In a train to La Rochelle and rhe island of Ré

Not that quiet, but I had the only bicycle today. You have to be stupid to travel with a bicycle today, because they can refuse a new bicycle if there is already 6 in a wagon, it is why you do not see any bicycle at this moment... except mine

@LadyDuck I am not back yet but I do not see another bike than mine at the station.

@topffer Well, you were lucky, it worked this time.

This space is designed exactly to hang the bicycle, it must stay there for security reasons.

@LadyDuck Then it is a very considerate design. Here the train will not have such a big space for bikes.

@youless Only a few trains have it. This one is a regional train, and they have all places for 6 bicycles in any wagon. They can refuse a bicycle if 6 are already there.

It has been short, but I really enjoyed the journey. Even the sun was there.

@topffer Sounds like a bicyclist's paradise! Which does make it surprising there were not more bikes on board the train. You did very well - that was not a short bike ride especially if it was not on flat ground (to most people I know - that shows how exercise-less so many I know are) . . . tired, but a good tired I'm sure!!

@much2say I do not know how I wrote that, I should not write in a train. It was not all flat but most of it. The main difficulty was the bridge because there was a very strong wind coming from the sea. It is the second longest bridge in France, longer than your Golden Gate, but it is not flat, it has a 2/3% slope and at the top you are at 42 m above the sea. The island is a true paradise for bicycles. I will post a few pictures. Good tired, yes, I slept like if I had done 100 km. I was lacking of exercise, but I intend to start again to do 1 or 2 rides/week to catch up.

The ground is very flat in the La Rochelle area and there are paths for bicycles everywhere. Ré has also 110 km of paths only for bikes near the sea, so it is the best way to see the island. What I was not expecting is that today was the day of the yearly big sell-off in La Rochelle, and the center was crowded. For the rest, it was my first bicycle ride since my stroke. I did about 40 km, not a lot on a flat ground, the legs are a bit tired, but I enjoyed my journey, and I am ready to do it again. I have just had my train change, I will be at home in. 1hr 1/4.

I am back to La Rochelle railway station and it is sunny now. I have had a very good afternoon, I will post another discussion with a picture of the bridge.

@YrNemo I enjoyed the trip. I will post a few pictures today.

@topffer I meant to search for the pic of that bridge (+ background) but have been too busy. Await for your next article then. Glad to hear that you had a good trip out.

There are 6 places for bicycles like this one in any wagon in this kind of train.

@topffer sounds good Topffer

@topffer Main thing is that you enjoyed it and that is the main thing that is very important. Well done to go out and it seems you are very much stronger now then to go biking around.

@lovinangelsinstead21 I was tired and I slept like if I had done 100 km. I need to catch up and do again 1 or 2 bicycle rides/week until winter.

La Rochelle is a very nice place and it was the date of the sell-off of the year yesterday (I did not knew it). I enjoyed the journey, and will post a few more photos of La Rochelle and the bridge of Ré.

It does not run very fast compared to a high speed train, but, yes, it is a recent model, and these trains are offering free spaces for 6 bikes in each wagon

@topffer Our trains are fast. Though I suppose it's slower compared to a high-speed train like the bullet train. Wow, that is so nice that it offers free spaces for 6 bikes in each wagon.

La Rochelle was the first city in France to create bicycle paths everywhere and to offer free bicycles to ride for its inhabitants in the late 1970's. Quite all streets are authorized on both directions for bicycles and there are thousands of bikes in the city. Ré is a paradise for bicycles : there are 110 km of bicycle paths on the island, and a heavy ecotax on motor vehicles to encourage people to park their car before the bridge and take a bicycle to go on the island.

I am back to the railway station at La Rochelle. It has been short but very nice, and the sun was finally there on Ré. Ready to do it again.

I enjoyed my journey. You also spent a nice day with your family

@topffer I'm glad your day went as planned.

I am back to the railway station. It was a nice trip, and I enjoyed the day. Going to Ré was quite an adventure with a bicycle. I would never have found the way to go to the bridge with a bicycle without the GPS of the phone, but I am ready to do it again.