See post 76 you muppet
M’off…. Brittany calling yet again…
- Thread starter EVskiy
- Start date
Out the terminal, onto southbound A16 and come off 1km later at Coquelles.
Upon entering the village, at the roundabout they have a monument (if you like) on it. A great lump of metal that is the front end of the TBM that had snaked its way under the La Manche, creating the tunnels that I had used this morning to cross over into France.
I did fail to pull over somewhere safely to take a picture, so here is one curtesy of Google.
View attachment 410216
Following on, a village of Sangatte, “feels good to be back” it is a joke Arsey and I share.
View attachment 410210
Couldn’t be bothered walking to take a leak on the train, so what better place to stop for one with a view like this, just outside of Sangatte.
View attachment 410212
Look closer and those are the White Cliffs of Dover.
View attachment 410213
Pulled into the village of Framezelle* at a @Wapping favourite.
View attachment 410214
At 08:30 it did not look open to me, so I rode on, to the carpark of Cap Griz-Nez.
I come prepared. I do learn from me Northern Friend @Doc
View attachment 410215
View attachment 410217
Brew on…
View attachment 410218
Followed by a blueberry jam yoghurt that I’ve packed last night.
View attachment 410219
*shite roads people say in Northern France.
I can ride this section of road every day and have a goggle doing it.
More later…
Dear God
Continued…
Friday after, (ok during) lunch…
I’ve looked at the remainder of my route, I was quite shocked how little progress (on the map) I’ve made between arrival to Coquelles at 07:30 and 13:40 when I sat down for lunch in Dieppe. I guess they do say rightly, that “time does fly when you are having fun”, and indeed it did for me. So I have made a decision to ditch my remaining coastal crawl, in favour of more direct jaunt, whilst avoiding anything and everything that does resemble a mundane motorway.
Yes it is faster to get places via these types of road, but you also miss so many opportunities to see anything and owing able to pull over to have a nosey.
Route abandoned, I’ve pointed the bike inland, passing some 40 clicks south east past Caen and towards St. Malo. ETA was just after 20:00 excluding any stops for fuel, dinner, leaks, etc.
Captain’ ferry arrived at St Peter port a bit late, he was expecting it to leave late too, so neither of us were expecting him to dock any earlier than 21:15. With that in mind I’ve decided to still stick with an alternative route, and grab a pizza enroute, or perhaps something else in St. Malo town, whilst waiting for my mate to berth…
Pizza. Apart from multitude of 24h pizza dispensation robotic machines at the side of the road and a single pizza takeaway on a very busy town main road, I did not see anything at all. I know I could’ve pulled over perused menu at the multitude of restaurants I passed, but I did not feel like wasting time. So with no easy bike parking option at the takeaway, I kept on going in search and now even more hope.
The 20:00 something time slowly moved further away from me the closer o was getting to St. Malo (go figure), adding a couple of minutes on every 15 or so minutes riding and I am far from some one, who’s hanging about.
17:30 onward and I am feeling a rumbling tum. Salivating at the thought of having a nice pizza. Sods law, init. 24h robots at the side of the road are the only vendors about and that’s about it. I rode much earlier in the morning past Chez Sully pizzeria and friary in Wimereux, as it was (lately) discovered by Wapping, I think that’s what has set my mind on pizza.
Meanwhile the St. Malo ETA has moved on now to circa 20:20. I was loosing time and risking not having my dinner, Arsey not been at the digs for best part of 2-3 weeks since past visit, it will have nothing more than some tea bags to suck on or a bottle of gin to siphon off.
Anyway, I was just about to jump on the N158 southbound at Falaise, when out the corner out my eye I’ve spotted McD’s. Sod it, I’ve done a rapid lap of a roundabout, as I am starving. To my surprise, I wasn’t expecting to have found that they over here (France) do actually cater for veggies with quite a variety of choice actually. So I placed my order (Nearly €10). Compared to uk £5.19 or there about, that’s pricey.
I was under impression that I’ll be in and out under 20 minutes. No such luck, took the best part of 15 minutes to prep my food.
