#295 Caps off to Susan

Back at #280 I lamented the fact that Swobo in California wanted to charge more than $70 to ship a 15 buck cotton cap to Spain :-(

Little did I know that my friend Susan had taken pity on me and bought the cap and mailed it to me (US postage charge only $2.92). Hurray!

Trouble is, I now need a black cycling jersey to wear with the cap . . . . . .

#294 Jazz in Barça

We spent three days driving a rental car from Cherbourg to Perpignan
Stayed one night chez Hobsons and one chez Wilkins on the way.
Dumped car at station and took two trains to Barça.
Stayed with Tom and went to nice exhibition of Jazz ephemera at the CCCB.

#293 Lance

L.A. Confidential, Les secrets de Lance Armstrong.
by Pierre Ballester and David Walsh.

A paper back book (in French) detailing the alleged drug regime of Lance Armstrong before being struck down with cancer and his recovery and subsequent return to bike racing.

I'm glad none of my children wanted to become pro bike riders, the amount of 'medical' intervention available today is so sophisticated it's frightening.

#292 L'Agriculture

Back in the 1980's I had a business importing dairy products from Normandy. I bought a 7.5 tonne refrigerated truck and most Friday nights I would drive from London to Poole and take a night sailing on Truckline Ferries across the Channel to Cherbourg. Next morning, drive to the dairy, load up with cheese and come back on the Saturday evening sailing.

The boss of one of my suppliers was quite a bon viveur and he would often invite me to lunch - if I came over with the whole family he would insist on it. We would go to a really nice restaurant in nearby Valognes called L'Agriculture. The food was so nice, the ambiance so typically French and the welcome so warm that it became our restaurant with which to compare all other restaurants. Quite often the opinion would be, "Good - but not as good as the Agriculture!"

L'Agriculture is still there - and it hasn't changed a bit. Even one of the serveuse is still employed to wait at table - though she is no longer a fresh faced 17 year old! The decor is the same and the food is still really good French country fare. They used to have a fish tank in the hall where the lobsters lived and you would choose your lunch before sitting down. Nowadays it only houses tropical fish - not for eating ( . . . . . at least, I don't think so).























As well as dairy products, Normandy is also famous for its apple brandy, called Calvados. Occasionally I would buy a bottle to take home. In those days there was a limit to the amount of duty free wine and/or spirits (but not beer or cider) you could import without paying onerous customs duties. I bought my Calva from a little family run business that made their own produce on their farm from their own apples. Sometimes they would give me my Calva in a used beer bottle. I supposed they were trying to save money on the packaging. . . . . . . .

#291 Bagnoles de l'Orne

We took a holiday from our holiday.

We went 150km south by train from Cherbourg to Argentan, then rode to Bagnoles de l'Orne. Next day we visited a friend of a friend and stopped the second night in Briouze. Third day back to Argentan and trained back to Cherbourg.

We rode about 200km round Bagnoles - the area is called Swiss Normandy and is hilly and forested and pretty flowers decorate wooden houses, very much like Switzerland (although I couldn't spend my 1 Swiss Franc that I have left over from Leysin).

Riding back out of Cherbourg I espied a shop making umbrellas - could this be the inspiration for the 1964 art house French film Les Parapluis de Cherbourg?

#290 Visitors

Ryan, Kevin and Lorraine paid us a visit at our campsite. We went for a walk on the beach. If you wonder why we are all wearing several layers of clothes - it's because it's not as warm as it should be:-(

#289 Camping near Cherbourg - France

Of course when one's camping one needs a bedroom with a double bed and a bathroom with a shower and flushing toilet and wash basin and a nice big mirror.

It goes without saying that the kitchen has to be equipped with a micro wave, the capacious fridge has to have a deep freeze section, an oven with four burner gas hob, a double sink with sufficient hot water to do the dishes (I have to admit - no dishwasher!).

When roughing-it in the country it does help to have fitted carpets and plenty of storage space and a nice big wardrobe. Just in case it gets chilly it's good to know there is a central heating system and and for those days that are just too hot, two air conditioning units - one up front for the driver and a a slightly more powerful cooler for the house.

A few comfortable armchairs plus a four seater banquette at which to dine (convertible to another double bed) and an extra single bed (for the staff) and camping becomes almost acceptable ;-)























No WiFi on our campsite so a short trip to a local bar where the nice lady in the bar Le Tot de Bas gave me her password to log-on. We had to pay for the baguette, beer and paté but a sniff from the little dog under the table was free.

#288 France

Friday from Amsterdam: Train to Paris Gare du Nord, ride round to Gare St Lazare, train to Cherbourg, collapse in hotel.

#287 More from Amsterdam

We wandered around Amsterdam some more, took a ferry, drank more coffee, did more tourist stuff.

Then we found the source of all the supplies sold in the "coffee houses", obviously the plants were fenced in to prevent them from escaping.

#286 Amsterdam it's Lekker!

Lekker is Dutch for Nice
and F*cking is Dutch for . . . . . ?

Then we went on a train with Jay & Mascha.








































We went out for pancakes (they were lekker!)























Monday we rode over to Haarlem - we didn't see any Globetrotters.
(although there are a lot of very tall people in Holland).

Tuesday we went on a tram:






















We boated round the canals:














We went to the Van Gough Museum, I must admit I can take Vincent or leave him, but I really liked the pictures by his mate Emile Bernard, more . . . . graphic?

Then we went to the photographic museum FOAM but best of all we went to a mega Chinese supermarket Dun Yong to buy green Thai curry paste - even more lekker!

#285 BCN to AMS week 2

Stage 14 Hilvarenbeek to Amsterdam 140km
. . . . arrived . . . . . :-)
Today I rode 120km of 140km on cycle paths; some good but a lot twisting and turning, made of cobbles or made of bricks, up and down kerbs and generally not that relaxing for eight hours. Beautiful roads but a navigational nightmare, good job I had detailed maps.























