Day 3 Amiens to Soissons

At least it isn’t raining I thought as I set off from Amiens. The sun finally made an appearance once I had arrived at Soissons. The first part of the route was through familiar rural France. Little villages with their large unused churches and the well used “salles de fetes” and tractors everywhere.

After a coffee stop at Roye (pronounced roi) a pretty touristy town the landscape gave way to large rolling wheat fields.

The going was mostly flat and I was making good time arriving in Noyon at 12.30. I decided that since the temperature had crept up to a balmy 20C I would risk bread and cheese in the market square. Noyon was a very attractive old town with narrow streets most of which were one way. Cyclists can mostly ignore these restrictions and go straight to where you want to go.

Less than 20 miles to go I’d be there far too soon! Fortunately the map doesn’t show the hills. I spent longer in granny gear mode than coasting along as I had all morning. After Blerancourt it just went up and up. But what goes up must keep going up or so it appeared. I was soon out of water and no villages in sight. fortunately a lovely old couple working in their garden were happy to "remplir mes bidons" Merci.

Soissons is a lovely city. (it has a cathedral) It is built on either side of Aisne with walkways and watersports right in the centre. The Cathedral was more or less on my way so I decided to take a look. It looked – to be honest like nearly every other cathedral that I have seen in France. Judge for yourself.

Unfortunately my F1 hotel was about 5km out of town and after all of my climbing I was in no mood for a 10km round trip to explore further. Besides which I fell asleep about 5pm and woke up at 9pm just in time to get dinner in Restomarche ( an offshoot of Intermarche) which was 50 m away.

Yet again the F1 wifi gratuit was not functioning so this tale will have to wait for a wifi connection which works. It was a strange day but after three days in a row the bum is fine, the legs are not bad and I am enjoying it immensely.

Day 2 Rang du Fliers to Amiens Est

The day started well enough. I had an excellent Mr Bed breakfast and left promptly at 8 with the receptionist promising to look at my blog and wiching me “bonne route” and “bon courage”. The look on the faces of the mainly holiday makers at breakfast as I wheeled my bike through the reception area was a picture that I wish I was able to show you. From Mars? No from Scotland.

The rain started as I left Rang du fliers and continued for most of the day. Today’s route was mostly following the route of an old roman road from Amiens to the coast la Chausee Brunehaut. The problem with Roman roads is that they are unerringly straight which means that they go over hills rather than round them and the traffic is fast and less willing to stop for cyclists.

The second lesson that I learned is that when the road is not marked on the map that is because the road stops and mud and potholes begin. I can’t blame Via Michelin which routed me away but I saw some nice windmills on the nice straight Roman road.
As you can see it was mountain bike territory. I listen to Mr Via Michelin next time.

The problem with the quieter is that they are quieter – no boulangeries, no cafes or restaurants. So when a caffeine hit is required some judicious map reading and guesswork are required. I landed in Crecy Pontieu the site of the battle of Crecy in 13 whenever. It was raining hard and the tourist were certainly not in the café. I enjoyed a welcome break from the weather and a rather expensive (€2.30 ) but lovely large coffee and a chat with “le patron”

It took me a while to work my way back on the documented route through very rural France. Roulant doesn’t adequately describe it, I was into the “granny gear” every second hill and reaching 50 km/hr down the other side. After a particularly long climb into Vignacourt my empty water bottles and I needed to be replenished. The Café du Sports seemed to fit the bill. I was welcomed in and served a very nice lunch by the owners who ran a café/bar/restaurant/tabac/depot du pain/ children’s meeting place. When I asked the ages of her children Mme said that only one was her 7 year old son and the other four were his friends who always seemed to gather there. Unfortunately the picture has not come out too well.

My last mistake was to try to go through the centre of Amiens rather than round it as Via Michelin suggested. I was rewarded by a very cycle friendly city centre and the magnificent cathedral but it was almost impossible to find the route out the other side. There are signs aplenty to “centre ville” but none to the outskirts. However I eventually found someone who wasn’t a tourist who gave me good general directions back on to my planned route.

I arrived at my F1 hotel wet, tired but in good spirits having covered approximately 70 miles. It has to be approximate, now, because the rain got into my waterproof cycle computer which now only reads the temperature, which varied from 14 to 17 degrees.
“Quel mauvais temps”

Day 0 Ladybank to Coquelles

Aren’t the trains wonderful? Certainly the ones that I traveled on today were.

The 07.52 from Ladybank was surprisingly busy and with all of the goodbyes and waving I ended up taking my bike into an ordinary carriage – not a great start. However the young lady guard was not at all phased by this suggesting that I put it in the bike rack in the next carriage when we stopped at Markinch.

