On Day 4, is Paul really thinking about abandoning the bike?
I woke with a terrible dread of riding my bike for another 8 hours, and it was compounded by a nausea that didn’t pass when I was confronted by the biggest breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen.
The hotel’s proprietor was keen to point out all the homemade delicacies - and I felt obliged to show willing, even when I just wanted to take my small black coffee to bed and hide from the world.
When I eventually had no excuses left, I set off with a plan of getting to Reims and seeing how I felt. I elected to stock up on drinks and snacks for the day ahead at the local Carrefour. It would appear that every man in Vervins goes there for super-strength lager at 9:00 sharp on a Sunday morning - so I didn’t feel bad about buying a box of chocolate brownies that literally boasted that it had ‘no nutritional value’.
The route to Reims was 50 miles of very long ups, and very fast downs - with the added spice of the French military playing war games along the very road I was cycling. Half way in, I decided Reims was far enough - I didn’t have in the will to go further.
After checking into my beautifully bland Campanile hotel, I had a trip to the best laundrette on God’s earth, and went over my options. The result being that by the drying cycle I had booked a one-way car hire to Lyon.
My reasoning being that I’ve done that trip on the bike with Dave back in 2012 - so there was no reason to repeat it. This should inject about 4 days’ worth of flex into my schedule, so I can do fewer daily miles, and actually enjoy some of it. I confirmed this idea, first with Dave, and then with Jane (who just seemed relieved that the words of her uncle John had sunk in for me; "Why? Why would anyone want to go that far on a bike? WHY???")
Having enviously watched a coach load of Dutch tourists lay waste to the hotel’s restaurant dinner buffet, I decided it was time for another early night - and to reflect on what I’ve learned.
Basically, I have to remember that I’m supposed to be on holiday - not some Japanese endurance competition. Cycling 75 miles a day doesn’t sound much, but I think it could have been enough to break me.
Mind you, I’ve got to deal with a Europcar receptionist in the morning…
And it’s a Bank Holiday here too. Great.
'The biggest breakfast buffet Paul's ever seen.'
A quick stop at the laundrette.
At Reims Cathedral, the traditional location for the coronation of the kings of France.
