Reims

We stopped off in Reims on the way back; it was just a stopover to break the journey, and we didn't have much time there.   There was just enough for a quick walk around, a visit to the cathedral, and then a curry dinner.  The cathedral is an impressive building, but it got trashed during the war, so the stained glass is less generally impressive than in the one at Strasbourg.

The curry was special.  I am used to getting curries in France that are about three stages milder than in England, so I felt able to order one marked on the menu as 3 chillies (the strongest, same as vindaloo).   I don't think I have eaten a hotter curry in three decades.  Certainly the hottest ever in France, and hotter than most in England.  Wow.  It was very good too.  The restaurant is called Un Indien Dans la Ville, and it's worth checking out.

I did an experiment on the way back, to check out the fuel consumption of the Espace with the bikes on the rack on the back.  I didn't take into account any height differences along the route, nor wind.  Cruising along at a constant 90kph I got 46 mpg.   I put the cover on the bikes (because it started to rain), which increased the wind resisitance, and I got 39mpg.  Increasing the speed to 110kph with the cover off again, I got 38mpg.