Then another 10-15 to chomp it. So much for “fast food restaurant” 
I stuff my face with some ultra processed fastshite food and battle the fecking ice cubes in the cup as I try to down my peach (flavoured) ice tea.
Whilst I am chomping, I lookup an alternative route.
Apple Maps to the rescue. I am 125 miles away and have two hours to get there. I am presented with three options. Two are most direct routes at 2:14 and 2:17 respectively. The third being via the dual garbage ways and autoroute. But it is a much shorter two hour jaunt despite the longer distance.
By the time I finished doing a good job of biting my fingers, the ETA original alternative route has moved on to beyond 21:08. I am not having that.
I am hoping there will not be an envelope or two landing on my door mat at home in a month or two
. Did I say I wasn’t hanging around? 
I now headed (in the wrong direction) north toward Caen on N158, it is a 40 minute ride us then I am led around the Caen ring road, south west to A84 leading toward N175 and eventually St. Malo.
While I ride, our WhatsApp group keep pinging messages the screen of my CHIGEE navigation device. Captain does recon that he’ll get to the port, disembark and clear customs way before I get there fists. Challenge accepted, and using Siri, I reply that my ETA is 21:00 on the dot. Meanwhile captain thinking that I am best part of 40 minutes away. I respond…
Challenge accepted!
The. Ikea is running out of fuel, it could do with a tip up, since there is at least another hour to ride to captains digs. I however solder on, as I do not wish to loose the challenge.
And I did not. Arriving at 20:59 and picture taken at exactly 21:00. Some glove faffing was necessary
Thinking I’ve at least 15 minutes to spare, I’ll ride over the the other side to take some footage of Captain rocking up to at the port. The boat has arrived early and disembarking was happening as I was taking this picture…
Pic taken, I whizz back to the port gates, only to find Captain stood stood there beside his bike, taking a video and feeling smug to be “the first one to arrive” I quickly let him know he wasn’t.
We not hanging about and soon heading for the digs. The sun is still up, but dropping rapidly.
We pull in at a voltage round the corner to grab a half pint of beer each to officially celebrate the start of this little jaunt.
We sim. Are back on the road and now riding in pitch black, but son enough we reach then the digs. My arse a feeling it, I am knackered, bikes packed away, we are having a cup of tea a catchup and then bed.
I believe it is my longest trip (milage covered? in a single day to date.
I guess that it is true, when riding back roads of France, you do only average around d 40mph, despite traveling at much faster pace.
By now, I have been awake for 21 hours straight, having switched the light of at 00:10 local time. I do not remember much more after sticking that light switch to off potion.
To be continued…
Friday after, (ok during) lunch…
I’ve looked at the remainder of my route, I was quite shocked how little progress (on the map) I’ve made between arrival to Coquelles at 07:30 and 13:40 when I sat down for lunch in Dieppe. I guess they do say rightly, that “time does fly when you are having fun”, and indeed it did for me. So I have made a decision to ditch my remaining coastal crawl, in favour of more direct jaunt, whilst avoiding anything and everything that does resemble a mundane motorway.
Yes it is faster to get places via these types of road, but you also miss so many opportunities to see anything and owing able to pull over to have a nosey.
Route abandoned, I’ve pointed the bike inland, passing some 40 clicks south east past Caen and towards St. Malo. ETA was just after 20:00 excluding any stops for fuel, dinner, leaks, etc.
Captain’ ferry arrived at St Peter port a bit late, he was expecting it to leave late too, so neither of us were expecting him to dock any earlier than 21:15. With that in mind I’ve decided to still stick with an alternative route, and grab a pizza enroute, or perhaps something else in St. Malo town, whilst waiting for my mate to berth…
Pizza. Apart from multitude of 24h pizza dispensation robotic machines at the side of the road and a single pizza takeaway on a very busy town main road, I did not see anything at all. I know I could’ve pulled over perused menu at the multitude of restaurants I passed, but I did not feel like wasting time. So with no easy bike parking option at the takeaway, I kept on going in search and now even more hope.
