Eau non potable

It's a sign I've seen far too often. There's decorative water fountains & fire hydrants everywhere but why would anyone ever need a drinking fountain? It's ridiculous. The lack of public toilets is gripe number two. I wonder if they ever ask themselves why so many public places smell of piss? Seriously. Damn french.

Persistance or money will overcome those obstacles, but it's just an unnecessary annoyance.

Since Grenoble I've continued my northward direction through Lyon, Dijon and now Strasbourg. Lyon was cool, the hostel was on a hill overlooking the city and had a terrace perfect for a few sundowners.

My efforts to use some back roads were rewarded, had a couple of quiet traffic days but the legs really felt it. Probably pushed a bit too hard the day before (doing my best Cadel impersonation tucked into an aero position on long straight roads with headwinds) so was struggling a lot approaching Dijon. A coke from a servo vending machine got me through the last 20km that day.

Dijon was a mess, they're building a tram network so basically every major road and place is a torn up construction site. The centre ville disctrict is untouched and had a good feel about it though.

The hostel was a weird one. Not really a hostel, more like a school camp. The tourist office made a reservation for me, but the guy at the 'hostel' front desk had no clue, and couldn't understand the concept that I was on my own and just wanted a bed in a dorm room. About 20 minutes and a phone call later I think he gave up and put me in a twin room for the dorm bed price.

Dijon to Strasbourg was a good trip over four days. Good rural roads; watched a triathlon in Gray; a helpful guy painting a church gave me water and directions (not that I needed the latter but he insisted on telling me anyway); a couple of cols on day 3, the first about 450m high 40km into the day, the second 727m high 90km into the day (steeper than alpe d'huez that climb, got a good pic of my salt encrusted knicks at the end of the day); finding a supermarket each evening near the end of the ride to get a baguette, cheese, cold meat and a cold beer or two (if they have any cold, it's annoyingly rare) before free camping each night (nearly got caught out in a forestry area near Schirmeck, someone turned up to start work twenty metres away just as I was clipping in to ride away).

I'm enjoying camping out but a shower is always the first thing I head for in the hostels. A laundry here was welcome too, all my clothes were well past ripe.

Next stop, Luxembourg, perhaps via Germany (I can see Germany from where I'm sitting right now).
Until next time...