Barca 2 Stage 01

Montreuil-Sur-Mer to Puiseux-Pontoise

Up and Ready

What a great night and meal in the town we was in last night. The hospitality they showed and the love of our tour was something to be proud of.

Woke in the morning to the lads pulling together to make the best breakfast feast they could; porridge, cereal, toast and lashing of sweet coffee. Keith is trying to restrict my coffee but as usual I am rebelling a bit.

Hitting the Road

So we are off just before 8am. Unfortunately 4 guys missed the team photo. They waited at the main gate, but this was not the Captain’s choice.

The same as always it’s difficult to find our way out of the eerily pretty town. But once we did we were onto the rolling roads past the arable fields and through some forest roads. It was superb riding and we ate up the miles until our first stop at just over 40 miles.

Pitstop at Huppy

We all reconvened at the Cafe La Marmite in Huppy. You either love it or hate it – we loved it. All there except Eric who apparently had little accident in the supermarket. Let’s keep it at that for the time being.

Then it was back on the brilliant roads eating up the miles. All the lads working as a team and all coming together. The young lads Rylan, Linney and Cathal were up front riding like the wind and leading us out.

Lunch at Gournay-en-Bray

We pushed on to the pin drop that Eric had done – fortunately he is back in the game. He’d prepared an excellent picnic, Rylan and I had a few ice cold beers. All good.

Pin drops are markers on an online map that you use to indicate where you are so others can see and a rendezvous can be agreed – it usually works.
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On the Road

Then we are all back on the road for the final 40 or so miles. No dramas, just hard strong riding.

Everyone was looking for a pub in the last 10 miles, but nothing could be found. Dave Austin and I even rode all the way around a church at the top of small hill, there is always a pub by a church, but not but this time though.

Finally we found a bar 100m from the hotel, so normal service was resumed.

We didn’t have the lush settings of the previous hotel in this place but it is a pound cheaper!

Had a meal in the Chinese restaurant next to the hotel which was eat as much as you like. Naturally the lads were happy.

All in all a good day in the saddle