The 20:00 something time slowly moved further away from me the closer o was getting to St. Malo (go figure), adding a couple of minutes on every 15 or so minutes riding and I am far from some one, who’s hanging about.
17:30 onward and I am feeling a rumbling tum. Salivating at the thought of having a nice pizza. Sods law, init. 24h robots at the side of the road are the only vendors about and that’s about it. I rode much earlier in the morning past Chez Sully pizzeria and friary in Wimereux, as it was (lately) discovered by Wapping, I think that’s what has set my mind on pizza.
Meanwhile the St. Malo ETA has moved on now to circa 20:20. I was loosing time and risking not having my dinner, Arsey not been at the digs for best part of 2-3 weeks since past visit, it will have nothing more than some tea bags to suck on or a bottle of gin to siphon off.
Anyway, I was just about to jump on the N158 southbound at Falaise, when out the corner out my eye I’ve spotted McD’s. Sod it, I’ve done a rapid lap of a roundabout, as I am starving. To my surprise, I wasn’t expecting to have found that they over here (France) do actually cater for veggies with quite a variety of choice actually. So I placed my order (Nearly €10). Compared to uk £5.19 or there about, that’s pricey.
I was under impression that I’ll be in and out under 20 minutes. No such luck, took the best part of 15 minutes to prep my food.
Then another 10-15 to chomp it. So much for “fast food restaurant” I stuff my face with some ultra processed fast
Whilst I am chomping, I lookup an alternative route.
Apple Maps to the rescue. I am 125 miles away and have two hours to get there. I am presented with three options. Two are most direct routes at 2:14 and 2:17 respectively. The third being via the dual garbage ways and autoroute. But it is a much shorter two hour jaunt despite the longer distance.
By the time I finished doing a good job of biting my fingers, the ETA original alternative route has moved on to beyond 21:08. I am not having that.
I am hoping there will not be an envelope or two landing on my door mat at home in a month or two
. Did I say I wasn’t hanging around? I now headed (in the wrong direction) north toward Caen on N158, it is a 40 minute ride us then I am led around the Caen ring road, south west to A84 leading toward N175 and eventually St. Malo.
While I ride, our WhatsApp group keep pinging messages the screen of my CHIGEE navigation device. Captain does recon that he’ll get to the port, disembark and clear customs way before I get there fists. Challenge accepted, and using Siri, I reply that my ETA is 21:00 on the dot. Meanwhile captain thinking that I am best part of 40 minutes away. I respond…
Challenge accepted!
The. Ikea is running out of fuel, it could do with a tip up, since there is at least another hour to ride to captains digs. I however solder on, as I do not wish to loose the challenge.
And I did not. Arriving at 20:59 and picture taken at exactly 21:00. Some glove faffing was necessary
Thinking I’ve at least 15 minutes to spare, I’ll ride over the the other side to take some footage of Captain rocking up to at the port. The boat has arrived early and disembarking was happening as I was taking this picture…
Pic taken, I whizz back to the port gates, only to find Captain stood stood there beside his bike, taking a video and feeling smug to be “the first one to arrive” I quickly let him know he wasn’t.
We not hanging about and soon heading for the digs. The sun is still up, but dropping rapidly.
We pull in at a voltage round the corner to grab a half pint of beer each to officially celebrate the start of this little jaunt.
We sim. Are back on the road and now riding in pitch black, but son enough we reach then the digs. My arse a feeling it, I am knackered, bikes packed away, we are having a cup of tea a catchup and then bed.
I believe it is my longest trip (milage covered? in a single day to date.
I guess that it is true, when riding back roads of France, you do only average around d 40mph, despite traveling at much faster pace.
By now, I have been awake for 21 hours straight, having switched the light of at 00:10 local time. I do not remember much more after sticking that light switch to off potion.
To be continued…
Attachments
Knobhead you.
Nothing wrong here. It’s a norm nowadays to keep one’s feet a bit more warmer.
