Thrifty Fifty - Notts to Dieppe

Day 1 & 2 – 270 miles Nottingham → Dieppe

Accommodation 1: Winston Guesthouse, Bicester (appalling)

Accommodation 2: La Maison du Bien-Être, Dieppe (fabulous)

This final trip of the year will cover roughly 1,800 miles through England, France and Spain, looping around both sides of the Pyrenees, ticking off interesting towns, such as Lourdes, along the way.

Over twenty years ago, inspired by Long Way Round, three of us, Ken, Paul, and myself, set off on our first overseas trip.

Now, at 50, this journey marks both that anniversary and my own half century.  It’s my final voyage of the year and of my forties, and I’m excited to be sharing it with Jason, Paul M, Paul B, and Ken. 

Six trips in six months have made it an exceptional year for me and this is a fitting finale.

Night One – the horror of Bicester

My first stop was… interesting. I consider myself a calm person, I don’t road rage, rarely argue, and usually avoid conflict. So I was somewhat taken aback when I encountered the cold-hearted, anger-fuelled banshee who runs the Winston Guesthouse. My first interaction ended with her snarling: “You are no longer my customer. Get out.” Heart-warming Polish hospitality at its best. Incredible, but one to avoid.

But that’s the beauty of a road trip: every new day wipes the slate clean, each dawn promising fresh opportunity and new experiences.

Night Two – Dieppe

From there, i pressed on through a ride wetter than an otter’s pocket. A plucky Brit might call it “somewhat inclement,” but in truth it felt more like swimming down the road than riding. Thankfully, we all made it safely to our  rendezvous in Newhaven and boarded the £40 ferry to france. 

Our accommodation on the other side was perfect,  a full house on a private family estate just outside Dieppe. It even had a gym and sauna - that we used to dry our motorcycle kit within. If you're out this way, the entire house that sleeps 5 or even 7, if your friendship is close enough to support double bed sharing (ours isnt)  can be yours for €124.

As they say in Barnsley "i Love a bargain, me"