Klick-klick: Tour de France

Ja, I biked to France. And the "klick-klick" means I also tried out my new clipless pedals (which clip in). But let's start with yesterday:

Yesterday Tobias gave me a little tour of Saarbrücken. We bought some truffles and crepe (can you see the French influence yet?) and I am starting to be able to orientate myself a bit. He also took me grocery shopping, which took a long time because I love being in foreign grocery stores. It's just so interesting what they have and where it comes from. Good things: NUTELLA, good bread, German müsli, Kaffee. Questionable: meat in Europe (bird flu, anyone?). But there is a weekly farmer's market right by my apartment that I will have to check out next weekend.

Die Saar (the Saar River):
Then we went on a little bike ride with Johannes, another roommate, to the University campus and back down along the river. We stopped at a Biergarten and had a few Bierchen. How much more German could it get? :) What a great first day. And I certainly slept well.



This morning, after my Müsli and Kaffee, we went biking again, this time to France. From Saarbrücken to Sarreguemines(FR) it is only about 15 km.

Then we went west to Diebling, north through Behren to Forbach, and back to Saarbrücken. All in all, it was 52 km. Quite a ride. We stopped at a French grocery store and bought good (ie stinky) French cheese, wurst, baugette, eclairs...to give us sustenance for the ride home. It was really fun. The landscape did change quite a bit. And with that I mean throughout the ride, not between Germany and France. Because I really couldn't tell. I kept asking whether we were in France yet or not. :) But as soon as we rode through a French town THEY WERE SPEAKING FRENCH! How hilarious is that? I just can't believe it. Cross a line and the people speak a different language. :) Tobias said they speak German, too, but only if you address them in French. :)


Well I have to walk into town to get a few things, but I would already say that bringing my bike along was worth it.