The Fridays Tour 2013 with added poll

[srw]

Who, if anyone, would be interested in kicking off with the overnight ferry to Caen on Friday 14th and a130 ish km ride from there?

We are thinking of taking that ferry in the car so could carry (some) luggage - but you'll have to take it through customs yourselves!

I might think about trying to negotiate a pass myself - which would give more room in the car for luggage.

 

[mmmmartin]

I'm planning on the Friday evening train to Portsmouth and an overnight hotel near the port, then a spiffing breakfast and the morning fast ferry to Cherbourg arriving about lunchtime and the one hour ride in sunshine to the chateau. This might be interrupted by a long luncheon with added wine with chums in Cherbourg.

The return is a similar sort of operation with the added possibility of a splendid long luncheon, possibly with added wine, in Cherbourg with chums.

I did look at going to on the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen and then riding 130k but decided to go on the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and riding 15k.

I had also considered riding overnight and being shattered for the first day or so but went for the enjoyment option. And LonJog taught me everything I ever wanted to know about riding in torrential rain into the teeth of a gale, thanks. (Not to mention That Brighton Ride when we came off Ditchling in pouring rain with sheets of water on the road. But I digress and Adrian will be along in a minute to tell me off.)

 

[dellzeqq]

okeydokey - if anybody's reading this and hasn't responded to my e-mails about the ferry crossings..............do so now! I can bet a discount if we hurry, but I need to know who's doing what.

There may be space to and from London in a people carrier, if you're interested

 

[martint235]

I have booked P'smouth - Caen out 22:45 14/06 and Cherbourg - Caen in 17:00 22/06 both as man with bike.
I also have a cabin for the overnight out for which I could accept applications for the surplus capacity.

I will probably book on those. Well, I say probably. What will happen is that I will dither and then end up with plan B which is to cycle down from Le Havre probably. But Plan A is definitely, definitely to book on the P - Caen ferries.

 

[wanda2010]

okeydokey - if anybody's reading this and hasn't responded to my e-mails about the ferry crossings..............do so now! I can bet a discount if we hurry, but I need to know who's doing what.

There may be space to and from London in a people carrier, if you're interested

People carrier - me if not too late.

 

[mistral]

One cabin space subcontracted to Mick Mistral, two remaining.

Tickets booked

 

[Mark Grant]

I've gone for the 'Adrian variation'
Adrian, PM sent.

 

[martint235]

All this talk of berths suggests you're not going to be using the patented Martint235 and DavyWalnuts (C) method of crossing the channel then?

 

[Mark Grant]

All this talk of berths suggests you're not going to be using the patented Martint235 and DavyWalnuts (C) method of crossing the channel then?

Having crossed the channel both with and without a cabin, I suggest you speak nicely to Adrian.

 

[mmmmartin]

Aside away, you are the Rowley Birkin of CC.

 

[rvw]

It is looking very likely - as per srw's post earlier - that we'll also get the Friday overnight ferry - we were dithering about extending the holiday either before or after, and it turns out that the week before doesn't work. So we can offer some luggage space. Whether S will get a pass to cycle is still to be negotiated, so how much space there will be is uncertain.

 

[clivedb]

okeydokey - if anybody's reading this and hasn't responded to my e-mails about the ferry crossings..............do so now! I can bet a discount if we hurry, but I need to know who's doing what.

There may be space to and from London in a people carrier, if you're interested

Is it too late? Neither Marilyn or I have received emails.

 

[mmmmartin]

Merely an irrelvant bump to remind us all of next year's highlight.

On the Brighton ride about 4am I was told by somebody - not sure who but it might have been Agent Hilda - that 50 of us are in the chateau. What larks! I am guessing the baker might, as is often the case in rural France, deliver bread by van in the morning, so I am volunteering Adrian to get up early and deal with the delivery of 50 assorted baguettes. As for the evenings, the website says there are numerous restaurants nearby, including this: "An evening at the village butcher's bar - a brilliant, informal 4 course meal usually cooked over a fire - for €10 including wine and cider." I expect it'll cost more than that as the financial policies followed by various French governments means there has been quite a bit of inflation in recent years. Am looking forward to this more as each week passes.

 

[mmmmartin]

ulp

 

[mmmmartin]

Isn't there a lady from the village who comes in to clean the loos?