South Shields to Ottawa

My brother-in-law, Malcolm, had offered to drive me to Gatwick an offer I could not turn down. On Saturday, August 1, he came over to my mother-in-law's and we tried to squeeze my bike into the boot (trunk) of his Jag. There was no way it was going to fit even after having removed both front and rear wheels. I took the rear mudguard (fender) off. Still it wouldn't fit. I took the front mudguard off. No go!!! Finally I removed the rear carrier and with a bit of a shove we managed to get the boot lid shut.

Of course I could not leave without having one last dinner (lunch) prepared by Nana. Malcolm came over at 12:00 and joined us. By 1:00 we were finished eating and chatting, well, except for Nana. Nana, of course, was sad to see me leave. She had really enjoyed my helping her out with various odd jobs around the house and was sorry to see me leave with still many more projects that she needed a handy man to do for her.

It was a lovely sunny day and the drive down to the Hurtwood Inn Hotel in Peaslake was uneventful. We made good time and arrived at our lodgings for the night at 6:30 with the help of my GPS which took down some rather narrow but scenic roads. After checking in and carrying our bags up to our rooms we met at the bar for a pint of beer. After taking a few photos there wasn't much else to do so we had another pint and ordered dinner. I had just recently finished reading one of Agatha Christie's mystery novels and as we were sitting in the hotel pub I could just imagine Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple walking in and asking that all staff be assembled in the main dinning room so he/she could announce the results of their investigation into the most recent murder. Fortunately, no murder had been commited and we were able to enjoy and quiet, peaceful evening.

The following morning, after breakfast , Malcolm drove me to Gatwick Airport. I had considered putting my bike together and cycling from Peaslake to Gatwick but a second check of my GPS indicated that the distance was 26 miles. In the end it was a good decision to have Malcolm drop me off at the airport. On arrival at Gatwick Airport we found a quiet spot in a nearby McDonald's parking lot so I could put my bike back together. I said goodbye to Malcolm and thanked him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to drive me to the airport.

I arrived at the Thomas Cook check-in counter at 10:30 only to find out that I couldn't check in for my flight to Ottawa until 11:40. I joined the queue waiting to check-in. At 11:40 TC staff appeared and check-in began. There were several people ahead of me so it was after 12:00 before I finally managed to get to the counter. I had counted on TC having a plastic bag in which to wrap my bike (same as Air Transat provided me with in Montreal prior to my departure for Bordeaux) but this was not the case. I was told I might be able to get one from Oversize Baggage but first I had to go to TradeEx and pay 30 Pounds for shipping. I had trouble finding TradeEx and had to return to TC for further directions. On my second attempt I was more successful and after paying the 30 pounds went off to find a plastic bag. I tried several Oversize Baggage counters but they did not have any materials for packaging oversize objects let alone a bicycle. One guy suggested I try Left Luggage which was near the Arrivals exit. I made my way over there and asked the guy at the counter if he could help me wrap my bike for shipping to Ottawa. He promptly informed me that they didn't wrap bicycles. I told him I had tried everyone else and that I was desperate. He said I should wait 10 minutes for his colleague to return and he might be able to help. Eventually the 2nd guy arrived and he asked me to wait 10 minutes while he went off to look for a bag. He came back with an AirTransat bag and informed me it would cost 20 pounds!!! This was the same plastic bag that I paid $5 for in Montreal. What could I do. I had no other choice than to pay. After removing my pedals, loosening the handlebars and deflating the tires they proceeded to wrap up my bike. I must say they did a good job. Now all I had to do was walk it back to the TC counter to get my baggage label so I could then walk it over to the Excess Baggage counter and get it sent off to the baggage handlers. What a carry on. Needless to say by the time I got my bag over to EB I had worked up quite a sweat. I was quite releaved to see my bike disappear on the conveyor belt into the bowels of the baggage handling area.

My checking in ordeal was not quite over yet. I still had to clear the carry-on baggage security check before proceeding to the departure lounge. Now I have been in a lot of airports during my career with the Department of Foreign Affairs but I have never seen a queue as long as the one I had to join in order to get on the plane for Ottawa. Getting through the security took another hour. Thank goodness I had driven to the airport and not cycled I would never have had time to check-in, find a plastic bag, clear security, etc. otherwise. I had brought a spanner (wrench) with me in order to remove my pedals and had put it in my carry-on bag along with my pedals. When the security officer saw this wrench he immediately said that any sort of tools were not allowed on board airplanes in case I should get bored during the long flight back to Canada and start dismantling a wing or something. So my wrench was confiscated for the safety of all and I was allowed to proceed to the departure lounge.

The rest of the journey was non-eventful. We left on time, arrived 10 minutes early and my daughter eventually showed up at the airport to drive me home. When I collected my bike at oversize baggage I noticed that a couple of holes had been torn into the plastic wrapping. I also noticed that the valve caps and valve nuts had been completely removed and were now in the bottom of the plastic bag. Why the baggage handlers had to remove the valve caps and nuts is a mystery. Unless it was an internal security check and they removed my tires/tubes to check them for drugs/explosives???

All in all it was a fantastic trip and an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The only thing I would do differently is try to travel a lot lighter next time. Pushing 50 lbs of extra weight up the mountains in France and the hills in England was not my idea of having a good time.

TTFN Roly

South Shields 27July09

Continued from last post... From Boulmer, I set off on a narrow paved road which soon turned into two narrow rocky ruts mostly used by farm machinery. Nevertheless, I pressed on and soon arrived at a sandy beach where I had to get off and walk. There was a gate which I passed through, more sand and then a short narrow wooden bridge to cross. Once on the other side I was on a narrow uphill foot path for about 200 yds which then became two narrow rocky ruts again. All in all it was a stretch of about 1 km. There were quite a few people on the "beach" who had come by car. I was never so happy to reach the narrow paved road which eventually led me through Longhoughton and on to Howick. I had to negotiate a couple more gates, pass through a couple farm yards, complete with sheep dogs sunning themselves by the barns, before arriving at the Howick Hall Gardens. I cycled across a parking lot of sharp stones and stopped at the kiosk to enquire about my niece who lives at The West Lodge on the Howick Estate. The gentleman looking after the kiosk tried to call the nursery, where my niece helps out, but could not get an answer. I asked him if he knew where the West Lodge was. He said yes he knew where it was. When I asked if he would kindly point me in the right direction he hesitated. I then realized he expected me to pay the £5.00 entrance fee to the gardens before he would tell me how to get to the West Lodge. I was quite stunned and left in a huff. A few minutes later a guy wearing a Howick Gardens shirt showed up and asked if he could help me. I explained that I had cycled from Canada and was visiting my niece, Lindsey, who lived at The West Lodge with her partner Steve Tennant. He knew both Steve and Lindsey and agreed to show me the way. No charge!!! The Lodge was located about 1 km away on the other side of the gardens along a rutted rocky road. I arrived at 2 PM. After putting away my bags and bike we drove over to the nursery where Lindsey had to help out for awhile. I went for a walk into Craster about 2 kms away. There is a castle there and from a distance it looked very much like the castle on Holy Island which I had visited on a previous visit to England. I decided to go for a beer instead. On the way I passed a building with smoke coming out of it. The sign read "We smoke kippers". Sure smelled like it to.... After a nice pint of lager I walked back to the nursery where Lindsey was just about finished for the day. We drove back to her quaint little cottage where I was introduced to Steve who showed me the generators that were used to provide electricity for the cottage which dated back to 18?? There was a cast iron oven with a log fire burning in the fire place. When I asked Steve if the fire was to keep the damp off he explained to me it was used for heating and for providing hot water.
The following day I cycled back to South Shields stopping off in Alnwick to check out Barter Book Shop which, according to the Cycle Britain guide, is the largest 2nd hand book store in England. It was huge. I did manage to find a rare book that my son Keith asked me to look for. It will remain a surprise until I get home??? The day started off a bit drizzly but by the time I had reached Alnwick the skies had cleared up and the remainder of the ride home along the main roads was a very pleasant one. I arrived in North Shields at 1:20, waited for the ferry for 5 minutes, and sailed for South Shields at 1:30, arriving back home at 2:00. Total distance was 93.52 mi. (150 kms) Time 8:23:35
Saturday, before cycling to Sunderland for the annual airshow on the beach with my brother-in-law and nephew, I checked over my bike. There was a squeaking noise coming from the rear derailleur and the chain was skipping when in the lower gears (larger rear cogs). I also decided to clean up the front and rear rims. As I was wipping down the front rim I notice the tube was sticking out about 1/4 inch from a cut in the side wall of the tire. I can only think that this must have happened when I was cycling over the sharp rocks in the parking lot at Howick Gardens or along the rocky rutted paths along the Coast or through the gardens. Fortunately, I had brought some tire patches and was able to make the necessary repair before setting off for the ride to Sunderland.
Well that's about all the cycling I plan to do for now. I will be leaving South Shields on August 2nd driving down to London (Gatwick) with my brother-in-law, Malcolm. My return flight to Ottawa leaves at 15:40 on August 3rd and arrives in Ottawa same day at 18:25. My daughter, Lise, has agreed to meet me on arrival so, Barrie, thanks for the offer to pick me up but that won't be necessary.
Cheers, Roly

