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Rain, Misery, Laughter and Puppetry

Day 6 Wed 4th June

By Bogger

We woke to persistent rain and wind. I hate packing up in the rain. We get all our gear into the folly to stay as dry as possible as it's now lashing down and it's cold. We check the oil and tyre pressures, pack all the gear onto the bikes and set off in the rain on the busy E46 towards Beauvais. It's never nice riding in the rain and we were all hoping it would stop by our journey's end some two hundred miles away.
 
We pass through Arsy then Clermont, we skirt Beauvais and onto Gournay-en–Bray. We stop at a Lidl to get a bite to eat. It's still pouring down and the only bit of shelter was at the end of the trolley aisle where the rain still slanted in so we still got wet. Everyone's a bit pissed with the weather. None more so than Ironsides. The look on his face summed it all up.
 
Then when he dropped his pasta lunch upside down on the floor he was suicidal. We all had to turn away and try not to laugh out loud. All you could see were the lads' shoulders moving up and down. It brightened my day up anyway. We carry on, with everyone on suicide watch and into the City of Rouen.
 
Nige had warned us to keep as close together as possible and if we got lost follow the signs for Caen. Wow what a busy place, up to six lanes of traffic and a bit hectic. With a bit of judicious filtering we all managed to keep each other in sight and were glad to get out the other side unscathed. We had covered about half distance and it was still raining and windy. 

Another thirty miles on my bike doesn't feel right as I'm approaching a roundabout at Pont l'Eveque. At first I thought it was the wind, I pull over and take a look at the back tyre. It's going down at a rate of knots. B****ks. Oh how the others laughed, none more so than Ironsides. It's not nice lying in crap at the side of a busy road in the rain mauling with a back wheel. I'd brought two new tubes with me and after removing a small nail we were on our way again. 

Honda CD200 Benly, bogger putting on gloves and puppet sooty playing around

Our first port of call once in Caen was to visit Pegasus Bridge before the campsite. The closer we got to Caen the better the weather got. By the time we entered Caen it had stopped raining altogether which was a bonus.
 
Pegasus Bridge is mid-way between Caen and Ouistreham and wow was that place busy when we got there. We spent a good half an hour taking it all in and having a look around. There were some really interesting vehicles driving around and parked up. Men in WW2 uniforms everywhere.

A wooden sign stating Pegasus Bridge outside a french building, bust with tourists
The steel framed Pegasus Bridge with lots of road traffic and pedestrians

It was only a short hop now to the campsite in Luc-sur-Mer about seven miles away. We set up the tents in the dry but it was still cold and windy. What's for tea tonight then Pete? Chinese curry with egg fried rice. See, I said he was grooming me for some dreadful curry induced act of debauchery.
 
The pitch opposite us had a Willys jeep, an old Rudge, an Ariel and a couple of old Ducati singles. Nice bikes but obviously the owners had far too much money. Then to top it all a 1930's Lagonda pulls up. Nige pipes up "F*** me it's Cruella De-Ville!" Proper funny. Then Pete starts - I want those puppies, ooh err don't we all dear. That night it was the usual chit chat around the metaphorical campfire and off to bed.

An old Lagonda car, much like the car in 101 dalmations

Total miles for the day 205 and one puncture.


Contact ren@bikesandtravels.com if you want to get in tough with the editor of Bikes And Travels.

To French France and Guines Perfect planning prevents pee poor performance. Someone should have told these chaps. Throw in some Alchemy and carnage and come up with gold, comedy gold.
Easily Into Belgium Not too much malarkey today, the lads manage to sidle their way into Belgium with minimum shenanigans. There's a moment for reflection betwixt the brews 'n' beers.
Ypres, Museums, Memorials And Muppetry Bogger and co are mixing a heady brew of malarkey and educational museum visits. Hasn't Ypres already suffered enough?
A Crash And Other Antics Bogger and pals have reached the age of maturity and yet maturity seems to have escaped them. More high jinks from those who ought to know better.
Gear Selections in Compiègne It's a lazy day in Northern France for Bogger and pals. Only a short exploratory ride, mostly spent in search of Ironside's elusive gears.
Rain, Misery, Laughter and Puppetry It's not the best start to Bogger and pals' day. And yet a bunch of middle aged men clearly demonstrate they haven't grown up at all.
Arromanche With Some D-Day Thrown In The Motley Crew spend the day enjoying the D-Day events with the weather on their side and only 1 minor mechanical issue. Remarkable!
Dynamic D-Day During the D-Day commemorations Arromanche is bustling and bursting. Bogger and crew do their best to navigate the beach, the town and the machinery on their last full day.
It's Home Time A brief note from Bogger on the last day, the homeward bound leg. Tired little teddies, awwww bless.

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