Nearly twenty years later I was back. Arriving beside the River Garonne the previous evening it had been immediately obvious that the frenzy of work in the first few years of the 21st century had not been in vain. A wide esplanade which had previously been the fiefdom of the car had been transformed into gardens, fountains, walkways and, much to my delight, a long, wide cycleway. It guided me beside the river and into the imposing expanse of the Place de la Bourse. When I was here in 2003 I was not even allowed to step foot in the square as it had been entirely fenced off and gaping holes had been dug deep into the ground. On this occasion, once I had negotiated the relatively narrow width of the road and tramway I was able to cycle freely, taking in the magnificence of the 18th-century architecture surrounding me. I circumnavigated the flamboyant fountain with its revealing Three Graces extolling mirth, elegance and beauty with not a hint of modesty. With a smile on my face, the virtues of the three young women seemed an apt metaphor for what I was experiencing.

Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda recounts Andrew P. Sykes’ journey around France, into the Alps and down the Rhine in the summer of 2022. It is available as a paperback and as and eBook from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com (and other international Amazon sites). The paperback is also available from Waterstones or Foyles and the eBook from Apple iBooks. If you would like to gift a signed copy of the book, please complete the form below:

Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda (signed copy)

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