We woke to thunder in fact it had apparently thundered all night I hadn’t heard a thing.We were aiming for an early start from Seysell to allow for raincoats on/off and to give us time to adjust to peddling with our laden bikes again.So we were on our way by 720am, a very scenic start with mist above the water and low clouds on the hills. After 5 kms on a beautiful bike path we were on the road with a very narrow cycle path, negotiating hairpin bends uphills with trucks roaring past. Fortunately tnis didnt last too long before we were off again on country lanes or cycle paths. The threatened rain couldnt hold off any longer and gentle rain started before a short lived full on deluge.At this point my rear tyre decided to have a puncture its magical goo which is meant to seal any hole was just pouring out.I applied pressure to the tyre to try and encourage it to seal/heal!Hubby pumped away and we decided to try and continue cycling.

We reached the quaint town of Chanaz with its canal entering the Rhone and bordering Lac du Bourget.The main area was the other side of the canal so we parked up and climbed the bridge over to the coffee shops. The hotel didnt have any food so she said go and buy something at the Boulangerie and you can eat in here with your coffee, at least thats what i think she said with my rusty french.So armed with croissants we returned and I had a proper pot of tea, very nice. We returned to my bike the tyre was still up, the goo was working. Gradually the sun emerged as did butterflies and bees and the whole vista fresh from the rain , most beautiful scenery and very well signposted tracks.

It was getting near lunchtime when I noticed on the map “bridge to be completed by summer 2019.” As we neared the spot with signs up and trucks it was obvious the bridge wasnot going to have been built, ever hopeful I said to the workmen but its meant to be finished by June, ” ha,ha he said but this is France” . I should have added its the same in Australia, nothing gets completed on time.This meant an 8km detour up the valley to cross the riverAin, a tributary of the Rhone. Luckily the up was only 5% do able for us without too much sweating, but we were also going through tunnels with cars. Lights were put on but the tunnels weren’t too long, stunning scenery so we were glad not to have missed tne diversion. Even the bike paths up there have their own little tunnels. We headed back eventually reunited with the Rhone.

It looked like lunch was going to evade us but we had learnt we need to detour to find coffee so for lunch we turned off to Murs et Geligneux and found a great restaurant offering the menu of tne day. It was excellent the entre buffet consisted of snails, prawns and salads. Hubby always forgets the snails at these lunch buffets are rarely enfused with garlic so I always end up eating his chewy snails.One and a half hours later it was back on our bikes to find our airbnb.We found ourselves in a tiny converted barn for the night in Bregnier Cordon.We had only been there about an hour when there was a basket of fruit and tarts arrived for afternoon tea I wished I hadnt eaten so much lunch! Eventually the local dog population settled down but the church bell only 20metres away kept going the whole night and 2 sets of dongs for every hour! We survived the night without knocking ourselves out on a roof beam or falling down the steep stairs when going to the toilet which was downstairs

So it wasnot an early start the next day. Then hubby checked the bikes, my back tyre was nearly flat the goo wasnot working.We pumped it up and decided to just keep pumping it up every 15kms.Off we went another scenic day , yesterday had been very special.Again we set off on great bike paths.

Today it was 0.5km detour uphill to Brangues to find coffee, but well worth it with a lovely view point for coffee. A beautiful chateau where the french poet Paul Claudel is buried but visiting allowed only restricted hours.Very friendly locals, one lady was showing me her new electric bike , I was envious!

Scenery was very varied, through forests, along the river, country lanes. It is such a shame that you have to stay away from the banks of the Rhone because of the risk of the barage releasing too much water.

A light lunch today before finishing at a new bed and breakfast , with great views and a swimming pool. The pool had to wait till we had put an inner tube in my back tyre,the goo was not fixing the hole.Hubbys brakes were washed down, hopefully they will stop sticking on. No local supermarket so the owners wife went shopping for us and brought us back food for dinner which was very nice whilst we were tyre fixing.

We’ve done 2,600kms and the bikes are feeling it hopefully the owners arent! Weather forecast not looking good for next week 40C, we might have to hibernate somewhere…