A Night Ride to the Port

One of the most important aims of this ride has been to give everyone a taste of the authentic France experience. It is a complete contrast to what is commonly dished up to tourists on their "all of Europe in 7 days" package tours.

Over the past five weeks we have such a wide range of experiences that at times it feels almost overwhelming. We have stayed in hotels ranging from budget 3 star places to opulent 4 star extravagances. Some of these places have been hundreds of years old, while others are as modern as you could imagine. We have eaten in such a diverse range of restaurants, many of which were open just for us. We have ridden all types of surfaces, through large cities, forests and rural farmlands.

There is one thing that I would like to emphasize, these trips can be tough - physically, mentally and emotionally. They are definitely NOT for cupcakes and snowflakes. On the other hand, for those that come with the right attitude, they can become life changing. I have seen time and time again how people have come to reassess their pre-determined ideas of what they can achieve. At an age where most of their peers are resting in their comfortable retirements, our participants have ridden across France, coping with moving hotels almost every day, handling difficult terrain, battling weariness and illness. But they all have managed to cross the finish line in triumph. I am so proud of every one of them for their amazing achievement. They will leave with a storehouse of memories and probably fitter than they have been for many years.

Today was our final free day of the trip. This gave everyone a chance to walk around the city of Le Croisic and soak up the oceanfront views. This is very much an affluent area for the rich and famous of Paris to have their holiday homes. The place reeks of old money and privilege. During the summer months the beautiful homes are filled with holiday makers, but by this time of the year, the majority are now shuttered and sealed for the coming winter months.

This evening we held our final group dinner for the team. This was at L'Escalade restaurant in the Port of Le Croisic. This would normally have been a 30 minute walk from our hotel, however I had a better idea. Since we still had access to our bikes, I suggested that we complete one last ride and take the bikes instead. They are all equipped with headlights and taillights, so at least we would have some idea of where we were riding. So that is what we did. It turned out to be perfect and very memorable way to end an incredible trip.

Tomorrow morning our team will start to disburse on their various ways. I am sure they have all made new lifelong friendships and will never forget these past weeks we have shared together. Bon Voyage.Read more