For someone to still be alive looking as pale as he did and recquiring so many pills was nothing short of miraculous - but as he tackled a baquette in bed he assured me that hè would bravely give it a go after being bed ridden for the past 1 & 1/2 days !
Kev didn't get much chance to warm up as we were straight into a 2 km climb leaving Aire sur L`Adour. After waiting for him for 10 mins at the top of the climb I'd assumed he'd turned round and gone back to bed but spinning like a helicopter he finally arrived explaining that he had to reset his panniers having put them on the wrong sides !
The plan for Henley to take one for the team and feign death so we could avoid the rain worked a dream as the conditions today were magnificent for cycling.
We stopped briefly at Geaune (10 kms) to check out its church and allow Kev an early needed rest.
From there we climbed through Pimbo (23 kms) and again rested before catching a real sharp short climb on our way to Arzacq.
Henley could not have been as bad as he was complaining as anyone able to ride a bike at 4.2 kms an hour (yes a new world record) certainly needs all their wits !
We bumped into a Dutch tour cyclist on the other side of the climb who stopped for a chat putting us to shame when wed asked were he'd come from. `Strasbourg` came the friendly reply in 8 days averaging 170 kms day !
Admittedly he did have a road bike and bugger all luggage but still damned impressive !
Our journey to Morlane for a lunch break provided myself (Kev was too busy trying to stay alive) with an outstanding first view of the Pyrenees - a horizon of snow covered Mtn tops forming what appeared to be an impenetrable barrier on the horizon - WOW !
After lunch in the sun we made for Arthez due Bearn or Mr Bean as Kev called it, which worked well for him following the signs behind me until he got to a T intersection where the sign only said Arthez - only the sight of my jacket in the distance saved him the embarrassment of asking a French person the way to Mr Bean !
The climb to Arthez almost finished Kev off but a coke, the view of distant Mtns, and the fact we only had 8 more kms to go kept him moving - just !
.
Leaving Arthez H added to his list of international incidents -
I was pretty surprised when a car with two yelling french men pulled over just in front of me. As I watched, the passenger wildly swept cigarette ash off his crotch area and then cursed as the car drove off !
It wasnt until Kev caught up that I got the full picture. H trying to emulate his previous 4.2 km an hour world record had wobbled into the cars path just as the car was passing him causing the driver to take sudden avoidance action and the passenger to lose most of his cigarette on to his lap !
Henley`s typical response was `that will teach him to smoke in a car `!
We arrived in quiet Maslacq mid afternoon with Kev just about done by his effort. A pretty good one considering his condition.
The day had in fact brought up the 3,000 km mark for Kev so far on tour - a pretty good effort !
We had an interesting dinner experience at our hotel to finish the day. A door knock at 6.00 p.m. told us that dinner would be at 45 after 6 (nothing else open in town) to which Kevs jaw dropped open thinking that the person had just said that dinner was at 6 and it was going to cost 45 Euros !
With no choice we presented for what was a pretty good dinner albeit with no choice whatsoever !
This plus our dodgy bedroom lights and our off the rails shower door might explain why in the hotels comments book there are only 3 entries - one in April 2012 with the other two dated 1993 & 1998 ... I rest my case !
PS the photo of the lady in swimmers is in fact a ceramic just above a persons letterbox in Morlanne !
No comments:
Post a Comment