ShropMog Cycle with the VSCC on Tandems!

The Vintage Sports Car Club hold their Boulogne Bicycle Rally on the late May Bank Holiday Sunday. The route follows much of the route once used for the French Grand Prix and covers 26 miles of French countryside. This year it was held on 24^th May and three couples from ShropMog (Lindsay and Kevin, Jayne and Simon) and PolarMog (Pat and Bob) decided to go along for the ride - and the beer! We made the event into a long weekend, starting on the Friday.

The tour started with a visit to Bodiam Castle (National Trust near Robertsbridge, East Sussex) on the way down to Dover. Needless to say, we stayed in a pub overnight on Friday. This was the Swingate Inn conveniently situated off the A2 just outside Dover.	We abandoned cars for tandems on Saturday Morning and caught a Sea France crissing to Calais. Then we cycled along the back roads towards Boulogne. A traditional lunch was taken on the journey and we arrived at Boulogne Ibis hotel late afternoon, slightly wet, having been caught by some rain.
Sunday morning cyclists gather in the courtyard of the Boulogne Château Musée in the Old Town. ShropMoggers check the route.	A good turn-out of vintage bicycles and fancy dress costume.
Two penny-farthings (ordinaries).	ShropMoggers and VSCC outside the cafe for refreshment (beer).
ShropMoggers and VSCC outside another cafe for refreshment (beer).	"Only one more mile Jayne!" shouts Kevin.
It's hard work on those hills.	Cyclists stop for a picnic on the green. Bread, cheese, speciality meat products washed down with a couple of bottles of wine - just the ticket!
Assorted tickets. For the ferry, the vehicle is described "BIKE".	With rain on Monday morning we decided to catch the train back to Calais. Tandems were thrown onto the local train. Then a short cycle across town to the ferry port, a dash to catch the ferry in time and back home to England. A brilliant short break.

Thanks to Pat and Bob for some of the pictures on this page.

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