L2P - Paris to Cornwall

15 Sept 2015 - Our last day in France

Our only brief today was to be at Gare du Nord by 14:15. Our hotel was on the north-western edge of Paris so Stephen, Ollie, Pete and I decided to use good-old Google maps to help us navigate our way on foot to Gare du Nord, stopping off at Montmatre en route. We set off about 09:00 and, fantastically, the sun was shining and it was a glorious day. After about a 30 minute walk (with our bags) we found ourselves a table in the sunshine outside a cafe on the Place du Tertre. Perfect!

We used the table as a base and went off exploring.

I absolutely LOVE this little bit of Paris. I last came here when I was 21 (so a few years ago now!) and have such fond memories of the place. 

One of the many artists on the square hoping to sell their work.

Yes, I did the touristy thing and had my portrait done by a street artist, who I was assured by his 'pimp' was 'the best of the best, and the rest'. Well, I'll let you be the judge of that ...

A good way of knocking 30 years off anyway!!

A chap came wandering past playing an accordion. He was a very friendly chap and turns out he's also a cyclist!

We set off about 13:30 to walk to Gare du Nord and we came across this set of steps, so I got in a bit of training for my next challenge in 5 weeks' time!

Gare du Nord

We caught the 15:13 Eurostar back to St Pancreas, which was on time, and we had a very easy journey back to the UK. We were met at St Pancreas by our two coach drivers who safely brought us back to Air Ambulance HQ where we were reunited with our bikes. Well, I had a bike and a half to collect as I also had parts of Helen's. We got back to Newquay at midnight so it was nearly 2am by the time I climbed into bed after our long journey home. 

It was a great trip and I really enjoyed the challenge. Thanks for the memories Team L2P!

If you have a spare couple of quid PLEASE help me to keep that Air Ambulance helicopter flying so they can be there for people at their time of need, by clicking here and sponsoring me.

L2P - Beauvais to Paris

14 Sept 2015 - Day 4 and our final 52 miles in the saddle 

My phone switched itself off in Paris so I lost my Endomondo journey for this last day, which was a bit gutting!

Ready to leave for our final day on two wheels

Our final day of cycling had arrived. We set off at 08:30 with the promise of heavy rain to come. Oh joy. Despite the weather, this was my favourite day of the trip. I was riding a bike that was SO comfortable and, because I wasn't in so much discomfort, I could keep up with Holly and co, and I was whizzing along. Yayyy!!

I must give a special mention to Geoff's wife, Julie, who came along on the trip to join Marni and Helen as support crew. She was there at every water and lunch stop greeting us with a big smile. While waiting for us to arrive she'd sit and knit gloves. I've no idea how many pairs she made on the trip in total. It's a shame they weren't waterproof ones as we could've done with them!

When the forecast said rain, they certainly weren't kidding! It was torrential. At one point, the rain was so heavy that I had to keep squeezing my eyes shut and re-opening them just to be able to see, because the rain was running down my face! The roads had turned into rivers and we even had a few rolls of thunder. But did it dampen our spirits? Course not! On we pedaled ...

Holly and I make use of a nearby tree to prop our bikes against before tucking into a fab lunch

There's always time for a selfie with Stu in front of the Seine!

Lunch on the banks of the Seine in the rain!

We munched our lunch and tried to keep warm, which wasn't easy. As soon as everyone was ready, we got back on our bikes and pedaled into the Paris suburbs.

Nearly there!

With big cities come traffic lights. Loads of them! Some of the more experienced cyclists of the group were able to whip out their camera and take photos while we waited for traffic lights to change!

Cycling in Paris was fab; the complete opposite of cycling in London. Most roads have cycle lanes and other road users are polite and considerate, giving cyclists space and time to manoeuver.

We reached Park Monceau and met the 360 support team who were waiting there. The plan was to go in convoy on our final 4 miles to the Eiffel Tower. 

While waiting for the second group to arrive there was just time for a quick icecream selfie!

And then, we were off ...

Cycling up the Paris cobbles with the Arc de Triomphe ahead was exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time.

