[Home]     Cycling Along the Loire Saturday 20th August 2016 Home to Calais Andrew arrived in Ware last night with his bike bagged up in the bike bag, his one of the two we’d bought for taking our bikes on the French trains. In the morning we stowed everything into the car and with Trisha along to drive the car back we set off for Dover. After seven miles we turned round to get my phone which I’d left behind. There were delays on the M25 and quite heavy rain for a good part of the way but by the time we reached Dover it was bright and sunny, albeit very windy. Andrew re-assembled his bike without any trouble and after giving Trisha a hug and kiss I saddled up and we rode to the ferry terminal. Assembling Andrew's bike at Dover We were early enough to get an earlier ferry than the 15.40 one we had booked but because of the near gale-force winds in the English Channel the ferries were all delayed. In the end our departure time was about 15.20, so not much earlier than we had scheduled. Despite the wind the ship remained very stable and the crossing was uneventful. In Calais we cycled to the Hotel du Beffroi, a charming lodging place recognisable immediately as Andrew-booked accommodation by the peeling exterior paintwork. Inside, however, it was decent enough and there was a shed for us to put the bikes in. It came to about 70 euros for the two of us, which included 14 euros for our breakfasts. The Hotel BetFred In the evening we went out for a meal and a drink. Near the hotel there was a big square, La Place d'Armes, completely lined with bars and restaurants, all of which were doing a good trade. The square contained a large statue of General de Gaulle and his wife looking down imposingly at the French gourmands eagerly knocking back the food and drink there. Evening in La Place d'Armes Myself with Charles and Yvonne We had a very nice Indian meal at a place called Bollywood but the service was dire – the waiter didn’t give us menus till he’d finished joking about with his take-away pals and didn’t bring the drinks until we’d finished eating – tea for Andrew and my water never appeared at all. I didn’t bother asking again by then as I knew it would be another 20 minutes before anything happened, so we just paid up and left. After that we visited a couple of bars – wine at the first (bottle of rose) then a couple of Leffes at the next. I quite like Leffes. A fairly lively scene and a nice night.