I’m definitely winding down. Yesterday was Sunday, so I didn’t have enough food for breakfast. No problem, usually every place has an open boulangerie. Usually, but not in Corbie today. The only option for breakfast was the Auchan supermarket.
I wasn’t in the mood to make breakfast. Last night I discovered that Trip.com hadn’t booked the additional baggage for my flights home as requested. I’d requested 25kg of extra baggage to cover the bike box. They had taken £236 for my request, but all they had given me was 10kg of extra, on one of the flights. Totally useless, and overcharged. Of course they couldn’t do anything to help and cancellation costs £345. They later asked me for an extra £680 of baggage costs to bring the bike. (This happened at midnight, and I couldn’t calm down enough to do it). I decided to deal directly with the airline and sent them a request.
So, I didn’t sleep well.
Overnight, there was a heavy dew, so everything was wet. That meant slow packing and at around 9am, I was finally underway to the supermarket.
A few kms later, by the canal, I ate a couple of croissants with jam. The path was busy, and everyone who walked by, wished me Bon Appetit ! So nice.
There was a family group from the campground (3 generations) who were cycling the same path today – the V30. We passed each other a few times and each time every one of them said hi, laughed and waved.
In Amiens, I picked up some food, then just outside town I stopped for coffee and lunch. Again, people wished me Bon Appetit and a few wanted to know about my stove etc. One guy watched me set up and light the stove. He looked worried, then watched me from 50 metres away, but left when I started drinking the coffee.
Back underway, two french cyclists stopped me and asked for some tools, so I stopped, lent them what they needed and they sort of fixed one of their bikes.
They invited me for coffee at a place not far away. One guy spoke great english and we talked as we cycled. The cafe was closed. So, we rode some more until they came to their friend’s boat, their stopping point for the day.
It was another hour to Abbeville but it was beautiful riding. I found my BnB and kicked back. Abbeville seems like a nice enough place but the BnB is tiny. I can fit This Moment inside though, so all is well.
