Home
Travel StoriesBest Feet Forwards
Feet Forward, Food, And Friends
Ride Date 19 Sep 2025
By Bogger
Day 4 Friday
I was awake at 7.30am and Pete was already mooching around. After a quick shower it was out to get some breakfast. In less than a minute we are sitting in a busy typically French café bar, Café Des Collones, ordering our breakfast. I don’t know if you’ve seen the film ‘Waterloo’ starring Rod Steiger? Our waiter was the spitting image of Steigers' portrayal of Napoleon. It tickled me and Pete anyway.
We both felt really chilled out and relaxed in the ambience of the Café. We both had a croissant, a pain au chocolate and café crème. The pastries were massive. Today was Riberac's market day and outside the Café it was bustling with people and stallholders. It was an open air market set out in the large sunny town square. We had a good wander around and purchased some artisanal bread, cheese, and bacon.
As we’re strolling up and down the market we are hearing plenty of British voices. After a couple of hours around the market Pete gets a call from a couple of the FF guys. We’re going to meet them at the bar facing the Market.
We first met up with Graham and Colin and sat supping beer outside in the warm sunshine. Slowly but surely we were joined by the other FF riders. We had stroll to look at their bikes/creations and decided to settle back at the bar for lunch. Unfortunately one of the FF bikes had decided to chew its engine internals up and had broken down on the trip South.
There was another meal planned for tonight at a restaurant in Verteillac. After lunch the others departed for their accommodation in Verteillac. Me and Pete eventually made it back to our BnB late in the afternoon and we both had a short sleep as yesterday's ride was starting to catch up on us.
In the early evening we head out on the bikes for a relatively short hop to Verteillac . The other FF guys are renting an AirBnB right on Verteilac's small town square. Their BnB was fine, but I was glad me and Pete were in Riberac. It would have been too cramped for all of us to have stopped there.
After a chat we all wandered over to the restaurant the other side of the road adjacent to the Hotel de Ville and The Mayors office. Our tables were set up outside and we settled down to choose from the menu. Most of us had chosen the duck and very nice it was too.
Afterwards I wandered inside and had a chat with the British husband and wife team who owned the place. They had been there a couple of years and were beginning to reap the rewards of their hard work. The husband proudly proclaimed that their chef was French - the chef's appointment had apparently gone down really well with the Mayor.
Myself and Pete departed for Riberac at 11.00pm. On the way back I was thinking how best to describe our temporary home of Riberac. I would say it had a slightly faded French grandeur about it. Sort of a shabby chique, but in a charming way.
Share your own travels - click here.
Feet Forward Prologue
Bogger is organising his next French escapade. It's the who, why, what, and where this time, oh and the how. The why never makes sense, nor should it.
Naughty Boys On Strange Bikes
It's a discouraging start to Bogger's Feet Forwards French expedition. Not to worry, soon the 2 old men are sneaking around like naughty school kids.
Queasy Crossing And Useless Till Roll
Rain, wayward boarding passes, useless navigation systems, and rough seas - it's just another day in the life of a Bogger. As ever there's food and booze in the life of a Bogger too.
Haulin' Ass
It's gonna be a long long long ride for Bogger and Pete today. Our brave heroic riders are up to the task and it all seems rather easy overall. Hopefully the digs at the end of the ride will allow their asses to rest comfortably.
Feet Forward, Food, And Friends
It's a much more relaxed day for Bogger and Pete. There's a handful of miles to ride, people to meet, food to eat, and of course the odd beer.
The Art Of Doing Something That Is Nothing
Bogger has many plans for the day, alas the temptation of food and beer is more alluring. It's a chill day but that's fine, I'm sure there's more chaos to come.
Much More Something That Is Nothing
Another lazy day for Bogger before some big miles tomorrow. Ice cream this time with no mention of beer but I'm sure some was involved.
Reader's Comments
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I like that shabby chic that the French (and Italians) do so well. It's great to go in a bar or restaurant that has barely changed in decades - not like here where everything gets ripped out every few years for a new look and an excuse to charge more. Shame about the FF eating its engine. Is it a bike engine or from a car?
16/02/2026 09:58:06 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Shabby Chique you say, a bit like me. Rough around the edges.
On the subject of the naming of pastries...it's me isn't it. Why is a croissant called a croissant in England, it's a butter pastry, no? A pain au wotsit is just a pastry, a chocolate pastry, a raisin pastry. It isn't even French in origin just like most of the French named pastries; I think it's a nonsense and I will not comply with the nonsense from this moment forth. Next time I'm in the co-op I shall ask for the butter pastries, followed by, "you know? Croissants"?
Pffffffftttttt.
Even the Welsh are at it and the Royal Family, you know, the "whatever" formally known as?
I need a drink, don't forget to give generously and whoever put an old centime in there and a toenail it's not funny!
Upt.
16/02/2026 12:46:07 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'm beginning to think Upt' is losing the plot. Perhaps he's in need of another holiday with sunshine and warmth, all that not working and being at home in the lovely countryside isn't doing him any good it seems. Maybe he needs to give the booze a miss too... Not envious, not at all. As you say Upt' - Pfffft!
16/02/2026 13:04:36 UTC
nab301 said :-
Sounds like it was a nice well deserved relaxing day!
Nigel
16/02/2026 16:17:34 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Beginning!
16/02/2026 16:36:56 UTC
Bogger said :-
The chewed up engine, was I believe a Honda 400 twin. Probably 70s or 80s vintage.
From the conversations going on the engine was a bit suspect before the trip.
But in the finest British tradition the immortal words 'It'll be reet' may well have been muttered.
Apparently not, as it turns out.
Bogger
18/02/2026 02:51:22 UTC
Bogger said :-
Oh, the blue FF bike you see in this part of the story has a Talbot four cylinder water cooled engine.
It ran really sweet and the exhaust note had a deep burbling resonance to it.
It wasn't loud at all but sounded lovely. It went OK as well.
Bogger
18/02/2026 11:19:32 UTC
Andy said :-
Choc croissants are food of the gods when travelling. Still trying to lose the weight I put on travelling around France and Spain living on them.
Most of France looks closed when I’m going around. Always wonder how many people actually live there.
19/02/2026 21:35:00 UTC
Name
Comment
Add a RELEVANT link (not required)
Upload an image (not required) -
Uploading...
Home
Travel StoriesBest Feet Forwards