Sid and Doris Bonkers and their Epic Journeys
"Everybody is normal until you get to know them"
In which Sid and Doris start out along the Garonne canals before striking out up hill, down dale, but mostly across country to the Gironde.We are at peak French holiday season and today is the Friday between a Bank Holiday and the weekend so hotels are as much a limiting factor as our legs. Bazas is broadly in the right…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris have a ride along the Garonne and its lateral canal. Today is the Feast of the Assumption, when virgin Mary was told she was to be mother of Jesus. This is a Bank Holiday in France, and in common with Bank Holidays everywhere associated with poor weather. In fact today has been perfect for us:…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris ride along the Tarn to an even older hotel, a former abbey. The Hotel du Pont, where we started the day, was founded by a soldier coming back from Napoleon’s Russian campaigns (after 1812 then) and setting up a restaurant where people waited for the (bac, a rowing boat) ferry across the Tarn. It has…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris canoe down the Tarn and think about a new route home.Up late. We think we are putting on weight and we are not riding today so breakfast is a fairly civilised event, memorable for the pasteque and orange confiture. And they put out some of their creamy cheeses. This is a two hearth and three…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris have a fabulous long ride clear across the Causses de Cevennes and a good way along the Tarn.Last night there was an excellent storm with big rain, lightning and long-rumbling thunder. Today started cold, we wore windproofs to set off. This is the first cool day we have had since… Hungary? Bulgaria? At least two…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris make a well supplied ride up onto the Causses Cevenole. On our way out of Ganges we bought second breakfast and lunch, not being sure what might be available in the villages on Sunday. On the square we found a fresco based on a photo of one of the 24 silk stocking factories that were…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris make a bit of a meal of a simple day’s ride.The day is essentially riding along the D999 which heads east, through Nimes and on, and on. It will be a theme. We are pleased to see that the rubbish dump, crem and cemetery are together (all the more fun given they are off the…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris go holiday riding along the Durance to the Rhone. France is having a canicule, a heatwave. For Sid and Doris this is just another hot and sweaty day, we’ve been hot since at least June 13th and probably longer. In fact we haven’t been writing about the weather, because we’ve just got used to the…
Read moreIn which Sid takes Doris to a Big Band FestivalSid (being French-ly literate and articulate) is a keen reader of local papers, particularly about the affairs of the villages and small towns and very pleased to find a big band festival. Pertuis is just 32 kilometres from Rians down (get that?) a charming river valley. The holiday riding is slightly…
Read moreIn which Sid and Doris climb up into Provence and enjoy being able to speak with people on matters other than ordering food and drink.We leave the seaside with a couple of backward looks. For the sailors out there: Our room is named after Gitana VI, a 20 metre Olin Stephens design for Edmond de Rothschild built in 1975. We…
Read more