But not as nerve-wracking as it was actually cycling around the Arc de Triomphe. It has to be the most in-Seine (sorry, couldn't resist) road junction in the world! We stayed together in one big block, like a 'bike-bus' and I actually loved every second of it. It was excitingly scary having vehicles approaching you from both sides!! 

And then, there it was, the Eiffel Tower. I felt quite emotional when I saw it in the distance. I had done it, with the help of Frankenbike and the team!

Holly was asked if she'd take a photo of Stu and Steve. Sure, just as soon as we've taken a quick selfie!

Team Peru had made it!

Ollie and Pete were my cycling and chilling buddies. 

And here is the whole awesome team, minus Geoff's wife Julie who took the photo.

Although you can't tell from these photos, the sky suddenly turned very black, the wind got up and it started to rain. We quickly pulled on our raincoats, jumped on our bikes and headed for the hotel.

This photo of us was taken from the van. It was pouring! Hard to believe it was only about 10 minutes after my previous photo in the fabulous sunshine. We loved going round the Arc de Triomple so much that we did it again, in the pouring rain on slippery wet cobbles. Did we care? Nope. I enjoyed it almost as much as I had the first time around. 

It didn't take us long before we were saying goodbye to our bikes and checking into the Hotel Ibis, Berthier, Paris. We left our bikes in the underground car park so they could be loaded into the van ready to travel back to Cornwall. I've decided that I really like Ibis hotels because their beds are the best!! They all have thick mattress toppers making them oh-so-comfy.

Kirsten's family had come to Paris to greet her at the Eiffel Tower so as soon as she had showered she went to join her husband and children. As we had about 3 hours to kill before heading off for our celebration meal at a local restaurant, Ollie and I paid 5 euros each to use the hotel's spa facilities. Chilling in the pool, steam, sauna and Jacuzzi was just what we needed. We were the only people using it except for one French chap (who strangely was wearing ear-plugs and ear defenders whilst in the sauna?) and then we were joined by 3 other guys from our group. It was just what le docteur ordered for our tired muscles! 

At our celebration meal Steve and Stu (both Air Ambulance Paramedics) stood up to say a few words and also to hand out our Air Ambulance medals. It was a mix of good food (I've discovered that I like mushrooms, well, done however the French do them anyway), good company and ...

... lots of shenanigans going on through the window! Some of the guys left to go and sample the Paris nightlife, stopping by the open window by our table to tell us a story or two first. Good fun was had by all.

If you have a spare couple of quid PLEASE help me to keep that Air Ambulance helicopter flying so they can be there for people at their time of need, by clicking here and sponsoring me.

L2P - Calais to Beauvais

12 Sept 2015 - Day 2 Calais to Abbeville - 77 miles

With a much more decent set off time of 08:30 in store, Kirsten and I set our alarm for 07:00. We had both slept well, with a bit of help from our little friend Zopiclone! After packing up and eating a filling breakfast, we filled our drinks bottles and set off across the mostly flat French countryside. It was dry but with rain forecast for later in the day.

Preparing to leave the hotel

We cycled through beautiful little French villages, one with church bells ringing and another with a large funeral going on. It was so lovely to glide along soaking up the sights, smells and sounds.

I did feel more comfortable with my seat raised and handlebars lowered for a while but started to develop an ache in my lower back which guide Steve said was because my handlebars were now too low and it was putting too much pressure on my back. It's not easy being me!!

So after 25 miles, at the water stop, Steve put my handlebars back to where they were originally and raised my seat even more. Now, at last, I was starting to feel much more comfortable. I've no idea why I never had any of these problems during any of my training rides. Bizarre.

Just as I was going along nicely, and with only 5 miles to go to our lunch stop, disaster struck. We had just turned left at a road junction and the road had a light sprinkling of rain, when my back wheel slipped from under me and I fell onto the road. I was on the tarmac with my back wheel on my left leg but unfortunately on top of my back wheel was Jacqui, another rider on our team. We were a sorry heap in the middle of the road. A very kind French lady appeared from her house to check we were all ok.