South Shields to Howick (near Alnwick)

Thursday July 23rd. Finally got some decent weather so decided to cycle to Howick to visit my niece, Lyndsey, who lives at West Lodge at Howick Hall Estate. I left South Shields at 8:45 and cycled to the ferry crossing for North Shields. Only had to wait 5 minutes for the next ferry to arrive. The ferry crossing cost £1.10 and left at 9:15. It only took 10 minutes to cross over to N. Shields. I had my GPS on and noticed that the ferry was travelling at 10 mph. Once in N. Shields I followed the road along the coast passing through Whitley Bay, Seaton Sluice, Blyth,East Sleekburn, Ellington, Lesbury, Boulmer, Longhoughton and arriving in Howick at 2:00. A very flat ride with only a few easy climbs and a lovely tail wind to help me on the way. At Boulmer I came to a fork in the road and saw a sign forbiding cars from proceeding along the coast but allowing bikes. I asked a local if I could continue if I could get to Howick by going along the coastal route. He said I could but I would have to walk my bike for several hundred yards as there was no road/path and a narrow wooden bridge to cross. To be continued....

South Shields 18July09 Part V

On Wednesday, July 1st, I put on my Canada jersey (after all it was Canada Day) and cycled from Hartlepool to South Shields via Sunderland. When I set off I tried to set my GPS for Sunderland but for some unexplicable reason it couldn't seem to find it. I tried South Shields with the same results. I decided to follow the road signs for Sunderland and ended up on the A179/A19. I had wanted to follow the coast road but wasn't sure how to get on to it. Eventually I came to a sign pointing to Blackhall Colliery which, after checking my map, I found was on the coast. I turned right and headed for it. Somehow I ended up going south instead of directly east and ended up crossing over the A19 again, going through Hutton Henry and Wingate. In Wingate I tried setting my GPS for Ryhope which is just a bit south of Sunderland. My GPS was able to compute the route and eventually I was able to get over to the coast road but not for long. For some weird reason my GPS just didn't want me to go along the coast road!!! I arrived on the outskirts of Sunderland at noon and decided I would stop in at Jean and Ron Shaw's (Margy's aunt and uncle)home on Dovedale Road. They were expecting me and had saved a bit of lunch for me. After lunch, Ronnie who is 72 years old, decided to cycle the remaining 3.5 miles to South Shields with me in case I got lost. It was a fine sunny day with a bit of a tail wind so it only took us about 25 minutes to get to Nana's house on Leafield Crescent. Ronnie couldn't be persuaded to come in for a cup of tea as he had to get home to help Jean with the grandchildren and their paper routes. I put my bicycle away in the garage and brought my bags in the house. About an hour later, around 3:00 PM, the heavens opened up with a terrific thunderstorm. Talk about timing. I was glad to be safe and sound in Nana's house.
Hartlepoole to South Shields (+ detour) 57:51 kms time 3:25:40
TOTAL DISTANCE CYCLED: 2,832 KMS (1771 MILES)
That's all for now folks.....

South Shields 15July09 Part IV

On Tuesday, June 30th, I cycled from Whitby to Hartlepool. I just finished reading Barrie's comment to my last post. He wished me no more hills!!! Unfortunately this was not the case. In order to get on the highway towards Hartlepool I had to negotiate quite a steep climb up ChubbHill Road and I had only cycled 5 kms or so before I reached the first of several major hills. On the 2nd or 3rd climb as I was pushing my bike up the hill a girl passed me on her road bike. She had all the right cycling gear on and offered me encouragment. Jokingly, I asked her to throw me a tow rope. As she was cresting the hill she called back that she would carry one of my bags.... I suppose I would have had to catch up to her for that to happen. Anyways it's the thought that counts...so they say.
After crossing the Tees River I came to a large roundabout and took the wrong exit for Hartlepool. I had only gone a couple hundred yards when I came upon a barrier. It was the entrance to some sort of factory. I turned around and went back to the roundabout, stopped and decided to reset my GPS. A couple of teenagers on bikes stopped beside me and the lad asked me if I was going for a beer??? At least that's what I thought he said. I looked at him like he was from some other planet and of course I was thinking 'What kind of scam is this?' He pointed to his girlfriend's rear tyre (it was a British bike) and said did I have a patch. At this point I had cycled over 2500 kms and had yet to have a puncture (British for flat). I of course did have several patches and offered him one. The puncture was quickly repaired and once again I set off for Hartlepool. When I mentioned to my brother-in-law that I planned to stop in Hartlepool he told me that the countryside in this area was mostly industrial and therefore quite drab. He was right about that. Until I got to Seaton Carew, a lovely seaside resort. I must have passed about a 100 B&Bs but since it was only going on 2:00 PM I decided to push on for Hartlepool which was only another 10 or so kms up the coast. Another hill, push, push, push, hairpin turn, push, push, push. Finally made it up the hill. What a climb and what a spectacular view of the beach down below.
I arrived in Hartlepool at 3:00 (it was a really tough hill) but after that it was mostly flat. I rode around for 1/2 an hour looking for the T.I.C. There were several signs pointing to it but I'll be damned if I could find it. Finally I gave up and went back to a hotel/pub I had passed on the way into town. At least I thought it was a hotel and might have a room for the night. I went in and asked the barmaid if she had any rooms for the night. She informed me that they didn't do rooms. I asked if she knew where I might get a room for the night. She of course didn't and asked a couple of drunks sitting across the room if they knew of any hotels. They appeared to be in their 70's. One of them was wearing a skirt and was so pleased to help me find a place to stay for the night. I couldn't wait to get out of there. The barmaid suddenly remembered there was a hotel up the street and pointed me in that direction. I cycled to where she had directed me but again I'd be damned if I could find a hotel. I checked my GPS for hotels/motels and came up with the Grand Hotel not to far away. It was a Best Western. After locking up my bike, I went in to ask for a room. I noticed a sign on the reception desk stating rooms started at £75/night. That was a bit more than I wanted to pay but then I thought, after all it was my last night in a hotel. Unfortunately, or perhaps luckily, they were fully booked. The receptionist suggested I try the Hill Carter Hotel which was a three star hotel. I looked it up on my GPS and selected it. I ended up right back where the barmaid had sent me but again I'd be damned if I could find the entrance to the hotel. I went around front to the main street where there was an entrance to a pub. Locked my bike up (Hartlepool did not inspire a sense of security) and went up to the barmaid to ask about a room. She said I would have to go through several doors, etc and enquire at the hotel reception. What a carry on but in the end I did manage to get a room for the night with breakfast at £60. It turned out that there was a side door entrance to the hotel but there were no signs to indicate this. I have a feeling they must be missing out on a lot of customers seeing as how difficult it was to spot the entrance to their hotel. I was able to lock my bike up in a garage behind the hotel and carried my bags up to my room. Went back down to the pub for a couple of beers and updated my journal before going out to a Chinese restaurant across the street for dinner. By this time, 7:00 PM, the streets were virtually deserted. The OPEN sign outside the restaurant was lit up so I went in. Two ladies were sitting at a table which still had signs of a recent meal having been eaten there. I was quickly informed that they were closed. But I said your OPEN sign outside is lit up indicating that you are in fact OPEN. They assured me this was a mistake and that they were in fact closed and one lady kindly offered to give me direction to Timbuktoo where I might find another Chinese restaurant that might possibly be OPEN. I noticed there was a Thai restaurant a few doors away and said I would try it. It was OPEN and I had a wonderful meal including a dessert of deep fried bananas with ice cream. Walked back across the street to the "hotel" for a night cap. Not a soul in sight.
The next morning went up to the 4th floor for breakfast. Looked out the window at the church clock tower in the center of town and on the very top was a flag pole with the "i" symbol of the T.I.C!!!! Whitby to Hartlepool 79.31 kms Time 5:16:44

