September 3, 2024
To Wimereux
Today’s outlook: dry, moderate headwinds, hilly, with occasional eruptions of strong coughing spasms.
It’s an easy decision, because an easy choice is available: there’s a direct regional train between here and today’s destination, Wimereux. The 1:20 departure looks perfect, getting us there just in time for lunch while we wait for our hotel to open. We have to check out from the Ibis at noon so we just head to the station just four blocks up our street. Its better to arrive early and get ticketed so that if there’s a problem with the bikes (something that’s apparently becoming an issue on regional trains) there’s still time in the day to bite the bullet and bike instead.
There’s no problem with the bikes, so with an hour on our hands we grab benches at the plein-air waiting area, the only seating the Calais station offers, feeling lucky that it’s dry and comfortable today. We don’t know until twenty minutes before departure which of the station’s four gates we'll be assigned to, but once it comes up we’re relieved that it’s one of the two with elevator service so we don’t have to haul bikes and gear down a long set of stairs.
Boarding is a snap - the train arrives on time, this is its origination point so it’s in station for about five minutes, it’s easy to roll the bikes on, and there are a half dozen hangers to suspend them from. We’ve done the right thing here.
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Matters are a little more rushed at the other end though. We’ve been watching the stops and know the train won’t tarry long on these intermediate stations so we’re well prepared. Rachael’s standing next to the door with all the luggage spread out below her and the bikes are on the floor, me holding one in each hand and braced against them standing in the middle of the aisle. As soon as the door opens Rachael hops off with one set of panniers, I reach out to dump the second set on the landing and then hand her the first bike. It’s close though, and the doors are just closing when I step off with the second one.
We haven’t booked a table anywhere but we’re pleased to see that there are empty outdoor tables when we bike up to Cafe de la Marie; but after being told that they’re done serving for the day we look around and see another spot, L’Annexe, directly across the street. They do have seating and an excellent menu to go with it and we enjoy a fine meal and the afternoon sun for the next hour before it’s time to head over to our lodging for the next two nights, Hotel des Arts.
The man who greets us looks uncertainly at our bikes but then gestures for us to bring them in and lean them against a bit of lobby furniture, gives us a key to our second floor room, confirms that there’s no lift, and then disappears back to the adjacent bar the hotel operates.
A few hours later I walk down to the waterfront for a look, reminding myself of how much we liked Wimereux when we biked our way north through here two years ago. Weather conditions were better and I put together a pretty decent gallery of the place then and we’ll be here tomorrow anyway, so I’m pretty content to just enjoy the relaxed ambience of its waterfront and watch a dog repeatedly chase away the gulls congregated at the mouth of the small river that comes to the sea here.
Today's ride: 1 mile (2 km)
Total: 3,689 miles (5,937 km)
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