This morning I was still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when I was broadsided with complaints about everything from the route, to the food, to the choose of accommodations. About half way though the broadsides I got a phone call from the other apartment dwellers who had been planning the next few days agenda for us and wanted to tell me their ideas. The route and the Garmin’s are all wrong and should have been better, sorry but mine seems to be working perfectly, in fact there has not been a day when the Garmin has not played it’s little you have arrived tune. The choose of food has been terrible and the menus are all in French. Sorry but that is what happens in a foreign country. They speak foreign languages. The accommodations have been terrible and we would have been better off in Ibis hotels. Maybe so but I was given a budget and I lived within it and I have had to wait in line to use the washing machine which was one of the must have’s. Ibis hotels do not have washing machines.
The Airbnb apartment we have was cold and so I got hold of
the host who promptly dropped off and electric heater. At least one of the complaints solved.
Sorry but I can’t do much about the busy roads and I made
chooses and have tried to minimize the busy roads and yes there are some bike
paths and sometimes we have to take a busy road. I phoned the French department of highways
and they just didn’t want to divert traffic for us. And yes sometimes the bike
paths are confusing with this foreign language stuff again. I just don’t get what is wrong with these
foreigners.
Anyhow after a couple of hours I managed to get the tour
back under control and would like to thank all of the folks for their
input. The best way to become the next
tour director is to start complaining. A few vitamin I’s and my headache will
be under control.
My brake pads seem to have disappeared. They were totally
fine when I left Kelowna a few weeks ago.
They were brand new when I left for LEJOG and were now down to nothing. Finding
a bike shop on line I got Agnes and the van to drive me over there. New brake pads are now installed. I fear no
decent now.
After a lunch of baguette, Agnes Betsy and I were off to
downtown. Betsy hit the art museum and
Agnes and I choose to wander the downtown.
The old town Dijon is so pretty.
It is filled with buildings dating back to the 15th century
although most of it is from the 1800’s.
Agnes and I went into several shops, and I purchased this really
beautiful tapestry of Vincent Van Gogh’s Iris for Agnes. She has been really great driving the van and
helping with the tour. We wondered into the cathedral which is a total
wonder. As I was taking pictures I was
thinking of my friend from the northern mining town who loves to take pictures
and how much he would love to take pictures in this place. This is a really
pretty city.
Tomorrow is 112 kms into Chaumont.
Terry hot biker
3 comments:
Sounds like the tour is getting a little long. We have all been there. You are the man with broad shoulders and have had plenty of practice letting the frustrations roll off. You guys probably missed beer call. Hang in there and keep smiling.
Just to clarify, I have no complaints. Of the thousand of things that can go wrong every day, almost nothing goes sideways, and none of those that do are irresolvable. All it takes is some flexibility and a willingness to solve problems. The tour has been fantastic.
Canada Ken C.
Terry, wait till I fill you in on our aborted French cycling experience. Similar issues!
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