South Shields 12July09 Part III

On Sunday, June 28th, left Dunswell at 9:20 after a very nice continental breakfast in my room. There was bananas, yogurt, cereal, juice, croissant, jams, tea or coffee. I cycled to Berveley (A1174) to Bridlington (A1035/A165) and stopped for lunch at 11:30. It was an overcast day and the route was quite hilly. I had hoped to make it to Whitby but by 2:00 I had only made it as far as Scaroborough. It was starting to get a big foggy so I decided to stop for the day. I found a nice hotel for £30/night with a nice view looking down a street towards the sea front. I put my bike away in a passageway below the stairs and took my bags up to my room. I went back down to the bar and asked about internet access (no luck) and a launderette (just down the street but closed on Sundays). So I had to settle for a beer. A small bus load of senior citizens arrived but otherwise I seemed to be the only guest in the hotel. I went for a walk into the centre of town to find a place to have dinner. It felt like a ghost town and of course with the fog coming in pretty thick I had an uncomfortable feeling. I managed to find an Italian restaurant and had a pleasant meal. I decided to walk back along the sea front to return to my hotel. By this time it was really getting quite foggy and I could barely make out some people down below on the beach walking their dogs. I made it to the funicular which was still in operation and after paying 70p rode up to the top of the embankment and walked up to my hotel. Had a glass of red wine to calm my nerves before going off to bed. Dunswell to Caistor 68.42 kms Time 4:03:04
Monday, 29June09. Before setting off for Whitby I decided to go to the lauderette and do some laundry. While there I met a mother and her 30 year old son who were also getting their laundry done before heading off to Whitby. I asked them to watch out for me as I would be cycling there. I set off for Whitby at 10:45, a bit late in the day, but it was only a 35 kms trip according to my GPS. What a ride though. There were several very steep hills 3 of which I had to get off my bike and walk. A cyclist with a small satchel on the back of his bag passed me on one of the hills. I later on caught up to him when I stopped at a holiday trailer park cafe for lunch. We had a nice chat and he warned my that there were still a couple more wicked hills to go before arriving in Whitby. I arrived in Whitby at 2:00 and headed straight for the T.I.C. to see if I could get some information on B&Bs for the night. On the way out I ran into the son who I had met at the launderette in Scarborough. He was quite pleased to see that I had arrived safely and said he would let his Mom know. Whitby was a far more interesting looking seaside resort compared to Scarborough and the weather was much improved. What a crowd of people wandering about the sea front. I had to get off my bike and walk it was so crowded. At the T.I.C. I was told that most of the B&Bs were located up Chubbhill Road so hopped on my bike and headed over there. By this time I was pretty tired and rather than try to go up to the top of Chubbhill to find a cheaper hotel stopped at the first one I came up to. Instead of £35 I ended up paying £40 but it was worth it to avoid having to cycle up one more hill. After settling in for the evening I walked into town for dinner. I was amazed to see that all the people had disappeared!!! and all the shops had closed with the exception of a couple hotel bars/restaurants. I managed to get some fish (Whitby Cod) and chips for dinner. Walked back to Big Sky B&B and watched a bit of Wimbledon on the telly. Scarborough to Whitby, N. Yorkshire 35.62 kms Time 2:28:29

South Shields 04 July 09 Part II

Saturday, June 27th. Left Caistor at 9:25 AM and cycled to Barton Upon Humber via Brigg. Arrived at 11:30 AM and stopped at a petrol station convenience store for a sandwich and coke. Cycled across the Humber Bridge which had a seperate path for pedestrians and cyclists. When It was first built the Humber Bridge was the longest single span bridge in the world. After crossing the bridge I ended up in a huge car park. It took me 1/2 an hour to figure out how to get out of there and back on the proper road heading towards Bridlington. It took awhile to get through Kingston Upon Hull and as a result I ended up arriving in Dunswell at 2:00 PM. I saw a sign at the Ship Inn advertising rooms so went in and booked a room for the night. As a bonus there was a Chinese Restaurant not far away across the street. I was really looking forward to some nice chinese food for dinner that evening. After a couple of beers and getting my journal up-to-date I walked over to the Chinese restaurant. They were fully booked for the evening. But, I said, I've cycled all the way from Canada just to taste some of your fine Chinese cuisine. A young manager overheard me mention "Canada" and said something to the hostess in Chinese and the next thing you know she had a table set up for me in front of the bar and I was able to order. It turned out to be a really excellent meal. They were so nice to me and kept checking to see if everything was OK and if I needed anything else. After paying my bill the hostess came over and asked me all about my cycling trip. After dinner I returned to The Ship Inn for a nightcap. It was packed out but inspite of that I was able to get a drink and find a spot to sit down before going off to bed. The bar was decorated with all sorts of maritime/shipping artifacts and one in particular was a ships plaque taken off the engines which had NEWCASTLE stamped on it. I asked a couple of people sitting at the bar if they wouldn't mind moving so I could get a picture of the bar and the plaque above it explaining that my final destination was South Shields which was right next to Newcastle. Of course they were all very curious about my cycling trip and wanted to know where I would stop next. When I said Scarborough they all recommended that I go a little further to Whitby which was much nicer. By they I mean the bartender, waitress, cook, and patrons who were in the bar at the time. One gentleman, who worked for the railways, also offered to drive me from South Shields to London, Gatwick, if I needed a drive to get to my return flight to Canada. He gave me his name and phone number and said I could call upon him at any time if I needed help. Caistor to Dunswell 57.39 kms Time 3 hrs 49 mins Weather sunny mid 20's C. Some difficult hills.

South Shields 04 July 09 Part II

South Shields 04 July 09

Sorry it's taken me so long to getting around to updating my blog. I finally reached my final destination, South Shields, on Wednesday after leaving Hartlepool and stopping at Aunty Jean's and Uncle Ron's for lunch on the way.
Since leaving Ipswich on June 24th I cycled to Ely, Cambridgeshire and stayed at a lovely B&B managed by Mrs. A. Coupe. According to her she started the first B&B in Ely 35 years ago. They had a very lovely back garden, big enough to have a game of crocket. After securing my bike in the garage and taking my bags up to my room I sat out on the back patio enjoying a drink of coke and updating my journal. There were vines all up the side of the house as high as the roof. Several times I had to duck as a couple of Collared Doves kept buzzing me. The next day when I came down for breakfast I noticed the security light was hanging down much lower than the day before and that there was a nest with an egg in it that had been exposed. So that's what that ruckus was all about. Ispwich to Ely 108 kms in 5 hrs 52 mins. Weather sunny mid 20's C.
On Thursday, June 25th, I cycled from Ely to Boston. I stoppedin Wisbech for lunch and arrived in Boston at 4:00 PM. Very strong cross-head winds especially from oncoming lorrys which nearly ripped my helmet off on one occasion. After that I kept my head down when an uncoming lorry passed me. When I arrived in Boston at 4:00 PM the streets leading into the centre of town were blocked off and police were re-directing traffic. I explained to a policewoman that I was trying to get to the Tourist Information Centre so I could get information on B&Bs for the night. She said I could walk my bike over the round-about and across the bridge and the TIC was on the right. Once over the bridge there was no traffic and I saw a hotel about a 100 yards ahead so I went in and asked if they had a room for the night. They were fully booked. The manageress explained there had been a couple of bombs go off in the town protesting a military parade or something like that. She took me over to the TIC which was across the street but it was closed. She then told me about another hotel a few blocks away that might have a room for the night. I cycled there and again they were fully booked. They told me to go a little further down the road but I saw a hotel across the street/parking lot so decided to give it a try and was able to get a room at £60 which included b'fast for the night. It was getting late and because of the situation re bombs I decided to take the room for the night. After securing my bike in a back shed and taking my bags up to my room I went down to the bar for a beer. The manager/bartender said she had been called in on an emergency basis and had to come home and change before starting the night shift. I was left all alone in the bar and in the whole darn hotel I think. I must have sat there for about 1.5 hours before she returned. I was hoping no one came in and asked for a room or a drink. What would I do??? Eventually she returned and I ordered dinner. Spent a quiet night with the exception of the occasional emergency vehicle going by with its siren blasting away. Ely to Boston 94.36 kms Time 5 hrs 27 mins Weather sunny/windy mid 20's C.
On Friday, June 26th, I cycled from Boston to Caistor. At 4:00 AM before getting up I heard my mobile (cell phone) ring once. When I got up I checked to see what sort of message I had been sent. It was a message informing me that Michael Jackson had died at age 50 of a heart attack. After b'fast I collected my bike from the back shed, loaded my bags, and set off for Horncastle arriving at 11:00 AM. To early for lunch so I just had a snack and pushed on for Caistor. On the way I passed a chip wagon on the B1225. Pulled in and had a nice cheeseburger and coke before setting off for Caistor again. I suggested to the owner that she should have a picnic table to people could sit down and enjoy there food. She said if she had a table then she would have to provide toilets. Go figure!!! Arrived Caistor at 2:00 PM. No hotels listed in GPS. Cycled to local library to see if I could get info on accommodation. Itwas closed. Went a little further into town and stopped at a local convenience store. There someone was able to direct me to the White Hart pub who might have a room available. Once again I got lucky. They had a room above the pub with the biggest HDTV I had yet to come across in all the hotels I had stayed in. Mind you could still only get 4 TV stations. Met several people in the bar one who had been to Canada on a business trip and had not wanted to come back. I went up to bed at 10:30 PM. The bar was really doing a roaring business but fortunately by 11:30 the noise had all but died off and I was able to get a good night's sleep.

