Uphill, Against the Wind

We were seeing France as few tourists see it, from the back roads and in the small villages which only French tourists see, if tourists see it at all. No trains stop in these villages, but we’d see occasional bus stops. We rode through villages in which no tourist car ever stops, only weary bicyclists. We were living for a few hours or a few days in villages with no Eiffel Tower, no Louvre, no attractions at all except the French themselves and their way of life. No one spoke English, not the waiters, nor the bartenders, nor the folks we met at the campgrounds. We didn’t quite realize we were having an experience few will ever have and fewer still will attempt. To phrase it another way, we were tourists spending little or nothing on transportation, gasoline, lodging, guides and museums. We were spending most of our time pedaling along country roads lined with vineyards, out in the sunshine or rain, and spending our money eating in small restaurants where no Americans ever eat and sitting in sidewalk cafés drinking local wines and watching the daily life of the real France.

Douglas Reid, retired from teaching in Federal Corrections, lives and writes in Abbotsford, BC. He is a member and former Area Representative of the Federation of BC Writers and Canadian Authors Association and was a member of Rainwriters, a writing critique group.
His first published novel, The Buddha Technology, is a coming-of-age story that explores spirituality and love lost and found. It explores finding a niche in a complicated world.
His second novel, Green Troop: Poisoned River, is a young adult environmental saga. Four high school students work together to expose the crimes of a chemical company and their biker accomplices.
He loves travel, and his third novel is a romance set in Ireland.
He has been long listed for short story competitions for both the 2022 CBC Short Story and the Federation of BC Writers Short Story competitions.
He also is the proud owner of a yellow lab.