August 29, 2023 to August 31, 2023
Travel Days: Durham to Dover to Calais to Paris to Annecy
I'm (still) trying to minimise my flying, so getting to the jumping-off point in Annecy was a slightly extended process -- but largely stress-free, and with many more opportunities for sightseeing and snacks en route than a plane trip would have allowed.
Phase one was to get from north-eastern England to the south coast of the UK: painlessly achieved on two speedy trains, leaving Durham after work on Tuesday afternoon, and arriving in the efficient-but-charisma-free Premier Inn in Dover at about 10pm, with just enough energy left to collapse into bed.
The next morning, about ten pedal turns (ok: maybe a few more) got me to the gates of Dover Port, where I found -- amazingly! -- almost no queue. The UK border agent seemed unduly sceptical of my claim to be heading off on a cycling holiday, given that I was actually sitting on a bicycle when I told him this, but waved me through anyway; French border control was much less doubtful; the helpful man in the DFDS portakabin found me a spot on an earlier ferry than the one I was booked on, and sent me on to the loading area. There, I whiled away a few (chilly!) minutes chatting - or trying to chat -- with a very cheerful Italian motorcyclist, realising in the process that I've forgotten just about all of my Italian; but the message which got through was that he found the English habit of putting up signposts to 'THE NORTH' or 'THE SOUTH' entirely ludicrous. I tried to explain that it's a reflection of deeply-held internal identities, but I'm not sure I persuaded him. We were both a bit grateful, I think, when our discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the ferry.
After a very calm and quiet crossing, I got to enjoy the most fun bit of taking this route across the channel: following the 'pace car' escort out of Calais port. I was the only cyclist on the boat, so it felt a bit less like a Tour de France sprint stage than it sometimes does, but still -- to my childish mind -- hugely entertaining (not least because of the short-cut past all the car and truck queues). Then I had time in Calais to pick up a new bidon (having somehow lost the lid of one of mine on the way to Dover) and a sandwich, before hopping on the TER to Amiens, and then to Paris.
I was running a bit ahead of schedule, thanks to my unexpectedly speedy transit through Dover, so, on the recommendation of a friend, detoured on the way to my hotel to visit the Musée de Cluny -- this counts as Modern History in my book, but I still really liked it: a fascinating collection in a fascinating building.
Then back into the craziness of Parisian Cycling to my hotel; and, the next morning, to the Gare de Lyon for the TGV down to Annecy (or rather, to Lyon, and then on the trundler to Annecy, since the bike spots on the direct train were all booked up).
I'd chosen Annecy as my starting point partly because of its good train connections, but also because I'd read such glowing accounts of it in various Cycleblaze journals, and it certainly lived up to its rave reviews. I spent a very happy and sunny afternoon wandering round the old town, browsing the museum, and strolling by the lake.
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After a dinner appropriate for the spirit of the tour -- snails for speed and tartiflette for sprightliness -- I retreated to my hotel, to prepare for (at last!) some Actual Cycling.
Today's ride: 19 km (12 miles)
Total: 19 km (12 miles)
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