This is the online equivalent of forgetting to open your advent calendar for a day. Sadly you don’t get any chocolate, but the first two in our top five of picnic spots. Both of these were on the same day, possibly we remember it so fondly because it was the first day for ages it wasn’t freezing cold back in October. On this day we crossed the Swiss/German border several times, but both of these treats were in Switzerland. Lunch on a bridge over the Rhine, morning tea stop at the Rheinfall…
The winning entry is the Slovenian section of the Parenzana cycle route. This is a converted train line that goes from Trieste to Porec. Some of it was easier to follow than other bits – the start was particularly evasive but several locals helped us out. The path in Slovenia had tunnels, pretty farm land and a great stretch of coast. Fab cycling, and a great recommendation from Francesco and Giulia – Thanks!
December 4th – Friday feeling or late night shopping?
#2 on our list is the Saar cycle way in Germany. There’s a great horseshoe bend for river photography and in our experience it is always sunny there. Only go as far as Saarbrucken though, not at all pretty there.
#3 Breskens to Slaus in the Netherlands. Great beaches, amazing cycle routes, lovely town for a picnic lunch by a canal. Love cycling in the Netherlands.
It’s not often on a cycle trip you take the healthier food option, but chocolate advent calendars are hard to come by in Albania.
As an alternative, we will be posting five Top 5s of our trip so far, from now until Christmas Day. (Sorry to my Mum who doesn’t think advent calendars should include Christmas Day).
First to feature are our favourite off-road cycle routes. These have become less common the further south we have cycled so expect the early weeks to feature heavily. We may have forgotten some stretches of road on them so this is not a reliable resource for planning your elderly relatives’ cycle holidays.
#5 Traffic free cycle routes 1st December
Vianden to the Moselle, Luxembourg. Cute towns, pretty scenery, great surface, well-kept picnic spots. Lovely.
