Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge

Not far from our hotel we happened upon Blazing Saddles, a bike hire shop so we hired e-bikes and cycled along the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge stopping for a coffee along the way where we saw a heron (it’s tradition to see a heron on our bike rides).  As is often the case, the  bridge was covered in cloud as we rode across and it was actually quite chilly but we soon warmed up when we arrived in Sauselito on the other side. After another delicious empanada at Copita Tequileria y Comida, we cycled up the coast a bit and then inland to the Old Mill Park in Mill Valley where we saw lots of giant redwood trees and huge very expensive looking houses hiding in the sides of the hills.  We then cycled back to the coast passing lots of houseboats which looked nothing like those on our canals.  They were more like actual houses built on concrete slabs sitting in the sea.  We put our bikes on the ferry to Fisherman’s Wharf and that evening treated ourselves to margaritas at Barrio, a restaurant on the waterfront.

Charleville-Mézières

After leaving Luxembourg we drove west into France and stopped at this town where there’s a very good motorhome park next to the river (49.7789, 4.7200). The old town has a beautiful square and restaurants where we found delicious monkfish with vegetables and risotto with scallops, with chocolate mousse and creme brûlée to finish off.

This area has lots of cycle tracks and the Trans-Ardenne Voie Verte. We planned to go on a cycle ride along the river but after getting the bikes off the back discovered that one tyre had a puncture, we didn’t have a spare tube or a repair kit and it was Sunday so no shops open. So we walked instead along the river to the next village (loads of cyclists, walkers, roller blade skaters, runners ) and got the train back.

Cycle ride to Porto Koufo

One day we had cycled from the campsite to Kalamitsi and although it was very up and down found it quite manageable. So then another day we decided to cycle to Porto Koufo on the other side of the ‘finger’, said to be the most beautiful cove on Sithonia. After passing Kalamitsi it wasn’t so much up and down as up up up! After 4 miles of continual ascent to about 900ft we came to a taverna and stopped for refreshments. I concluded that my leg power wasn’t enough to get up the hill coming back and decided to stay at the taverna with a beautiful view and have some lunch.

Valerie, being more intrepid and with stronger legs, continued. It took her 10 minutes to get down the hill and 1 hr to get back up. But Porto Koufo looked beautiful.