FFS go to bed Ev. Haven’t you Guys got a full days touring tomorrow
You seem to know more than I do.FFS go to bed Ev. Haven’t you Guys got a full days touring tomorrow
care to tell more Grant?!
Bed time!
Nighty night.
Nighty night.
Nice one Ev. I must try harder on my trip reports to do essay like reports.Continued…
Friday after, (ok during) lunch…
I’ve looked at the remainder of my route, I was quite shocked how little progress (on the map) I’ve made between arrival to Coquelles at 07:30 and 13:40 when I sat down for lunch in Dieppe. I guess they do say rightly, that “time does fly when you are having fun”, and indeed it did for me. So I have made a decision to ditch my remaining coastal crawl, in favour of more direct jaunt, whilst avoiding anything and everything that does resemble a mundane motorway.
Yes it is faster to get places via these types of road, but you also miss so many opportunities to see anything and owing able to pull over to have a nosey.
Route abandoned, I’ve pointed the bike inland, passing some 40 clicks south east past Caen and towards St. Malo. ETA was just after 20:00 excluding any stops for fuel, dinner, leaks, etc.
Captain’ ferry arrived at St Peter port a bit late, he was expecting it to leave late too, so neither of us were expecting him to dock any earlier than 21:15. With that in mind I’ve decided to still stick with an alternative route, and grab a pizza enroute, or perhaps something else in St. Malo town, whilst waiting for my mate to berth…
Pizza. Apart from multitude of 24h pizza dispensation robotic machines at the side of the road and a single pizza takeaway on a very busy town main road, I did not see anything at all. I know I could’ve pulled over perused menu at the multitude of restaurants I passed, but I did not feel like wasting time. So with no easy bike parking option at the takeaway, I kept on going in search and now even more hope.
The 20:00 something time slowly moved further away from me the closer o was getting to St. Malo (go figure), adding a couple of minutes on every 15 or so minutes riding and I am far from some one, who’s hanging about.
17:30 onward and I am feeling a rumbling tum. Salivating at the thought of having a nice pizza. Sods law, init. 24h robots at the side of the road are the only vendors about and that’s about it. I rode much earlier in the morning past Chez Sully pizzeria and friary in Wimereux, as it was (lately) discovered by Wapping, I think that’s what has set my mind on pizza.
Meanwhile the St. Malo ETA has moved on now to circa 20:20. I was loosing time and risking not having my dinner, Arsey not been at the digs for best part of 2-3 weeks since past visit, it will have nothing more than some tea bags to suck on or a bottle of gin to siphon off.
Anyway, I was just about to jump on the N158 southbound at Falaise, when out the corner out my eye I’ve spotted McD’s. Sod it, I’ve done a rapid lap of a roundabout, as I am starving. To my surprise, I wasn’t expecting to have found that they over here (France) do actually cater for veggies with quite a variety of choice actually. So I placed my order (Nearly €10). Compared to uk £5.19 or there about, that’s pricey.
View attachment 410707
I was under impression that I’ll be in and out under 20 minutes. No such luck, took the best part of 15 minutes to prep my food.
View attachment 410711 Then another 10-15 to chomp it. So much for “fast food restaurant”
I stuff my face with some ultra processed fastshitefood and battle the fecking ice cubes in the cup as I try to down my peach (flavoured) ice tea.
Whilst I am chomping, I lookup an alternative route.
View attachment 410716
Apple Maps to the rescue. I am 125 miles away and have two hours to get there. I am presented with three options. Two are most direct routes at 2:14 and 2:17 respectively. The third being via the dual garbage ways and autoroute. But it is a much shorter two hour jaunt despite the longer distance.
By the time I finished doing a good job of biting my fingers, the ETA original alternative route has moved on to beyond 21:08. I am not having that.
I am hoping there will not be an envelope or two landing on my door mat at home in a month or two
I now headed (in the wrong direction) north toward Caen on N158, it is a 40 minute ride us then I am led around the Caen ring road, south west to A84 leading toward N175 and eventually St. Malo.
