Michael G. Ormerod
Dieppe to Paris return
David, Frank and I met at Redhill Station at 6 am on a cold Thursday morning. Our purpose was to explore a cycle route from Dieppe to Paris in preparation for the YMCA ‘Bike it to Paris’ Challenge in June.
At that time of day there is a train direct to Lewes from where it is only a short ride to Newhaven. At about 2:30, French time, we set out from the ferry terminal in Dieppe (the Transmanche ferries seem to run 30 minutes late). We found the hotel, in which the three day group will be staying, surprisingly easily and confirmed that they had facilities to store 20 bicycles overnight safely.
A few miles out of Dieppe, we picked up the Avenue Verte, a cycle path which uses an old railway and continues south from Dieppe for 40 kilometres.
The path ends a few kilometres from Forges-les-Eaux, where we spent our first night. I had chosen a hotel from the Internet which was large enough for the two day group in June. It turned out to be a typical provisional French hotel, inexpensive and serving reasonable meals at reasonable prices.
Sofhotel, Forges-les-Eaux
Photographs by Frank Grainger