeably narrower and more picturesque. In places the river was bordered by almost vertical rocky cliffs, adding even more spectacle to the ride.

    After about 20 km we found ourselves opposite the tiny village of Vireux- Molhian. We were ready for a coffee stop, so we rode across the bridge to a small cafe. The coffee was bad, but that is typical of the coffee in most parts of Europe.

    The remainder of the ride gave us some of the best cycling I have ever experienced anywhere in the world. Although the Voie Verte is not just for bikes, we hardly saw another vehicle as we pedaled away happily. Our aim was to stop at the town of Riven, about 45 km from Givet, and load the bikes onto a train for the rest of the way to Charleville Mezieres.

    The plan was quite sound, apart from the fact that the ticket machine vending machine was harder to decipher than the Rosetta Stone, and we also faced the challenge of getting 12 ultra heavy bikes to the opposite platform. That involved jamming each bike into a tiny lift to descend to the lower level, and then repeating the process at a second lift to get the bike on the right side of the tracks.

    That would not have been such a problem if we had more than 10 minutes to complete the process. As it was, it turned out to be a nerve wracking exercise, as some chose to throw their bikes down the staircase instead of using the lift.

    We just made it as the train rolled into the station. We then proceeded to cram all our bikes into the train, completely blocking the entrance in the process. The conductor proved to be a patient man. After uttering a few "Sacre Bleus", he seemed to take pity on a group of such elderly riders who had made such a long journey to ride in his country.

    About 30 minutes later we were unloading the bikes in Charleville Mezieres. This large and very famous city is our pit stop for this leg of the ride. This is where we can enjoy our first rest day. These special (non cycling) days are the undoubted highlight of these rides, and gives all our riders a chance to rest, catch up on laundry and do a little bit of sightseeing.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 12

    Rest Day in Charleville Mezieres

    August 29, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Our home for the past two nights has been the Kyriad City Centre in Charleville Mezieres. This famous city was the first pit stop on this leg of the ride. I have learned just how popular these so called rest days are on every ride, although precious little resting actually takes place. In fact most of our participants would probably say that they expend more energy exploring foreign cities, than they do when riding from place to place on their bikes.

    Having two nights at the Kyriad also gave me a chance to assess the quality of the accommodation in more detail. I have a simple set of yardsticks with which to judge any hotel, and here are some of them:
    1. Is there an ample supply of hot water ?
    2. Is the room big enough to open my luggage and move about freely ?
    3. Does the toilet flush properly ?
    4. Can the toilet roll be reached easily when you are sitting on the toilet ?
    5. Are there any shelf spaces or hooks in the bathroom ?
    6. Is the lighting adequate or do you need to wear a head torch ?
    7. Does it have a reasonable outlook from the window ?
    8. Does the AC work properly ?
    9. Is it quiet at night ?
    10. Does the bed come with proper pillows and clean, taut sheets ?
    11. Are there a sufficient number of power points
    12. (Very important) Does it have fast and secure Internet services ?
    13. Is the breakfast up to a good standard ?
    14. Does it have a functioning lift ?

    If you can answer a YES to the above questions, I would say that the hotel scores a pass mark in my book. While the Budget Ibis at Givet scored a NO to almost all of the above points, I am pleased to say that the Kyriad was a much better hotel. Not perfect, but quite acceptable.

    After breakfast, our first task was to find a Laundromat to catch up on the ever increasing mountain of laundry. David informed us that he had found the ideal place, but his instructions were so abysmal, that it took us about an hour to walk the short distance from our hotel. He even got the name of the place incorrect.

    When we eventually found the place, it was already full of fellow Ghostriders, all watching the accumulated filth being swished out of their clothing. I had to admit that the Laundromat was really a high class setup. Not only were the washing machines impressive, but they even dispensed their own washing detergent.

    About 45 minutes later we were heading back to the hotel with a bag full of clean and (almost) dry clothing. We then decided to catch a taxi to what we thought was the old city, but was actually the impressive Hotel de Ville.