While I ride, our WhatsApp group keep pinging messages the screen of my CHIGEE navigation device. Captain does recon that he’ll get to the port, disembark and clear customs way before I get there fists. Challenge accepted, and using Siri, I reply that my ETA is 21:00 on the dot. Meanwhile captain thinking that I am best part of 40 minutes away. I respond…
Challenge accepted!
The. Ikea is running out of fuel, it could do with a tip up, since there is at least another hour to ride to captains digs. I however solder on, as I do not wish to loose the challenge.
And I did not. Arriving at 20:59 and picture taken at exactly 21:00. Some glove faffing was necessary
View attachment 410721
Thinking I’ve at least 15 minutes to spare, I’ll ride over the the other side to take some footage of Captain rocking up to at the port. The boat has arrived early and disembarking was happening as I was taking this picture…
View attachment 410722
Pic taken, I whizz back to the port gates, only to find Captain stood stood there beside his bike, taking a video and feeling smug to be “the first one to arrive” I quickly let him know he wasn’t.
We not hanging about and soon heading for the digs. The sun is still up, but dropping rapidly.
We pull in at a voltage round the corner to grab a half pint of beer each to officially celebrate the start of this little jaunt.
View attachment 410723
We sim. Are back on the road and now riding in pitch black, but son enough we reach then the digs. My arse a feeling it, I am knackered, bikes packed away, we are having a cup of tea a catchup and then bed.
I believe it is my longest trip (milage covered? in a single day to date.
View attachment 410724
I guess that it is true, when riding back roads of France, you do only average around d 40mph, despite traveling at much faster pace.
By now, I have been awake for 21 hours straight, having switched the light of at 00:10 local time. I do not remember much more after sticking that light switch to off potion.
To be continued…
And checked in
View attachment 410372
I’ll probably get to St Malo first at this rate unless Ev stops compiling his ride report and actually rides his feckin bike
Bargain …
They could have swept it first
Except I was first one to arrive as I said to meet just inside the harbour compound to the left as you go in .Continued…
Friday after, (ok during) lunch…
I’ve looked at the remainder of my route, I was quite shocked how little progress (on the map) I’ve made between arrival to Coquelles at 07:30 and 13:40 when I sat down for lunch in Dieppe. I guess they do say rightly, that “time does fly when you are having fun”, and indeed it did for me. So I have made a decision to ditch my remaining coastal crawl, in favour of more direct jaunt, whilst avoiding anything and everything that does resemble a mundane motorway.
Yes it is faster to get places via these types of road, but you also miss so many opportunities to see anything and owing able to pull over to have a nosey.
Route abandoned, I’ve pointed the bike inland, passing some 40 clicks south east past Caen and towards St. Malo. ETA was just after 20:00 excluding any stops for fuel, dinner, leaks, etc.
Captain’ ferry arrived at St Peter port a bit late, he was expecting it to leave late too, so neither of us were expecting him to dock any earlier than 21:15. With that in mind I’ve decided to still stick with an alternative route, and grab a pizza enroute, or perhaps something else in St. Malo town, whilst waiting for my mate to berth…
Pizza. Apart from multitude of 24h pizza dispensation robotic machines at the side of the road and a single pizza takeaway on a very busy town main road, I did not see anything at all. I know I could’ve pulled over perused menu at the multitude of restaurants I passed, but I did not feel like wasting time. So with no easy bike parking option at the takeaway, I kept on going in search and now even more hope.
The 20:00 something time slowly moved further away from me the closer o was getting to St. Malo (go figure), adding a couple of minutes on every 15 or so minutes riding and I am far from some one, who’s hanging about.
17:30 onward and I am feeling a rumbling tum. Salivating at the thought of having a nice pizza. Sods law, init. 24h robots at the side of the road are the only vendors about and that’s about it. I rode much earlier in the morning past Chez Sully pizzeria and friary in Wimereux, as it was (lately) discovered by Wapping, I think that’s what has set my mind on pizza.
