A kettle is a must !

Saturday 9 August

We had stayed at a Gite for travellers at Trefcon the night before - a cow barn on a farm that had been converted to a self-catering unit that could house 15 or so people.  We were alone in there which was good.  We hung the inner tent to air and outer tent to dry over the banister ( from when we had camped in Perrone and had packed it up wet ).  

We cooked using the luxury of gas oven and dined on another one pot meal, our signature dish now. We both slept like logs.

The next morning the bread lady arrived at our Gite / Farm just as we were leaving - perfect timing so that we could purchase our now very much looked forward to sticky / choclatey croissants for our mid morning snack.  These bread vans are quite common in small rural villages ( we have seen and used a few now ) you know, the ones with no shops at all.  So now we know how inhabitants of these rural villages who don’t drive get their food ( well, bread at least ).

Today was to be a long road walking day again.  We started early in order to finish early.  We were finishing the walking day at Tergnier, but our accommodation was at Saint Quentin, a 20 minute train journey from Tergnier.  Plan was that I be alongside Tony until lunchtime, and then would cycle directly to Saint Quentin and get to the ( much longed for ) laundrette.

We lunched at a town that had a canal and benches alongside.  Here we heard and saw our first Brits Abroad.  The landscape was becoming slightly more rolling and varied ( woods, valleys, canals ) indicating that we were getting into holidaying territory.  

Tony and I parted company, and I headed for Saint Quentin.  Tony finished his 20 mile walk at around 3 pm ( early finish as planned - hoorah ! ), and headed for the station at Tergnier to hop onto a train.  Nope - not possible for another 3 hours !   So, in this ‘ one horse town’  Tony entertained himself by drinking much needed coffee in a very rundown and neglected bar until the train time.    

I, in the meantime, had been to the laundrette where I had had some very difficult ( and no doubt comical to any non-participating observer of which there were thankfully none ) conversations in french with locals in order to establish how to get powder for the machine, make the machine work, and make the dryer work ( eg. non, j’ai dit pas fermer la porte ! ).   I had done a food shop, and had checked into our Ibis Budget ( yes, more budget than standard Ibis ! ) Hotel.  We were staying here 2 nights in order to have Sunday as rest day.  

One thing that was missing in our Ibis hotel room was a kettle.  I asked if reception had one that we could use, but no.  We couldn't bear the idea of not having our cups of tea, or indeed of not having our favourite porridge for breakfast for the next 2 days, so I headed out on the travel kettle hunt.  After much supermarket staff eye-brow raising, and mmmmm-ing when asked if they sold ‘ travel kettles’ ( the French simply don’t get tea ! ) I finally found a regular sized kettle of suitable Euro cost and took it back to our room.  Tea + porridge here we come …..

Tony finally arrived at Saint Quentin just before 7 pm, and we had salad and things for our meal, and of course cups of tea.  An early night was had by both.

Distance - 19 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 689.85 miles

Bog snorkelling

Friday 8 August

We both slept well under the stars in our tent and managed to get it down before the rain set in for the day. We breakfasted on our favourite Oat-So-Simple porridge ( Summer Fruits + Apple and Cherry ), and departed within 1.5 hours of getting up.  Before we left the campsite we were both in full waterproof gear…..o what joy! I think you can tell I am not a lover of walking in waterproofs.  

Leaving Perone we went our separate ways early on with Rachel in the security of having a solid surface to cycle upon, and me not knowing what kind of terrain I was next to come across.  Well, today was bog snorkelling day !   

I headed onto the first and only track of the day that was not tarmac. The first 5k I followed the old railway line and not long into it wished I had donned a wetsuit and snorkel. I spent most of the morning trying to walk forwards but in reality only managed a left and right movement as I tried to dodge the endless and incessant deep and muddy puddles that countless wheeled vehicles had created. I was now starting to resemble a greasy mud wrestler.  I came across a huge tree that had been blown down and now laid across the track, obviously it has been here for years judging by the lush green canopy. My pole dancing skills came in handy as I battled through the tree, slipping and sliding on the boughs.  In the guide book I am using it mentions that this section is not possible for horses due to the obstacles. Well I think an addendum should be added that mentions not possible for humans unless you are and ex-pole dancing mud wrestler and wearing full wetsuit, breathing apparatus or snorkel.

I did survive…….but only just.   Rachel was shopping in Aldi - it’s everywhere here, while I was battling for my life.  After the railway line we met up in the village of Cartigny and dined on apricot and custard filled croissants for elevenses. 

This day was a relatively short distance day which was something of a treat for both of us.

