We’re finally at the end of the cycling tour in this recap series. In case you missed it, we spent the first few weeks of September in France, which included an 7-day cycling tour of the Bordeaux region. You can catch up on all my recaps here.
We left off last week with two days in Saint Emilion, so it’s time to get on our bikes for the final time and head back to Bordeaux.
Day 7 – Saint Emilion to Bordeaux
Getting on the bike for the last time was bittersweet. I was feeling rested after our day off for wine touring yesterday, that I almost could keep riding. By the end of the day, I did feel like this was about the amount I was prepared for, so I’m glad this was the final day.
The distance for today was 32mi and it was my favorite route of the week. Everything just came together – fresh legs, overcast skies (only time on our trip!), rolling hills, and perfect scenery. Knowing it was our last day probably amplified it just a bit, as well.
The second half of the ride was back on that bike path, but we had a good time seeing how fast we could go a few times along the way. We stopped for lunch in the same little town we visited on the way out, although it wasn’t market day and it was very quiet! It was relaxed, since we were just going back to Bordeaux and had already seen what we wanted to there. Of course, my Sizzlefish cycling jersey (affiliate) may have contributed. Hehehe!
When we did arrive back in Bordeaux, our luggage was waiting for us in the same room we started the trip from. Kirk went to work disassembling the bikes (removing our pedals & seats) and we returned everything to the front desk (who actually finalized things with the tour company. Then we went hunting for some wine shipping boxes to package up the bottles we collected over the past week.We decided to just buy the collapsible carts that you bungee cord things to, instead of paying to ship them home (less hassle). Yes, we declared them when we got back to the states. And no, they didn’t even charge us extra! We have found this is usually the case.
It was very strange NOT having bikes for transportation and knowing that we were going back to trains the next day. A little sad, in a nostalgic sort of way.
[Tweet “Riding a bike through Bordeaux – fun or work? @FITaspire #FitFluential #cycling”]
Would we do another cycling tour?
Absolutely! In fact, I already started planning our trip for next year (at least in my head). It was a wonderful experience and the highlight of our trip, which is saying quite a lot! In fact, I’m planning to share with you my tips for planning your own cycling tips on Friday!
Before we (finally) move on from vacation, I still have one more stop to recap for you. Next week we’ll wrap up France with a look at Versailles & Paris!
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Questions for you:
- What country is on the top of your “wish list” to visit?
- Which is your favorite mode of transportation – plane, train, bike, or foot?
