.... and bonjour France

This pretty much sums up the first few weeks back on the road after months of sloth and gluttony.

If I thought the Alps was going to be bad......I didn't stop to think what the Alpettes or the Central Massif would be like. In my first 2 days after crossing into France I managed a cumulative altitude gain of 3846m....and my legs were like jelly. When a road cyclist passes me by with a cheery "bonjour" I know I'm in trouble....when an entire team goes past I have definitely chosen the wrong road!

Spring in France has also thrown everything at me, from sun, rain, wind,hail and sleet....usually in some particularly nasty combination.

Making my way up through the center of the country, visiting

the old historic places along the way. There is pigeon poo in these towns that is older than Australia's oldest buildings....it still takes some getting used to!

If I thought the cycling in Italy and France has been pedestrian.....I am makng up for it with my search for unusual place names. I have been to Die (and survived), had lunch at Mars, talked bollocks in the bar at Craponne.......and still the search is on.