Distance cycled since Modbury and therefore the final trip mileage 756 miles
Last night's Logis de France hotel was lovely ...... but cold even after the central heating came on at 5pm. Soon after we'd checked in, the wind strength rose and it blew a gale for quite a few hours. Rob and I had both brought mostly lightweight clothing for the warm weather that we'd expected, but we had got some that we could use for layering - just as well!
Our last evening meal was good with an "assiette de fruits de mer" as a real surprise starter, followed by steak, cheese and a dessert. Just the ticket!
We were not only the only diners, but were also the only ones staying at the hotel. The friendly owners said that business was very poor because of the atrocious weather, there'd been very few tourists and they were experiencing a double whammy because passing traffic had been banned until the end of the month by a "Route Barree", due to a small tunnel being built under the adjacent railway line.
We've encountered several "Route Barree" (Road Closed) notices on our trip, including 2 yesterday, and we've gone through all of them on our bikes, the first with some trepidation until we were waved through by some workmen. After that, whenever the road was closed, we just cycled through as though it was quite normal and slowed right down at the part where the "action" was taking place (it would have been undignified to have cycled into an open trench!)
We left the hotel at 9.15 and started the last leg of our journey in fresh (9C) windy conditions but with a bright sky, which turned to sunshine and blue sky as the morning wore on.
We passed a set of wind turbines, each with a pair of flashing "eyes" and flailing arms, and it looked for all the world like a scene from War of the Worlds.
We cycled through Morlaix town and Rob stopped at the open-air market to buy a beret and a string of onions in order to create confusion amongst relatives greeting him off the ferry. Whilst waiting for me to take photos, he bumped into an acquaintance from home who'd emigrated to France 6 months ago and was on a shopping trip from their new home 30 miles away. It's truly a small world.
We ambled on along the estuary and climbed to Carentec, then cycled on to St Pol de Leon where I had my usual baguette, with Rob just taking coffee. By this time it was 12.15. The French are not very inspired when it comes to baguette fillings. It's nearly always ham. I was offered ham and butter, then ham and cheese, at which point the cafe owner saw my head slump. She then offered an "Americain" which I jumped at.........to find it was salad.......and ham!!
We moved on and stopped at a SuperU supermarket, stocked up on pineau, cheese and chocolate, (with Rob taking a couple of dozen oysters and some langoustine as well) and wobbled the last few miles to the Ferryport. I've discovered that the imbalancing effect of a bottle of pineau in a rear pannier can be offset by a small bottle of Cointreau in the bar bag. I study these things, you see!
We reached the Ferryport at around 1.45pm, cruising down the sloping entry road 2 abreast, determined to frustrate any following motorists.........but annoyingly there were none. Then we parked up and shook hands ceremoniously (we DIDN'T hold hands!) to congratulate each other. It's been a memorable 3 weeks for both of us.
We boarded our ferry, the Armorique, at 3.55 for the 4.45pm sailing, in a temperature of 24C and saw our bikes safely secured (without my having to threaten any member of the crew) and will be met by our wives when we disembark. This post is hopefully being sent using the ship's "Wee-Fee".
That's now the end of our journey and we feel fantastic elation.
To quote Del Trotter from Only Fools and Horses:-
"Bonnet de douche! We've only been and gone and done it! Lovely jubbly!"
Thank you so much for all the Comments, e-mails, messages and communications, including via Facebook and Twitter, during our journey. They all meant so much to know that people were following us with such great interest. Near the end, I found it very emotional as I read out some of the congratulatory messages to Rob.
We've been getting over 120 "hits" a day on our blog and this is fantastic, bearing in mind that my mum doesn't know how to use a computer, so it can't be her!
Over the next few weeks and months, I will be adding to the blog with some afterthoughts, to include reviews of our bikes, equipment, things I learnt, things I should have taken......and things I needn't have bothered with. (Note the reference to "I" as Rob has an enormous number of things to do when he gets home including parish council duties, running a business, acting as legal executor in winding up an estate, and simply being a family man. By comparison, I have far more time and just have to pamper my wife when she comes home from work!)
I will also try to add a gallery of photos (and perhaps some video, if possible, as that also gives a good flavour of what we experienced).
Many have asked if I'll write an e-book as a follow-up and it's something that I hadn't contemplated, but will now think about. I will have to revisit my blog posts and photographs and jot down the many things that I didn't report, (some too embarrassing for an open blog!) while they're still fresh in my mind, and then I'll decide.
Rob and I will each hold open the facilities for donating to our charities for a limited period of time. A great thank you to all who have donated before and during the trip. If any were intending to donate but were waiting to see if we would actually make it (and that was understandable) well, here we are and we would ask that your donations are made now, please, before we close the facilities down. Please remember that Rob has bought all the duck that he's eaten, out of his own money, and every penny of every donation is going to whichever of Rob's or my nominated charities that you choose. Please just click on the "Our Charities" tab above and follow the instructions, or just hand your donation to one of us or those who are helping us. Grateful thanks in anticipation.
Regardless of whether you donate or have Commented, both Rob and I send a big THANK YOU now to everyone who has read this blog, as it is likely that many will stop here, having no interest in follow-up reviews. (If you are contemplating a similar cycle trip, though, I hope that my thoughts and reviews will be helpful).
Photos:
Assiette de fruits de mer last night
The market in Morlaix
Journey's end
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