London to Paris - part 6 - Homeward Bound....

Monday 22nd July 2013

We're up early again! - 7.00am down for breakfast ready for our taxi to the Eurostar station. Everyone else has the same idea and there's a queue of taxi's outside the foyer at 8.00am.

We get across Paris without any problems, and soon we're checked in and ready for the return trip. The train doesn't look anything special - I was expecting some sort of bullet shaped, high-tec technology - this looks pretty much like any other train - soon we're away and before we know it we're at the Channel - and then in London. We depart Paris at 10.15 and arrive in London at 11.40 - that's fast.

Our coach is ready and waiting to transport us back to the hotel and our bikes - but getting through London and out to Croydon takes as long as the journey from Paris.

Our bikes are waiting and we pause to reflect what a good job has been done by the organisers in terms of logistics - it really has worked smoothly - and now the car is loaded and we're heading for the M25 and homeward bound. We stop just once on the way back for some lunch - we're both hungry now and a burger and fries does the trick. I'm still drained and tired and nod off in the car - then we're home.

It all feels dream like now as I reflect and write these few notes. My injuries have healed and my back isn't hurting quite as much - my legs feel good and I'm not as tired - but I wouldn't change any of those things - it was an iconic trip - one that is well worth all the hardship and toil. Now we just need to plan the next one.

Sunday 4th August 2013

It all seems a distant memory already - I've been out on my bike a few times since getting back - first time my bum was really sore - remarkable seeing that I've never suffered in that area before - but as Oscar Wilde might have said - "If your bum isn't hurting you're not doing it properly"

I had also expected that the few hills around here, mere pimples compared to what we encountered across the channel, might have seemed easier now. Sadly that hasn't been the case - the bloody things are just as hard. I went out this morning for a short blast - my bike isn't performing too well - for some reason the rear brake is binding slightly - it started since getting a soaking on Friday - these machines are highly strung like thoroughbred racehorses or high performance sportscars - there always seems to be a niggle. I'll get it sorted - just a question of how and when.

We are talking about our next challenge - What?, where?, when? - Ashby to Amsterdam?, maybe.  A trip to the Alps and a climb up Alpe d'Huez - daunting but another possibility? - Ireland maybe? - North to South, East to West, The Ring of Kerry? - Or what about Italy? - The L'Eroica maybe?  The possibilities are many and varied - I know I need a challenge though - something to aim at; a reason to go out in the cold, dark,wet, winter months - a target to keep me riding - and suffering! Keep visiting - you'll know what we're doing almost as soon as we do.