chrismarsden.co.uk
Route Verte /
Meuse
Summer 2025
Day 1
1st July 2025
Dieppe - Beauvais
65 Miles
The Route Verte is a cycle route going from London to Paris. I didn’t cycle from London to the south coast at Newhaven, where I will take a ferry over to Dieppe. Mostly because London to Newhaven isn’t a great deal of fun, and mostly isn’t a Route Verte / Greenway, rather taking you through busy south London, across the M25, and through the concrete horrors of the Crawley / Gatwick area. It ticks up a bit after that to the south coast, but still isn’t great. Too much fighting traffic and a confusing route. So, I’ve missed out that bit, and yesterday (Monday 30th June) I took the train from Birmingham, through London, and on to Brighton, and then a nice ride along the coast to Newhaven to get the ferry. Monday was a very warm day, and I feared that true to form British railways would succumb to buckled rails in the heat, but except for a couple of speed restrictions things worked out smoothly and I made the 5 pm ferry from Newhaven. The ferry arrived in Dieppe at 10 pm and I had booked myself in to the Egg Hotel in Dieppe, a sort of Ibis Budget knockoff. It did the job. There is a very nice camp ground in Dieppe, but the thought of pitching a tent at 11 pm at night did not appeal. READ MORE....
Day 2
2nd July 2025
Beauvais-Tergnier
80 Miles
My F1 Hotel in Beauvais was okay, very simple, but satisfied my needs for the night. The language being spoken almost exclusively was Arabic, which leads me to think that many of the “guests” were semi-permanent there and probably emigrants / refugees etc. Probably heading to the UK. What a mess all that business is. I have great compassion for people fleeing awful lives back in their homelands. The real solution is to make where they are from is peaceful, calm, and with opportunity. But, I guess that is a lot to ask, given the amount of warfare and conflict there is in so many places. In the meantime, I’m not sure what to think. Or to do. READ MORE.....
Day 3
3rd July 2025
Tergnier-Formies
55 Miles
It didn’t do a storm last night, and I passed a pleasant night in my Big Agnes tent (not that big, just a small two man tent suitable really for one man - or, I guess, two very friendly men). I was up early, and on the road by 7:30 am, straight on to the Oise Canal towpath, which I stayed with throughout the morning. I made a quick stop at the first tabac/bar that I came by, for an indifferent coffee with no croissant (because there were none on offer), and watched the endless queue of people coming in to buy their lottery tickets and their cigarettes. France is still very much a smoking country, as far as I can see. READ MORE....
Day 4
4th July 2025
Fourmies - Yvoir
60 Miles
I thought that today was going to be a short ride, but for whatever reason I still did 100 kms / 60 miles. As a consequence, I took a leisurely start and wasn’t really on the road until 9 pm. Anyhow, most of the route was benign through France and then in to Belgium, mostly following repurposed train lines and then the River Meuse / Maas which I joined south of Dinant. I’m very impressed with the Belgium bicycle infrastructure. They have long distance repurposed railway lines which are just straight and level and well surfaced, so I can bowl along. As for Belgium in general, I sense it is a bit of strange country, not really a country, bits and pieces cobbled together after the Congress of Vienna and the defeat of Napoleon. Somehow it seems to survive. The Belgians are not as chic as the French, much more agricultural looking and sturdy. Mind you, you see that sort of thing in Northern France as well. -...READ MORE...
Day 5
5th July 2025
Yvoir - Maastricht
60 Miles
My campsite inland from Yvoir was fine, although being at the bottom of a valley it became a bit chilly overnight and in the morning there was a lot of dew about on the tent, which I had to fold away wet and find a bit of time later in the day to dry it out. Liege happened to be the place, alongside the river, while I had my lunch. I was awake at 6 am, and on the road by 7:30 am, first having to haul myself up the valley, then to do a quick downhill back to the Meuse, which seems to be cutting through limestone hills at this point....READ MORE...
Day 6
6th July 2025
Maastricth - Venlo
65 Miles
I’ve been reminded by one of my correspondents that I should not paint all Belgians with the same glum brush ! Which is true, because I do know some Belgians who are very chipper and personable. Mostly Flemish Belgians. So, I reduce my observation about glumness just to the Walloons. The French speaking ones, in that bit of Belgium. Okay ?! ..READ MORE...
Day 7
7th July 2025
Venlo - Den Bosch
65 Miles
A day working my way along the Maas, mostly - because I decided to take some sensible short cuts to pare off some of the bends in the river. By this stage of its run, the river is meandering back and forth on itself quite a bit. My target was to get to my AirBandB in Den Bosch / 's-Hertogenbosch (not sure why it has two names), which is where Hieronymus Bosch the painter is from / lived / worked. There is a museum here with lots of his paintings, although I can’t say that I’m too keen on his stuff that I have seen, too busy, too much going on, lots of little people dancing around and doing all sorts of unmentionable activities. I hope I’m not doing him an injustice. It’s a lovely town, nicely preserved, indeed the place I’m staying says the building is originally from the 15th century. It's called De Gulden Angel / The Golden Eagle, and says so above the door, as does every house have its name over its door. Which is what they evidently did before street numbers came along. Think Bruges or Ghent, more or less. Looks upmarket, and quite chichi, with a proliferation of hipster barber shops, and very upend bicycle shops, and a lovely cheese shop just over the road from me. And next door to it, what I think is a pot shop and smoking joint. I won’t get much chance to look around, because I have to be off early tomorrow to make my way further north to The Hook of Holland to get my ferry back home across The North Sea. But, it is a place that I can see myself returning to in the future....READ MORE...
Day 8
8th July 2025
Den Bosch - Hook of Holland
70 Miles
My lodgings last night in Den Bosch were very pleasant, classy, and had lovely little touches like muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, coffee, and a fridge full of soft drinks and waters. I didn’t see or hear the owners throughout the time I was there, which is as I like it. I’m not very good at faux bonhomie with people I’ve never seen before or will never see again and who are charging me a great deal of money to stay. I like the ones that have a key box to let yourself in and you come and go without anybody noticing. Suits me. Anyhow, De Gulden Angel was a very pleasant stay. I had a look at the lovely cheese shop across the road, but wasn’t able to buy any to bring back because of restrictions on cheese, meats etc coming in to the UK. The pot cafe was open and doing good trade at 9 am. I guess people have coffee and a spliff before heading to work... READ MORE...
Photo Gallery
Click on a photo to go to slideshow....
