longer.blue

Day 13 of our Pyrenees trip—the third day of the return journey. 430 km from Avallon to Trier; 9 hours of driving time, including a one-hour break. After a good night's sleep in that old yet lovingly furnished hotel in Avallon, we continued our journey home as temperatures rose (it was 8°C when we got up 🥶🫣🤣), with Trier as our final overnight stop. I would have liked to see more of this historic city, but our schedule didn't allow for it—perhaps another time. France is about 1.8 times the size of Germany but has only about 82% of Germany's population, a fact that became apparent time and again over the last few days. Vast stretches of countryside, forests, and fields, with roads where you sometimes travel almost alone for hours on end. Add to that a multitude of winding roads, wonderful and friendly people, and a culinary culture where even simple bistros are a revelation, and you have the perfect motorcycle travel destination…🤗😉. We headed toward Trier—our final stopover on the four-day return trip—via Chaumont, Mars-la-Tour, and Palzem on the Moselle River. A B&B Hotel with "convenient transport links" was to be our final base (the chain is affordable and basic, yet always well-maintained and consistently good). Trier itself is a university city with a history spanning over 2,000 years; the Roman *Porta Nigra*—one of the original five city gates—stands out in particular, dating back 1,856 years. And for those who don't like wine: even in Trier, you can find Kölsch beer! 😉 Go visit—it’s worth it! 🤗