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Meusing along the river
It was fantastic to read Carol and Chris Legge’s article about cycling on the Meuse (Summer, p54). We, too, were there last summer for our first visit to the area and also stayed at Camping Les Bateaux in Revin.
Here are some more pointers, which might help others:
When we were there the campsite had entertainment every night with loud amplified music. If, like us, that is not your thing, then ask for a pitch further from the entrance. It did tend to finish about 10.30-11pm, so at least not too late.
A regular train service runs parallel to the Meuse (a feat of amazing engineering with many tunnels and bridges). If your cycling legs are not as good as Chris and Carol’s then why not cycle out and get the train back?
The area all around is steeped in WWII history and, just on the road out of Revin, there is a monument to the hundreds of resistance fighters cut off and killed by the Nazis, not long after D-Day (shown in the photo). I continued to cycle further up out of the valley (on an electric bike, as it is a punishing climb) and came across 106 graves in the woods, all dug by the victims before they were shot and buried by the Nazis.
Back in the valley, and on a far happier note, the patisserie/boulanger in Haybes, just behind the town hall is wonderful (called Pétrie Artisan Boulanger). The town hall also has public toilets.
Overall, we found the Meuse really interesting. Not as chi-chi as places like the Loire and with more obvious poverty, but the opening of the cycle path and its attraction to tourists seems to be bringing more money and wealth into the area.
And it’s less than four hours’ drive from the Channel tunnel.
Philip Fisher
Automatic gearboxes for the people
Just as a comment regarding the article on the Comfort-Matic problems experienced by a reader and discussed in the Tech Help pages. I have a 2007 Auto-Trail Miami on a Renault Master chassis with the Renault Quick-Shift automated gearbox.
This failed last year, with no gear selectable and a fault light on at 32,000 miles. Our local independent Renault specialist here in Edinburgh (Rentec Autocare) provided excellent support and diagnosed a faulty hydraulic unit. As parts are not available for the unit, it was totally replaced (it sits on top of the gearbox) for a total cost of under £3,000.
This included replacing the clutch and slave cylinder carried out as a preventative job while the gearbox was out on the bench and the appropriate resetting of the computer system, etc, after fitting the new hydraulic unit.