While I suffered a cut right knee and Jacqui bruised her already injured left leg and knee, the permanent damage was to my derailleur hanger. It was bent into the spokes so the back wheel couldn't turn.

Steve rang team leader Jo and he waited with Jacqui and me for her to arrive with the van. My bike wasn't rideable and Jacqui was in quite a bit of pain, so we caught a lift to the hotel.

Ian doing bike repairs 

Helen from the 360 team had brought her bike with her on the trip as she was intending to do some of the riding with us. However, she had checked her bike in as luggage on her flight to London and the handlebars were broken in transit so sadly she couldn't ride with us. Ian had an idea. He would make one rideable bike out of Helen's and my two broken ones. Genius!

There was a lovely sunset that evening, which is mostly blocked in this photo by the big boring building!

We got washed and brushed up and walked to a nearby restaurant where we ate a hearty dinner. My starter was delish and large enough to have as a main meal: ham and cheese pancake with cheese sauce, lasagne style. It certainly wan't a quick meal, so as soon as we'd had our pudding, a few of us went straight back to the hotel as it was already nearly 11pm and, on a trip like this, I certainly need as much sleep as I can get!

13 Sept 2015 - Day 3 Abbeville to Beauvais - 67 miles

Say hello to Frankenbike!

The next morning I was very excited to see what Ian had done with my and Helen's bikes. The handlebars and pedals were mine but the rest was Helen's bike. I hopped on and it felt great!

We set off in dry weather at 08:30 and the first few hours took us across the Somme. It was beautiful countryside but the early morning mist made it feel very eerie.

I loved the real mix of architecture. We passed some beautiful chateaus and picturesque little villages.

 

You can spot me in the pink tops!

Frankenbike was so comfortable to ride. I glided along being able to enjoy cycling again, rather than enduring it. I was flying and loving it!

It was all going so well until about 34 miles into the ride, on the outskirts of Thieulloy-La-Ville, I got a puncture in the back tyre. Noooooo!!! I'd been having a bit of trouble with the chain sticking so I had stopped with Ian earlier so he could have a tinker with it and so, as a result, we were right at the back of the group on our own. Where I got my puncture, we were on the outskirts of the village and Ian had no phone signal. So he pedaled off into the village in the pursuit of phone signal while I walked with my bike.

Frankenbike in Thieulloy-La-Ville

Our plan was to find a coffee shop and wait for the van, but it was Sunday so nowhere was open. Doh! Ian scouted around the village and we ended up ...

... at a car boot sale ...

... next to the church.

It was a lovely little village which seemed deserted, until we got to the car boot sale which was bustling with people! There was a big marquee selling hot drinks and food. It was certainly where it was all going on in that village.

Jo eventually turned up with the van and we drove to the lunch stop. It started to rain as soon as we got in the van and it was torrential by the time we met up with the others, who were all soaked through.

I went on to the hotel, the Hotel Campanile in Beauvais, in the van and helped Jo unload all our bags.

While we were in the little village awaiting the van, Ian and I discussed what we could do with my bike. He explained that he was Helen's bike mechanic and suggested that, as Helen was considering buying a new bike anyway, that she might be up for selling me the working bits of her bike. To me, this was a great idea as I'd been so comfortable riding Helen's bike.

So Ian had a chat with Helen and we came to an agreement. I was very happy! So Ian set to work again juggling bike parts between my bike and Helen's.

That evening we ate in the hotel's restaurant. We couldn't believe that the next evening we'd all be celebrating in Paris!

If you have a spare couple of quid PLEASE help me to keep that Air Ambulance helicopter flying so they can be there for people at their time of need, by clicking here and sponsoring me.

L2P - Cornwall to Calais

10 Sept 2015 - Cornwall to London

So with bag packed, bike serviced and ...

... sandwiches for the coach collected from Sainsbury's in Penzance (given to us for free by the supermarket) ...

... I headed up to the Cornwall Air Ambulance HQ at Newquay. Our kind friend, Ian, took me in his van as Darren was away working in sunny Aberdeen.