First day I haven't gotten up at the crack of dawn and started cycling. Decided to take full advantage of Sally and Rich's hospitality and get some serious Internet time. Have managed to catch up on all my e-mails and have also managed to figure out how to post pictures on my blog. It's a bit slow pulling an image off of the SD card but it does work. It's a beautifully sunny day so I think I'll take advantage of the nice weather and go for a walk about and take some more photos. Cheers, Roly

Departure Day

Ottawa, May 23, 2009

Getting ready to start the cycling trip.

Calais to Ipswich June 18-21

Arrived at Sally and Rich's home in Ipswich this morning at 1045. I first met Sally in Bonn in 1977 when she was working with Margaret at the British Embassy. She has invited me to stay for as long as I like but I think she may change her mind in a day or two. We went for a walk on the common today with their dog, Cody, who had a great time playing with other dogs, terrorizing local golfers, chasing rabbits/birds and going for a swim in the local pond.
Since leaving Calais on June 18th I have travelled by ferry to Dover (1.5 hour crossing). I left Calais at 9:30 and arrived in Dover at 10:00 local time. There was an hours difference between France and England. I was amongst the first to get on the ferry but on arrival in Dover had to wait until everyone had gotten off before I was allowed to get off. I was the only cyclist. I was told to follow the red line until I got to a gate where I had to press the buzzer and someone would come and let out of the dockyard area into the customs area.
The customs officer was very curious about where I had come from and where I was travelling to. We had a 10-15 minute chat and he wished me well and warned me about keeping to the left. I cycled to Canterbury where I was eventually able to find an cash point (ATM) so I could get some English pounds. I had stopped at a petrol station earlier on the A2 but they wouldn't accept Euros. I found a pub and went in to have lunch. A bowl of soup and a coke cost me £5. Wow have prices ever gone up since the last time I was in UK. I know I should have taken more time to take in the sights of Canterbury but I thought it would be cheaper to find a place to stay for the night if I was in a smaller village so I set off for Sittingbourne. I couldn't find and B&Bs or hotels and eventually after talking to a couple of bus drivers was directed to the Premier Inn about 4 kms out of town. At this point I had done 78+ kms plus the 1.5 hours on the ferry so when I was told that a room for the night would cost £64 I just capitulated and thought of it as 64 dollars. If I had waited to arrive on Friday the rate would had been £59. Go figure. I refused to pay £8 for breakfast and thought I would take my chances with breakfast at the nearby McDonalds.
Had dinner in the nearby Bobbing Apple and went off to bed for a good nights rest.
The following morning went over to McDs for sausage McMuffin breakfast, hot chocolate and cost me only £3.
From Sittingborough I cycled to Brentwood crossing over the Thames at Gravesend to Tilbury. Only pedestrians and cyclists allowed on this small ferry which cost £2.70 and took about 15 minutes to make the crossing. Before the Dartford bridge and tunnel were built this was a major ferry crossing point. Arrived in Brentwood at 2:00 PM. Found a room at the Holiday Inn for £59. Once again I had to decline the breakfast at £12.99 and decided to stop at a Tesco or petrol station convenience store to get a bite to eat for breakfast. Cost to use the internet was £3 for 15 minutes.
There was a wedding function going on at the hotel that evening and of course several of the wedding guests decided to make a night of it and carry on into the wee hours of the morning. Finally at midnight I'd had enough. My room was right next to the main reception area which was next to the bar. I called the reception desk and complained about the excessive noise and told them if they didn't do something about it I would have to demand a refund. About 10-15 minutes later the noise stopped but I was so pissed off I had a difficult time getting to sleep!!!!
Saturday, June 20, it was off Colchester. But before setting off I called a B&B there to make a reservation for the night. The 2nd one had a room for me for the night at £45. According to my GPS it was a 60 km ride to Colchester. As I approached Colchester I plugged in the address of the B&B and was told it was another 14 kms. I ended up taking some very narrow country lanes and eventually came to a cul-de-sac (dead end) which lead into a forest. I tought there must be something wrong so chose to ignore the GPS and went the opposite way for about 2-3 kms. No sign of Colchester or the B&B. I returned to the dead end and went around the barrier and through the forest for about .5 kms. It came out on a paved road. Still no sign of the B&B. I gave up on finding the B&B and programmed the GPS for Colchester. Ended going over some of the route I had already cycled. I arrived in Colchester at 4:00 PM. By this time I had done 95 kms and it was only supposed to be 60 kms!!! A light rain had started to fall. I called the B&B and was told that they were located in Earls Colne about 8 miles outside of Colchester. They just had the same postal code!!! Since I had already booked and given them my credit card info I set off in search of the B&B. I did eventually find it and was given a nice comfortable room for the evening. Total distance cycled 114.89 kms 6 hrs 49 mins. Freshened up after unloading the bags and walked into town to the Lion Pub for dinner where I'm sure the locals enjoyed watching me eat a very hot lasagne and burning my mouth. Oh by the way no McDs or petrol stations available for breakfast so had to paid £8 for a cooked breakfast.
On Sunday I set off for Ipswich a short ride of 57 kms which took me 3 hrs 35 mins very hilly and a bit of rain slowed me down quite a bit. I did arrive at 12:00 but by the time I managed to find a suitable hotel for the night it was 2:00 PM. I stayed at the Carleton Hotel at £39 for the night which included a full English breakfast. Go figure.
I managed to catch the last 20 laps of so of the British GP at Silverstone. Possible the last F1 race at Silverstone - not sure why?? I looked to a lauderette and found one just a half a block away but it was closed at 2 PM on a Sunday. So had to wait until this morning to get my laundry done. There goes the smoke detector so I think"tea" is ready.
Cheerio, Roly

Calais 17June09

Well I finally made it to Calais. I arrived at 2 PM qnd first stop was at Office du Tourisme where I was able to get information regarding a Cyber Cafe, hotels/B&Bs and a Lavarie (laundrymat). I booked a room for the night at a B&B and went off to find the Cyber Cafe. Of course it was no longer there. After asking a few people in the neighbourhood I found out it had moved a couple blocks away. What a carry on. I decided to spend one more night on French soil and get a fresh start in the morning for Dover. Besides I do need to get some laundry done so that will be my next stop before heading for the hotel and trying to get a good nights rest.
Since my last post in Troyes I have stopped in Soissons, Ham, Bapaume and last night at a Chambres d'Hotes in Auchy-au-Bois. This was a working dairy farm but the house with four rooms to let was like a museum. The lady who runs the B&B likes to go to "brocante" or garage sales and has quite an interesting collection of bric-a-brac.
The cycling from Troyes to Calais has been quite difficult mostly because of hills, some bad weather i.e. head winds and a day of miserable rain. I waited under a petrol station shelter for an hour or so and again in a McDs for 2 hours for the rain to let up.
Not much choice in the way of hotels in the smaller villages. Had to take what I could get.
Well must go and get some laundry done before I get on the ferry/hovercraft for Dover tomorrow. Cheers, Roly

