8 - Troyes to Chaumont

May 28
125km (1,468m climbed)

Back on the road today. There were fierce thunderstorms last night, but the sun was bright today. Well timed rest day.

We took the back roads again today, and were treated to the best scenery of the trip. Flat fields soon became rolling hills, and we passed by row and rows of the grapes that male this Champagne region famous. I love the small roads in France that snake up and down hills and weave around trees and rocks. We barely saw a car all day, and spent a lot of time stopping for photos. (I'll post them when I'm back in Boston).

After lunch, I lost Al at a fork in the road. Typically, I cycle well ahead of Al and stop whenever he needs to change roads. If I'm not there, he just keeps on the same road. The problem is that the road we were on curved sharply right, and another road branched slightly left. Al just kept going on the left road. I waited for him a few hundred yards past the turn. Then went back looking for him. Unfortunately, the fork was at the bottom of a 2km hill. I climbed the hill 3 full times (and twice partially) trying to figure out which way he had gone. I was sure he would stop at the next intersection (when he realised I wasn't there) but no luck. After exhausting myself racing up and down the hill, I gave up and cycled on to Chaumont alone.

Al and I really have no way to contact each other except e-mail. Since Al has no maps, he's a bit worse off than me. When I arrived in Chaumont, I checked into the cheapest hotel in town, assuming that that is where Al would show up. Then I went to an internet cafe to e-mail him. He was already at the internet cafe (what are the odds?) so problem solved . Time for some dinner now.