Vaucluse Dreamer

After an incredibly busy, last three and a half weeks, it’s hard to actually believe that in a little over 12 hours time, we will have loaded the bikes with everything we need, and will be beginning to turn the pedals, at the start of our latest cycling adventure.

We finished our summer events on Friday evening, after spending the day, in the Craft Marquee, at Dunster Show. It was a swelteringly hot day, and we watched in envy, at the dogs that were sitting in the water-barrel just outside the tent. But, we had a great day and our summer season ended on a high, when we won first prize for our stand, and came away with a £30 prize.

To say that I was grinning from ear to ear is an understatement, and I looked more like the Cheshire Cat than a stall-holder. So the day drifted past, with me on cloud nine, and our minds starting to think about our next adventure.

In fact, the day took another turn for the better, when Andy climbed the hill out of the Showground and managed to get a phone signal, which allowed him to book 2 tickets at the stadium in Angouleme, for the opening match of the ProD2 rugby season. This really was the last piece in the jigsaw of our ride, as our team (Provence Rugby) are playing away there that day, and it will be great to watch them in the first match, before we arrive at Aix (a week later), in time for their first home match too.

As the tickets went on sale at 9am, he had to find somewhere with a strong enough phone signal for him to see if any were available, which isn’t an easy task in Dunster. But he was determined, and when he arrived back in the Marquee, his smile said it all, and in just under 2 weeks time, we will be at Angouleme cheering on Provence, mid-ride.

So now, after months of waiting (we booked the ferry crossing in January), and lots of different ideas on the route we will take, we now have had a frantic weekend, making sure that we have everything we need for the ride.

We did take Saturday morning off though, taking a ride out to our favourite cafe at a local antiques centre, enjoying just turning our legs and relishing the exercise after having been pretty much, standing in one place for the last 2 days.

It was also important for us to have a ride, just to make sure that everything was working well with the bikes and to check they were fully up together for the weeks ahead.

So, we pottered out along the quiet Devon lanes, avoiding the busy coastal routes, and as the miles passed beneath our wheels, our brains shuffled the last few weeks of work to the back of our minds and brought the excitement for the ride to the front, leaving us buzzing about the adventure that lies ahead.

It was a lovely morning and we sat outside, drinking coffee, munching cake and chatting through what still needed to be done, to make sure we have everything ready to leave tomorrow morning.

As soon as we arrived home, Andy set to work cleaning the bikes and doing some basic maintenance, before we load them up. Tyres were checked and the ‘tubeless’ liquid was topped up too. Brake pads were changed and everything just checked and double-checked to make sure the bikes are ready to go.

The pannier racks are fitted, but the other fixings for front carriers and lights were put in place, and my phone-mount too, which with my beloved paper map, forms my ‘Mission Control’ centre, for navigating our way down. And everything was put on to charge, from bike lights to battery packs, and head-torches, which will be well-used when we are camping without power

So by late afternoon, the bikes were as ready as they could be, which left just the final packing of the panniers to be done. If I said it quickly enough, it sounded quite simple, but in fact, it would be a complicated game of Tetris, or a challenge worthy of inclusion in ‘The Crystal Maze’

Everything we need (and some bits we don’t need) was spread across the bedroom floor, leaving us ‘stepping-stones’ of carpet between the piles. There were the basic clothes, cycle kit and toiletries that we have taken on our previous bike-packing trips, but this time a tent, sleep mats, bedding, chairs and everything we will need for camping too,

The panniers looked small against the piles and I had absolutely no idea yet how, or even if, everything would fit in. If anyone knows a spell that would make the panniers bigger on the inside than they are on the outside, then that would be a good time to send it to me!

But, we can only take what we can fit in, and inevitably we’ll have to choose between some items and just make sure that we have the most important bits with us. So we left the piles overnight, too tired to really be able to make good judgement calls and decided to tackle them on Sunday morning instead.

Sunday (today) dawned early,  and as ever we were woken by the yowling of Pusscat who was knocking on our bedroom  door for food at just before 6am. So it was time to get going and really get to grips with everything that still needed to be done.

But first, we managed our normal morning stretches accompanied by Pusscat, who seems to be able to find the most awkward place to sit, not flinching as she risks being squished. In fact she was so determined to stay in her place that Andy eventually got off his mat.

Then it was time to really pile everything onto the bed and take stock of what had to be packed and then try to fit it in the panniers. This is when the reality of what we will be carrying really hit home.