Day 1. Bergerac to Monpazier

Standby

A flight from Southampton to Bergerac was a very convenient way to get to the start of the ride, as long as we could take our bikes on the plane. We decided to risk using ‘CTC bags’ – heavy duty transparent poly bags – in the hope that the baggage handlers would be able to see what was inside the bags and treat them with some care.

The other problem was that FlyBe operate the route with small propeller-driven planes and only allow bikes to be taken on a standby basis. However I did a little research, looking on internet forums, speaking to FlyBe customer services, and chatting to airport staff when we travelled through Southampton in June, and the consensus seemed to be that it was extremely unlikely that our bikes would not be carried.

Even so, it was a relief when the girl at the check-in desk was happy to take our bikes, although the FlyBe staff seemed to have no idea how to accept payment for the extra fee of £30 per bike. Eventually it was all sorted out and we took our bikes to the oversized baggage desk, where the lady needed to scan them to check for illicit drugs or electric motors, although for some unknown reason this could not be done while the bikes were inside the bags, so that all of our careful packing had to be undone and repeated.

The flight was on time and when we got off the plane we were pleased to see our bikes being unloaded. A seat outside the airport terminal was a convenient work bench to unpack and re-assemble the bikes, pump up the tyres and sort out the luggage. A drink and sandwich in the nearby café and we were ready to go, barely an hour after the plane had touched down.

The little airport at Bergerac is perfect for cyclists, as you are on a quiet country lane within 100 m of the terminal. The route took us east along flat roads close to the Dordogne river, to a coffee stop at Couze, then south-east as the road climbed gently up to Monpazier and our B&B run by an anglophone couple whose accents were hard to place, not surprisingly as we later discovered that they had arrived here from southern Africa via New Zealand. 

Monpazier is one of the bastides – fortified towns established in the 13^th century when the English controlled this part of France during the reign of Edward I. As you might expect in one of the plus beaux villages de France, the main square was an attractive spot for a pre-dinner beer and then we followed the advice of our hosts by going for a fine dinner in the hotel Edward Premier.

Distance today - 46 km