Each and every day I thank my
lucky star - as in the Fridays Red Star - that I have been introduced to and am
part of such an incredible group of kind and gentle yet absolutely hilarious
group of peeps who also happen to be cyclists.
Their DZships have created something
totally magical. DZ has set a level of leadership that is so detailed and yet
so hidden, that we - all 35 of us - think we are just going for a bike
ride!
From Portsmouth a ferry to
Cherbourg where a hotel was found followed by dinner and a good nights
sleep.
A pootle around the town the next
day, popping into Carrefour for provisions then lardying it up in The Yacht
Club at Onzes before heading back to the Port so our luggage could be taken by
car from the Bateau to the Chateau.
Out of Cherbourg into the
countryside, our numbers increased to the tune of, err, one with Eddie - whoop
whoop!
News of headwinds trying to blow
fellow cyclists to Paris from Caen meant that trains were deployed and a different
car was dispatched to carry luggage.
A Chateau was booked for 17 or so of us, two cottages in the grounds, two more Gites and a level of laughter that sustained itself for the duration!
As time was on our hands some
of us headed to a nearby bike shop. Good
Grief! What a bike shop! Repairs were made, clothes were bought and
three of us rode into Brix and found an Epicerie, bar and Terrace all looked
after by a Super-Dame!
For three hours
or more we just sat in the sunshine laughing and drinking coffee till supper
time. Then it was time to return to what
became the Chateau with the Gateau as an enormous Fridays Cake had been baked.
Delicious! Sadly no pic but it looked
very similar to Le Cake de LonJog and was equally delicious.
Our numbers increased again and
by the time Claudine had made pasta for 35 (I think) there were 35 (I think) all
up and ready to eat. Calvados ruled the
waves! 17 miles for the day in fine
company!
Sunday morning arrived and we
were all outside the Chateau at 8.30am ready for the off! A lovely ride to
Barfleur on the north east coast of the Peninsular which has a really pretty
but tidal harbour.
The routes were just
spectacular. Little twists, gentle
turns, rolls upwards, we hardly saw any traffic and were riding two abreast just
chatting with each other. To think this
is only day 1!!
Unfortunately the chocolate I
ate with my coffee in Barfleur gave me a splurge of energy that I didn't know
what to do with and I found myself at the front of the line, haring along as
though I was in the TdF!
Three of us (George,
Andrew and I) were asked to head on to the restaurant to let them know we were
coming.
This was no pootle and although I simply couldn't go any faster I was still
pushing myself like there was no tomorrow! 22mph on the flat into a headwind. What a
shock! We found the fish and chip
restaurant in St Vaast where the staff looked a bit startled, to say the least,
to hear we were 35 but it all came together. Some of the 35 found other eateries as in
Boulangeries and Creperies. All was well.
After lunch, a relaxing stroll found
two of our number creating a sketch that the Late, Great, Morecombe & Wise
would have been proud of. They wandered
across a path with railings to look at a building. Unbeknownst to them, whilst they were peering
in the window of said building their railed-pathway started moving. This is
because it was the top of the lock gates which had now just opened for high
tide and were not going to close until 5.30pm!!
So there they were on the other
side of the lock gates with a long walk back all the way around the harbour. Worse
still (ie their greatest concern) was that their bikes were locked to Their
DZships bikes so no one would be going anywhere for a while!! Hahahaha! They called the code across to Sahar and me
so we could at least free up Their DZships wheels.
As we waited for them to be
reunited with us DZ explained what had happened and on their arrival we all
gave them a round of applause!
Absolutely hilarious!!
Back at the Chateau laughter
and supper was followed by bed (although in my case I use that word loosely)!
I'm not used to sleeping on the
floor - but at least I did sleep. My alarm went off, it was at the other end of
the room so as I shot towards it I had a very inelegant sprawl with my bedding
wrapped around my feet. Oooops.
By the
time I untangled myself I am sure I had woken Stuart who was sleeping next
door. Luckily he was getting up early to
do the bread run. Michael and he rode to Brix everyday at
middle-of-the-night-o'clock to bring fresh bread, croissant, pain au chocolat,
pain au raisin to the breakfast table.
Fab fab fab! DZ did the bread run for the cottage and Gordon did the
same for the Gites. Great system!
We grouped outside the gates at 8 and headed off to the coast
for coffee! Cartaret, by the seaside.
Beautiful roads swooping down to the west coast. It was so pretty - a combination of Brittany
and Cornwall but neither!
There were a couple of roads
dropping down to the sea that we were invited to pop down should we want to -
none of us did! We had climbed quite a few hills already!
Back inland to Briquebec where
the food market was just open long enough to provide flat bread sandwiches with
camembert and apple or just plain with Nuttella. (A recipe I shall be taking home with me!!) Apparently
the unsold chips at one stall were on the scale of the European Food Mountain
and were duly divided and consumed by three of our number alongside a very large
hot dog (the kind of hot dog available at German football matches like
Schalke!)
