816 words (Approximately a 5 minute read)
Brighton–Paris
I thought it wise to at least do some form of training for the upcoming Iceland adventure, so a quick two-dayer into Paris was organised.
Day 1—always be cycling
We left ‘Bright-on early’ to catch the morning 8am ferry into Dieppe. I had to cough up another £50 before I could board—it’s cheaper to take a car than a bicycle! Once aboard we enjoyed a beer and a chat with an Australian chap who would accompany us during the initial phase of the journey.
The first phase was a delightful 20 mile stretch that ran along the route of an old railway line—except it was now filled in with lovely smooth tarmac! This was a very flat and sheltered route, with plenty of space for cyclists and pedestrians and it was obviously very popular. We even cycled alongside an old train station platform—very surreal! The French had also installed a scale model of the solar system to entertain us as we cycled along—complete with accurate planetary distances—it’s impossible to comprehend how far away Pluto is! We reached the beautiful Neufchatel-en-Bray and decided to take a break to explore the building and its surroundings.
The next leg of the journey took us into Forges-les-Eaux and Cafe Dieppe and a wonderful little bar for us to enjoy a Leffe, sadly it was situated at a busy junction so we drank up and left in search of our final resting place. As the daylight drew in, we made a quick pit stop into a supermarket and stocked up on 8 bottles of Leffe, brioche, numerous sandwiches and some fruit. We then cycled as far as we could, the terrain got very hilly and we found a discrete spot next to a coppice to set up camp for the night.
| Day 1 Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday 25th May 2015 |
| Destination | Bremontier-Merval |
| Time taken | 06:30–10:30 (10hrs cycling) |
| Distance / Elevation | 83.8miles / 712ft |
| Accommodation | wild camped |
Day 2—always be eating
We awoke this morning somewhat lazily, I had a horrendous nights’ sleep on the lumpy floor. Happily there only remained a leisurely 60 mile cycle into the centre of Paris.
Fairly soon we reached a delightful little town and I experienced my first patisserie—something I will never forget! The selection of cakes in this tiny shop was astounding, I settled upon a chocolate eclair, going for a safe option knowing the miles that lay ahead of me. To my surprise - and utter delight—the cream inside was a delicious rich chocolate cream, not the standard english rubbish! Hands down the best eclair I have ever had in my entire life, it really made my day.
A huge frustration of mine regarding Northern France—the ghost pitches. By this I mean the sheer volume of clearly quality football pitches—complete with full perimeter fences and velvety surface—seemingly abandoned. Not a soul using them. Now, looking back, it may have been due to the time and day we were cycling, but I would give my fine left foot to be able to play on surfaces like these, how do the French ever lose with these facilities on tap at all ranges of the footballing spectrum?! It is beyond me.
Along the way we met a group of chaps from London who were also attempting the same journey as us, albeit in a little more comfort with full B&B and plenty of beers in them by the looks of things.
Upon arrival into Paris we spent a short while resting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, enjoying our last bottles of Leffe. The hard work done, we then quickly sought some energy—in the form of a fine steak dinner for two just a couple of streets away. After a short cycle to our B&B, we settled down again for yet another meal, all washed down with lashing of glorious Leffe. A job well done.
| Day 2 Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday 26th May 2015 |
| Destination | Eiffel Tower, Paris |
| Time taken | 11:00–17:00 (6hrs cycling) |
| Distance / Elevation | 61.0miles / 1519ft |
| Accommodation | B&B |
Day 3 – always be eating
We decided to get the train back to Dieppe, in the hope of catching the afternoon ferry back home that evening.
We arrived at the port just as the ferry was leaving, which meant we would have to wait five hours until the midnight ferry. We accepted this and cycled back into the town of Dieppe, enjoying a fantastic dinner on the docks with some wine, another glorious meal.
The ferry landed us home at 4am, leaving us a ten mile cycle back to the flat that just happened to be the windiest cycle I had yet experienced. Still, it was a lovely route along the foot of the cliffs, taking in the Brighton sea and reflecting upon our achievement.
| Journey Summary | |
|---|---|
| Days | 2 |
| Time taken | 16hrs cycling |
| Distance / Elevation | 144.8m / 2231ft |