We’re making good progress tracking down the Rhone valley on the ViaRhôna
To speed us up we have taken trains out of Paris and in and out of Lyon. Big urban sprawl slow us considerably.
While in Lyon station Simon turns to me and says “I never imagined over 40 years ago as we scrummed down playing rugby together at school we’d be here together”
40 years on our memories of those days are vague. I say something which sparks something in Simon. He says something which reciprocates feelings and memories in me. Some good some not so good. We talk about the classes we were in together. We did a level chemistry together with Mr Burke and we try to remember why electrons have discrete orbits around the nucleus. I say I know but somehow the answer won’t come out. We realise we studied classical civilisation o level together. We can remember Some of the facts but more easily we remember the teacher whose name we forget didn’t have control of the class and that we’d smoke during lesson.
Over the 40 years we’ve gone along our own paths and we find ourselves reconnecting through bikes and adventure. Simon’s style and setup different to mine. He’s using a “bikepacking” setup me on a more traditional “touring” setup. Earlier on the road my old shoes start to come apart at the toes and he lends me some tape. Nearing Valence more of the sole starts to come away. As we sit down in the afternoon sunshine and debate what to do I’m very much of the opinion that some gaffer tape will do the trick, he’s of the opinion new shoes are the answer. The banter continues for a few minutes. After a while We head off to a shop to buy some new shoes. I know he’s right that the shoes have the potential to stop us. Simon aghast state of my tatty kit very kindly pays for the new shoes saying it’s an early birthday present.
As we leave the shop I remind him that we agreed before we started we would finish this trip together even though we have differences in approach, fitness and thinking.
We smile and joke as we head off to our Airbnb. I give him a hug to say thank you for his kindness and consideration and smile as I realise how lucky I am to have friends like Simon.
