The Family Bike Touring Guide

Back on the bikes today after a lovely few days in Paris. I don’t think anyone has really talked about the accommodation. We booked all our accommodation through Airbnb back in May time. We wrote about our first nights amazing stay but none since really. Our accommodation in Rouen was nice, a ground floor apartment with two double beds. Spacious and nicely decorated and very close to the city centre. It had a washing machine which was a bonus. The only downside was that there were no windows or air con so it did get quiet hot overnight. Accommodation in Vernon was again really central. It was a converted outbuilding in the hosts garden although they were not there which I was a bit sad about as they had a wire hair dashund called Harold who would have been nice to meet. It was really pretty and nicely done up. Double bed and sofa bed. The main bed however was really uncomfortable and even I who don’t mind most beds found it horrible. It was nice to sit in their garden for a morning cuppa. Paris was again a sofa bed and double bed, it was a beautiful apartment but I found it a bit annoying practically, the cups and glasses and bowls were all really small, the bin was a pedal bin in a cupboard and the draining board was super small, and they gave us one tea towel the size of a flannel! I do like it when we get a surprise of left over shower gel/shampoo/washing powder etc, because although we have stuff with us we haven’t bought an abundance. Tonight’s accommodation is a bit in the middle of no where but we stopped at a Lidl about a mile before we got here to stock up. It’s a private bit on someone’s house and so so cute, not much space and the double bed is on a mezene thing and it had air con. They have thought really carefully about the space and it’s just lovely. It also has a table and chairs outside which has been nice to use last night when it cooled down and this morning. We have chosen places with a sofa bed rather than another bedroom due to cost, adding another bedroom increases the price a lot. Zak has not wanted to share a double bed with Maisey so he bought a blow up air mattress and has been very happy on that.

It always takes longer to pack up after a rest day and then it took ages for Zak’s Garmin to calculate the route. I thought we left around 9.30 but I think it must have been later than that because at 11.30 we were all the way through Paris and out the other side.

Cycling though Paris was less stressful than when we arrived, it was much quieter and the route slightly different. However it was raining! Good chance to try out the ponchos that Jon had bought. They kept us dry however limited hand signals quiet a lot. Zak and I didn’t wear ours for long as we were hot but Jon and Maisey wore there’s for a lot longer.

Coming out of Paris there was a lot of on road cycling and it was pretty grim mainly because it was on and off raining. At the top of the first hill we decided to stop, however I didn’t take a wide enough birth to get over the small curb and fell off my bike and skidded a bit on the pavement, amazingly unharmed! A very very small graze on my knee and chipped toe nail polish! A man in a car stopped to see if I was okay which was really kind.

We continued to plod on, the rain was still on and off. Having not stopped for a coffee and it being around 12 we found a pizzeria in the middle of no where. I tried to communicate if it was okay we stopped just for a drink, first the man thought I was asking for a drink of water! After lots of staff members being confused by our presence an English speaking waiter came over and said we had to buy some food as they didn’t have a licence to just serve drinks. A bowl of very yummy chips, two lemonades and two coffees and 20 euros (not too bad).

By now the sun had come out and we cycled for about half an hour before having a wee stop and Maisey noticing a picnic bench. Jon was in deep conversation with a French man, second time this holiday, I think they both understood at bit of each others conversation.

The afternoon included some really long bits of cycle path through woods which was lovely. It’s so much more relaxing on cycle paths like this as you don’t have to concentrate quiet as much and you can have a good chat.

Our accommodation was kind of in the middle of no where so it was super handy that there’s was a Lidl 1m before we got there. We stocked up on food and had an ice cream. Dinner tonight was ham and cheese filled gnocchi that I really enjoyed. Jon bought some beer called ‘Velo’, very appropriate and we enjoyed 1 euro sangria.

Two episodes of Happy Valley and bedtime.