Home at Last!

Sorry I couldn't put any detail of the last few days in because we were all away from home in Paris to meet them on the final day which was Sunday.
It was so exciting leaving here on Saturday morning with our best clothes packed to go down to London and get the Eurostar over. We were booked into the fantastic 4 star Pullman Montparnasse Hotel in the centre of Paris which was really beautiful, very shiny and modern with deep luxury mattresses on the beds and tasteful subdued decoration. Our room was on the 6th floor but despite the extremely comfortable beds with the crisp cotton sheets and air conditioning Sarah and I didn't sleep a wink on Saturday night. Maybe we were just too excited at the thought of the boys cycling into town the next day and it was all so strange (alarmingly a very small Toblerone chocolate bar in the refrigerated minibar in our room cost 10 euros!)
They were due to arrive at Place Joffre between the Military school and the Peace Wall in the grounds of the Eiffel Tower at 4pm having cycled in via the Palace of Versailles. We decided that we wouldn't risk meeting them at the first stop in case we couldn't get back to the Eiffel Tower in time so we were actually at Place Joffre by 3pm where we had been told that there would be a table and banner set up to meet the riders. It was very hot and sunny but by 3-30 there was still no meeting point set up on the big sandy square. We were checking and rechecking that we were in the right place. Yes, definitely right and by now we had a feeling that there were other people hovering around trying to find shade at the edges of the square. Eventually concern brought us all out in the open and we discovered that the riders were delayed and not expected for another 90minutes. We went off for a cold coke in a nearby bar while we waited with some of the others. At 4-15 we had a choice of another cold drink or go and wait in the hot sun and fortunately we decided to go back because as we got near we could see that there were cyclists there. Oh dearie me, (not my exact words) all that waiting and then we nearly missed them! I started running and yes, Matt had just arrived all hot and sweaty but looking tanned and fit and Nick arrived a few minutes later. It was actually quite difficult to recognise them in their helmets and riding glasses so we all had to peer closely at everyone arriving. 
It was really great to see them both after 3 weeks and they were certainly in great shape despite all the exertion of a 2,200mile bike ride. We all had a swig of the warm champagne Nick had in his back pocket and then took lots of photos with the Eiffel Tower in the background before heading off back to the hotel to get ready for the evening celebrations.

I think the first thing I said to Nick when he came into the hotel room was 'Don't touch anything in the minibar'!!!
The evening celebration was on the 56th floor at the top of the Montparnasse Tower which is possibly the tallest office building in Paris and as it was Bastille Day we expected a fantastic view of the fireworks going off over Paris.

 

 It was so nice to meet the other riders Nick and Matt have spent the last 3 weeks with and also the lovely Wates family whose sad loss has been the inspiration for this whole thing. It is amazing that they can organise an event like this that will enable fairly ordinary people to accomplish such a cycle ride - though make no mistake the cyclists had put in a huge amount of preparation (apart from Matt that is!) I would have liked to spend more time talking to them all and get to know them. They said how nice Matt was and how he hadn't moaned at all despite the terrible problems with his legs, I felt so proud.

Unfortunately, Nick and I missed the fireworks after all that, we were just too shattered to wait for 11pm but some of the others went on partying until 2 in the morning. Then it was back home the next day, all done and dusted. What next?