Monty python was wrong about France.

The last day in London josh didn’t get much sleep and wasn’t feeling up to riding 60 miles so we trained it to our ferry.  We sat in their local Mc.Ds looking up things on the internet to pass the time then decided to just go to the ferry terminal. We took a nap, ate and read our books. The thought of being in France was pretty exciting. France to me was the start of the trip I was really looking forward to. The hot countries filled with passion for food and people with lots of character. Right before we got on the ferry we found a group also doing a bike tour. A mixed group of guys and girls doing a tour from London to Paris with old looking panniers and bikes. They were about our age and were pretty nice. Once on the ferry I had to build up courage to go sit with them and talk to them about their route. Josh and I didn’t have one planned out so I thought we could get some help. They told me about a couple paths and I decided to leave them alone for the rest of the night.

some were in the shower.

The Ferry got into France around four Am.  We stopped and talked to them after getting off the ferry and asked if they knew about any camping nearby. They said they have no idea so I told josh to look some up on the GPS. Josh and I left then right outside the gate I stopped and said that we should probably help them out. We turned around and asked them if they would like to use out GPS to find some, then I figured they might as well just follow Josh and I. We rode for about 20 minutes and then got to this huge hill that over looked the channel with big waves crashing loudly onshore. The ride wasn’t easy and some of the people in the British group had to walk their bikes up some of the hills, but we finally got to camping. They seemed like us the first time we had to set up our tents. I liked that group or maybe I just liked the fact that I was able to talk to someone new. The next morning I told them that josh and I had 2 60 mile days ahead of us, took their picture and said we should meet up in Paris if they get there when we are.

The next 2 days Josh and I rode through the French countryside with nothing, but happy good times. The sun was out and keeping us warm and France had beautiful big fields mixed with huge hills. Hills can be a killer on your knees, if you’re riding all day, but josh and I smashed those hills and felt like men when we got to the top. Out of nowhere was this old guard tower where u can walk inside and see where the stairs went up to the hole in the ceiling and it just made my day. We stopped in small towns to find out that they only have magazine/tobacco shops open in the middle of the day. Out of 4 towns we only found one grocery store.  People in the small towns were nice. The way things work is when you walk into a shop is like this.

“Hello (in their language)”.

“Hello do you speak English?”

“No. what can i do for you” Then you play this game of I don’t know what you saying and you don’t know what I’m saying, but we are going to figure out how you are going to give me a slice of that pie and Im going to give you my money. Then we got to Paris and that all changed. Ask someone if they speak English and you get attitude if they do and if they don’t they just kind of give you some stare and go “now what?.” It’s not fun. It’s almost makes you not want to talk to them because you think they are just going to be assholes. We spent four days in Paris. I spent 2 looking around at the sights, 1 relaxing in the hotel and then on the last day josh and I found out that the rave we were going to in Portugal got canceled do to it being sketchy as hell. We looked over the map and realized that we are WAY behind schedule. We sat down and planned it out. We talk a train to catch up some time. Ride down the French coast. Get to Madrid and Barcelona on the 13^th. Ill spend a few days there alone. When he takes a train to Switzerland I’ll chill with Chloe on the beach for a week then take a ferry and meet him in Milan then ride through Italy and spend 4 days in Rome. Sounds fun, but we have deadlines again which means no more days of just laying around hung over. Every day is about 60+ miles riding from here on out except when we stop in major towns. Thanks for the read guys! Also the group of Brits were cycling for a charity if you’d like to check it out its boomboompow!