With 2 bike boxes secured it was time to throw our full energies into securing 2 more on another beautiful French morning.
With names of Nice's bicycle stores and phone numbers secured we got our receptionist to ring the relevant stores figuring it would be better if someone talked French. After 15 minutes of trying the answer was the same ... "no bike bixes" - "if you'd reserved a week ago we could have kept one"!.
This reponse had us a bit worried as the thought of using 3 x over sized 10 euro bike boxes was not appealing. Kev then promoted the idea that we visit the stores individually saying that it was too easy for someone answering a phone to say no.
So with Rick programming in some city centre co-ordinates and more importantly a how the hell do we get back to our hotel one, we set off for one concerted and final try.
Navigation was getting less painful maybe because by now with a fully insured car I couldn't care less if we hit someone or something ! We soon dropped off Noel and Kev to target the bike stores while we returned to the hotel to wait for a phone call. We'd only been gone a few minutes when the call came back that they'd secured 2 (one the worse for wear). When they rang a few minutes later on to ask where we were we replied "we're right next to you" having just pulled up !
Boxes squeezed in we returned to the hotel while the boys went looking for one more in case the dodgy one didnt't do the job. This time we made it back to the hotel off loaded the boxes and had to return straightaway as the guys had our final box (and these were the bike stores without any !)
Returning to pick up the final box the guys told us an amusing story. Apparently when waiting for us an old lady with a walking stick passing them turned around and opened up her purse to give them some money thinking they were both begging and that the bike boxes was their beds ! We reckoned that maybe we could make a decent living working the streets here !
Noel and Kev walked back to the hotel (according to them about 63kms up mountains and across rivers and swamps -in reality about 4kms down a lovely beach promenade with ice cream vendors everywhere !) where we swung into action and by dinner time had 4 bike boxes packed and ready to go after nearly a full day spent securing and packing !
Saturday was now a day of relaxation although with Sundays logistics to be sorted out we needed to do an early morning recon drive to the airport - how to negotiate the road works, how to get to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, how to fuel up, how to return the hire car, how long would it take to do 3 trips etc etc !
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| The beautiful Nice Promenade ! |
Once satisfied we could do our Sunday run in a reasonable time we headed back to our former hotel in Villinue to pick up Noels jumper which he'd left behind on our way through. From there we went on to Vence a medieval village about 20kms out of Nice. While picturesque Vence was touristy and not in the same class as the many more authentic towns that we'd passed through on tour
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| Vence |
There wasnt much more to do now than head back and walk the promenade getting a few team shots prior to loading up our vehicle for our early morning multiple departure to the airport. Noel and Rick heading to London and Kev and self to Bristol !
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| You could get arrested sitting around looking like this lot ! |
One final dinner to share some fond memories. Another amazing adventure successfully completed !
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