    This city was the site of intense fighting during WW2, and the scars of battle can still be seen everywhere on the buildings. Some bullet damage has been repaired, but others are remain almost 80 years after the war ended.

    The Ardennes Region was the region where the famous Battle of the Bulge took place. This was the last major German offensive, and it quickly faltered when fine weather allowed the allied air force to batter the German divisions. As we walked the streets of the city, we could not help but feel the pain and suffering that had taken place here. You could almost feel the awful memories permeating the buildings and streets.

    Tomorrow, we resume our ride as we continue our way to Bouillon.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 13

    Hotel de la Poste, Bouillon

    August 30, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The ride out of Charleville - Mezieres was somewhat tedious and circuitous, and when we finally exited the city and rejoined the familiar Meuse River, we could finally relax a little. We knew that we would soon be leaving the Meuse and gradually turning to the East. Ahead lay the challenge of crossing the Ardennes and reaching the easier sanctuary of the Venbahn Rail Trail.

    The ride was not a long one, but in cycling terms, was rather "lumpy". After climbing steadily for most of the day, the final couple of km into Bouillon was a steep, and potentially perilous, descent. Bouillon is situated in an idyllic location in a river valley, surrounded by steep mountains on both sides. It was probably the prettiest town we had seen thus far.

    Although the location was delightful, we could not help but share a feeling of impending dread. Tomorrow was going to be by far the toughest day of the entire ride. The original route involved three steep and prolonged climbs, with a total elevation gain of over 1200 metres. Before leaving Australia, Maggie and I had spent hours with maps and cycling apps, looking for a more acceptable route.

    After a lot of work we managed to find what looked like a better option, but it was still going to include nearly 1000 metres of climb. We really had no idea how it would work in practice. I guess we would soon find out. In the meantime, we had a lovely little town to explore.

    At least the going was easy for the first 25 km, as we meandered along the banks of the river and past numerous small locks. Our first stop was at the small village of Donchery. This place was made famous as the location where Napoleon surrendered to the Prussian army in 1870.

    We made our own surrender, but it was to hunger, not the Prussians. Donchery has a lovely little Patisserie, across the road from a cafe - the ideal double hit. We loaded ourselves with little boxed cakes and walked across to the cafe for coffee. It is worth noting that we never seem to find the obvious solution of a shop selling both coffee and cakes. It just has not been thought of yet, but when someone finally catches on to this idea, I am sure they will make a fortune.

    A short distance further along we reached Sedan, our chosen lunch spot for the day. A convenient cafe offered a Salade du Chef as the Plat du Jour (plate of the day), and it proved to be generous and delicious.

    After lunch we rode on to the impressive fort of Sedan, where we met up with the second group of riders. They had just completed a tour of the fort, and were just emerging. After asking our group whether anyone was interested in stopping, the answer was a resounding no. This decision may have been influenced by the fact that the weather looked like it was about to worsen, and we still had a couple of serious climbs to complete.

    Because we had been mostly following the Meuse, our riding days have been generally pretty flat. That was about to change. Just past Sedan we left the Meuse and immediately began climbing. Riders discovered new gears that they had hitherto not needed until now. We knew this was just a foretaste of what would lie ahead tomorrow, when the real challenge would come.

    We chugged our way up the first climb, and then soon dropped back down again. This is always a bad sign, because you know that you will soon have to regain it again further down the route. And that is what we did. The second climb was longer and steeper, taking us to the outskirts of Bouillon.

    The road then crested a rise, before dropping dramatically to a precipitous descent into the town. This situation can be a likely place for accidents to happen, but fortunately all our riders safely made it to the Hotel De La Poste - our magnificent home for the evening.

    The hotel was spectacularly situated, alongside the Semois River. Across the river, the small town is overshadowed by the huge Bouillon Castle. It really is a fairytale setting.

    The hotel was filled to overflowing with a huge collection of historical artifacts and pieces of furniture. As for character, it had it in spades.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 14

    A Very Tough Day in the Saddles

    August 31, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    We awoke to a lovely clear morning, and the spectacular sight of a thin ribbon of cloud snaking its way along the river valley. Everyone has adored their time in Bouillon, and the Hotel de la Poste was absolutely delightful. Its combination of rich history and eclectic decorations quickly made it a group favourite.

