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OFF WE GOMay 21, 2011
After checking the weather forecast we decided to leave early on Sunday morning. The weather forecast was for sun in the morning and rain in the afternoon. The idea was to get our riding done before the afternoon rain rolled in.
We packed and cleaned on Saturday evening and Sunday morning we had breakfast, did the final cleanup and rolled our bikes out the door.
As we stood on the bluff we looked out toward Nancy only to see an ominous black cloud hanging right over our proposed route. We have experience with these black clouds, and we know that as soon as we get near them they are prone to open up and dump buckets of rain on our heads.
So, we decided to use the technique we learned in Ireland--if it is raining where you are, ride a few miles east or west to get out from under the cloud. We immediately changed our route and set off to the east.
Our plan worked out and our ride along the river and canals was pleasant. We came to an area that was very wet, with lots of puddles. We had just missed the rainstorm.
We eventually did have a short period of showers and we took refuge under a bridge. There we were joined by a group of river strollers. They were interested to hear about us and our travels. One woman asked me to send her a post card from San Francisco, so I took her address and will do so in June when we get home.
We rolled into Pont a Mousson around 3pm and started looking for a chambre d’hote. Don had found something online and we had tried to make a reservation for Saturday, but she was full. We hoped that on Sunday night she might have room for us.
After much computer fiddling Don found the address and we rode on to The Cottages. The nice hostess regretfully informed us that she had no room available. I asked her to suggest another chambre, and she recommended Cote Jardins in a nearby town. She graciously telephoned for us and made the arrangements.
Although the town was nearby, it was up a long hill, and we were tired and ready for a shower and a rest when we arrived.
The house, tucked away behind the Mairie, looked rather plain, but the husband and wife were very gracious and when we went into the house we were very happy with our choice. The rooms are spotlessly clean and very comfortable. There is a nice salon and wonderful gardens.
That evening our hostess provided Table d’Hote of pork chops, salad, pasta and selected cheeses. Our host offered an aperitif to start, and he mixed up an interesting drink of Mirabelle juice, sloe gin and a little sparkling water. It was delicious. Mirabelle’s are those little yellow plums.
We had a great night’s sleep, and breakfast was ready for us early. Along with our bread our hostess offered several jellies. One was dandelion jelly and it was delicious. I got the recipe.
After photos with our host and hostess we hopped on our bikes and started the day’s ride. We stopped briefly for a snack in Jouy aux Arches and shared an apple while we sat under the big Roman aquaduct which crosses the road. It is still in good condition and is well-maintained by the town. We never cease to be amazed at the range of the Roman settlements or the endurance of their constructions,
That afternoon we entered Metz and went into the town center to the Tourist Information Center. While we found the bike paths in Nancy to be excellent and very well marked, we cannot say the same for the bike paths in Metz. We checked out the huge cathedral there and then moved on down the road.
We were happy to roll into the dependable B&B Hotel north of Metz, in a very prosperous industrial area. Although the B&B Hotels are very basic we are quite happy to use them when we can. The small rooms are clean, the beds are good and each room has a bathroom with shower. Pretty much everything we need, except , of course, electric outlets. We now bring an extension cord
They also offer free wi-fi, but we always run into a problem because they want to text the logon code to our cell phone. We always have to spend a lot of time explaining we don’t have a cell phone (well, we do, but we don’t want to make an international call on it), but after awhile we get it across to them that we want to use their cell to receive the code. Once they catch on to the idea they usually are cooperative and get the code for us.
After checking in and showering we walked over to the nearby shopping mall to pick up a few groceries and a bottle of wine. We grabbed dinner at the cafeteria there and turned in for the night.
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