Troyes 11June09

Well Iève think I've just died and gone to heaven. Arrived in Troyes this afternoon at 2:30 and went directly to the Office du Tourisme. There I was able to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price in the centre of town called Hotel Splendid at E 32. Mind you the WC and shower are in the hall but not far away. Also the young lady at the O de T showed me where there was a laundrymat with internet cafe all in the same operation. So I packed all my laundry in one of my paniers and walked about 3 blocks through the centre of town. Very old buildings. Lots of sidewalk cafes. Many people sitting out having a late early afternoon drink. I wish I could upload pictures but it would be quite complicated especially using cyber cafe facilities. Since leaving Bourg-en-Bresse the rides have been less difficult with some hills but mostly flat. I stopped in Louhans, Dijon and Chatillon-sur-Seine last night. Yesterday I had a lovely tailwind but today it was a headwind. At least it didn't pour. There have been several nasty storms the last couple of days but mostly in the evening. On the way to Chatillon yesterday I had a stunt pilot entertain me for about 1/2 an hour as I climbed some hills he was doing loop-dy-loops. Man could he ever fly that plane. Sorry I can't tell you what sort of plane it was Gary. Keep up the comments. I appreciate reading them. Glad to hear the Rideau Lakes ride went well this year. I sure would like to have been there with you guys. I think my laundry is just about ready to go in the dryer now so will sign off for now. Cheers, Roly

Dijon

My lastpost was in Les Echarmeaux. Since then I have passed through Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans and today arrived in Dijon. I managed to find a cheap hotel at 37 E which included breakfastbut notowels.
that was E 2 extra for a towel a packet of shampoo and a plastic cup. Iam accessing the internet on a really terrible PC in the lobby of the hotel. the keyboard really sucks!!!! Got to go Cheers Roly


























thier

Thiers to Roanne

Up early for a quick breakfast before leaving Thiers for Roanne. But first I wanted to go to Office du Tourisme at 1 place Pirou in Thiers. It was quite an almost vertical climb. I ended up walking quite a bit of the way. Just as I was parking my bike someone arrived to open up the office. I asked for information on cycling to Bourg-en-Bresse. She didn't have any info and was only able to give me a map of the city of Thiers and direct me towards the route to follow in order to get out of town.
I cycled to Noirétable which was a bit south but eventually I turned north and headed for St.-Just-en-Chevalet. Much climbing but a bit cooler. Had to stop and put my vest and sleeves on.
After lunch as I was getting ready to set off a couple on bicycles came over and chatted with me. They were just visiting the area of St-Just-en-Chevalet and were curious about where I was headed.
I arrived in Roanne at 3 PM and wanted to check out hotel in centretown but door was locked and no one about. The couple I had met earlier after lunch passed by and we again had a chat. Found out they were from Cannes. I decided to go check out Hotel Terminus which turned out to be OK except for the E 1 charge for parking my bike behind the hotel under the stairs!!!
On my way over to the Terminus I passed by a cafe called Le Blog. Went in and found out they had an internet terminal set up for the use of clients. I said I would be back after checking in to hotel.
It was a dark and stormy night but I was determined to make it to Le Blog. It was a 15 minute walk from the hotel but by sticking close to the sides of the buildings I didn't get very wet. The PC had crashed and the manager was having a bit of difficulty re-booting it. Eventually he succeeded and I was able to post a couple days journey.
The walk back to the hotel was much quicker in the dark and the rain was really tipping down. Went into bar next to hotel and mentioned to bartender that I had just come from Le Blog where I had been able to access the internet to update my blog. He said I could have used his PC to access the internet!!!
Well I only made it as far as Les Echarmeaux today. Suffice it to say the climb was fairly difficult and I also had to stop for about an hour to wait out a downpour.
Cheers Roly

Issoire to Thiers

Left Issoire at 9:00 AM after mopping up bathroom floor again. They really need to do something about the floor drain!!! Took highway direction Orbeil. After climbing for 3 kms realized I was going the wrong way. Stopped and asked local family sorting freshly picked cherries for directions to Thiers. Husband went into house to get his map and glasses and together we were able to figure out which way I had to go. Turned around and went down the hill at a much faster pace than coming up. I should have taken the hwy for Montpeyroux which eventually took me to Vic-le-Compte and Billom where I stopped for lunch. Had a very nice potatoe, ham and cheese omellette. After lunch it was more climbing until eventually the last 15 kms or so were downhill or flat. I passed an Hotel Etape on the way into town at 3:00 PM and decided I would stop for the night. After checking in lay for a nap. Later on went out for a walk to nearby bank and got some Euros. No problem using my RBC client card. Decided to walk a little further to a bar/restaurant I had seen earlier. It was now 7:30 PM. It was closed. Go figure. As far as I could tell it only opened for lunch during the week and Friday and Saturday evenings. I walked back to the hotel where I had seen a shopping complex behind the hotel. Went into supermarket and was able to get some dental floss (50 m) for 3.20 Euros. I also found out after standing in line for 15 minutes to pay for my groceries that you have to get your bananas weighed before going to the cash.
I think I'm going to have to get out of this place. It's full of kids in their late teens and it's getting quite loud. My head is pounding ...... but the internet was free.
Bonne nuit

Massiac to Issoire

Up at 7 AM. Pretty well slept through the night. No nightmares about closing down the tunnel. BTW it is 1.5 kms long and it took me about 10 minutes to cycle through it. Before leaving for Issoire went into local Spar Supermarche to do some shopping. I especially wanted to buy some dental floss and a bar of soap and some bananas. No problem finding soap and bananas but no dental floss. Cycled a little further into town and went into Pharmacie. Asked for fil de soie dentaire. The clerk had to unlock a bottom drawer to get two different types of floss out. One was priced at E 5.80. The other had no price and was plain so I said I would take it. It was a small package of about 50 metres of floss. The price was E 6.90. I decided to look elsewhere for dental floss. No wonder they kept it locked up in a safe at those prices!!!
I cycled to Blesle, Lempdes-sur-Allagnon, St. Germain Lembron and Issoire. See previous post re Cyber Cafe and loss of about one hours blogging.
I found a nice Hotel Ace on the other side of town at a reasonable price and checked in for the night. Decided to cycle back to cyber cafe. Had a little trouble finding it but eventually after asking for directions was able to get to my blog. This time I posted each day as I finished typing and the manager assured me that I had unlimited time.
I cycled back to the hotel and decided to check out the Buffalo Bill restaurant nearby. YEEHAW!!! country and western music. Tried some Texas Chili. Real big chunks of beef. But I don't think Marshy's has anything to worry about.
I asked for a room on the main floor and permission to keep my bike in my room. I was given a handicap room. Lot's of room. Only problem was the shower just flooded the whole bathroom floor. The floor drain was a bit plugged up. Otherwise it was great.
Right now I'm in Roanne at a cafe called Le Blog. Internet access is free as long as I keep drinking beer!! Typing is a challenge - have to keep up with the beat of the quite loud music!!!