    I had already warned everyone that today's ride would be a challenge (aka a real shocker). It would have been even worse if we had chosen to follow the original suggested route over the Ardennes Plateau. Back in Australia, Maggie and I had deliberated over maps, elevation profiles and Google Street View Previews for hours, in an attempt to devise a more intelligent route. But you know what they say about the "best laid plans of mice and men".

    There was no getting around the geographical fact that Bouillon sits at the bottom of the river valley, and the only way out is UP. In fact it is brutally up. The road out of town was narrow, and at a gradient of over 10%. We also had to share it with cars and trucks. It was certainly NOT EASY.

    Our riders gradually left the city in a long line. I started near the rear, only to be cruelly blocked by a car and trailer, after only about 200 metres. I had no alternative other than to get off. The trouble with dismounting on such a climb is that, not only do you lose all your forward momentum, but it is almost impossible to ever remount again.

    And so I walked the next 250 metres to a small open space, where the rest of the riders were gathering (an alternative way of describing various medical emergencies caused by the extreme exertion). I also experienced my own alarming emergency when I tried to take a picture and discovered that my GoPro camera was not working. In spite of all my efforts, it just would not turn on. That meant there would be no photographic record of our day's efforts. As it later transpired, that would be the least of our problems.

    The brutal climb continued unabated for around 2 km, before it slowly started to moderate. Many were reduced to walking, coughing, gasping and complaining about what I had done to them. It was already evident that it was going to be a very long day.

    The Ardennnes Plateau is the highest part of Belgium, and we would be doing most of the ride between 400 and 500 m above sea level. Of course, it would have been easier if we had just been cycling on a flat plateau, but we were riding a veritable roller coaster of ups and downs. Each little village seemed to be at the bottom of a steep descent, resulting in a steep climb on the other side. This type of riding really takes its toll.

    After about an hour of riding, we had covered about 8 km of distance. I kept trying to reassure the peloton by telling them (aka lying) that the "worst was over". Actually it wasn't. The pain went on for most of the day.

    And so we rode up, and we rode down. We rode up some more. We rode through farmlands and through beautiful little townships (none of which had even a tiny cafe). We climbed over a succession of peaks, enjoying new vistas as we crested each one. The photographs would have been wonderful, if my camera had been working, but you will just have to take my word for it.

    Although the riding was tough, at least the weather was kind to us. For most of the day we had fine, cool and partly sunny conditions, that were just about perfect for riding.

    After riding for what seemed hours (probably because it was), we finally stumbled (staggered) into a little village that actually had a shop that was open. What a miracle. I went in and explained to the young assistant that we all needed coffee. She replied that she had a coffee machine. A miracle of the Ardennes !

    Nineteen riders tramped into the shop, waiting for their caffeine fixes. The girl turned on the machine, fiddled for a while, and then announced that it was not working. Could you believe that ? The only coffee machine we would see all day, and it was busted.

    We sat outside and pondered our misfortune, while the girl brought out some red hot, peppered sausage for us to singe our tongues on. Just the sort of thing that we really did not need when we were already parched and dry.

    After leaving the village, we soon found ourselves climbing through a lovely shady forest. I remembered this from my time spent on Google Street View, and it was an amazing feeling to now find that we were actually here in reality.

    That was when things took a turn for the far worse. I received a call from Mary, telling me that her bike was refusing to start. It was stubbornly displaying the dreaded E10 message of doom that is common to all Shimano based ebikes. No amount of turning off and on, removing batteries, etc made any difference. This was the last thing we needed when we were in about as remote a location as we could possibly be.

    About an hour was spent fiddling and discussing with Erik what to do, but it was obvious that we would have to improvise a solution. David rode back to donate his bike to Mary, and then battle away with the unpowered bike. At least it got us moving again, but it was less than ideal. Mary's battery somehow ended up in my pannier, adding further to my weight.