Carrying my laden steed down the underpass then back up at Ladybank had been the first indication that perhaps I had too much weight at the back. Trying to lift it onto the bike rack was the second – I couldn’t. I sat on a fold down seat outside the amazingly busy toilet to ensure its safety. The rest of the journey was to go very smoothly indeed.

09.30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross with the bike securely strapped in the guard’s carriage. The train was very busy. The seats around me were used several times on the trip. I enjoyed a civilised conversation with a young dancer who was on her way to audition in London, a lovely smiley charity worker of Indian extraction who had met Gordon Brown and a bubbly grandmother who was off to a dinner at the Dorchester.

King’s Cross to St Pancras International. I braved the traffic and cycled the three or four hundred metres to the swish new high speed train station. What a contrast between the old and the new. I had to take a lift (with bike in tow) up to the platform. The 15.15 train was sleek and quiet and fast and empty. Disappointingly I had to put my bike in the wheelchair space. Dover finally at 16.10 and the same caper with the underpass as I had at Ladybank.

It is amazingly far to cycle around the giant complex which is Dover Eastern Docks. However they have catered for cyclist thoughtfully preparing us for the other side by painting a red line to follow on the right hand side of the road where the hundreds of lorries swept by. To save queuing I was directed to the lorry check in booth where I persuaded the clerk to let me on the earlier than booked ferry which was just about to board. Much to the chagrin of the watching and waiting car lines I was directed to the very front and feeling like royalty I was waved aboard as the first vehicle.

The ferry crossing was the harbinger of the bad weather to come. White horses were at least as prevalent as white cliffs. It was rough with everyone doing impressions of drunks on a Saturday night to take a coffee back to their seat. On arrival, you’ve guessed, I was first off and on my way at last. The wind was howling and it looked sure to rain but I was in France following my instructions from Via Michelin and they worked.

By 8.15 my bike and I were installed in my F1 room in Coquelles and I was heading off across eerily quiet spaces of the retail park to eat in the most amazing fusion of American and French cookery which is Buffalo Grill. It was hunger or McDonalds or Buffalo Grill- an easy choice in the end.
It had been a very interesting first day. As I lay in half sleep I wondered what adventures lay ahead.

Day 1 Coquelles to Rang du Fliers

Day 1 of my grand adventure and I am up at 6.30 and ready to rock and roll. A quick look outside reveals that it is very dull and very windy and the stoic hotelier informs me with seeming glee that “le meteo” predicts rain.

Not to be deterred I proceeded to make up my water bottles carefully adding just the right “fix” of maltodextrine with a dash of electrolytes for good measure. Breakfast was fantastic value at €3 and consisted of orange juice, coffee, bread, cereal, and a compote of stewed fruit. It said “a volonte” so I took them at their word and ate my fill.
I finally set off on the great adventure at 07.45 full of hope and expectation. The good news is that the via Michelin instructions are easy to follow and that my back up map torn from the atlas was largely unnecessary. The bad news is that Via Michelin routes cyclist down such quiet roads that there are no cafes or bars or restaurants. It was 10.00 before I even passed a café and it was closed. Monday?

I finally had my first café of the trip in Samer just as the heavens opened as they had threatened to do all morning. I duly covered my panniers and bar bag with their integral yellow rain hoods which were subsequently proved to work well. It has rained all day often very heavily. The other bad news is that the Pas de Calais is not flat. The day consisted of steady climbs followed by sharp descents into the next village then another steady climb….

However I arrived in Rang du Fliers just after 13.00 wet but in good spirits."Is there somewhere inside I could leave my bike,"I asked aware that I was dripping all over the floor. "Dans la chambre , monsieur" was accompanied by a look which seemed to say "and where else would you put it."

After a nice hot shower and a trip to Intermarche for a picnic lunch (in the Mister Bed room it was raining “en cordes” - cats and dogs) I felt revived and ready to tackle a siesta.

It wasn’t the kind of first day I had pictured in my head – it is France in August, but my legs and back and neck and shoulders and wrists, held up well which hopefully bodes well for the rest of the week. The 45 miles had turned into 51 miles when I searched for a more direct route in the heavy rain.

Finally I rediscovered the fact that skin is waterproof. It was a good day. I am determined to enjoy whatever this trip throws at me.

At last I'm underway

Well the waiting is almost over and I'm finally on my way. I am writing this on the East Coast train from Edinburgh to London (well what else would you do on a Sunday morning?)
I got up bright eyed and bushy tailed only to see that the blue skies and sunshine of Saturday evening had given way to a thick "pea souper" of a fog. As I cycled to Ladybank I was coated in a thin film of liquid, which wasn't sweat. Yuck. Who wants to sit on a train all day with wet clothes.
However the day was instantly brightened by the arrival of my wife Pauline, my son Simon and my youngest grand-daughter Ruby. Her radiant smile and greeting to "mama" was enough to lift any gloom caused by the weather and was a wonderful surprise.
I will miss my family during my four week trip but I am looking forward to the adventure to come.
I am heartened by all of the messages of support and the incredibly generous pledges of money for the Samaritans. Thank you, especially to the anonymous donor of £100. Your generosity and kind words will spur me on.