June 2 Polminhac to Massiac

My previous post should have read "heading for Murat" not Aurillac.
I left Polminhac at 9:00 AM and in spite of a wicked head wind was able to reach the Lioran Tunnel by 11:30. There was a sign with a bicycle on a white background and a red circle around the outer edge. It did not have a red diagonal stroke through it so I assumed it was OK to go through the tunnel with my bike and there was no one to ask. No sooner had I started going through the tunnel the truck drivers started honking at me like crazy. Bloody truck drivers. I kept on going. Eventually there was no more traffic coming through the tunnel!!! On arriving on the other side of the mountain pass "Les Flics" were there to meet me and pulled me over. Because of the danger they had closed down the tunnel. Oh so that's why there were no more idiots blowing their horns at me. I'm not very proud of what I did but on the other hand there really wasn't that much traffic and the tunnel was only shut down for about 10-12 mins. Luckily I was given a warning and a lecture about the meaning of the red circle around a bicycle or a white background sign and allowed to continue on my way. Big sign of relief!!!
Once on the other side of the tunnel the going was much easier. Mostly downhill but still with a very strong head wind which almost blew me off my bike at one point. My feet came right out of my clips!!! I arrived in Massiac at 3:30 PM and started looking for a hotel. A sign at the outskirts of town said there were 2 hotels and 12 restaurants and xxx parking spots. Checked out both hotels one was E 54 the other E 40 which was a little further out of town. Checked into La Colombiere. Very clean very modern. Had to put my bike in the laundry room. Went out for dinner. Could only find 2 restaurants open the very expensive other hotel and a Creperie Le Montel restaurant on a side street which a bartender directed me to. So it was a pleasant walk about looking for a place to eat and a still more pleasant walk back to the hotel. Oh I almost forgot to mention that the "bar" at the hotel consisted of a vending machine that dispensed beer in a can. You insert E 1.50 select 33 and watch the can drop to the bottom of the dispensing machine. You retrieve your beer can from the slot and when you open it guess what happens ... yes right the whole thing fizzes all over the place. Duh!!!
TRP 70.66 AVS 15.02 STP 4:42:07

June 1 Montsalvy to Polminhac

I was up during the night several times because of leg cramps. Two days of climbing had really been hard on my legs. Nothing to severe but still had to get out of bed to shake off the cramps.
I went down to the main part of the apartment complex that M. Fau lived in. It was a veritable museum with several tables spread around all covered with all sorts of papers and odds and ends. M. Fau made cafe au lait, bread (he apologized that it was a day old but it was a holiday and the boulangerie was closed), orange juice, butter, jam, honey and an orange. Euros 3.50. Again M. Fau helped me carry my bags down, wished me "bonne route"and off I went this time hoping to get to Polminhac.
Arrived in Aurillac at 11:10 after a quite pleasant ride. Found an Information Office and was able to get a more detailed map of the "Cantal" area. I looked for a book on Cycling in France but no luck. Had some difficulty finding my way out of town. I wanted to take the N122 but ended up having to take the D117 in order to get to the N122. It was a bit of a climb and a bit circuitous but eventually I hooked up with the N122. The ride to Polminhac was not so difficult but nevertheless, because of the previous night's leg cramping I decided to take it easy and make it a short ride. I found a Hotel/Bar/Restaurant called Les Parasols and decided to stay for the night. Because I had arrived quite early I was able to do some laundry. Washed a couple of my cycling jerseys, pants and socks in the sink and hung them out on the balcony railing to dry. I went down to the bar for a beer and asked if I could use the internet to update my blog. Of course, not a problem, there was a computer in a corner of the dinning room that I could use. I was able to do a days blog and probably could have kept on but didn't want to abuse the hotel manager's generosity. It was a most pleasant hotel and very quiet. I was the only customer for dinner and again for breakfast although I had seen several other guests on arrival they obviously did not care to eat in the hotel or were not hungry.
As I was leaving the following morning I asked the hotel manager/chef for his name. He said it was Raymond Fau same surname as M. Fau who had lodged me the previous evening. They were somehow related but not close relatives. Raymond was very fascinated by my Rocky Mountain Sherpa 10 Touring bike with disc brakes, etc. He was especially intrigued by the GPS. We exchanged business cards and he asked me to keep in touch and let him know how my trip trough France was progressing. He also wished me "bon courage et bonne route" and so off I went down the road heading for Aurilac ....
TRP 54.76 AVS 15.60 STP 3:30:38

May 31 Villefranche-de-Rouergue to Montsalvy

Woke up at 6:30. It was pouring rain!!! Went down for breafast. Had to make my way around several little dogs and a cat which was all over the place. It didn't look like the rain was going to let up so I decided to stay another day - maybe do some laundry. I asked the manageress about internet access and she said Later on at 9:15 she would open up the PC for me which was located downstairs in the bar. I waited patiently for 1/2 an hour and finally she took me downstairs and logged onto her laptop. I was just about to start a new posting when a German fellow from Cologne, who was also cycling across France, came into the bar to return the key to the storage area. He had collected his bike and was setting off for Cahors where I had just come from. I told him I was headed for Rodez. He said Rodez was not such a nice place and I should head for Montsalvy which was a more picturesque ride. He assured me it was not to difficult a ride. Suffice it to say ... he lied!!!
The rain stopped and the sky began to clear up at 9:30. I decided to make a go of it and head out for Montsalvy. By the time I packed my paniers, paid my bill, collected my bike from the storage area and loaded my bags on the bike it was 10:30.
I cycled to Montbazens, Aubin, Decazeville which was very hilly. A lot of rest stops, walking and pushing the bike up the steeper hills until eventually I reached the Lot River Valley. This was great for about 15 kms then I had to start climbing again for Monsalvy. I managed to reach Montsalvy at 7:45 PM much later than I would have liked but because of my late departure and the difficulty of the climb it was unavoidable.
I checked at the only hotel in town to see if they had a room available but they were full. They suggested I try down the road a bit at the local bar. They told me they did not rent rooms but that a M. Fau, who lived across from the Boulangerie, rented rooms. We tried to call him on his landline and on his cell but got no answer. Just as I was getting really desperate along came M. Fau on his tractor. Everyone in the bar started waving and yelling like crazy to get him to stop. He pulled into the parking lot with his tractor and I went over and introduced myself and asked it he had a room for me for the night. I was in luck - he not only had a room for me - he had a complete apartment (gite) which consisted of a fully equipped kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom all state of the art except no internet. Oh well it was getting late and for 14 Euros I couldn' afford to be to choosy. M. Fau helped me with my bags and showed me where to put my bike in the kitchen by the washing machine. When I told him I was from Canada he offered me a beer. He had been to Canada for a visit and had had such a wonderful experience. I said I hadn't yet had dinner and since their was only one restaurant in town and it would be closing shortly I had better go and get something to eat right away. He agreed.
I rushed off to the restaurant and had a wonderful meal of lamb chops. The waitress brought out a lovely Languoile steak knife the same brand of pocket knife that Lee Valley Tools sells.
After dinner I walked back to the bar to thank the barmaid for her help in helping me find a room for the night. Of course I had to have a couple of beers before going off to bed. There were several local town drunks holding up the bar and of course the conversasion eventually came around to my cycling trip across France. They all seemed to have a good laugh at my expense.
Trip 89.89 kms AVS 12.04 STP 7:27:42

30 May Cahors to Villefranche-de-Rouergue

Well here goes again. I stopped early this afternoon at this same cyber cafe and had completed 2 days blog but had only booked for an hour. Before I could post what I had typed and before they could add more time I was cut-off and lost everything. I had to go find a hotel for the night and get something to eat.
In my last posting I forgot to mention that I asked a young chap in the Cahors cyber cafe how to make a ê using a french keyboard. He had no idea. I asked him if he knew the DOS way of doing it. He looked at me like I was from a different galaxie and said "C'est quoi le DOS?" Through trial and error I was able to figure out that holding dozn the Alt key and pressing 136 on the numerice keypad gives a ê.
Leaving Cahors I got off to a bad start. I programmed my GPS for Limogne-en-Quercy which was the next village indicated on my map in the direction of Rodez. Leaving the hotel I saw a sign for Rodez so decided to follow that direction. The GPS kept telling me to make a u-turn. Like an idiot I chose to ignore it and continued for about 1.5 kms. Turned out this direction was a major hwy so I turned back and followed the GPS dirs.
The route the GPS chose was very narrow and hilly. It was a real struggle to get up some of the hills. I had to stop quite a few times and walk the going was so difficult.
Eventually I reached the route along the River Lot and it was much better.
I stopped at L en Q and went into the local general store for some food and something to drink. Went out and sat in the town square and had a lovely picnic in the shade. An old gentleman came over and started chatting about my bike and my journey. Very friendly and I could see that if his wife hadn't been keeping an eye on him he would have loved to join me. By the time I got to Villefranche-de-Rouergue I was pretty well shattered so decided to find a hotel for the night. It was 3 PM. The first hotel I came upon, Hotel de la Poste, was full. A little further down the main street I was able to get a room at Hotel l'Univers. The room was on the 2nd floor and not to cheap but at least it had a decent shower and a mini-bar fridge and was situated alongside the River Lot. After putting my bike away in the storage area I hauled my bags up the rather steep flights of stairs.
When I asked the barmaid about internet access she didn't know of any cyber cafes in town. She said she would ask the manageress if I could use her personal laptop but she had gone out for the evening. I went across the street to a different bar/restaurant and they told me there was a cyber cafe at the Place de la Poste next to hotel that I had first stopped at.
After dinner I went for a walk and eventually found a small snack bar next to the hotel de la poste but the cyber cafe ops had been shut down most likely due to lack of business. I walked back to the hotel. had a nite cap, and went off to bed for the night.

