Sou'westers Avenue Verte to Paris - Day 1 Dieppe to Forges les Eaux

 Ten fully refreshed and enthusiastic Sou'westers (Tim and Pat, Paul and Maggie, Helen, Christina, Steph, Madelaine, Pinky and Lillian) rolled off the ferry on Monday afternoon into glorious sunshine with the French countryside waiting to embrace them.  The closure of the blue metal bridge into Dieppe town meant a crowd of passengers off the ferry were waiting to file through the footbridge.  Our destination that evening was Forges les Eaux so we bypassed the town and cut through the side streets to the beginning of the route as it was running alongside the railway out of town.   Very soon we were passing lakes, cows, allotments, fields of flax not yet in flower and views across pleasant countryside scenes.  We made good progress on the wonderful surface, stopping for regular drinks.  Just before Neufchatel (our hoped for tea stop) we stopped for photos and to admire the chateau at Mesenieres, a welcome rest off the saddle with jellybabies on offer.  At Neufchatel we knew we d be too late for the creperie on the route so we diverted into town and found a bar one side of the road and a bakery the other.  Christina managed to take advantage of both facilities buying beautiful quiches and then joining us for tea/Ruby leffe at the bar.  The back room was cool and the adjoining toilet provided amusement as the lock didn't quite catch.  Only a few miles to Forges les Eaux the route becoming more interesting as it wound round and through woodland as it approached this pretty little spa town.  It was 8 pm and we d cycled 34 miles. 

Quick showers and out to eat massive plates of food at the local kebab cafe where we sat outside nattering and watching swallows/swifts (Maddie knew and now I ve forgotten which ones).  Helen and I accompanied Lillian back to her accomodation where she showed us round a beautiful period town house with high railings and curved stone steps each side of the impressive front door.  We watched a few bats fluttering at speed then returned to our less impressive but equally welcoming hotel du Colvert for a good night's sleep.