Our cycling habits have changed over the years. It wasnt a hobby we pursued as a family (the children were never really interested) so we only really took it up when we were approaching 40.
We have enjoyed mountain biking and road biking, exploring mountain bike trails all over the North West, taking part in elite challenges such as the Manchester100, cycling Coast-to-Coast from Morecombe to Bridlington and enjoyed many rides around Rainford, Bickerstaffe and Southport when we lived in St. Helens. In Sabden we have barely touched the surface of what is available, it is challenging cycling territory, but plan to explore our new area on two wheels in the years to come.
We were in two minds about bringing the bikes to France. Our original plan had been to do more touring, only stopping a night or two in each place, and it didn't seem worth the trouble.
I'm so glad we did though!
Merry-sur-Yonne, where we are staying for a week, is nestled in a valley beside the River Yonne, and on our walk yesterday we realised that a canal follows the route of the river and alongside the canal is a cycle path stretching for miles in both directions - what a bit of luck!
Today, we took to our bikes and followed the canal south for about 10km to Lucy-sur-Yonne, enjoying the easy, meandering path in the sunshine, loving the peace and quiet and watching the occasional barge navigate the locks.
At Lucy-sur-Yonne, we left the river to follow the road through Coulanges-sur-Yonne and Surgy, two pretty villages, to Clamecy, an old medieval town located at the confluence of the Yonne and the Beuvron. We left the bikes locked up in front of the church in its old centre whilst we explored on foot, wandering its cobbled streets, marvelling at the old timber-framed houses that are still standing if a little lop-sided, before winding down the narrow streets to the River Yonne.
Here we walked a short way along the towpath of the Nivernais Canal, the very one we had been cycling besides earlier, and built to support the transportation of wood from Clamecy to Paris in the 19th century.
After a well-earned drink, we refilled our waterbottles and returned the same way, a total journey of 35miles. Not bad! And we have definitely earned our tea.
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