Saturday May 30 to June 3

Arrived in Issoire at noon and on the way through town passed by an Internet Cafe. Decided to go in and do some blogging. Unfortunately all blogspots had been blocked because of some guy posting anti semite stuff. The boss made a call and 5 minutes later I was able to access my blog.

I forgot to mention the other day when I was using a PC at a cyber cafe (as they are called in France) in Cahors I asked the young fellow managing the cafe how to make an e circonflexe i.e. ê. He had no idea. I asked him if he knew what the DOS code was. He had no idea what I was talking about. He had never heard of DOS. I showed him that by holding down the Alt key and pressing 136 (which I discovered through trial and error) on the numeric pad the character ê could be created. He was amazed.

Getting out of Cahors was a bit of a challenge. I had programmed my GPS for Limogne-en-Quercy and followed the signs indicating direction Rodez. GPS kept telling me to make a U-turn. After about 1.5 kms the road became more and more a major hwy so I decided to turn around. Followed the directions given by the GPS and eventually after a lot of hard climbing arrived at a small village called Valaire. I went into the corner gas station general store and bought some food and had a picnic out in the main sqare. It was a lovely sunny fairly hot day. I managed to go through 4 bottles of water before arriving at Villefranche-de-Rouergue around 3 PM. By this time I was totally shattered. The climbing went on and on and on. I managed to find a room at Hotel de l'Univers next to the Lot River. Very nice but on the 3rd floor.

Later on in the evening I went out for a walk in search of a cyber cafe. I had been told there was one by Hotel de la Poste. I had passed by this hotel on my way into town and had stopped to ask for a room but it was full. I walked for 2 kms and managed to find a small Arabic snack bar and asked about internet. I was told that they had shut down the cyber cafe sometime ago. Oh well it was a lovely evening for a walk. Went back to the hotel for a nightcap and had an early night.

The following day, Sunday, May 31st, it was raining. I decided I would stay another day rather than cycle in the rain. The hotel manageress agreed to let me use her PC to access the internet. Just as I was getting started a German fellow, from Cologne, that I had met earlier came along. He had collected his bicycle from the garage and was setting out for Cahors - the direction I had just come from. By this time, 9:30, the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing up. I told him I was headed for Rodez. He said it was a terrible place and that instead I should go to Montsalvy. I checked my map and his book on cycling in France, which was in German, and decided to follow his advice. I checked out of the hotel at 1030 which was a rather late start but I thought it would be a short ride to Montsalvy!!!

I cycled to Montbazens, Aubin, Decazeville and finally along the Lot River which was a welcome relief from all the previous hills I had been climbing. I eventually arrived at Montsalvy at 7:45 PM much later than I had intended. There was only one hotel in town and when I asked about a room for the night I was told they were full. They did suggest I go to the corner bar and ask about a room there as they sometimes had rooms available. Off I went. I was told by the barmaid that they didn't rent rooms but that M. Fau, a local farmer, rented rooms.

Pont-du-Casse to Cahors

I seem to be falling behind with my blog. It's not always possible to get access to a PC connected to the Internet and these french keyboards are really slowing me down.
I left P du C Friday morning after a lovely stay with Sylvie and Bernard who were getting ready to go off on a "rallye" in their 1967 Caravelle decapotable. They escorted me through the maze of streets out onto the main highway heading towards Cahors.
I stopped for lunch at a country village restaurant. There was a liter of red wine already set out on every table. A few minutes after I had sat down and ordered my meal a local gentleman came in and sat down at my table directly across from me. There were dozens of other tables where he could have sat but he chose to join me. I asked if he was from the region and he said he was. We talked about my cycling trip across France. I asked him about the liter of wine on each table. He explained that it was part of the menu whether you drank a glass or the whole liter it was the same price. I had a really tasty meal - just like home cooking - also had a taste of the wine. I couldn't afford to drink to much alcohol - the ride was proving to be very difficult. Lots of hills to climb and with 20 plus kilos of baggage I was really struggling.
I eventually arrived at Cahors at 3 PM and with the help of my GPS was able to find a Formule 1 Hotel on the outskirts of town.
Total kms 84.49 AVS 16.68 The hills really slowed me down.
At the moment I'm in Polminhac. It is Monday a local holiday and I think the chef said it's OK to order dinner now. Will try to further update my blog after dinner.
Salut tout la gang!!

Cadillac to Pont du Casse

Cadillac to Pont-du-Casse, Wednesday, May 27, 2009

It's getting late and I'm on the clock at an internet cafe in Cahors so I'll make this short and sweet.
After a quick Continentinal breakfast I checked out of the Hotel D'Etrée and headed for Agen. It was a bit cool when I set off but soon warmed up to around 22 C. I stopped for lunch in Casteljaloux (no connection to Mailloux) at 12:30. I asked the waitress for an iced tea to go with my ham and cheese on a foot long baguet. She said "c'est à la pêche." I thought she meant I had to go fishing for it!!! Once she brought out a bottle and showed me the label I realized she had said "it is flavoured with peaches".
After lunch while trying to find D119 I met a cyclist from Agen. He suggested I take the path along the canal and cycled with me for about 10 minutes to show me how to get on the path. Wow was this ever great. Paved, no bumps, no potholes and very flat. I must have cycled at least 40 kms along the canal. Unfortunately instead of programming Sylvie's address in Pont du Casse in my GPS I relied on directions from a couple other cyclists that I met along the canal on the way to Agen. They told me to keep going 5 bridges past Agen and then I would have to make a left turn for P du C. I ended up going to far and decided to put Sylvie's address in the GPS. It of course calculated the shortest route which was up the side of a cliff and down the other side. It was so steep I had to get off and push my bike up on two occassions for several kms. Coming down was another story the narrow winding back alley roads were in really I mean really bad shape I had to brake all the way down. Eventually I did manage to find Sylvie's place at around 6 PM. I was totally exhausted. Sylvie must have realized this right away as she offered me a nice cold beer which barely touched my lips it went down so fast.
I had a wonderful time staying over with my sister Marie Jeanne's internet friend and do highly recommend their five star B and B.

Bernard, Sylvie's husband, after showing me his classic cars drove me into Agen to show me where to find France Telecom so I could purchase a no contract cellphone which I did later on for 39 Euros. Afterwards we went to visit his friend "Papi Doudou" who has quite a collection of antique and classic French automobiles and a garage to die for.

The trip from Cadillac to Agen to Pont du Casse took almost 7 hours and was a total of 123 kms.
Staying at a F1 hotel in Cahors this evening which is on the outskirts of town. Haven't had dinner yet so will sign off for now.

Bordeaux to Cadillac

Bordeaux to Cadillac, Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We arrived at Bordeaux Merignac Airport at 5:24 AM (local time was 11:24 AM) 45 minutes early. It was raining. Passport control was a breeze. Waited 15-20 minutes to collect my paniers. Bike was waiting for me opposite side of baggage area about 50 meters away. Plastic bag was a bit ripped and left top handle bar gear shift was scraped but otherwise everything appeared to be in good working order. Spent half an hour getting the plastic off (I really got carried away with the wrapping tape) and pumped up the tires. By this time I was completely lathered. The humidity in the baggage area must have been in the 90s. I wheeled up to customs and they just waved me on through. Didn't even bother to ask me if I had any drugs to declare!!! In the arrival area I found a washroom where I was able to wheel my bike right into a "cripple" stall and changed into my biking gear.
Once I got outside I turned on my GPS and searched for Agen. The directions were a bit vague so I asked a couple of taxi drivers for directions. They pointed me in the right direction and said I had to take the highway by the Renault garage. So off I went into the wild blue (maybe not so blue because of the overcast skies) yonder. The Google Map directions I had printed off before leaving were totally useless. I managed to get quite lost and ended up turning into an autoroute access ramp and was told quite blatantly by some guy waving his finger at me that I was not allowed to go on the autoroute with my bicycle. Not far off I saw a restaurant so I turned around and headed in that direction. There I met a gentlemen coming out of the restaurant who was a cycling enthusiast. He suggested I try programming my GPS for the next village down the road. This I tried and with the directions from the GPS was able to make my way from village to village until I arrived at Cadillac at 5:30 PM local time. The rain only lasted about an hour and afterwards things began to clear up. I had to take my yellow jacket off as I was getting quite hot.

