Think back... you've dragged me kicking and screaming into a McDonald's before... how much was it?
AUGUST - French Gastro Tour
- Thread starter oldrascal
- Start date
Think back... you've dragged me kicking and screaming into a McDonald's before... how much was it?
oldrascal
Registered user
All I am prepared to say is that we ate and drank nothing but the finest French cuisine
Tut, tut, tut............
. It looks like all of my well thought out plans for culinary appreciation got lost somewhere between Salbris and Blighty. 
Mr K
Registered user
Leaving aside the obvious conclusion you have reached, would it not have been easier to have visited a French dentist, possibly with the help of your travel insurance or the local yellow pages?
PS You can do Calais to the Pyrenees - in August - easily in three days (with reasonably decent lunch / water stops and definitely in time for a good evening meal) without hitting too many motorways or grinding N roads.
oldrascal
Registered user
This tooth problem had been brewing for a couple of days before the departure date. As there was an abcess, my dentist could do nothing about the problem until I had finished the 5 day course of anti-biotics that he had prescribed. Now that's fine and good and might have eased the problem within 24 hours or so but anti-biotics (a) make me sleepy, (b) give me a violently upset stomach
, (c) are not compatable with the primary lubricant of these trips 
and finally take at least 24 hours to have an effect.Not wanting to let the other girls down, I didn't take the pills and took a chance on getting away with it. As I couldn't see a French dentist able to do any better, I bailed out when the pain really started kicking-in again. Its no fun riding in 34 degrees with bad toothache as I worked out on the way back.
Heigh-ho, c'est la bloody vie..........
As to breaking up a longish journey, I think that you have a point. But with only 4-5 days in total, I am of the opinion that 'less is more' and that sticking to more interesting and varied routes within 150 miles of the Channel port of arrival is the way I will go in future. To each their own of course.
The remaining four GStronauts spent the last night of the trip in a lovely Medieval town called Loches, about 25 miles SE of Tours. On the last day, all we did was put in Le Havre as the destination in the Zumo, tick the "Toll Roads" button and let it calculate the shortest route... as I recall, it was 212 miles and took us about 6 hours, including stops for drinks, fuel, wandering around a local market, letting the drinks out etc. etc. I have to say, it was certainly the best ride I've ever had back to the channel ports... almost no traffic, great countryside, lots of twisties, a few fast straights... and we never saw a single Gendarme or speed camera.
There are a lot of folk on this site that decry the use of a GPS... all I can say is that they're a tool, just like a map, and I always use them in conjunction with a map... they will take you down great roads that you didn't even know existed and, believe it or not, you don't have to go where they tell you
In my opinion, they're the best thing since sliced potatoes, but you have to use them with a little common sense... it also helps if you've got a sense of direction. As the other GStronauts pointed out... I usually start by riding round in a circle in the morning before I get my bearings and head off in the right direction
fishbird
Registered user
Gastro gets thumbs up
In my ever so 'umble opinion...... a pigeon (ballistic) reasonable map, minor input from a GPS and some luvverly fellas who happen to ride motorcycles...... a recipe for sucess. Hats of to you guys a great week after initial hiccups.
In my ever so 'umble opinion...... a pigeon (ballistic) reasonable map, minor input from a GPS and some luvverly fellas who happen to ride motorcycles...... a recipe for sucess. Hats of to you guys a great week after initial hiccups.
This tooth problem had been brewing for a couple of days before the departure date. As there was an abcess, my dentist could do nothing about the problem until I had finished the 5 day course of anti-biotics that he had prescribed. Now that's fine and good and might have eased the problem within 24 hours or so but anti-biotics (a) make me sleepy, (b) give me a violently upset stomach
Not wanting to let the other girls down, I didn't take the pills and took a chance on getting away with it. As I couldn't see a French dentist able to do any better, I bailed out when the pain really started kicking-in again. Its no fun riding in 34 degrees with bad toothache as I worked out on the way back.
Heigh-ho, c'est la bloody vie..........
As to breaking up a longish journey, I think that you have a point. But with only 4-5 days in total, I am of the opinion that 'less is more' and that sticking to more interesting and varied routes within 150 miles of the Channel port of arrival is the way I will go in future. To each their own of course.
Ah (or should that be ARRRGH!) all is clear.
For sure you can have fun on interesting and varied routes within 150 or 1,000 miles.... and anywhere in-between...or further, that's the great thing about it.
Take care.
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