Distance - 12 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 670.85 miles

The bike tyre is flat …….but only at the bottom !

Thursday 7 August

The next morning I discovered the 5th puncture on my rear tyre just before we set off.  The farm lady looked at my rear tyre and shook her head.  She was doubtful that it would last the distance to  Peronne our next destination ( she was almost right ! )

There is more hair on a billiard ball than tread on my rear tyre. It was so bald now having been worn down with the weight of my rear panniers and me that I was paranoid about going over any surface that had loose gravel or small sharp looking stones on it.  I often walked those stretches so as to try to preserve the life of the tyre just that little bit longer.

We left Beugny in the sunshine - hoorah and rather than head back to Bapuame went off piste again to pick up the official route!  We came across another WW1 memorial and graveyard and again stopped to reflect and pay our respects.  We were walking through The Somme area.  For a few days now we had been through and around fields that had seen such horror exactly 100 years ago.  Now the fields were silent with just a gentle breeze blowing the air.

We past another Calvaire (Religious site often with Christ on a crucifix or other religious statues) outside the village of Sailly-Saillisel. This one was slightly different as the base was adorned with WW1 bombs that had been dug up from the fields, I hope they were all defused! It also shows that to be a farmer in this area you need to have nerves of steel.

I had been given a tip-off of a bike shop at Peronne, where we would arrive later that afternoon.  I phoned ahead just in case they decided that Wednesday was also a day that they should be closed, but to my relief they were open that day until 7 pm.

We arrived at Peronne rather frazzled and flopped at a cafe in the centre of town.  I made purchase of my new tyre and we then headed to our campsite.  It seemed as though the current rear tyre knew that it was soon to be replaced as it threw me a final and 6th puncture at the end of this day.  New inner tube and new tyre were soon put to bike ( the tube with it’s 5 x plasters and 1 hole not repaired was to be kept, just in case ), and it leaned proudly against a tree next to our tent.  Hmmm - would the bike need less maintenance now I wonder ? 

Distance - 20 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 658.85

Town not doing itself any favours

Wednesday 6 August

Bapaume was looming - the stopover point where we had no accommodation booked.  I had a very good relationship with the lady at the Tourist Info at Bapaume by now with her trying to find somewhere for us after my internet searching had failed to come up with anything.  There was 1 x hotel in this town, and it was closed currently.  There was a camper-van site away from the village but it didn't take tents.  What were we to do ! ?

We bit the ‘ we’ll have to go off-piste to find somewhere’ bullet.  This meant that we would travel away from the walking line that we were on, therefore adding another three miles to the end of that day and onto the beginning of the next.  This was the only option.  Poor Tony.

It rained all day - full waterproof gear on for both of us in the hot humid air.  We walked through the sites of the World War 1 battlefields, stopped to pay our respects to the brave and the fallen, eventually making it to Bapaume like drowned rats. Tony rested in a cafe while I shopped for provisions. We then travelled another 3 ish miles to our Farm Stay B&B. 

We were welcomed by a lovely lady who regularly had walkers stay with her who had the same problem as us i.e. were walking to Bapaume hoping to stay there and had to jut out the extra 3 miles along a busy tarmac heavy lorried road in order to put their heads down.  Tony and I couldn't understand why there was no B&B / Gite type accommodation in a town where there was clearly a demand - hmmm - a business opportunity perhaps ?

We shared our converted barn accommodation space with 5 manual workers who were stopping over too.  We nodded and exchanged politeness and shared facilities well together.  

Distance - 23 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 638.85

Let’s do some of yesterdays walk again!

Tuesday 5 August

As we left our village this day we stopped at the now derelict church that was blown up by the French Army during WW1 to stop the Germans using the tower as a look out post.  It transpires that over 100,000 people lost their lives in this area during the first war. This area is also littered with military cemeteries.

We had a few miles of country road tarmac to traverse before getting back onto our route.  I pedalled ahead in order to use a wifi hotspot that I had spied the day before.  We had no accommodation booked for the next night, and this had to be rectified.  The hotspot was at a tourist office near a large and popular 1st WW memorial.  To my dismay, the tourist office and therefore the hotspot was not in action.  This was Tuesday -  we are finding that shops and services ( those that we need ! ) are closed on the 1st 2 days of the working week - we simply don’t understand this logic - most inconvenient to the intrepid traveller who needs things when he/she needs them !

