Blog 6 - Traversing the many rims of the Paris Basin

First part on La Route Verte

Chris our excellent young cycle leader & frozen puddles

Hi,

A real crisp winter, ice-coated, finger-biting, start to the day.  A slipperiness-induced cautious beginning to a beautiful day of clear skies too which turned out to be 65 miles, due to an earlier misbooking of the wrong hotel in the chain.  But nobody minded.  But if anyone says that NW France is actually flat, they are exaggerating.  It's gently undulating into the Paris basin which seems to have many rims!  For most this was another glory because those hills warmed us up. Especially the scarp slopes

One of the many 'rims' of the Paris Basin requiring oomph

Then there were dip slopes which gently descended over miles ahead,  Such a lovely ride with great company it was difficult to recall originally (I beleive) pilgrims put themsleves through a degree of suffering.  I reckon the whole ride at this rate is worth say 20 seconds remission from Purgatory.

No profound thoughts today but we are 15 miles from our destination looking forward to a leisurely ride in to the Pilgrims Welcome (you pay to get welcomed!) where we will meet with 200 others and have to do a 2 minute performance.  Two of our talented ladies, have rewritten a verse or two of Widdecombe Fair, and we have two accomplished tin whistlers and bicycle bells as a backing group.  It'll bring the house down!

They were smiling because I was about to be run over by an impatient motorist

Al fresco DIY lunch with Camenbert & Chips

Re-adjustments.  Only 1 puncture in the 18 Tyres so far.

 50 miles on the way we arrived at Cergey, a 30 year old town about 30miles from the centre of Paris.  In the plaza outside of station we were reminded of the terrorist tragedy still very much in everyone's minds in France and elsewhere.

More postcards (hope no repeats, it's tricky to check)