Training in the South of France

Today is the first time in two weeks that the temperature in the shade has dropped below 30 degrees Celsius. It is a chilly 27 and I have been driven indoors briefly to check e mail and write this.

How is the warm weather training going? Well I think it is going very well.I have been out in the heat getting some kilometres into my legs and generally assuring myself that I have not bitten off more than I can chew.

My Shimano SPD sandals are great. They keep the feet firmly attached but let the air circulate around your feet. They are very comfortable both on and off the bike. I am training on an old BSA with an equally old Brooks professional saddle. I could do with more than the five gears but it is great for training on.

My wife bought me a new pair of bib shorts for my birthday which are on the snazzy side. However lycra clad older men don't merit a second glance in this part of the world.

The sponsorship is starting to roll in which is great but it carries with it a certain pressure to perform. To all the sponsors so far I say "Thank you very much indeed it is greatly appreciated" To those who are prevaricating I say "Get your money out - it is a very good cause"

I got "The man who cycled the world" by Mark Beaumont for my birthday. What an incredible trip that was. It puts my little trip into an appropriate context. It is a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone.

Unfortunately there are only two more days of warm weather training before we need to return to reality.

Freedom

The day has finally come. Not the start of Brian's Big Bike ride, but the day of my retiral. Just think - no more work - ever! In many ways it;s a scary thought, but I don't expect to be spending too much time in my favourite armchair thinking about it.

The parents and pupils and staff of Kettle Primary School sent me on my way in fine style on Thursday July 1st with an evening of entertainment and reminiscing. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was good to see so many faces from the past and gratifying that they took the trouble to share the evening with me and my colleague Janice Russell who was also retiring.

I would like to thank everyone who attended or who sent their best wishes.I thank the members of "Kettles got nae talent" for their entertaining song and dance routine. I thank the three headteachers with whom I worked for their kind words. I will miss all of their support but my attention is now firmly focused across the Channel.

Those who were unable to attend may be faintly amused by my final( I promise) Poem what I Wrote

The final poem

It's become customary
A tradition at such time
For me to stand up (wherever we are, often Balbirnie)
And prattle on a bit in rhyme

It didn't used to take much
To be sufficiently of note
You just needed to have a special birthday, or leave or retire or come back
To get a "poem what I wrote"

So as Kettle's poet in residence
It seems to fall to me
To say a few words
At this our leaving spree

But where to start, what to say?
I can't fit in the half
Of what I think that I should say, to mark this day,
Of our leaving Kettle's Staff

Start at the very beginning,
A very good place to start
When there's a tale to tell
It's the most essential part

It started off in the annex (now the nursery)
In 1983 in May
Finishes twenty seven years later
Almost to the day
(well it is a poem )

What terrible deed did I commit
In some other life I wonder
To deserve such a life sentence
I'd have got less for murder!

There has always been certain children
As everyone here knows
Who have a highly developed talent
For getting right up your nose

They niggle and they wriggle
Could start a dispute in an empty class
Engender panic attacks in visiting teachers
Won't let other children pass

Like ....
Well I'm sure we all know who
And to name them here and now
Would be so unprofessional to do

But

tonight I am retiring
And shy and smiling sweetly
So I'll keep them up my sleeve
To myself - discreetly

But there is one thought – yes just the one
That has lately been exercising my brain
It just won't go away
It returns again and again

When we're finally prised away
For we're both in with the bricks
How may Fife Council workers
Will it take for them to fix

The gaping whole that will be left
In the fabric of the school?
That's an easy question
We're neither of us fool

Enough to think that we're unique
The A team the number one and only crew
I'll answer my own question
It'll take just two

Nicola and Claire they'll both be happy
At Kettle, have a laugh
Part of what has always been
A pulling together staff

For me it was a privilege
And a pleasure it has been
To be an integral part
Of this Kettle school scene

But everything has its time
By which it should be done
Everything a sell- by -date
Which should not be overrun

It's a natural progression
Like cradle to the grave
All good things come to an end
Goodbye must be waved

So thank you all for being
Here for us tonight
To send us on our way
On a note that is just right

(e sharp) Its a private in- house
sort of joke
Which only imminent retirees
Would dare to invoke

It is a fairly sad occasion
and we might yet shed a tear
But they'll turn to tears of joy
Very rapidly never fear

Thanks to friends and family
And to esteemed colleagues too
Thanks to all the parents
Without which a school cannot do

Thanks for your best wishes
And for your gifts and friendship too
Finally, thanks for your being further back
In the retirement queue.