Tony caught me up, we past the ruins of the Abbey of Mont Saint Eloi and continued our day in what was turning out to be another very hot day. We were heading for Arras, which, as we had been informed was a very beautiful city.  All very well, but our main aim of the day was to get to the Orange ( mobile phone shop ) in order to sort Tony’s replacement phone out ( thanks Simon ! ).  We had managed for almost a week with Tony being phone-less.  He had coped very well ( outwardly ), and we had had no ‘ we can’t find each other in the French countryside’ disasters, but we would both give a big sigh of relief when he was back in the modern world.

We rolled and strolled along farm tracks and riverside paths towards Arras, and then through suburban parks and housing estates until we reached the city.  It was indeed a lovely historical and clearly beautiful city.  We did the Orange deed, and then found the city’s main square where Tony had a beer and I an Orangina to celebrate ( the city, the phone, life, everything ).

Our hotel ( no camping was to be found ) was on the outskirts of the city heading out the other side.  We were both very tired at this point and it was still hot.  We route-marched with great purpose and arrived doggedly at our destination.   Tony went out on the bike ( yes, he walked all this way and I made him cycle - I will be struck down I’m sure ) to the local Carrefour and we had a banquet tea in our room.

Distance - 22.50 !

Distance since Helmsley - 615.85

road walking = not good

Monday 4 August

Tony arrived back at my hotel on Sunday evening after his bus-man’s holiday walking weekend in the Dales with pizza in hand ( good boy ! ).  Shame that it was a chicken pizza when a vegetarian one was asked for.  Tony bravely removed the morcells of fibrous-ness from his portions and we both polished it off in no time.  

I bid my oasis of comfort for the last 4 days and nights farewell, we clicked back into our default positions on our respective modes of transport ( feet and bike ) and headed off towards Ablain-Saint-Nazaire.  It was a cloudy day to start with but soon became a blue sky hot sunny day - oh the familiarity.  We were together for the whole of the route ie Tony did road walking for the full 20 miles, and he felt it.  Today was the first time since leaving home ( over 600 miles ago today ) that I have seen him in discomfort, and almost refusing to go any further.  The farm b&b that we had booked had better be worth it !   

It most certainly was !   It was a working farm, that rents accommodation, has a farm shop on site and also has what looks like a very large cafe on site too.  We were the only guests on site this evening so everything was quiet.  Our hostess had offered to put some cold food items in the fridge for us for our evening meal, obviously knowing that there were no shops for us to do our own shopping and that we would be hungry upon arrival.  And what a feast it was too - ham, pate, hard boiled eggs x 4, green beans with lovely herby dressing, bread, 2 x types of cheese, 4 x large vine tomatoes, a bottle of water, and 2 x pieces of gorgeous plum flan for afters. We would have been totally snookered without this food.  And - we could make packed lunches with what we couldn't finish for tea = even better !

After tea I went to pump up my bike tyres which had felt decidedly bouncy this day.  As I pumped I was aware that the farm family ( mum, dad and at least one twenty-something farm lad ) could see me from their kitchen window whilst they dined.  I felt quite proud that I was being viewed as a female ( with rather a good tan at this point ) who was taking responsibility for her steed in the form of performing serious necessary maintenance, and who looked as though she knew what she was doing.  Ignore the fact that it took me 3 pumping sessions of the front tyre to get it right ( it is just so hard to remove the pump from the inlet without letting all of the air out again ! ).  The rear tyre pumping went to plan.  I also covered the bike seat with a plastic bag as’ it was looking black over Bill’s mother’s ‘, as Tony would say.  We both hoped that the forecasted rain stayed away.

Distance - 20 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 613.35 miles

Farewells until Sunday

Thursday 31 July

Today we were heading for Bruay La Bruissiere, a town on our route from which Tony was travelling back to the UK for a walking weekend in the Yorkshire Dales, of all things !  I had a hotel booked for the 3 nights that Tony was away, and couldn't wait for the tv, en-suite, wifi, air-con and no fresh air.  

The majority of the day was on the flat, where we met easily at points in villages.  We then finished the approach to the town together.  We checked into the hotel and had a few hours before we headed to Bethune train station to see Tony off.  Tony very kindly left me with his dirty washing ( expecting it to miraculously turn clean for when he arrived back on Sunday ) and other misc gear that he didn't need for the weekend.  

It was bus to Bethune, then train to Lille for Tony where he was booked into a hotel that evening ( then Eurostar to London the next morning and train to Leeds … ).  We said our farewells at Bethune and I made my way back to my lovely quiet hotel room.  I decided that during the next 3 days I would only go out to get food and to the bike shop down the road to get a new rear tyre since it was letting in so many sharp objects of late.  

Distance - 17.70 miles

Distance since Helmsley - 596.05 miles