St Ybard Charade 2009

Monday 5th July 2009.

Chris Devereux left at dawn to return to his southern estate to do battle with the plumber. Good chap, he didn’t wake any of us up. Bowel movements started about 7o’clock as their synchronisation among eight young healthy athletes living in the same accommodation has proved to be a problem. Breakfast was even more leisurely than usual as Trevor was still struggling at the computer upstairs with the Garmin sat/nav system that was to govern our day. Pelvic Paul, the club’s most multiply fractured man, made an entrance in a most fantastical outfit of brilliant white emblazoned boldly front and back with “Italia” in blue, but in a Chinese script. This blended beautifully with his tightly waved silver hair. The Garmin started by taking us up to Condat-sur-Geneveix but after half an hour we realized that the route it had chosen for us had just taken all the highest points in the area and joined them together with the steepest and narrowest of roads. Some dissent was heard from the ranks and when at Masseret we were turned in the wrong direction to marvel at the medieval tower the gulf between the beauty of Paul’s fine raiment and his ugly mood was exposed, as he spat at Trevor, “Just make the f’ing thing get me to Lubersac by the quickest and flattest road for God’s sake!” Thus it was that we arrived in Lubersac for lunch at 12.30 where we met up with Denis who had driven over to meet us. We English crocks dined outside on French croques and baguettes under awnings which protected us from the occasional rain drops that kept falling on our heads. These raindrops became more numerous and closer together as we came to leave. Trevor turned downhill to continue the Garmin’s folklorique route while the rest of us plunged off uphill into the deluge and splashed off back home with what speed we could muster. Half an hour later four of us crashed into the yard of Trev’s place, chilly and wet but somewhat exhilarated at the end of 36 very varied miles. Trev and Mick Sutton stayed at the cafe in Lubersac until the rain stopped before coming home while Denbo and Paul completed their commissariat duties with a visit to the Supermarket. Now we are all back here, clean dry and looking very smart waiting for the next culinary creation to hit our taste buds. We may have a break-through on the pictures front. It looks as though two images may have been successfully dispatched to Stevey Baby in Pixhams Lane. The suspense of awaiting the outcome is almost as great as waiting for the result of today’s tour stage!

Ta-da!

The lads leave St Ybard for Lubersac...
(Forget the comments below - Steve)