AACHEN PARIS BIKE ADVENTURE: DAY 2 <- clicken Sie here ...

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To make 100 km per day means that your aim is to ride 50 km before lunch, take a long lunch break, ride another 50 km after lunch, and set up camp in the evening. In between you take some smaller or longer breaks as needed.

Today we try to reach Charleroi in the South of Belgium by lunchtime, but without a map we have no idea how far it is. It turns out to be 70 km instead of 50 km, and at 37 degress blazing sun it is just too much for me. This is supposed to be fun, not torture. I feel like a rider of the Tour de France forcing his way ahead through pain, sweat, and fatigue, except there is no prize for me if I make it to our midday goal. Shortly before we reach the city I've had it: I throw the bike on the ground and demanded a break. Mario is a little surprised at my reaction, but agrees to stop for some food and drink. During the whole tour he is totally immune to pain or exhaustion, and I feel stupid that I always have to be the one calling for a break.

Riding the bike we get to know the country-side we passed quite well. We see big differences when we cross borders into another country, and even individual regions all have their own character: Rich or poor, medieval or modern, rural or metropolitan. The sourroundings pass us in slow-motion, and we have plenty of time to soak up their personaliy.

Many parts of Belgium we pass are quite depressing, brimming with heavy, rusty industry totally disfiguring the nature around. Especially Charleroi in the South of Belgium is a poor, dirty, industrial monster, with smoke belching factories, rusty old cranes, and scrap metal disarrayed everywhere. The worker's homes have all taken on the color of the rusty brown smoke from the factories' old brick chimneys. These conditions are so far away from the comfort my workplace provides, and I imagine what this dreary environment does to the people.

Much to my surprise the Belgian people turn out to be nicest of all the people we met along they way, very friendly and laid-back. There was not a single person that doesn't greet us with a "bon jour" as we pass by, or takes the time for a little chat with us about the tour. For me that is an important part of the trip: Getting to know a little bit more about the countries and the people we pass.

The last 10 km or so before our chosen camp site we always ride on eggshells. That´s when we have bought or fix of alcohol for the night, and neither of us want to see a bottle break from heavy riding. Tonight it´s two bottles of red wine. We camp at one of the 18th century sluices regulating the traffic on the canal. A bath in the mucky canal is all I get this evening, but it is better than nothing.

tags: adventure, bicyle, aachen, paris