Stage 13 Huy to Hilvarenbeek 130km
I've gone Dutch! Stayed at Herberg St Petrus 10/10.


















Stage 12 Virton to Huy 142km
Huy is just a bit left of Leige, Hôtel de Fort - crummy.

Stage 11 Toul to Virton 130km
Into Belgium and the biggest bed so far at the Relais de la Vénerie.

































Stage 10 Luxeuil to Toul 127km
Road. Fields. Sky. and not much more.
Hotel de l'Europe wanted 5€ wifi charge - no way, José.


















Stage 9 Pontarlier to Luxeuil les Bains 130km
Very wet and cold, wore rain cape all day. Beau-Site a really nice "old school" French hotel.








































Stage 8 Leysin to Pontalier 122km.
Freewheeled first 16km down to Aigle, then pleasant ride round Lac Leman, through Montreux and Lausanne. Last 6okm mostly up and more up out of Swiss and into France.

#284 leysin layover

Very nice three days r&r, went swimming each day and cooked Thai chicken for Brett and Fiona and (pictured) Sophie, Nichola, Lizbeth & Astrid, Rebecca, Christine and Tereza.

Next, me and Astrid up on the roof.

Phil from Hefti Sports who gave me bolts to fix my bag (again).

#283 BCN to AMS (a work in progress)

Stage 7 arrived Leysin after 130km + 10km by mountain railway . . . . . . . . . .


















Stage 6 Pont en Royans to Seyssel 141km
wizzed along all day - must be getting fit! Hotel right on the river, and here's a bit of it.

















Stage 5 Aubenas to Pont en Royans 118km
Climbed over Col de l'escrinet 787m and into head wind for rest of day. Hotel v nice.

















Stage4 Ganges to Aubenas 130km
One of those stick-in-the-mud days. Big thanks to Etien at Cycles7 in Aubenas, I used his tools to fix broken barbag.










































Stage 3 St Pons to Ganges 113km
first long climb 10k up in 1 hour then 10k down in 10 min! Climb 2 v long but corkscrew down and final 20k beside river La Vis beautiful.
Hotel de la Poste awarded most grotty room of the trip.


















Stage 2 Quillan to St Pons de Thomière 120km
Twiddled down to Limoux, spinned into Carcassonne, peddled over the Col de Se? and into St Pons for apricot tart and beer. Jobs a good'un.

















Stage 1 Ribes Freser to Quillan 130k
Six and a half hours. Thunder and lightning, cold and wet but still, first stage completed!
Hotel Cartier charged an extra 1€ for bike parking - wtf?

#282 Let's Monk Again

I thought I'd been forgotten! But no, finally on 1st July 2009,
(sound of trumpets) Me as Monk on Sleeveface!

#281 London Bridge Station

I just sold my last disc wheel (I had three at one time). I advertised it on the London Fixed and Single Speed Forum for a hundred pounds and got a buyer called Andy. The wheel was with my mate Jonny F in London and I put them in touch with each other to organise collection and payment. They arranged to meet at London Bridge Station and do the deal.

I must ask Jon how Andy found him, did he wear a white carnation or carry a rolled-up copy of The Times or what . . . . . ?

Anyway, big thanks to Jon for looking after the wheel and collecting the cash.

#280 SWOBO No Go

Begin rant / As an add-on to the item below I wanted to buy a nice white SWOBO cycling cap. Sort of brand loyalty if you will, after the nice vibes I got when winning one of their shirts (#264).

However shipping a $15 cap for $76.25 seemed a bit OTT, don't you think? Not that I haven't complained in the past but all I get is an electronic shrug. / Rant over

#279 1600km in one pair of shorts

Nearly ready to go riding from Barça to Damm, (see map #273) kit organised, credit card at the ready, list of 5 star hotels taped to top tube.

On the left is my daily riding gear; Swrve cap, Uvex varicrome glasses, white retro Campagnolo track mitts, white Rapha Club Jersey, Assos H5 no-bib shorts, Rapha wool socks (L & R), Specialized mountain bike shoes.

Each night I wash my shorts / jersey / socks with the hotel's shampoo and hope it's all dry by next morning. If not, the hotel hair dryer comes into action!

In the handle-bar bag I have enough clothing to change into each night. Viz: Kenzo double breasted electric blue suit, a dozen Gieves & Hawkes sea island cotton shirts, an assortment of silk ties (I used to buy two each year at Harrod's spring sale, so have quite a selection), Vans shoes with Addict print (as an alternative a pair of Bally grey suede tassle-over loafers), one pair of David Beckham's Armani underpants - it's all right, he washed them!

It does pay to look one's best on arriving at one's hotel, so I make sure to have my jacket open and trousers at half mast so that the Amani pants are quite apparent - then I will be marked down as a man of taste and style and probably upgraded to the Presidential Suite.

You have to know the tricks of the trade when travelling across Europe ;-)

#278 My Guess is . . . . . .

We went out for lunch at restaurant Mena in Las Rotas, Denia. Salad and a platter of sea food. Not wanting to neck a whole bottle of wine we asked for just a glass each. It seems there was half a bottle of Baron de Magaña left over from some earlier do, so we had some of that.

We had to grin, the bottle was as big as Ramon, our waiter.
Yes, but how big? answers on a postcard, please.

#277 Curry Nights

Our guests think Sally is serving them water to go with their curry - actually, it's gin! They really enjoyed the curry ;-)

#276 Little bit of Road

Here is a little bit of road, on a nice sunny day, pale blue sky, no wind, no cars, all downhill, perfect riding :-)