We found ourselves in a small village off the main road in rural France - it was coming up to 13:00, and we were in danger of missing ‘menu du midi’. We knew it would be good, given the number of vans parked up outside. We were well fed for 16 Euro - with as much water, red wine, cider and lemonade as you wanted. I love France. That lunch in rural France perfectly framed something that I'd been thinking about for a while. After years of cycle touring of different types, I was

I could see the dogs larking around in the road maybe 250 metres ahead of me. They spotted the red frame of the bike and locked onto it like a charging bull. They were soon up to speed, sprinting towards me as I grappled with the weight of my touring bags while turning back the way I’d come. Thankfully, I already had a good tailwind behind me and, after an initial 50 metres of wondering whether I’d make it or not, I was soon accelerating away from them. They continued the cha

Overview of cycling in France along the Velo France Routes and into Belgium and Netherlands along the Meuse Cycle Route