Cycle Touring in France: The Avenue

There is a voie verte that runs from just outside Dieppe to Forges-les-Eaux and we had been trying to work this into our route for a week or so. They are so few and far between that you feel that you need to take advantage of them. Some are relatively uninteresting but this was one of the good ones. It had a lovely wide, smooth Tarmac surface and passed through many different landscapes. It started around 8km out of Dieppe and by a series of ponds. Some were used for fishing and model boats and others seemed just for nature. We passed by a climbing wall that was like a miniature Stonehenge, so I just had to have a go, and then into the countryside. There were wide open vistas across the hills and valleys, wooded sections, farms and villages, castles and churches and a downhill section through a wooded valley to Forges-les-Eaux at the end. We clocked up 60km in the end after a delayed start looking at the old cars on the Grand Rue in Dieppe and a side excursion to check the trains in Serqeaux in vase we needed one the day after. The hotel we booked at the last minute turned out fine and also had an award winning chef, so we ate a great meal to end another fine day on the road - accompanied by a half bottle of Macon blanc.

Passing the old cars on the Grand Rue in Dieppe before setting off.