A Belgian septuagenarian cyclist traveler praised Taiwanese police for helping him repair a flat tire and communicate with his family during his 21-day cycling trip around Taiwan last month.
Wearing a cycling jersey and a prosthetic left leg, Michel Cordier, 72, walked into a police station in Tainan at about 5pm on Oct. 7 and told the officers in English that he was having trouble reaching his wife in Belgium, he wrote in a blog after completing his trip.
Police officer Hsu Li-hsin (許儷馨) allowed Cordier to send an e-mail using her account, after which he continued his cycling trip.
Photo: CNA
Cordier arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Oct. 1, Hsu said.
During the trip, he took photographs of breathtaking scenes around the island and sought police assistance whenever he encountered difficulties, Hsu said.
Cordier left Taiwan on Oct. 21 and after returning to Belgium, posted an article titled “Taiwanese pedal full of charms” with 50 photographs on the French version of Andre Tignon, a bike blog.
Photo courtesy of Tainan Police Department Sixth Precinct
Hsu on Tuesday said that after returning to Belgium, Cordier has continued to communicate with her via e-mail and sent her several of the pictures he took in Taiwan.
She later learned that Cordier is the chairman of a Belgian cycling club, Union Audax Tournai, which has 200 members.
Cordier completed the 1,440km trip around the island in three weeks and said the two things that most impressed him were that the roads are mostly paved and good for cycling and the police are more friendly than he imagined, Hsu quoted him as saying.
Cordier apparently enjoyed the round-the-island trip so much that he has recommended Taiwan to other cyclist travelers, especially its amazing scenery and the friendliness of the police, Hsu said.
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