To Le Touquet - The Seven Year Itch - CycleBlaze

September 5, 2024

To Le Touquet

 At the risk of this turning into a journal more about train travel with bikes than bike traveling, here’s another one.  We can at least keep the entry short though and just give you the gist of it.  And point out that we have no regrets - in fact, deciding to take the train today is one of the best decisions we’ve made lately.  We feel great about it!

To state the obvious: the weather is at best uncertain today and it’s questionable whether we’ll get even our short twenty miles in without getting rained on; and Rachael’s cough is no better.  If anything, it might even be worsening.  Our number one concern is getting her back to health, and a bike ride in the wind and rain doesn’t figure in the treatment regimen.  Were fortunate that there’s a convenient alternative available: the train is the same one we arrived on here on two days ago, and stops only four miles from our hotel in Le Treport.

We give the weather a shot to bend in our favor for several hours but by the time checkout comes it’s looking less favorable and now cessation of the rains has moved out to mid-afternoon.  We commit ourselves to the train option and when there’s a break we bike the half mile to the station, get our tickets, and wait an hour for or train to arrive.  The situation is a little different this time though as all of the bike stalls are occupied.  We get boarded alright but then have to fit our bikes into the aisle, hoping no one will need to get past us before we etch our stop at the end of the line.

Not quite as convenient this time, but fortunately it’s a short ride.
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Karen PoretSuch a trooper!
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2 weeks ago

Two stops later, I hear a commotion and look down the aisle and see a chaotic mob jerkily working its way toward us.  I wish I’d been quick enough to whip the phone out because it’s a crazy, hilarious scene as they gradually jostle themselves forward, leaning back against each other, shoving, bumping into seated passengers.  As they get closer it becomes apparent they’re a group, all wearing backpacks with loose objects hanging down from them, clattering and banging into everything.

And then there is a panic when they see that they we with our bikes in the aisle are between them and their bikes and they needed to crowd past us, get their bikes, and all disembark in a hurry because the train is just arriving at their stop.  We shout at them to slow down and be careful about our bikes as they crowd past, but somehow it all works out.  They make their stop, and our bikes are fine.

___________

The sky is dark grey when we get off at the Estaples station, four miles from our hotel.  It’s only 1:30 so we’re thinking we’ll stop here for lunch before biking to Le Treport because the weather is still expected to improve in the next hour or so.  Our arrival is on the outermost rack of the station so we use the much appreciated elevator to descend to the underpass, taking it one at a time because that’s all the car will accommodate, and then I call for the up elevator at the other end.  When it arrives, two rather distressed-looking women get off.  

I ride up and am absolutely shocked when the door opens and I face an intense downpour coming down right in front of my nose that must have started just in the minute since we left the other track.  It’s an uncovered space, I can’t see how soon I’d get to cover if I get off, so I push the down button and soon see Rachael’s puzzled expression looking up wondering why I’ve returned.

We turn back to take the middle of the three elevators, because we could see that its platform was at least partly covered.  Almost immediately though there’s a tremendous crash, a huge, frightening thunderclap that reverberates in the tunnel and makes our ears ring.  We are so lucky!  If we’d arrived just a few minutes earlier we’d have been out on our bikes in that.

The cover on the platform offers some shelter if we stand right next to the elevator, but not much.  Now that we have time to think and look around we can see the short route we’d take from the other elevator to get into the station itself, so when we see the rain slackening we make a dash for it and rebase ourselves, staying in the station for the next hour as we watch flashes of lightning, listen to thunder, and watch the rain come down in sheets.

We can afford to wait a little longer.
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While we’re waiting I check the weather app.  The forecast has changed for the worse, and it now predicts heavy rain for the next three hours.  Boy do we feel good about our decision to take the train, but we’re not so enthusiastic about just sitting in this station for the next three hours.  When we see a break finally come I convince Rachael that we should take it and go find a nearby restaurant - there’s one allegedly open for another hour only a few hundred yards away - and have lunch while we wait for this chaos to pass.

We’re too late.  We get turned away by the restaurant, which is just shutting down for the afternoon.  with no confidence we’re doing the right thing we decide to ride the window as far as it will take us and find someplace to shelter again if the rains resume.  And, miraculously, they don’t resume - not in the time it takes to bike to our hotel, and not for the rest of the day. 

All the excitement and exposure takes its toll on Rachael though.  Her cough is worse again, and while we wait for dinner I head to the pharmacy for some daytime cough medicine, something she can take during the day without getting knocked out for a few hours.  It helps, and she’s fine a few hours later when we walk to a nearby restaurant.  The meal is good, the wine is fine, but the dessert is sublime.  In a fortuitous miscommunication we end up with two rather than the one we’d meant to share, which suits us both just fine.

Pistachio, raspberry, sable. Three of my favorites.
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Today's ride: 1 mile (2 km)
Total: 3,712 miles (5,974 km)

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Rich FrasierWe’re worrying about Rachael…
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierWorries noted. We’re in a good place though.
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesAdd to the worrying about Rachael that Dodie is also worrying. In fact, she is nearly jumping up and down. What day are you really at now? Saturday evening for us. If Rachael is not better by the start of the week Dodie is threatening to hunt you down and drag Rachael to a medical clinic. You have been warned!
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1 month ago
Carolyn van HoeveWe’re all worried for Rachael! Are things any better today?
We’ve made it to this part of the world again, collected our bikes from Paris and yesterday caught a train down to Martel. Today riding to Rocamadour, a place I know you’re very fond of! From there cycling to Bordeaux, another train to Hendaye and then the trek across the Spanish Pyrenees to the Med. More of your favourite routes.
Hope Rachael is improved this morning.
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1 month ago
Rachael AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesThanks Dodie for your concern! I am gradually doing better and today and tomorrow we are in the same place and I’m taking it easy. We also will be in a better place for me to have it checked.
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Rachael AndersonI know you are being sensible and you will get it checked out if not better in a day or so more. (you will get it checked out, right?) I can't help worrying, it's in my nature. Take care, Dodie
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1 month ago
Rachael AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesIt’s really nice to have you care about my health! It is concerning since I’ve always been so healthy but even before the cough I’ve been having allergic reactions to smoke, cleaning fluids and perfume, etc. I’m guessing that’s not helping with the cough. I will definitely have it checked if it’s still a problem when we get to a larger place.
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Rachael AndersonI have always been the self appointed family worrier which my family will tell you, or anyone else, means they don't have to worry knowing I'll do it for them. Consider yourself family. Maybe a much younger sister? Dodie
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1 month ago
Rachael AndersonTo Steve Miller/Grampies That really means a lot to me, I would love to be your sister, my father left when I was 9 months old so it was just my mother and I and she died of emphysema at the ag of 72. By the way, I’m also the one that worries about what will go wrong in our travels since Scott is overly optimistic.
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1 month ago
Karen PoretI realize I am writing about something that occurred a month ago, but noting your Mother had emphysema, wonder if you inherited her weakness in your lungs. ( unless your Mom was a smoker). My own Mother died from interstitial pulmonary fibrosis ( caused by SECOND hand smoke) as she NEVER smoked at all! Most uncomfortable for you, Rachael, and your daily activity of biking probably does YOU some good, but not your health. :(
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2 weeks ago