First time abroad since the Covid pandemic global restrictions and my test is negative. Not that the French border force bothers to check. Meet Simon in Kennington and get an earlier train from St Pancras than planned so Pete meets us on sunny Dover seafront supping beers. Usual maze to th ferry with a good crossing then the usual mix-up getting lost out of Dunkirk port. My new drive chain is still slipping and Pete notices that my new chain has a broken link. 15 minutes later that's removed from the chain and from here on in the drive chain behaves perfectly. One of my panniers then jumps off but that's the 3rd of the troubles as they come in 3's and the rest of the week is trouble free with no punctures for any of us either. We get to the AirBnB above a convenient garage with friendly hosts and settle in a local bar for the evening sampling the various beers. I have a comfortable night in the double bed with Simon next to me. Just like old times.
Tuesday is why we're here. After getting breakfast stuff from the lovely local shops we depart our home having taken a photo of our female host. Well, I asked her to take a photo of us but she thought I wanted one of her. Then down to the seafront for a beer, watch the caravan (we get a whistle and coffee bag) and then meander up to where the team coaches are. Back along the promenade to see the peloton go past, not racing yet, and then we eventually get through Dunkirk onto the Calais road. Lots of others mainly Brits cycling to Calais to catch the end of the stage and we all lose and meet each other as we all take wrong turnings. The French road signage has not improved. We make Calais which is packed at the end of the stage so we see the race coming into Calais near the end of the stage with van Aert the easy solo winner. Probably not easy for him though. We cycle along the route taken stopping off for beers and salt (crisps) at a crowded bar with loads of polka dot T shirts where Simon buys wine and Pete blags a baguette. Fortified it's up a steep hill then down to Escalles where we camp for the night. Not as far as I planned but we're happy to stop. A lovely spot and after wine and a trip to the bar and wine I sleep well in my new 1 man tent.
An early rise and packed and cycling by 8 am. A couple of proper hills to start taking in a coffee at Wimereux market but then gently rolling hills after our stop at Boulogne. It's hot and I nearly bonk (as in the cyclists term) but after a good lunch of my vegan pate and cherries I'm cycling fit again. With cycle lanes on the busier roads it's easier going than yesterday. We cycle from Le Crotoy round the Somme estuary along a cycle track to the lovely Saint-Valery-sur-Somme then along the coast to camp at Cayeux-sur-Mer. We're in a quiet corner of the site and cycle to the pebbly beach for an invigorating and much needed dip in the channel. Then the campsite bar for beers, calvados and negotiating a vegan pizza.
Thursday is the big day getting back on schedule starting with a lumpy ride to the pleasant looking Treport harbour and then Dieppe where Pete leaves us. Then it's a lot of very rolling hills for me and Simon that I find quite hard. Europe having a heat wave doesn't help me through our dog leg detour but we eventually reach Caudebec-en-Caux (aka Rives-en-Seine) and camp by the banks of the Seine. Well, across the road from it. We cook up a great meal with vegetables on cous cous washed down with beer and wine watching big boats pass with the crescent moon overhead. After 90 miles according to my bike computer I'm ready for bed.
Friday up early but can't see the river due to mist so we go back to sleep for a while. Porridge and tea start us off along the invisible river which soon appears as the mist is burnt off by the hot sun. Another day that I struggle in the heat and apologies Simon if I became a bit fractious - like demanding to know how many and how steep the hills are going to. Anyway, the pleasant riverside ride veers into Port Jerome then through a load of oil refineries to get to the ferry to Quillebeuf. We then take a very very bumpy track which we should have probably double backed but you hate doing that when cycling. The track has loads of potholes and is very stony and it's a wonder that we don't puncture given our pack weights over the 3 miles to the big bridge where we pick up the road. Our route then alternates between very busy roads with artics to small country lanes. And over a couple of very large lumps but the fun descents I guess make up for that somewhat. Well, not really as I admit I was struggling again and suffering from the heat. We lunch at a trucker roadside frites place that didn't want our bikes in the garden area. Very odd but good chips and cold orangina. After a while we split with Simon heading straight to Caen to get a late afternoon train and I go to the coast and meander along as my ferry is at 11 pm. The coastal route is all bike paths or quiet roads and I take the opportunity to cool off in the sea. A great hard gravel route takes me up and down the Orne estuary crossing at the WWII Pegasus bridget and on to Ouistreham port. After a meander I find a great place to eat a massive salad and drink beer.
After a red wine I sleep on the floor of the ferry and then an uneventful train ride from Portsmouth to London having a good natter with the Gooner train guard who loved my Sega shirt. Cycling from Clapham Junction home was a breeze and lovely to see Debbie who orders me into the bath. Needed from both relaxation and cleanliness viewpoints. A great trip and thanks Simon and Pete for the ride.