Before we piled on the coach bound for the big smoke, there was time for us to collect our t-shirts and have a team photo with one of the helicopters. We were just missing two of the team who were already in London.

There was lots of nervous excitement as we loaded our bikes into a hired van and found ourselves seats on the coach. We left Air Ambulance HQ at 16:00 and after a brief stop at Gordano services near Bristol, we finally arrived at the Travelodge in Southwark at 22:00. 

We were all pretty shattered from our long coach journey but were pleased to see the sights of London beautifully lit up. Our bikes had arrived ahead of us and were being stored at the hotel. We claimed our bikes and had an interesting time taking them up to our rooms, by trying to squeeze them into the very small lift or, as I did, by carrying them up the stairs. Thankfully I was only on the third floor and my bike is quite light, so it wasn't too bad.

I was sharing a room with Kirsten and we had a lovely big hotel room so had plenty of room for us, our bags and both bikes. It did feel a bit weird having our bikes in our hotel room with us! We turned in about 23:00 hoping to get a good night's sleep to stand us in good stead for the long day ahead of us.

11 Sept 2015 - London to Calais - 90 miles

Our alarm went off at 05:00 and we had an hour to get ready and eat some breakfast before meeting the 360 Expeditions team (Team Leader Jo, support crew Marni and Helen, and guides Ian, Steve and Guy) at the entrance to the hotel.

We were all really excited that our time to start the challenge had finally come! We loaded our bags onto the support van and prepared to set off. This was our first experience of riding as a complete group.

We had about a mile to cycle to the base of the London Eye, which was our official starting point. There was time for a few photos before we set off about 06.30 to work our way through the horrible London traffic.

Me in the pink top and 'Pass Wide' tabbard

Trying to stay together as one complete group while riding in London with traffic lights every few hundred yards was virtually impossible. We got as far as Dartford tube station before there were requests for a wee stop. Probably down to nerves I expect!! The very kind turnstile guards at the tube station let us nip through to use the loo and then we prepared to set off again. Just before we set off, guide Ian said "We'll stay together until we split into groups." Excellent!

All the cycling tops I wore for the challenge were bright pink, so you'll be able to spot me in my photos! Even my waterproof coat is bright pink.

I don't think any of us would say that cycling through London was enjoyable. There was so much traffic and drivers were quite aggressive and inconsiderate. Pedaling across the Kent countryside however was much more enjoyable, especially in glorious sunshine.

We stopped for water and a snack in Gravesend and then stopped in Detling, near Maidstone, for lunch, with an excellent spread prepared for us by Marni, Helen and Geoff's wife, Julie, who had come along on the trip to be support crew.

I really struggled riding today. I discussed the problems I was having (saddle soreness) with guide Ian and he suggested that raising my seat would help. I've never been so uncomfortable for so long. It wasn't good.

I was relieved to see the final water stop on the outskirts of Dover but not so happy to hear that we still had a couple of big hills yet to climb. Being in that much discomfort was bad enough but trying to cycle up hill made it even worse.

 Waiting in the lane before cycling down the ramp onto the ferry

As predicted, I was SO grateful to see signs for Dover and the ferry port. We had made it!! We met the support van about 16:30 and cycled what felt like about 3 miles through the ferry port to find the lane we had to wait in before boarding the ferry.

Whilst on the ferry we all grabbed some food and took the opportunity to relax after our long (and painful for me) ride. 

As we pedaled out of the ferry onto French soil this rather battered sign greeted us! 

We arrived at the Ibis hotel in Calais and checked into our rooms. We were tired but happy to have completed our first (and longest) day. While I was back in my hotel room Ian set to work raising my bike seat and lowering my handlebars in an attempt to make my riding position more comfortable.

I can't say this day was the hardest thing I've ever done but it was certainly the most uncomfortable. If all my road bike training had been like today, I would have considered pulling out of this challenge.

If you have a spare couple of quid PLEASE help me to keep that Air Ambulance helicopter flying so they can be there for people at their time of need, by clicking here and sponsoring me.