Cycling through Canal de la Deûle

Hello mes amies,

I'm writing after a long break. To be specific, after 1.5 years.  The last blog was on my Kashmir trekking experience and now I'm back with another amazing experience. This time it is about France. 

A sunny day is probably one of the most anticipated thing when you are in Northern France, especially in Lille! And ever since sun has started to show it's face in the month of March, I'm trying to be outdoors with my cycle as much as I can. 

I have been planning to cross the France-Belgium border in "mon velo" (my bicycle) for a very long time and in fact attempted twice already. The first one was a disaster which I want to forget! The second attempt was not so bad but not so great too. So to make things easier, I gifted myself a brand new cycle from Btwin, exclusively for this adventure. Some motivation that is!

Reaching Belgium border from Lille is not as hard as it sounds like. You only need to follow the canal which flows through the Citadel (in Lille). This canal is called "Canal de la Deûle". It starts in Bauvin (Northern France) and flows all the way to Belgium, covering some of the most beautiful landscapes. For more details on this canal, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_de_la_Deûle

So, here I start my journey on a beautiful Saturday sunny morning with my husband, Shreeni. Items checked:

• Water bottle (with water of course)
• Sun glasses (aah, it feels like a luxury to put on sunglasses in Lille!)
• Snacks (petite cakes, snickers, blah blah blah)
• Phone (fully charged)
• Umbrella (you never ever know when it will rain)
• Some euros which I'm left with
• Last but not the least - iPod with my favorite playlist!

Get set and go! Here is the journey through pictures.

Starting from Lille

Canal de Rouaix. This spot is so relaxing and beautiful. One of my favorite spots in this trip. All those little ducks and "petite" houses make it a perfect treat to the eyes.

At Canal de Roubaix

Once you cross Canal de Roubaix, it is better to cross the big bridge (which comes next). Otherwise, the path will have many tram rails, slippery ones. Soon you reach the swan paradise, Wambrechies! I love love love this place! Super cute with it's small cafes, bars, restaurants, swans. What more do I want??!!

At Wambrechies. Are these paper boats?

Woo hoo

Any time is snap time

Chocolate chaud-ing

Wambrechies was the first break to grab some food and drinks (other than for photos). Next break point would be Quesnoy.

At Quesnoy

The journey from Quesnoy towards Deulemont is full of breathtaking landscapes. If you take any detours, it gets even better. Here are some random shots taken. It's not the destination, but the journey that matters the most. Somebody's quote it is and that is so true!

At this point, the crosswinds were so strong and I was quite struggling to cycle anymore. So we decide to go slow so that we are not exhausted. At the same time, it is more fun to chat and cycle rather than speeding. So I go slow-slow-slow. And sooner than I expected, we reached Porte de Deulemont! Woohoo! That happy moment on seeing the resto-bar!

At Porte de Deulemont cafe

Lunch, snacks, drink, whatever, I'm tired and hungry!

In no time, we reach T-junction! Here, one path takes you to Belgique and one path goes to Frelingien (within France). 

Celebrating at the T-junction bridge! 

River Lys

First things first! Explore Belgium for sometime and then Frelingien.

Now we come back to the T-junction and head to Frelingien.

Now, wind up and return! Miles to go before we reach home! 

My dear velo!

And my favorite song in my playlist goes on... "Doore doore... neeyay paaye..." (From Dulquer's Neelakasham)

With every muscle in my body breaking & aching, I still felt a huge sense of achievement and positive energy rushing through me! Chasing your dream is absolutely worth because the joy of the dream coming true is priceless. 

The only thing is, when I write this blog, I have already lost my dearest velo (stolen) and that hurts. But sometime soon, I will manage to gift myself a new one. How else can I write many more cycle diaries? :)

Thanks for reading. À bientôt!