Operation Pie and Peas.

29th August 2023.

Setting off tomorrow. Today has been a hive of activity for me and Janice. We have collected the van from its storage. You may not recognise it!…..

My preparations involve packing for my solo drive to France and for solo cycling for the first couple of weeks. It’s a bit tricky to decide what to pack and where to pack it. Janice has to pack for the motorhome, and pack for cycling and pack for her prior holiday to Croatia.

I will be cycling as light as possible and hoping that good weather means I can manage in shorts and t shirts. Janice flys out to Limoges mid September and hopefully will meet me somewhere near Toulouse. The forecast looks good so I won’t be packing my winter gear. We have a philosophy that if we forget to pack something, then, we can buy things in France….but that doesn’t apply to everything.

As I mentioned, I will drive the van and it will be parked up at our friend Tim’s house near Limoges and then I will start cycling. He has some specific needs that cannot be purchased in France and we have a shopping list for him. It includes Farrer’s Coffee from Kendal, TCP for horsefly bites, tins of mushy peas and ‘Butter Pies’.

What is a Butter Pie? Well, it’s a pie with a potato, onion and butter filling that can only be purchased in or near Lancashire. Handily, they are sold at a local shop in Kendal and I have bought some frozen and unbaked hoping to get them to France whilst still fresh.

I know they don’t look too appetising until they are cooked but I’m sure they will be appreciated, especially with the mushy peas. It has been quite a military operation for me to find out a) what they are, b) where they are sold and c) how can I get them to France. I hope the French customs don’t catch me smuggling them in and confiscate them.

Additionally, I will be bringing some of my homemade Grasmere Gingerbread, cut into rectangles and wrapped in cling film….they look like blocks of cannabis resin! I could be in some trouble with the authorities! Well at least I don’t need to smuggle Janice over the channel this time.

I can’t say that my cycling training has been rigorous but I hope that I can get a few rides in as I travel south.

We have had the warm up rugby internationals and England have been woeful! Four games played and they only managed one narrow victory. The last defeat against Fiji was especially poor as they have never been beaten by a team outside of the Six Nations or Championship competitions. England’s pool include Argentina, Chile, Japan and Samoa and I wouldn’t put my money on winning any game except Chile. Nevermind, I will support my team with pride even though I am not due to see any of their matches or even be in a city that hosts their matches.

Anyway, let the Rugby World Cup commence. I am very much looking forward to doing all the things I love most, (not necessarily in this order), travelling around France, cycling, staying in interesting places, watching rugby, meeting like minded people….and getting drunk with them! Sorry, I meant have a half of beer with them.

Being in my own for the first period will seem strange but I’m sure I’ll manage. Please keep me company via the blog.