To Wimereux - The Seven Year Itch - CycleBlaze

September 3, 2024

To Wimereux

Today’s outlook: dry, moderate headwinds, hilly, with occasional eruptions of strong coughing spasms.

It’s an easy decision, because an easy choice is available: there’s a direct regional train between here and today’s destination, Wimereux.  The 1:20 departure looks perfect, getting us there just in time for lunch while we wait for our hotel to open.  We have to check out from the Ibis at noon so we just head to the station just four blocks up our street.  Its better to arrive early and get ticketed so that if there’s a problem with the bikes (something that’s apparently becoming an issue on regional trains) there’s still time in the day to bite the bullet and bike instead.

There’s no problem with the bikes, so with an hour on our hands we grab benches at the plein-air waiting area, the only seating the Calais station offers, feeling lucky that it’s dry and comfortable today.  We don’t know until twenty minutes before departure which of the station’s four gates we'll be assigned to, but once it comes up we’re relieved that it’s one of the two with elevator service so we don’t have to haul bikes and gear down a long set of stairs.

Boarding is a snap - the train arrives on time, this is its origination point so it’s in station for about five minutes, it’s easy to roll the bikes on, and there are a half dozen hangers to suspend them from.  We’ve done the right thing here.

We get a nice partial view of the Calais belfry while we wait for our departure gate to be posted.
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She’s in Calais-Ville.
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Patrick O'HaraNicely framed. Nice shot.
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Patrick O'HaraThanks! It was really considerate of her to place herself so well.
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1 month ago
The ideal scenario if you’re training it: plenty of time to board, easy roll-on, uncrowded. Probably the simplest train ride of the summer.
Heart 6 Comment 1
Patrick O'HaraTo Looks like you've won the bike boarding lottery here. Nice to know you win a few every now and then!
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1 month ago

Matters are a little more rushed at the other end though.  We’ve been watching the stops and know the train won’t tarry long on these intermediate stations so we’re well prepared.  Rachael’s standing next to the door with all the luggage spread out below her and the bikes are on the floor, me holding one in each hand and braced against them standing in the middle of the aisle.  As soon as the door opens Rachael hops off with one set of panniers, I reach out to dump the second set on the landing and then hand her the first bike.  It’s close though, and the doors are just closing when I step off with the second one.

We haven’t booked a table anywhere but we’re pleased to see that there are empty outdoor tables when we bike up to Cafe de la Marie; but after being told that they’re done serving for the day we look around and see another spot, L’Annexe, directly across the street.  They do have seating and an excellent menu to go with it and we enjoy a fine meal and the afternoon sun for the next hour before it’s time to head over to our lodging for the next two nights, Hotel des Arts.

The man who greets us looks uncertainly at our bikes but then gestures for us to bring them in and lean them against a bit of lobby furniture, gives us a key to our second floor room, confirms that there’s no lift, and then disappears back to the adjacent bar the hotel operates.

In Hotel des Arts.
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A few hours later I walk down to the waterfront for a look, reminding myself of how much we liked Wimereux when we biked our way north through here two years ago.  Weather conditions were better and I put together a pretty decent gallery of the place then and we’ll be here tomorrow anyway, so I’m pretty content to just enjoy the relaxed ambience of its waterfront and watch a dog repeatedly chase away the gulls congregated at the mouth of the small river that comes to the sea here.

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Today's ride: 1 mile (2 km)
Total: 3,689 miles (5,937 km)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 9
Comment on this entry Comment 7
Suzanne GibsonGreat decision, So glit went So smoothly.
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1 month ago
Suzanne GibsonSo glit? Glad!
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonYes, we had no regrets. I’m glit you’re glit.
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesWe're glit also. We would be even glitter if Rachael was feeling better!
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesAnd hey - how come you're only about 60-70 km north of us and you had a dry day, while we almost drowned?
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesLook at the date - we’re two days behind. What a horrible storm today though! I thought about you two hoping you weren’t trapped in it.
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Scott AndersonWell, so you are (2 days behind). Did you find a dry place to hide today? We were caught out in the open, on a high plateau, in the blasting freezing rain. Yuuuch!
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1 month ago