Meanwhile the St. Malo ETA has moved on now to circa 20:20. I was loosing time and risking not having my dinner, Arsey not been at the digs for best part of 2-3 weeks since past visit, it will have nothing more than some tea bags to suck on or a bottle of gin to siphon off.
Anyway, I was just about to jump on the N158 southbound at Falaise, when out the corner out my eye I’ve spotted McD’s. Sod it, I’ve done a rapid lap of a roundabout, as I am starving. To my surprise, I wasn’t expecting to have found that they over here (France) do actually cater for veggies with quite a variety of choice actually. So I placed my order (Nearly €10). Compared to uk £5.19 or there about, that’s pricey.
View attachment 410707
I was under impression that I’ll be in and out under 20 minutes. No such luck, took the best part of 15 minutes to prep my food.
View attachment 410711 Then another 10-15 to chomp it. So much for “fast food restaurant”
I stuff my face with some ultra processed fastshitefood and battle the fecking ice cubes in the cup as I try to down my peach (flavoured) ice tea.
Whilst I am chomping, I lookup an alternative route.
View attachment 410716
Apple Maps to the rescue. I am 125 miles away and have two hours to get there. I am presented with three options. Two are most direct routes at 2:14 and 2:17 respectively. The third being via the dual garbage ways and autoroute. But it is a much shorter two hour jaunt despite the longer distance.
By the time I finished doing a good job of biting my fingers, the ETA original alternative route has moved on to beyond 21:08. I am not having that.
I am hoping there will not be an envelope or two landing on my door mat at home in a month or two
I now headed (in the wrong direction) north toward Caen on N158, it is a 40 minute ride us then I am led around the Caen ring road, south west to A84 leading toward N175 and eventually St. Malo.
While I ride, our WhatsApp group keep pinging messages the screen of my CHIGEE navigation device. Captain does recon that he’ll get to the port, disembark and clear customs way before I get there fists. Challenge accepted, and using Siri, I reply that my ETA is 21:00 on the dot. Meanwhile captain thinking that I am best part of 40 minutes away. I respond…
Challenge accepted!
The. Ikea is running out of fuel, it could do with a tip up, since there is at least another hour to ride to captains digs. I however solder on, as I do not wish to loose the challenge.
And I did not. Arriving at 20:59 and picture taken at exactly 21:00. Some glove faffing was necessary
View attachment 410721
Thinking I’ve at least 15 minutes to spare, I’ll ride over the the other side to take some footage of Captain rocking up to at the port. The boat has arrived early and disembarking was happening as I was taking this picture…
View attachment 410722
Pic taken, I whizz back to the port gates, only to find Captain stood stood there beside his bike, taking a video and feeling smug to be “the first one to arrive” I quickly let him know he wasn’t.
We not hanging about and soon heading for the digs. The sun is still up, but dropping rapidly.
We pull in at a voltage round the corner to grab a half pint of beer each to officially celebrate the start of this little jaunt.
View attachment 410723
We sim. Are back on the road and now riding in pitch black, but son enough we reach then the digs. My arse a feeling it, I am knackered, bikes packed away, we are having a cup of tea a catchup and then bed.
I believe it is my longest trip (milage covered? in a single day to date.
View attachment 410724
I guess that it is true, when riding back roads of France, you do only average around d 40mph, despite traveling at much faster pace.
By now, I have been awake for 21 hours straight, having switched the light of at 00:10 local time. I do not remember much more after sticking that light switch to off potion.
To be continued…
Me waiting for EV
I reckon Ev could have done his long ride in 2 hours less if he just left his ear plugs in and his gloves on during stops
Anyway, it’s another lovely morning out of the window
Popping down to La Rochelle for the night via Saint Jeans de Monts and Les Sables d’Olonne
Last edited:
Interesting.Thanks bud. I must confess, I do give up halfway through yours
Hard work keeping up with these edits
Nothing more than just ironing out odd spelling mistake etc. ThanksHard work keeping up with these edits
How’s the knee ? You’ve not mentioned it for 10 minutesHard work keeping up with these edits
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