The Kirks

So, after the successes (and excesses) of the previous trip last year from Brussels to Paris, a similar but not identical group has reformed to tackle the somewhat harder ride from Liege to Paris.  The full list of idiots who have agreed to do this are Guy Boyce Cam, Geoff Connell, Ed Currie, Tony Flinn, Ewan Kirk, John Lane, Andy McGuinness, JJ McNeil, Peter McNeil, Martin Mitchell, Godric Smith, Layton Tamberlin, Tim Tyndall and Dik Veenman.  As was the case last year, Mick Mahindra is driving the car, bringing the bags, and being the support vehicle.  If it all gets truly horrible somewhere in the Ardennes then there’s maybe space for two people to get a lift from Mick…Looking at the route, I can foresee fights breaking out somewhere round about the 100km mark on day one as people treat the two places in Mick’s car rather like the last helicopter out of Saigon.

It’s rapidly becoming traditional for us all to meet at St Pancras, drink champagne and then everybody buys huge amounts of food to “eat on the journey”.  Oh and more champagne to “drink on the journey”.  The tradition was fully complied with and we staggered onto the train weighed down with huge amounts of food.  This is the downside of setting off on a trip where there’s heavy exercise ahead.  One feels that it gives you a licence to eat just about anything you want.  Last year I came back weighing more than I left despite using up some huge amount of calories every day. 

Oh and although we’re all very familiar with telling our children “don’t eat their sandwiches right away”, we had a quick laugh at the announcements in the “comedy” French accent and then we all scarfed down our food before we reached Ebbsfleet.  I’m slightly confused as to what Ebbsfleet is.  Is it a place?  A road junction?  What’s the point of it?  Nobody ever seems to get on there.  I suspect it’s to make the Eurostar “accessible” for people who live outside Zone One in London but if you live outside Zone One, it’s a damn sight easier to get to St Pancras than it is to get to Ebbsfleet.  Maybe this is enough ranting about Ebbsfleet…

Anyway, the journey to Brussels was pretty uneventful.  Some reading, some sleeping, some talking of rubbish.  Sort of the usual.  We had 20 minutes to make the Liege train after the Eurostar arrived.  We found the platform but had to spread out like some sort of spy ring because you’re only allowed 4 bikes in total on a Belgian train (who knew eh?) and we had 7 bikes.  No problem getting on and the train pulled out of Brussels Midi on its way to Liege…only to stop at Brussels Central, sit there for 20 minutes and then we were all thrown off because there was a “probleme technique”.  So much grumbling, getting on the train, getting off the train and finally we managed to work out that the next train to Liege was a slow train that stops everywhere.  Some running around, some hanging around on the platform and eventually we got the train.   Annoying after it all going so smoothly up to then.

Long long ride to Liege which is a bit of a horrible town.  The railway station is nice.  Designed by a spanish architect.  The Hotel we’re in is…umm…not very good but it is bang in the middle of what passes for the red light district in Liege.  Not the most salubrious part of town. 

Absolutely knackered.  Straight to bed.  Early start tomorrow.  John Lane wanted us to leave at 6am but we’ve managed to get it back to a 7.30 am start.  It’s going to be an awfully ugly day tomorrow with some really tough hills and nearly 100 miles of cycling.