Filling the gaps in France, The Netherlands and Germany.

Early Sunday morning and the rain falls softly as we make our way out of Dusseldorf. Our arrival yesterday was not pretty - we took a nasty turn around "not noice Neuss" and ended up in an industrial area, totally lost and confused. After finally finding civilisation and our hotel, we showered and washed out the lycra, then searched for beer. It was only 3.30 or so, but what the heck. Apparently you have to drink 'Altbier' in Dusseldorf, and Krolsch in Koln. Okey dokely. Dinner followed shortly after the beer/s. (Vegans and vegetarians proceed at your own risk.) The only offal I like is liver, so I ordered calf's liver with sage butter, mashed potatoes and sugared carrots. The liver was meltingly tender and I could feel my iron levels rising as I cleaned the plate. Steven chose the inelegant pork knuckle, a mighty meal for a mighty cyclist! So much crackling and pork fat on one plate! Sauerkraut and baked potatoes were hidden underneath. Only bones were left behind.
But it is another day, and I ruminate about salad as we amble along bitumen bike paths towards Koln. A punt takes us across river to Zons, a small medieval walled town with a bustling artisan market and a cafe serving waffles with warm cherries and cream to wet, chilly cyclists.
Dinner? A tasting plate for me of pork, smoked pork, speck and blood sausage served with mashed potatoes, and for Steven - soorbroode (marinated roast beef) with dumplings, apple sauce and sauerkraut. Washed down with Krolsch.
I will have some kind of green food tomorrow.
And what of Dutch food, I hear you ask? We quizzed a Dutch farmer and even he couldn't give a clear answer. He suggested meat served with potatoes mashed up with cabbage. In the week we were there, I ate several variations on salad with nuts and cheese. All delicious. Everything seemed to come with chips, but that's the way of the world these days, and they are close to Belgium after all.
Best meal in France? I would choose the oyster entree I had in Ouistreham. So fresh and so salty. I don't often eat oysters, as they're so expensive at home, so they were a real treat.
The worst...my own fault. We had two particularly long days in the saddle and on both occasions, our b and b was about 2km from the nearest town. My knees wouldn't allow me to get back on the bike so we dialled for pizza. Again, something we never would do at home, and they deliver beer and wine, so it was kind of a treat too!
Tomorrow, we'll be in Bad Breisig, a spa town, so maybe I'll be inspired to eat less indulgently.

Normandy

Normandy wakes slowly, mist hovering low, dew heavy in the fields and sunrays shining through the trees. We are fortified by a classic French breakfast: crispy baguette with butter and jams, flaky but chewy croissant, yoghurt, juice, fruit and coffee, and are enjoying the quiet of a 7.30 start to today's 90 km cycle. Our destination is Saint-Lo, via Vire.

Last night we stayed at a basic but charming hotel run by a friendly, enthusiastic couple. Dinner was delightful; three courses for E13 (AUD $17). We helped ourselves to the buffet for entree, I spotted the celeriac remoulade just like the version my dear friend Min taught me how to make twenty years ago and added a huge portion to my plate. Determined to get more vegetables into my system, I also piled on grated carrot, fresh beetroot, cornichons and salami (not a vegetable...). Main course was fish  fillet with green beans (the beans were much tastier than the fish!) and dessert was fromage blanc, that delightful white creamy/yoghurty fresh cheese made sweet with the addition of a large sprinkle of sugar. Yum. 

Yesterday we had moules frites for lunch near Mont St Michel after an easy 70km ride. Min also taught me the proper way to eat mussels many years ago: use an empty shell as pincers to prise them out.

Anyway, back to the riding. Some of the bike routes have actually been quiet back roads, some beside a river, but my favourite is the dark tunnels of canopied trees above a path which once felt the weight of locomotives. Reclaimed train lines are perfect for cycling. So peaceful. 

Today started well, zipping along at a cracking pace, then just as I'd burned off all that breakfast and needed a top-up, we arrived in Vire for morning tea. Unfortunately, the centre of town was at the top of a very large hill, so three-quarters of the way up, Beautiful Husband let me have a breather while he climbed to buy pastries and coca-cola to give me a sugar/caffeine hit, and a 5 cereal baguette and Normandy raw milk camembert for lunch. After getting a bit lost and ending up on very hilly D roads, (busy with large trucks steered by drivers who were very considerate to a hungry, puffing middle-aged woman) we sat in a bus shelter and enjoyed our dejeuner.

After a few more hills, I was flagging again, so BH popped into a boulangerie and returned with a cold, sweet coffee eclair. What a man!!!

Tonight, we eat Italian, as there is nothing else close to our hotel, and I am not getting on the bike again until tomorrow. All those carbs will come in handy.