June 20th Bray-sur-Somme to Thiepval

Bray-sur-Somme to Thiepval

Distance 19kms

Bert and Susan kindly picked us up at around 9.15 after an hour's drive from their hotel to make the short hop back to Bray-sur-Somme. The meteo was unremittingly depressing. Morning – light rain. Afternoon- heavy rain. 

I guessed we were going to get wet and in a way it was quite apposite because it has rained most days. In fact we were dry all morning. Our route took us around a local airfield , alongside which is the factory where the cockpits for the Airbus are manufactured.

The road was beautifully surfaced, arrow straight and completely empty (apart from two old boys who were putting their best foot forward)

these feet have seen 300 kms

We were to meet the gals for lunch in the centre of Albert. A sort Last Supper at lunch time. The gals had chosen a bar/brasserie called Corner's Bar for which I didn't have high hopes. It had been full of British football supporters getting drunk last evening as I cycled past and is the sort of place that I normally avoid. How wrong can you be. We were welcomed warmly and enjoyed a relaxed lunch each finding something to our taste. A surreal discussion with the waitress about the name of the local beer Ch' te and other excrement sounding words in English like sheet made for a relaxed atmosphere. The food was really good and the beer was far from how the name sounded.

Seven very wet kilometres later and Bert and I had the satisfaction of reaching the end of our walk of remembrance 2016.

We had arrived at the very impressive Thiepval Memorial which commemorates the tens of thousands of French and British soldiers who have no known resting places. Each and every name is inscribed on the walls of the memorial. 

Thiepval was closed to visitors apart from those who had made a reservation (because of on going works towards a huge 1^st of July Centenary event. Bert had thoughtfully reserved us a visit and he and Susan laid a wreath for the Thiepval dead from the Methil Memorial. As with most of the people that have heard about our walk the Commonwealth Graves Commission representative who guided us to the monument thought that we must be mad.

Many damp photos later it was time to be ushered back to the reality of the souvenir shop and in to the car where Bert could scarcely drive for the water vapour rising from each of us.

It has been a fantastic experience and one that will live long in the memory. Truly an adventure before dementia.  

315 kms in 12 days. Not bad for two old boys.

Many thanks Bert for allowing us to share your special journey!