Today’s ride had a familiar rhythm—more quiet paths, more water alongside. I spent a lot of time tracing the Canal de Vosges, with the canal on one side and a river on the other. Cyclists can choose which side to follow—it’s really all in the eye of the beholder.
The only real town on the map today was Épinal, and even that required a bit of a detour. I wasn’t planning to stop, but curiosity got the better of. As I crossed a bridge toward the town, there was another canal running on it—a canal above a canal? Peculiar.
Épinal is a cute little town, with a couple of charming squares lined with cafés, a church, and even a couple of museums. If someone stops there around lunchtime, it might be worth the visit. As for me, I arrived early in the morning. The detour cost me 45 minutes, an extra 10 km on an already long day, dust on my drivetrain from a gravel stretch, and a few annoying uphill pushes. The price of curiosity.
After that, the ride went smoothly. I arrived in Corre, where I was hoping to spend the night—but, as it turned out, there was no camping anywhere nearby. I have no idea why I thought there would be. At least there was a supermarket, where I stocked up on groceries and water before continuing.
The next village with a confirmed campground was twenty-something kilometers further. The temperature had risen to 33°C, and I was now hauling a backpack full of groceries. My chosen shortcut took me away from the canal and into open fields with small hills and completely exposed to the sun. By the time I reached the campsite, I was overheated and dehydrated—but no real harm done. Just another lesson from the road.
Today in numbers:
130 km – distance cycled
1796 — Imagerie d’Épinal was founded and has produced over 100,000 different image plates over the centuries