The Écrivélo Files

Journeys Through War-Torn Europe by Bike.

Jour 10 – Day 10a – TOURNEHEM-SUR-LA-HEM to Folkestone UK

??France to UK??????? Handwritten Envelope From the private collection of the Christie Family Today I crossed the channel to the UK in the relative luxury of a car ferry from Dunkirk to Dover. Boarding was a systematic, unhurried and stressless proceedure. Once on board, people ate and drank, sun bathed[...]
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Day 9 – English Channel to Tournehem-sur-la-Hem

ENGLISH CHANNEL TO TOURNEHEM-SUR-LA-HEM I was not surprised to find that the wind that had blown directly in my face all the way down the Canal de Somme continued today. Christie was the observer in a recognisance mission over Belguim when on 11th May 1940 he was shot down. His[...]
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DAY 8 COURCELLES-SOUS-THOIX, PICARDY TO ENGLISH CHANNEL

COURCELLES-SOUS-THOIX, PICARDY TO ENGLISH CHANNEL Today marks my first day of my second week in the saddle – none of this ‘having a day off’ like in the Tour de France.Today I pass by Poix in Picardy – A place of great significance for FO Christie. The very man who[...]
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Day 7 – Paris to Courcelles sous Thoux

Paris to Courcelles sous Thoux Beauvais Today I start to head for the coast and through the site of the Battle of France in the early stages of the war. Much of this area has great significance for Flying Officer Christie but first I need to get to Picardy. En[...]
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DAY 6 VENEUX – LES – SABLONS TO PARIS

VENEUX - LES – SABLONS TO PARIS Today's Route Sticking to my plan of keeping as close as possible to La Seine I made my way north. This plan, however, was not one of my best and navigating myself through roadworks and Paris suburbs, expectant for the afternoon match was[...]
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DAY 5 – TONNERRE TO VENEUX – LES – SABLONS

TONNERRE TO VENEUX - LES - SABLONS The final 50 km following the canal de Bourgogne and then I headed north following the river Yonne which will eventually meet with the River Seine near the end of my day’s ride and ready for my journey into Paris. This was a[...]
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DAY 4 – CRÉANCEY TO TONNERRE

CRÉANCEY TO TONNERRE I am currently making my way north along the Canal de Bourgogne, a gem of pre-industrial revolution engineering, of more than 250 kilometres in length. The canal slowly winds along the plains, then rising through a staircase of canal locks looking up to Pouilly en Auxois. Construction[...]
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DAY 3 – CLUNY TO CRÉANCEY

Cluny to Créacey I arrived in Cluny late yesterday - exhausted but pleased to have completed my second full day. Cluny is a beautiful little town in the south of the newly created Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. During the war it was just south of the demarcation line making it part of[...]
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Day 2 – Létra to Cluny

LÉTRA TO CLUNY Martin, Vincent and Bernard Time to leave the comfort of my own bed! The significance of yesterday's finishing line and today's starting point was very poignant for me. The Commonwealth War Graves is Létra mark the point where the journey of the crew of Mosquito DZ 636[...]
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Day 1 – Lyon to Létra

Lyon to Letra The big day has finally arrived. With the bike loaded I took a train into a Lyon. It's Tuesday morning; the city is busy. I cycled the short distance across presqu'île, along the banks of the Rhône, Parc de la Tête d'Or, Université Claude Bernard - Lyon[...]
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