The manager of the hotel was waiting for me and showed me where I could store my bike behind the hotel in the laundry drying area. Later on I spoke to him about locking up my bike in a more secure area for the night. He said I could put it in the "garage" which was really a musty/dusty old cellar but at least it had a door that could be locked and my bike was out of site. The room was quite adequate but overlooked the main highway and as I suspected there was traffic noise throughout the night. A lot of lorries passing through at all hours of the night.
After freshening up I went down to the bar and invited the manager to have a beer with me. He hesitated, just for a moment, but eventually said because I was a Canadian he would accept my offer. Turns out that after Morocco received its independence his parents decided to relocate to Canada and he ended up living in Montreal for 9 years before moving to France.
Went out for a walkabout around the village and discovered there were a lot of ancient ramparts. When I asked M. D'Etrée about these he explained that they had been built by the British during the Aquitaine reign.

Returned to the hotel for dinner which turned out to be a three course affair i.e. mushroom omelet with lettuce and tomato, huge no hormones locally produced steak and chips with more lettuce and tomatoes and cheese and butter with bread and of course the obligatory 1/4 litre of red local house wine to wash it all down with.
Total costs for my stay at the hotel including room, drinks, dinner and continental breakfast the following morning € 74.

First of all I would like to apologize for any typos in this next posting as I am using a French keyboard. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of using a French keyboard several of the letters and characters are not in the same locations as on a QWERTY keyboard.
On Monday while waiting for my flight to Bordeaux I decided to cycle into Montreal. To be more specific I cycled to COSMO Restaurant at 5843 Sherbrooke St W to try their famous "mish-mash. I stopped at a couple bike shops along the way to look for a better T-bar which mounts on the handlebars and is used to accommodate my GPS, computer and front light but no luck in finding a replacement. I did find COSMO and ordered the mish-mash. Ate the whole thing!!! This was a big mistake which I was to pay dearly for later on. The onions were quite raw and raw onions do not agree with my tummy. Man did I have some serious gas pains later on especially on the flight to Bordeaux. I cycled back to the hotel and collected my 2 rear paniers where I had kleft them in a storage area for safekeeping. Round trip was just a little over 33 kms.
I got to the airport easily enough from the hotel (1.71 kms) arriving at 3 PM. No line-ups so I was able to get my bike wrapped up in a large plastic bag which Air Transat provided for a $5 fee plus $30 for shipping charges. I changed out of my cycling clothes and checked my bags, proceeded to clear security who were not happy with the small container of motor oil that I had packed in my trunk bag in case I needed to oil my chain. They were very kind and allowed me to go back to the Air Transat checkin counter and check my trunk bag. They also allowed me to take a shortcut to get back to the security check counter and eventually into the departure area. Now all I had to do was kill 5 hours while waiting for my flight to takeoff at 23:10. Just before departure Air Transat announced that there were a few seats available in Club Class. I was able to upgrade to for $250 which was a bonus as when I had asked previously about upgrading they wanted to charge me $384. I was also promised that I would be re-imbursed for the $30 I had paid for seat selection.
Well it's quite late and and I'm really exhausted after having cycled 122.78 kms to get from Cadillac, where I stayed last night, to Pont-Du-Casse where the people I am staying with live. more about my trip from Bordeaux to Cadillac to P du C. to follow later. Bonne soirée.

Hawkesbury to Dorval, QC

Hawkesbury to Dorval, Sunday, May 24, 2009


The "business" PC at the Dorval Best Western is quite flaky so will make this short as I'm getting the business... Arrived at 2:30 after cycling a very beautiful and picturesque route along the river on my left and then on my right after crossing over L'Ile Perrot. Total distance cycled with mostly a tailwind 97.14 kms. The road was mostly smooth with the exception of the stretch going through Hudson (very bumpy) (the guy in the black Mustang convetible, that buzzed me and nearly ran me off the road, needs to grow up!!) and crossing over the 2nd bridge at L'Ile Perrot which was under construction. What a beautiful day. Wish my ass wasn't so sore.





Monday, May 25, 2009


After checking out of hotel and leaving paniers in storeroom behind reception cycled into Montreal for lunch at Cosmo Cafe. Checked out several bicycle shops on the way looking for a new T-Bar mount for my computer/light/GPS. No luck. After lunch cycled back to hotel. Sat in lobby for a couple hours updating my journal before setting off for the airport.






It was just a short ride from the hotel to the airport. After checking in and wrapping up my bike in a plastic bag that Air Transat provided for $5.00 I wandered about the departure area for several hours before boarding my flight. Departed Montreal for Bordaux at 23:12

Home to Hawkesbury

Departure Day, May 23, 2009 Ottawa to Hawkesbury

Steve and Eileen, who had agreed to escort me out of town, arrived just before 9 AM. After a quick look at the Spitfire we set off f0r Hawkesbury. First stop was at Timmy's on Hawthorn at Stevenage for coffee and a cinnamon bun. Once we got that out of the way we set off in earnest for Hawkesbury. Unfortunately we had a fairly strong headwind and with the additional 50 lbs of baggage I was carrying on my bike we were only able to cycle at 20-22 kph. We only made one mistake at Russell and Hwy 27 and somehow ended up going down a very steep hill and ending up at Walkley Road. I was a bit of a slog getting back up that hill but I made it and soon we were back on Hwy 26 heading east. We stopped at 12:30 at a chipwagon in Bourget for lunch.

Steve and Eileen decided they had had enough so Steve called his wife and asked her to come meet them on the way back to Ottawa. I continued on my way to Hawkesbury and eventually arrived at the Best Western Hotel on Tupper St. at 4:30 after completing 116 kms.
After a hot shower I went out for dinner at Everydays Restaurant a half hour walk from the hotel on Spence Avenue. There was a guy playing music. The place was really hopping by the time I left at 8. Almost got eaten alive by mosquitoes on the way back. Got to get some rest for the next leg of the journey into Montreal. TTFN

One More Sleep

Most of the day was spent getting organized for an early morning departure for Hawkesbury. Well maybe not to early...hope to get away by 9:00 AM. For those who are interested in specifics the following are the Specifications for my touring bike and various accessories.
Make & Model - Rocky Mountain Sherpa 10 Touring
Frame - RMB custom 7005 Aluminium
Fork - Alloy Fork w/ eyelets
Headset - FSA
Stem - Easton EA30
Handlebar - Easton EA30
Brake Levers - Shimano Tiagra
Shifters - Shimano Tiagra
Cranks and Chainways - FSA Vero CK400 30 / 42 / 52T
Bottom Bracket - FSA ISIS
Pedals - Shimano PDM 505
Hubs (FR) - Shimano M475 DISC
Hubs (RR) - Shimano M475 DISC
Cassette - Shimano HG - 50 -8
Spokes - Stainless Steel (black)
Rims - Mavic A-319 w/ eyelets
Tires - Continenta Grand Prix 4000 700 x 23C with Mr. Tuffy Bicycle Tire Liners
Tubes - MEC Road Tubes Presta 700 x 23-25
Seat Post - RMB
Saddle - San Marco ISCHIA
Rear Paniers - Axiom Champlain
Rear Trunk Bag - MEC
Front Handlebar Panier - Axiom Jolliet
Garmin Edge 605 bicycle GPS
Sigma Sport BC700 bicycle computer
Planet Bike Beamer 5 White LED Front Light
Planet Bike Rear Light

Hope I didn't upset anyone when I sent out my first e-mail with the link to my blog. If I did upset anyone I do sincerely apologize.

Lime Night at Chu Shing Restaurant

This evening while having dinner at the Chinese Chu Shing Restaurant I was convinced by all those present that I should create a blog to keep a record of my European bicycling adventure this summer. Departure for Bordeaux, France, where my European adventure will begin starts Saturday, May 23rd. I plan to cycle from home to Hawkesbury and spend an evening there. The following day I plan to cycle to Montreal and spend a second evening there. My flight for France leaves Monday evening at 23:10 and arrives in Bordeaux the following day at 12:00. Must get some rest now. It's been a very long day.