Customs officers and smugglers have been playing the same game along the northern border for centuries, and Fresnes-sur-Escaut sits right on the line. The little town of seven and a half thousand people lies on the French bank of the river Escaut, a few kilometres from Belgium, in the country that was once part of the Spanish Netherlands and later the heart of the Anzin coalfield. The Château des Douaniers recalls the border guards who watched the lanes and the river for contraband, and the frontier traffic in coffee, tobacco, butter and spirits was an economic force for generations.
Around the town, the landscape is a gentle one of canals, poplars, pastures and brick villages, in the regional park of Scarpe-Escaut. The river was canalised long ago and is used by barges, and the towpaths are popular with walkers and cyclists. The pits closed decades ago, and the slag heaps are now covered in birch and grass. Across the border, Belgian Hainaut begins, with its own old mines and breweries. The basilica at Bonsecours, just over the line, is a local landmark and an easy detour.
The riding is quiet and easy. The roads are flat and mostly straight, linking villages with names that change from French to Walloon without much warning. Cobbles appear at the edges of towns, and farm traffic is frequent. The frontier is open, so you will cross it without noticing, apart from a change in road signs and the quality of the tarmac. Fuel is straightforward. Fresnes has stations on the main road, and Vieux-Condé, next door, with nearly eleven thousand inhabitants, has more. Cafes serve beer and simple food, and a plate of frites with a Flemish stew will cost less than you expect.
If you cross into Belgium, remember that speed limits and rules are different, and a motorbike has to carry its papers. The Belgians love their beer, and a stop at a village cafe over the border is an appealing prospect.
Early autumn and late spring are the best seasons, with clear skies and a soft light on the water. Summer is warm, and winter brings fog and drizzle that can linger for days.