Jean struck a pose before departure from our first stop. The temperature was quite low, but it was dry and to become quite warm and sunny.
Having missed Vimy Ridge during our Hoggin' the Howitzer trip in May, plus being so close, we decided to call by here on the way to our second stop in France. It included a visit to the trenches, so little distance between the two sides, where many thousands lost their lives in the battles for it, finally taken by the Canadians. The Canadian Memorial nearby had been restored since I had visited it in 2001 and it did look splendid, standing high above the surrounding area.
We enjoyed a mixture of motorway and more minor road riding, stopping regularly for bites or comfort breaks as well as stretching the legs.
Ian was concerned about his front break when we reached our next stop near Chalons, and thought that the seal on a shock absorber had failed. Being Sunday, we elected to leave it until the next day and find the nearest Harley dealer in Troyes. Unfortunately, that was closed as were all the Harley dealers in France on Monday, according to HOG Assistance, so he elected to carry on avoiding use of the front brake. Usually 80% of braking is on the front on a motorcycle, so this was quite a compromise but it was his decision, the significance of which he found out more about later.
Continuing brought some terrific scenery in the southeast of France, until we arrived at a stop just above Lake Geneva late in the afternoon, where a team photo was taken and a fantastic view of the lake was enjoyed. We then continued down the twisting road into Divonne Les Bains for our third stop of the outward journey.
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