We eat like wild animals, hunting out the boulangeries and patisseries for pain au raisin, baguettes or almond croissants, devouring them with gusto before stalking out the fromagerie for nutty Comté or creamy Camembert cheese. We set out for the local fruit stalls feasting on punnets of sweet berries, delicious pears or sumptuous melons. Skipping down the aisles of the Supermarche, piling items into our overflowing baskets like it’s Christmas. 

As a car needs fuel to power its motor, a touring cyclist needs food, to power theirs, anywhere between 3000 and 6000 calories a day to cover our average 60 to 70 km a day cycling,  more if we are bicycling further or the conditions are challenging. That’s twice the average calorie intake a non-cycling adult would require to maintain existing body weight. On extended cycling tours, most riders lose weight, they simply don’t eat enough to replace the energy expended. 

The fear of ‘ bonking ‘ is also a real consideration , in cyclist language bonking is that sudden, severe state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by completely running out of stored carbohydrate fuel in your muscles It is not normal tiredness; it feels like a power switch has been turned off and you simply can’t continue, which can be extremely dangerous. I’ve bonked in the past , it’s ugly, so when I’m cycling touring carbs are my friend. 

Fresh food in France is sold ripe tasty and ready to eat. No need to wait a couple of days for fruit and vegetables to ripen. Seasonal locally grown food is at its best now, delicious tomatoes the size of bowling balls that taste like heaven, plump fleshy white nectarines that trigger precious childhood memories, the abundance and variety of foodstuffs on offer is tantalising.

When I was younger, I trained and worked as a chef, the accepted terminology of the professional kitchen was always French. I was taught that food is one of life’s beautiful sensual pleasures, expressing the’ joie de vivre’ joy of living. We eat as much with our eyes, noses and ears as we do with our taste buds! Sharing a meal with someone you love is romantic. How many first dates, celebrations or anniversaries centre around food as an act of friendship love or devotion? 

There are always muesli bars, dry pasta and a small jar of pesto kept in the bottom of our panniers for food emergencies, when we are out of range of services or it’s Sunday and there’s nothing open. But mostly we can secure fresh ingredients daily to make our own fresh simple balanced meals around our humble campsite. 

Life is good 

Bon appetit!