Down, but not out

As the title suggests, I'm a bit down writing this entry. My right knee's been giving me gip, so I'm taking a rest day today (a day in advance), and catching the train from here in Charleville-Mézières across to Metz. This will ensure my continued progress, but also hopefully allow an opportunity for my knee to calm down.

What's particularly frustrating is that otherwise I feel in peak form. From a cardiovascular point of view the cycling isn't posing too much of a problem, indeed I cruised the 100km from Lille to Sémières. Also I'm bearing up fine mentally, in spite of hours spent either alone in the tent, or being bored by werid frogs in Youth Hostel rooms.

Enough whinging. The weather is still (touch wood) absolutely incredible, though yesterday this cumminated in me developing what can only be described as some 'interesting' tan lines. Thursday also gave me my first true life/death experience of the trip, which was nice. Riding through a sleep village, some budget French cowboy builders were working on some piping beneath the road. As they hoisted a huge palette of pipes from the lorry, a cord snapped and they cascaded onto the floor. Had I been literally a couple of seconds sooner I'd have been squashed like a bug. Fate however must have been on my side.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Easter wherever you are spending it and whatever you are doing. Ed x