Our hosts fed us our last full English breakfast, and they joined us on the last ride we will take in the UK (for two years at very least. Together we road down to the cannel tunnel. Here we intended to get a coffee and chat while we waited for our train. But alas the tunnel does not allow people who are not booked in to say goodbye to friend and loved ones. So by the side of the road we said our goodbyes. Both saddened and excited we headed off to catch a train. Being on a bike we where allowed on the earliest train that had room and as such we only had to wait about 20min for the next one.
Surprisingly calm we waited, then boarded, and then alighted the train. It was not until we were in France and had been riding for 20-30 minutes did it hit me that we are travelling and will be for two more years.
We had no plans and no destination. Originally we our train was scheduled to get us into France late in the afternoon, and we planned to camp near by. But we were almost two hours ahead, so we rode a bit. When we travelled to Romania a year prior, I got us very lost getting out of the train area, this time. Bang right on the A16, what I did not know was that it is a toll road. Luckily once we found out we were able to get off at the next stop and did not pay that much. Well sort of…I had not un-packed our stash of Euros from the bottom of the pannier so at the first rest area we pulled out everything we owned looking for it. The result was we lost Tams warm riding gloves.
We got off the main road and headed east. 50 miles on these little roads took over two hours. It started to get on in the afternoon and so we decided to look for a campground. Tam started to hear a squeak coming from the back of the bike, I heard it from the front. At first I was hopping it was the badly maintain Renault in front of us. However eventually I found out that it is in fact us. Well some of it was us, mostly was him.. but enough of it was us. I started to worry; it is too early for things to be going so wrong. I am afraid it was output shaft. Now the trip computer locks up again. I am not happy, but luckily we found campground shortly after and could try and understand what is going on. A quick examination told me that the clutch cable adjuster has come loose. Excellent a free and three second repair. Worrying but not bad a sprocket bolt and nut had come loose, and was grinding against the swing arm. In all my years of biking I have never seen or even heard about his. But again.. Excellent a free and three second repair. To be sure I went though and tightened all other nuts and bolts and could only find that one of the rear brake Alan bolts was also loose. While the tools were out I decided to do a general fix-up, so I modified the locking mechanism on the left pannier lock, both the front fork boots had sagged a bit so I cleaned compression arm and repositioned the boots and finally moved the tarpaulin bag that was acting like a rear pad. Thereby giving Tam more room and moving even more weight forward.
The next morning the squeaking was gone, I had over tightened the clutch cable so had to pull over and tweak it, but all in all we seemed have diverted a disaster. We spent a relaxing two days taking the sl
ow road though France. On the night of the first day we road in to a smallish city Montmedy, that was over looked by a massive citadel, we both thought that it would be great to see. So when we saw signs to it we turned. This is how this trip should be!! As we approach we were a bit cagey about how much this is going to cost. We pass a campground and both think that we should look at it on the way out but it may be too early to stop. 
We road on, the citadel loomed huge in front of us. Euro signs flashing before my eyes.. How much is this going to cost??. We get closer and start following signs for parking, no fees mentioned yet. We go though ancient gates. No fees mentioned yet. The cost must be astronomical if they wait to tell you till you are already there. We cross though the city walls over a draw bridge, No cost. We park and start to explore, we see the signs to go to the ramparts. Ahh here is where we will get stung. No cost. We spend a couple of hours exploring the city and its ramparts most of the store rooms are still accessible, you can wander almost anywhere ..wonderful. We then go to the campground and find it to be perfect as well, and less then half the price of the night before. 
We spent the evening relaxing and taking more photos of the citadel.The next day was a dullish ride back on some main highways, We passed though a 9km tunnel that cost us €7.70 in tolls and we could have taken a free mountain pass. Eventually tiring of the motorway we again pulled off to a small village that was simply stunning. Most of the house were “old” but well maintained.
At the campground we stayed was a working vineyard.
It was the hardest communication day we had. The owners and his family was exceptionally nice but spoke French combined with German (albeit a dialect or accent that made it hard for us of extremely poor German to understand).
My brain was having hard enough time dealing with the one new language (French let a lone a hybrid
one). The next morning he told us that the tour du France was come though town and joked that we looked like the officials due to our hi-vis jackets and bike.