For those whose Dutch isn't as whizzy as mine, today's title translates as 'the really last one'. Bear with me. If you were one of Bob's boys at Raytheon, it was fairly normal to go and drink yourself stupid at t' Narretje at lunchtime. At some point, someone (never me) would declare this round was de echte laatst, and we really should go back and do some work.
There is a point to this. I declared Strasbourg as 'the end' because I felt continuing was pointless. But today has been the real end of this jaunt, ending on a high instead of a low. A trip right across France by train was enjoyable in itself, and it let me see exactly how far I'd been, not even counting going across the bottom of Germany. Incidentally, the ticket clerk who told me it was 'une rien' from Gare de l'est to Gare Montparnasse was a lying bastard. It took half an hour on the bike. Additionally, I met nice, interesting people on the train, and it was all a lot of fun.
I don't suppose many of you have been to Roscoff. Unless you live in Cornwall, it's an unlikely ferry port. It's not like other ferry ports. It's small and charming and generally delightful. It even has a museum about the onion johnnies. Don't know about them? Those of a certain age (I include myself) will remember the French onion sellers with their bicycles festooned with strings of onions. The reason they came to England was because, in those days, it was easier to get to England from Brittany than to get to Paris. Not many people know that.
I walked into town from my b and b, enjoying the view and smelling the sea air, and had a perfect meal of crêpes accompanied by bio cider, chatting to the amiable host and enjoying his music : R&B, soul and rock 'n roll. That was a proper ending. I like France. A lot. We get on.
By the way, can anyone see the point in globe artichokes? Talk about a lot of hard work for little reward.
Evening, all.
There is a point to this. I declared Strasbourg as 'the end' because I felt continuing was pointless. But today has been the real end of this jaunt, ending on a high instead of a low. A trip right across France by train was enjoyable in itself, and it let me see exactly how far I'd been, not even counting going across the bottom of Germany. Incidentally, the ticket clerk who told me it was 'une rien' from Gare de l'est to Gare Montparnasse was a lying bastard. It took half an hour on the bike. Additionally, I met nice, interesting people on the train, and it was all a lot of fun.
I don't suppose many of you have been to Roscoff. Unless you live in Cornwall, it's an unlikely ferry port. It's not like other ferry ports. It's small and charming and generally delightful. It even has a museum about the onion johnnies. Don't know about them? Those of a certain age (I include myself) will remember the French onion sellers with their bicycles festooned with strings of onions. The reason they came to England was because, in those days, it was easier to get to England from Brittany than to get to Paris. Not many people know that.
I walked into town from my b and b, enjoying the view and smelling the sea air, and had a perfect meal of crêpes accompanied by bio cider, chatting to the amiable host and enjoying his music : R&B, soul and rock 'n roll. That was a proper ending. I like France. A lot. We get on.
By the way, can anyone see the point in globe artichokes? Talk about a lot of hard work for little reward.
Evening, all.
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| Bike on TGV |
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| Cycling across Paris..Arc de Triomphe |
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| Some river or other |
Well, you must be well on your way home. Like what happened in het Narretje, I don't believe somehow that this is the 'echte laatst'. There was always at least one more after thar :-). I suspect we will see you on another bike trip, bringing some new stories and some more insight into your thinking world :-)! Bis bald !
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