Page 21 - PBCOctober2015

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume12 No.2 October 2015 "21

Mr Pickwick goes to France 2015………….

A select group of 14 members & guests made the trip to
Brittany based in Dinan, with the Ibis hotel our temporary
home. The start of another gastronomic frolic with two
stages of the Tour de France to add spice to our days. The
trip down, due to problems at “Le Tunnel” was hard work, but
with mobile phones and good will, we all met up on Friday
evening at 8pm in the Bar Duclos for pre-dinner drinks of
beer/wine /cidre. A short 50yard walk to our chosen fish
restaurant and a hard fought battle for tables with a party
of English golfers, we all sat down to enjoy the Menu de Jour in a typical French
restaurant beneath the Ibis hotel.

Then off to bed before up early, buffet breakfast, and off to the Mur de Bretagne for
the race stage finish. Peter Radford phoned Michael (Brooks) with the news that we would
be unable to leave the finish until 8pm – so we tried to meet at the pretty village of
Neullial, 15km from the finish. Road closures en route split the convoy. Baillie Mac & the
Jacksons party found a super bar/restaurant on the
roadside, and enjoyed another Menu du Jour, beers/wine
and a TV in the bar to view the finish, after Le Tour and all
it’s caravan had passed us by. The other group based their
day on the 4 Cat mountain climb, in a bar with TV and
th
fritures! All returned safely to Dinan for 8pm at the Bar
Duclos and another splendid pre-dinner tipple, then back to
‘our’ restaurant. Keep it simple! Another super menu – how
do they do it –good food and choice for Prix Fixed?

Sunday re-union after buffet breakfast at the Ibis, and
off en convoy to the finish of the Team Time Trial at
Ploubenec. We all arrived together, and got free parking at
the top of the town, and walked down to the square and
found our base. A bar/restaurant, pre-lunch drinks, and
watched all the teams sign on and prepare for a warm up ride
to the race Depart in Vannes 28km away. Sir Dave Brailsford
at the wheel of the Sky Jaguar parked in front of our table –
and he looked a busy, worried man. We enjoyed the Menu du Tour @ 16Euros – including
wine, with a 3-course meal as normal!