Nice early start after utilising all the youth hostels facilities, managed to to get the gas range going after a little bit of engineering, involving propping up the gas valve with a wooden stake, worked a treat, so able to cook the eggs breakfast fit for kings, or however built this incredible array of military buildings, more work for the editor in chief. [La Hulotte is built on a 13th C medieval castle. The Youth Hostel itself is the old army barracks: Ed]

With a full belly we wobbled down the cobbled descent weary of the inclement weather forecast, Rylan taking up the role of weather guru, allegedly yellow weather warning with high winds, maybe they know we have all had boiled eggs, that could be interesting. You can’t change the weather so just get on with it, 80 odd miles no problem, off we go with a hop skip and a jump, leave all that for the young un, it’s hard enough for me to stay upright as per yesterdays escapade. Off we go without a care in the world riding like we are a mission or trying to beat the rain clouds swirling around us, always get lucky they seemed to be just in front of us, so with a wise engineering mind decide to not get go any quicker, to no avail a failed engineer, we managed to get caught in a big downpour just as we entered Abbeville. Good time to stop for a coffee, only we could pick the equivalent of the Timberbats at Crundale (weird little pub in the back of beyond) full of lovely old stuff, only had three warm coffees served in an egg cup, certainly not for me.

Off we go again with the rain still threatening and with the wind doing it best to compete, heading for Gourmay en Bray, least the road is good, as we make good time through the undulating countryside, came through the quaint village Hornoy-le-burg, Rylan stopped to fill up his water, I spoke with some nice locals, gave us directions to a cafe around the corner, seemed like a decent place to have lunch.

Filled up with a cheese baguette /chicken for Bingo few small beers, we all felt brand new, ready for the last 30 odd miles, just out of the village, guy on a road bike sped past us, Rylan straight on his wheel, that’s the last we saw of him until we reached Gournay-en-bray. Bingo and I just kept up a steady pace and ticked off the miles, through a few rain showers nothing serious, as soon as we hit the town square, Rylan in true House fashion was sitting outside a bar with three beers, good lad.

All booked into the hostel, put the bikes away in their garage, nice shower wash the gear and out for some food, not much to choose from in the little town so back to the bar we was in earlier for a pizza and chips, met a couple of Australian guys touring on their way to Paris, then down to Spain, nice evening. Back to the hostel going to be a bit cramped with three of us in a tiny room, we are family so what can go wrong.