Meanwhile the Chateau de
Briquebec was offering a 12.50e menue which was fantastic - not only with a Michelin
star but with a suit of armour! The
hosts didn't mind our Lycra and let us leave all our bicycles in one of the barns.
Back to Brix for beersies (let's
not forget this is a Fridays ride) and brilliant banter (definitely a Fridays ride!). The bar was at the top of a hill - a long
drag up but we had spun our way up in the heat.
The power of texting meant that we could tell the rest of the group
where we were and soon practically everyone was with us. Perfect.
Calvados comparisons were discussed,
it seems the Calvados in Briquebec and in Valognes is better. (The coffee was
good in both!) The sun shone, we laughed and laughed. It was all too good.
Eventually we headed back to
the Chateau and each maison self-catered.
The lovely Rachel and Stephen had done wonders with the shopping and we
ate like Kings and Queens. 40.44 miles
in 3.15hrs with 29.8mph max speed! What a Journee!
Tuesday was a 74 mile ride in
5hr 72, ave speed 13.3mph in 5hr72 with a top speed of 30mph. With two tandems!
Woohooooo!! Heading South East along the
Coast to Utah beach. The tandems shot
off in relays - one overtaking the other until it was overtaken again. Brilliant.
Sahar on her new road bike was quite frankly too fast for me - we
whizzed along the road together - my lungs busting themselves whilst Sahar was
just freewheeling!
During the Second World War this
part of France was under occupation as indeed was our chateau. We stopped at a
memorial, a Chieftan Tank and a row of flags flying from many countries.
Further on we found a Germany cemetery. It was a very sombre moment as we all
wandered about looking at more lives
lost. Lest we forget, indeed.
Back en route we made our way to
Cataret where we found space in a restaurant discovered on the Recce Ride.
Delicious! Somehow the poor waitress
managed to feed all 20 of us in time to leave at 2.15 apart from one pudding.....!
Olaf and I were TECing and All
Upping (in that order) at the back and this is where we stayed. Unfortunately just at the railway station as
we waved goodbye to those taking the train back Olaf had a visitation. On a
Moulton. A revised plan following a call
to the front meant that Mistral and Olaf
would return separately and Adrian (who was waymarking further along the route)
would take up the TECing. Another sprint
to bring us all together!
As we headed down a Route
Barree / Deviation we eventually had to walk along the verge avoiding the
workmen and their melting pot of tar. Back on our bikes, another lovely road
weaving and twisting through farms and fields at the bottom of which we slowed
down to join the main road - just as Olaf and Mistral flew along it!! They had
caught us up - brill! (Although given what strong cyclists they are it wasnt a
surprise - but the timing was perfect!)
On into Ruffoses where George,
Sahar and I ate brioche on the side of the road, had a drink and enjoyed the
sunshine before heading home to change and turn around for dinner Chez CriCri.
Ready and changed for supper we
made our way to the restaurant where we all piled in for the set menu. So French that we didnt know what the hors
d'oeuvres was until it arrived! Rural
cuisine, not ideal for vegetarians as it is very meat-based but the boeuf
bourguignon was delicious. This was followed by the most chocolatey tarte au
chocolat I have ever eaten. In fact some
would say I was slightly tipsy on the sugar!
Cycling home was hilarious as I just shot up the hill as though I was
chasing another day.
Mark of LonJog Brompton fame
came whooshing by as though he was not pedalling. At a junction with a farm
entrance he carried on to see the sunset - the sky was so pink it was
beautiful. The blur in the photo is
caused by an incorrect camera setting but ironically it sums up the
Calvodos/wine/beersies great night out with the Fridays, perfectly!
Wednesday was my return to
London day. Amazingly the route was a
loop eastwards to Barfleur from where Mick and I would be able to stay for lunch
before heading to Cherbourg.
It was a beautiful route of
course. My strategy learnt on the recce
ride to only start cycling in the direction that Gordon was going worked a
treat! The numbered conversations
continued every so often with things like "yes the D62 is fine until the D155
but look out for the D262" kind of thing (although not necessarily in that
order!)
After a lunch in Barfleur
Mistral and I bid our farewells and headed to Cherbourg. Cycling by the sea would be fantastic I
thought. Apparently if we were 100 yards
closer it would have been flat but our road was hilly.
Stunning but hilly. Thank goodness I didnt have the luggage on
the bike! We met the owners at the Port and boarded the ferry. A train or two
later and I was actually in bed. A real bed. My bed!
I had a ball - well it was a
Fridays ride. A Fridays ride around the
Cherbourg Peninsular.
Absolutely brilliant. Thank you
Your DZships. That was awesome! The rest of the pics are here
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