    We knew that, if we could only reach Libramont, we would be able to ride the remainder of the ride on the rail trail, and that would mean no more significant hills. I was also hoping that we would be able to get some lunch there.

    Well, we did finally reach Libramont, but because we were so late, the bakery had run out of bread and the cafes were all closed for the afternoon. As if things couldn't get any worse, I discovered that my key was so bent, that I could not remove it from my bike. This was obviously caused by an earlier mishap that I forgot to mention.

    Sometime earlier in the ride, I had tried to complete a tight turn and fell from my bike. To complicate matters more, it happened just as a large SUV was reversing from its driveway. As I was lying on the road, entangled in my bike, a set of large reversing lights came closer and closer. My ride (and most probably my life) almost finished right there. Fortunately some of the others warned the driver to stop, and catastrophe was narrowly averted.

    Since I could not remove the key, I could not lock the bike. I had no other choice than to keep riding. A glance told me that I had around 26 km to ride, and about 24% battery remaining. This was going to be interesting.

    The final section of the day's ride was along an old disused railway line (Ravel). The surface was rocky and uneven, meaning that it required significant effort just to keep moving. And it went on and on (and on). Our destination of Bastogne never seemed to get any closer.

    Somewhere, further along, we caught up with another group of Ghostriders, and our peloton grew to around 10 or so. It was getting dark. My battery was starting to flash red. My energy was failing, and so was my backside.

    The battery finally failed on the outskirts of Bastogne, but by that time, I was close enough to the end that it did not really matter. By the time I stopped at the Hotel Leo Station, the trip meter indicated that I had ridden over 70 km. It had been a hard day, but it was a wonderful feeling to have finally finished.

    It was at that point that we had a welcome surprise. The hotel had a welcoming glass of champagne waiting for us. I think we all thoroughly deserved every drop of it.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2023 Itzonagen European Ride
    Day 15

    On the Roof of Belgium

    September 1, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    At an elevation of over 500 metres above sea level, Bastogne is apparently the highest city in Belgium. Of course, we all know just how high Bastogne is, because yesterday we cycled every one of those 500 vertical metres, most of them several times over.

    Today is our second rest day for this ride, and it is just as well, for I don't think that many of our riders would have been able to face another hard day. The timing also turned out to be perfect for two other reasons. This morning we awoke to drizzling rain, that has persisted for most of the day. If that rain had arrived 24 hours sooner, I am sure that it would have been the straw that broke the proverbial peloton's back.

    The second reason the timing of the rest day was perfect was that it gave an opportunity for some of our ailing bikes to be replaced. Today a young man from the Cycle Centre drove all the way from Maastricht with five replacement bikes. Hopefully all our riders will now be mobile and happy when we start riding again tomorrow. I thought it was quite amazing service.

    Bastogne had a terrible time in WW2, being right in the action during the infamous Battle of the Bulge in 1944. During the German offensive the city was actually surrounded by the German forces and bombed mercilessly. It was not until fine weather allowed the allied air forces to regain control of the air that the German blockade was defeated. After this defeat, the Germans never managed to put together a significant offensive action. It was the beginning of the end for Hitler and his Nazis.

    The modern city of Bastogne still honours their liberation by the US forces, and there are several war museums packed with artifacts and documents from that period. Even after 80 years, you get the feel that some of the dark memories still remain.

    So how did I spend my free day in Bastogne ? The first significant event was the obligatory visit to the nearby laundromat to try to catch up on the backlog of laundry. This was followed by a baguette and cake for lunch. The shop even sold something that (almost) looked and tasted like real coffee. Of course I could have been delusional.

    In the afternoon I met the man from the Cycle Centre and helped with the changeover of the bikes. He also attempted to straighten my bent key, which was starting to look like a prop left over from of Yuri Geller's paranormal shows.

    Then it was a visit to the nearby 101st Airborne Museum, where they had an extensive display of battle artifacts. They also had a simulated bomb shelter that helped to realistically reproduce what it would have been like to endure a bombing campaign. It was actually a very sobering experience.

    Tomorrow we resume our riding as we make our way to Sank Vith.    Read more

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