In France!

The most important moment is always right now. That's the motto of my travel blog. And yet, I catch myself procrastinating... After just the 3rd night, the unwashed dishes and bowls are piling up in my cooler bag... the USB connection still isn't working... and I'm waiting for the right moment to write my first blog article. But deep down, I know when the right moment is, namely after my morning routine, which ideally consists of swimming, meditation, making tea and coffee, and having breakfast. That's just what happened + a first encounter with my neighbors (see below). So, I open my laptop and let's get started ;)

But before the journey to France really begins, there's still a whole day to go. Another visit to Sarah with the first night in the camper van at Kaiserstuhl, a spontaneous breakfast meeting with Chris, a surprise visit to my Sutter colleagues, and the last shopping trips before I actually leave German territory.

I take a break at a lake near Belfort and ride my bike around it, of course with a refreshing dip ;)

I already know Belfort from my time in Karlsruhe, when I was here with my Erasmus friends during a festival. I climb up the fortress for a brief evening view of the city.

As I continue driving, it's already dark. Since I avoid toll roads, the route leads me through the middle of nowhere, which doesn't make the drive particularly pleasant at night. In a village of 137 inhabitants called Provenchére, I see a small parking lot that invites me to spend the night.

The next day, I continue driving through beautiful landscapes until I reach Dole, a small town with a historic city center that is surprisingly quiet for a Saturday and energizes me with new energy while strolling around in sunny autumn weather.

I continue driving relaxed and let myself be inspired by Tasty Katy, one of my new favorite podcasts, alternating with French radio to slowly familiarize myself with the language again.

I drive to the parking lot at Plage de Bellecin. That night, I sleep like a baby, in complete silence, and wake up above the cloudy lake. It reminds me a lot of Lake Schluchsee (also in terms of temperature ;-)). Beautiful, idyllic, and crystal clear. It surprises me that even on a Sunday afternoon, the parking lot is still not half full.

I'm glad that I took the initiative this morning and talked to my camping neighbors. After all, we're both alone in the deserted parking lot. In hindsight, I saved them the step of asking me if I could drive them to the butcher's shop in town to buy food for their dog. Their car has been broken for some time now, and they've been "living" here by the lake in their caravan trailer for a while.

I drive Florianne to town and we have a conversation in a mix of French and German, and I can already feel my rusty French coming back to life. :-)

Although I went shopping the day before, I use the opportunity to look for regional specialties in the supermarket. I squeeze myself a freshly squeezed orange juice and buy Créme de marron (a good alternative to my beloved peanut or almond butter). As a small thank you for the ride, Florianne gives me a baguette. Now I've definitely arrived in France :-D