We departed from Brive as planned at 8.00am and arrived at 8.15pm yet still a terrific day. My problem is....as usual.... where to start? Perhaps with last night, as with all groups, nick names have become the norm, every one knew that Sietse has become Derrick? Pauline has become Scaramanga? ( she was bitten by a bug during the night ) as she has now an extra nipple? For those who don't know Scaramanga was an enemy of James Bond who also had a third nipple, just his wasn't on his leg like Pauline's was. Karen who was Miss Goody Two Shoes the whole trip had never received a fine (that's another story) during the whole trip was now called Mother Teresa. Bob was now Sam after the character in Lord of the rings?
We never knew the height difference between Derrick (Sietse) and Sam (Bob) was so great?
Back to today's ride, I had heard about people chasing storms but have never experienced a storm chasing people, till today? We were on the bikes and looking to the south rain clouds were gathering. Just as we left it started to rain. Luckily within 5km we were ahead of the rain and the roads were good. We left the motorway as planned and headed to Oradour Sur Glane the French Village wiped out by the Germans in WW11.
Fortunately for us when the rain caught up to us we were inside the visitors centre in Oradour so no problem.
Naturally we stayed here far to long, but it was very interesting and impressive. If those are the right words to describe such events.
Now on to Paris and the ring road. The ring was simply full. For about three minutes we were all good little bikers and sat waiting patiently in the line with the cars. While all the French bikes and scooters went zoom zoom in and out of the traffic. What could we do? So as they say When in Rome do as the Romans do! We were soon riding through the traffic at 40km per hour much to the reluctance of the English lads. Of course by doing this we created our own traffic jam????? we soon had 40/50 French bikers/scooter riders getting annoyed at the silly English and Dutch bikers blocking their way. After a few hand gesture's from irate Parisian bikers we too wound our traffic surfing speed up to 70km per hour. Which does get the adrenalin going at times.
I must be a sad bastard as I enjoyed surfing the traffic on the Paris ring road (want to go back and do it again) On the motor from the ring road we were riding as usual? at the legal speed of 130km per hour and the French bikers were still zooming past us and riding through the traffic. Unlike the French we do have standards to maintain and remained chugging along within the limit.
While all this is going on the rain clouds are still chasing us, we stop at a Peage... its starts to rain, we ride on it stops... we stop for petrol it rains, we ride on its stops.
On to Arras on good dry roads, we arrive at the hotel tired but it didn't matter we had enjoyed our day.
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