Father and son Mark and Sam Swain have reached Metz on their epic bike ride to Japan.

The pair, from Canterbury, face doing a total of 11,500 miles before arriving in Tokyo next summer.

Here are extracts from Mark’s blog on their route through France to Metz.

We pedalled through the battlefields of the Somme.

More open rolling hillsides, war graves and monuments. A strange feeling to be cycling accross fields where so many were slaughtered.

We intended stopping in Vousier as we were tired and in need of an easy 100k day. However the next campsite proved to be in Granpré so we had to do a further 20k. Lovely campsite. One café/relais with a grumpy woman who returned our polite cheerful request for dinner with a curt “No!”.

We returned to the campsite and made a meal from bits and pieces with couscous (boiling water begged by Sam from caravanners). Delicious.

Our final day of the stage took us south into a strong headwind and strong sun (at last).

We made swift progress to Verdun, beginning to feel fitter and mentally stronger by now.

Sam is learning that what seems impossible is always achieved (often little choice) and that this serves to remind you the next time you reach that same point of thinking you can’t make it to a desired destination.

For me this is one of the most valuable lessons in life.

We spend nearly 2hrs over a set lunch in Verdun before booking the Metz youth hostel from the nearby tourist office, then set off up what soon turns out to be the mother of all hills up out of Verdun.

Thinking (based upon the 'end of day switchback hills syndrome’ we seem to experience every day) that Metz would be tougher to reach than the map indicated, we ploughed on with a calm resolve to get there some time that night without busting a gut.

It was hilly but our calm resolve served us well and we felt the thrill of a deserved reward when we reached the edge of the range of hills overlooking Metz and began a 5km 55kmh flight down hill into this rather lovely city.

We headed into the old city for great Thai food, a walk around the old narrow streets and a couple of glasses of biére pression before heading back for bed.

Sadly I must admit to a macho weakness on our way home for a kebab each. “We’ll work it off,” we agreed.