Nothing makes you feel younger than riding your bike along a shaded canal or through golden fields filled with sunflowers. Cycling traffic-free (in any country) is not like cycling in your local town. Once you get your balance the pace is up to you. Just keep moving forwards at a pace which you feel comfortable with. The only real hazard is running out of food or water (unlikely!).
It has been known for novices on cycle tours to have what I call a Joan Collins moment, as in “you’re not you when you’re hungry” (aka: a real diva).
The advice is to eat early and often. And eat the right thing. And hydrate (drink water). Even if you get it right you may not lose much weight (if this is your aim) but you will get fit, look loads better and lose inches from the right places.
Camping is a great option in the summer months but there are some outstanding Chambre d’hotes along the way which also give you a chance to meet lovely hosts and sample fresh local produce. A mixture of both: why not? Part of the joy of such an adventure is in the planning and anticipation. Moving on every day becomes addictive when you do it and for those of us still stuck at the daily grind it gives us something exciting to look forward to. And if you are in the lucky position of being newly-retired, well then, take your time… you deserve it and this is the dream!
all rights reserved Ruth McIntosh 16/09/2018
Slow-Cycle 
Wonderful post however , I was wondering if you could
write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful
if you could elaborate a little bit further. Many thanks!
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