Day 2 – Monday 16 June 2014

Calais to Arras

Hotel

Hôtel Les Trois Luppars

Notes

We set off in cool conditions and experienced some light drizzle and a shower, but dried off as we rode along. We followed our satnavs all day without a hitch, which rather took the excitement out of route finding, but on the other hand did ensure that we always met up again at some point if we got separated. This proved invaluable a number of times in the days ahead. Our route out of Calais followed a canal almost as far as Guines where I would spend my last night in France on my return journey. Initially the route lived up to our expectations of flat cycling but once we left the canal there were undulating roads and I found myself using all my gears. The route was pleasantly rural with occasional small towns and as we approached Arras we came across a number of military cemeteries. Jon tried to find the grave of his great uncle but we found no record of his surname in the meticulous cemetery record book stored at the entrance to each cemetery.

We joined the dead straight D341 for the final five miles into Arras and rode into Grande Place, heaving to a halt where the satnav gave its usual end-of-route announcement. Any sign of the hotel? Not a glimmer! Round and round the ragged rascals ran, until someone spotted the ridiculously obscure hotel sign in exactly the right place. Ah, we of little faith.

Maybe the town authorities had decreed that all commercial signs should be unobtrusive. Looking round Grande Place we noticed that all signage was much the same. We heaved our bicycles up steep steps into the hotel and locked them in a yard at the back. We cleaned up and set off to find something to eat. It was Monday so not a lot was open but eventually we found a busy pizzeria and ate well. And so to bed.