| Calais to Amiens |
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| Looking back to Calais from Bonningues village - Calais-Frethun station the white dash centre right |
| It nearly wasn't Eurotunnel Cycle Service (click for site) this year. Lots of unnecessary messing about and refusing to take my booking because summer prices weren't ready (this was in May this year!) and in spite of a web site that insisted you could 'book now' at prices shown on screen!! Only persistence paid off in the end and they accepted my booking, but I am assured that it certainly will not be so difficult next year, as the Service is now confirmed as being firmly in place and ongoing. Good to see Norman. the driver again (see other sites for more details and photos) on the 11th June, departure date, and found myself mounting up in the saddle on the outskirts of Calais before I knew it. Calais-Frethun was my departure station, but with two hours to spare (missed the 10.30 am thanks to the hour time difference) before my 12.30 departure, I decided to cycle up the hill and into Bonningues where there is a nice Tabac that serves good coffee. Some friendly chat with the locals (already on their Ricards!) to warm up my rusty French that hadn't been put to any use, good or bad, since last year, and it was back down the hill and into Calais-Frethun to catch my train to Amiens, with 15 minutes to spare! |
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| TGV at Calais-Frethun |
| Bike installed in bike section on train |
| Interior of new train just introduced |
| Frethun was surprisingly busy with a number of tourists present, including an American family at the end of a six week tour of Europe by train - just left Italy the previous day and now trying to get to the Hoverport to get across to the UK - they looked pretty exhausted although happy enough at the experience of their travels. Prior to my local service the adjacent TGV pulled in en route to Lille (see 2003 trip if you want more on Lille!), then, as it turned out, my local train was so modern and streamlined, I was not convinced it was my service at all! |
| So much so that I nearly didn't board! Thankfully, as the last seconds approached, I did, and what a comfortable service it was. Tailor-made standing area for bikes, seats adjacent to be near to them, and smooth, fast transfer from Calais to Amiens, following the same route as last year as far as Abbeville, then another half-hour to arrive at Amiens around 3.00 pm. Then the prospect of around 3 hours cycling to Montdidier where I would be staying at the local Logis (no B&B's with vacancies!) |
| The weather was fine (as it was to be throughout the ensuing week - bar one day of cloud and very light rain) and the scenery as inviting as ever. In true form, the toils and troubles of everyday life were gone in the space of a few turns of the pedals. There really cannot be a better way to unwind and enjoy... |