Cycling to the Somme Battlefields in France

A new Thought Piece inspired by a recent trip to the Somme Battlefields of World War One, in Northern France. Pondering ideas around belief, as I visit some of the military cemeteries and stare out at grasslands now mostly occupied with sheep that once echoed to the sounds of gunfire.
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[@TheatreAbsolute]

Fab thought piece. I looked at the pretty woodland dell and realised that it was actually a blast crater in WW1. The sheep - like lambs to the slaughter. J x

[@chrisoconnellUK]

Thanks for watching

[@glennnoble1]

I like all of the vids you have made and uploaded Chris - but I feel this one is a particularly effective meditative episode... a human pilgrimage perhaps - thanks for sharing. I believe in...friendship.

[@chrisoconnellUK]

Thanks for your words Glenn

[@adammacdonald2876]

Hello Chris, I'm a contemplating doing a trip like this over about 2 weeks, however I am rather a novice at Cycling. Cycling from Calais - Ypres - Arras - Albert (On the Somme) Carrying on further south toward Soissons and Verdun. The whole round trip is about 500 miles over 2/2 and a half weeks. Is this an unrealistic distance for someone who is fairly fit? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. (I have the whole month of May off so I can take as long as I want if need be). The plan is to wild camp as much as possible, thus requiring a tent and a decent amount of kit as well.

[@chrisoconnellUK]

Hi Adam, sounds great - Obviously everyone's fitness is different. I worked on 30-40 miles a day. I'd say you have plenty of time in which to do the 500 miles. It's pretty flat in that region - especially if you follow the canal paths which I did a fair bit (have a look at my Strava routes) it's a pretty cool ride from Calais right down to Arras because you barely touch the roads. Willd camping I know less about, I stayed in AirBnB s etc. I hope this helps.

[@adammacdonald2876]

@@chrisoconnellUK Cheers Chris, thanks very much for the advice. Will definitely give your routes a look.