We arrived in Lyon on Sunday and spent the day with Sandrine, an old friend of Stéphane’s from high school. We ate royally that night, enjoying a never-ending barbecue on the terrace among friends. Since the beginning of this summer, one question has come repeatedly to mind: why don’t the French believe in ventilation or […]

When we were in Paris, we volunteered for Cyclo-Camping International (CCI), an association of and for cyclo-tourists. One sub-group of this organization is called “Cyclists Welcome Cyclists.” The purpose of this group is for its members to welcome other members into their homes when they are travelling through their part of the country or world. […]

The week started off with a steep ascent into the mountains above Aix-les-Bains, an ascent that I hadn’t imagined we would be foolish enough to try during only our second day of biking. But being assured by everyone that there was no way to reach Lyon without avoiding this mountain pass, we didn’t have much […]

We pedalled our first miles Sunday from Cédric and Betty’s house high in the mountains of the picturesque northern French Alps. High in the mountains – well, this was a good thing because at least our first few miles were going down. Down to the small village of Le Cheylas in the valley below, where […]

A cursory glance might give one the impression that our trip has only just started. However, if you look a little closer, you’ll realize that our voyage started more than five years ago, in June of 1998, when I was one month out of college. Backpacking alone across Europe for two months, I met Stéphane […]