Saturday May 19th Bray-s-Somme

 

A visit to the local artisan produced the best baguettes and croissant to date. Add to that a pain raisin and pain tortose and we were fit for a stroll around the lakes. The French party left with there 3 boats and I considered moving but we were set., and had been ok overnight so left well alone.

We packed the bikes and left for a ride to Albert a short hop of 10 Kms away. It was hot and unforgiving on the climb out of bray and the Somme valley but as ever we were rewarded with splendid views as compensation. We passed yet another tiny beautifully kept cemetery, I say passed, I stopped for a look but the crew was on a roll and not prepared to risk it.

 

We passed the modern classically French human free zone of Picardy Albert airfield. Despite a total lack of movement, very expensive improvements were obviously being carried out to this modern ghost town of an airport. The French are a bit mad say I.

 

We dropped into Albert the glistening madonna atop the cathedral establishing the town centre. A dubiously placed sign for the war museum suggested we head up a steep hill away from the city centre. I expressed doubts and suggested we head on into town and find a nice spot for picnic but Collette said let's just go to the museum and find somewhere there. We climbed the gruelling hill and when on the outskirts of the city I got the iPad out. The museum was at the cathedral.

We launched ourselves back down the steep hill at eddy mercks pace. Suddenly I took a hit in the neck. I felt the sting tail stuck in my neck as the venom was injected. The crew was now in trouble. We got to the town hall and I stopped to get a picture of this imposing edifice. I felt a second invasion in my back. Argh Collette the bloody thing is still in there.. I ripped off my shirt and Collette swished the offender away. Big wasp she coolly uttered and he got you 3 times on your back. That made 4 bites. Off to the pharmacy. 7 euros worth of ointment afterm an interesting attempt at explaining with some impatience that I did not want a cream to stop them I had already been bloody well swamped. I ended up having to show the pharmacist the lumps and then ah je comprenez. Thank god. Collette was liberal with the cream at my request and it did the trick.

Off to the cathedral and there sat the museum entrance. We locked the wheeled steeds and sat on the fountain steps eating our picnic. I was fascinated by a chesty young girl in a basque style top enhancing her assets who wore denim hot pants with the most awful flesh coloured tights. By the time we finished lunch, I had decided she must be of that noble profession as she was just hanging around.

We went to look in the church first. The spire topping gold madonna was hit by a bomb during the war and hung horizontal as a result. It became folklore that on the day she fell the war would end. Didn't happen but the war ending did.

 

As we opened the door there was a loud siren and horn sound. We turned and watched police motorcycles hurtle past. What, on earth..... The they came, lurex clad dwarfs with elastic muscles hammered past in a blink of an eye followed by a caravan of support vehicles. The speed was sensational. A gap and then the throng of the peloton sizzled through followed by an endless line of logo emblazoned estate cars laden with cycle filled roof racks. It was quite magnificent but as quick as ,they arrived they were gone.

I cannot have more admiration for the smooth logistical planning of this whole episode on the part of the organisers. This was a major city centre closed down to traffic just minutes before this racing bike conga hit town and minutes later you would never have known it had. Occurred. Superb.

 

We enjoyed the cathedral, a surprise inside. Albert was mostly destroyed in the war and much was rebuilt in art deco style. The cathedral has bits that are moorish and bits that are almost roman and very colourful. A big contrast to previously visited prayer houses but thoroughly enjoyable.

Next it was the museum. Laid out in a huge tunnel which was built as a second world war air raid shelter for the albertonians. It fitted about 2500 so a pretty big museum. Usual stuff inside re ww1 but right up my street.

 

We left and found flesh tights clearly having an argument with a rough looking diamond. I think the relationship may have ended and I felt terribly guilty about my thoughts re her reason for being there and admonished myself for being judgemental.

 

The trip back was much easier and quicker. We barby'd the rest of steak chicken and rabbit and I listened to a gripping champions league final as I could not get a sat signal much to my chagrin. The merlot from shoppy settled me though and I still loved it. Pleased for my old mate Perez but sad for tone and dan as buggers up spurs.

 

Weather hot got a bit misty late evening.