Introduction
This an account of a cosy, easy going and very enjoyable trip through North-western France, largely following the coastline between the ferry ports of Roscoff, in Brittany and Dieppe in Upper Normandy. This was our summer holiday [vacation] so we indulged ourselves occasionally. We stayed mainly in country hotels or 'auberges' as listed in the Guide des Hotels-restaurants Logis de France. [www.logis-de-france.fr The listed hotels generally offer reasonably priced accommodation and have restaurants which serve menus du terroir , regional specialities.
The choice of destination was partly the result of leaving our choice of holiday until the last minute [as we often do]. My wife, Barbara, at first unenthusiastic, was persuaded to get back on her bike after walking a section of the Pennine Way in early August. 'I really need to get more exercise,' she moaned, at the end of our hike, as she painfully folded herself into the front seat of the car.
I had earlier suggested a ride across the Alps, from Friedrichshaven, Germany to Bergamo in Italy, using a no-frills airline there and back. We eventually settled for the more forgiving terrain of our port to port journey. Neither of us had done any training, apart from riding to work and back.
A week ahead of our intended departure, I booked rail tickets to Plymouth by phone, (UK rail companies do not accept bookings for bicycles on-line) and the ferry crossing over the net. To be noted, is the fact that walk-up long distance rail tickets in Britain are very expensive. Booking on-line in advance is the cheapest option.
On the day before the our departure, I rode into Central London in warm rain, to pick-up maps and a hotel guide. The following morning, I cleaned the bikes and pumped up the tyres with a workshop style pump as hard as was sensible.
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 1 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |