The Promenading Gets Underway

After such a lovely train ride, admiring the route we had cycled along the day before, we had almost forgotten that we were there to walk. And it was not just any old walk, it was a crossing of the Somme Bay from St Valery to Le Crotoy.

We were to make the traverse entirely 'a pied' and given the sand and mud underfoot, we were to do it in bare paws. The distance was only about 6 kms but we had 3 hours to complete the crossing, to allow for terra non firma underfoot, and lots of intelligent commentary from our guide.


While George & Yorkie and Chelmer & Rocco, in true English style, love wallowing around in the mud, I am something of a chic French bear, so when the going got exceptionally wet and muddy underfoot, I opted for travelling rucksack class.

I did have a good excuse though. It was important I kept up with the guide as I had an important translating role to do. When we booked the trip we had realised that there was unlikely to be a commentary in English, but we all expected there would only be a few sentences, from time to time, for me to need to translate.

This was far from the case. Our very learned and enthusiastic guide, discoursed for up to 10 minutes at a time, about the history, economy, flora and fauna of the Somme Bay. It was all very interesting stuff for me, but not for my friends who understood only about one word in twenty. I was therefore kept very busy listening and translating.


Even so I think I failed to hold the attention of George & Chelmer. They found playing with a decoy duck more interesting than my translation! Mind you, the hide used by the wildfowlers was very interesting, as it was designed to move up and down with the tide.

We all had to do a double take to work out whether the ducks shown in this photos were real or not ...


It's probably even harder for you, our readers, than it was for us, as the ducks are rather small blobs in our photo. I can reliably inform you, however, that these authentic looking ducks were not real, but decoys.

Lots of love Gilbert and the Somme Bay promenaders xxx

Promenade en Baie

The next day it was time for a change. The bicycles were left at the tent and we jumped into the bearmobile and headed back to Le Crotoy where we had been the previous day. We were heading there to join a guided walk across the sands and marshes of the Somme Bay.

We were part of quite a large group (about 40) and the other chaps were a bit worried that they were the only English present. I think they were quite relieved that they were with me, a French bear.


The adventure started with a steam train ride, rather ironically back to St Valery where we had set out from. This might seem a bit back to front, but the times of the trains meant we had to do it this way round.

The line we travelled on was the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme (Somme Bay Railway). It was small, but perfectly formed and we had the best carriage on the train reserved for our party. It was all wood and a lovely bit of history; they don't make them like this nowadays.


Although it was before midday when the train departed for St Valery, we were all encouraged to get out our picnics and start eating. This was because there wouldn't be many opportunities for sitting down and relaxing once we started our marathon crossing of the bay. If we'd thought to take pictures of our fellow travellers lunches, we could have done a 'What's in my lunchbox?' special, as the French really do do picnics in style. Whole (cooked) chickens were being produced, eggs were being peeled and there was a very jovial atmosphere.

I felt really at home, being back in my native country, amongst my fellow countrymen, although sadly, there wasn't another French bear in sight. I was very thankful for English bears at this point.

Lots of love Gilbert and the promenading party xxx

Sand Cycling at Le Crotoy

We enjoyed our first day's cycling so much that the next day we simply had to do some more. I suggested that we headed in the opposite direction, and picked the Somme Bay town of Le Crotoy as being a manageable cycling distance away.

At one point we ended up cycling along a raised bank with the bay on each side of us ...


... again this was somewhere where cars can't go, and we stopped frequently to make the most of the peace and quiet and bird watching opportunities.

Thanks to the easy cycling on flat paths, in no time at all we could see le Crotoy rapidly approaching. It looked very pretty ...


The one way system in Le Crotoy conspired against us and stopped us cycling along the waterfront as we had hoped to do. As a result, no sooner had we arrived than we were leaving. It was well worth continuing north though, as we had a lovely cycle ride through a nature reserve with lots of lakes teeming with birdlife.

We stopped when the road ran out: we had reached the beach at La Maye. We couldn't see the sea as it was so far out (it reminded us of home and Holkham beach). While a swim was not an option, a spot of sunbathing was, and we soaked up some rays until a shower passed overhead.


The sand was firm enough for us to cycle back to le Crotoy along the beach. We had to concentrate hard though as there were a few patches of soft sand which could easily have had us off our bikes.

Lots of love Gilbert, Chelmer & Rocco xxx

Le Tour de France

Lovely though St Valery is, by the time lunchtime was approaching, it was time to move on. Our holiday time was limited and our sore bottoms had recovered sufficiently during our break, for us to be ready to hit the pedals again.

So off we went, following one of the excellent cycle paths to the Pointe du Hourdel, and it was simply wonderful not to have to worry about any traffic. We were in no particular hurry, so took time out to admire one of the many bird sculptures which pop up from time to time.


This one, on the approach road to the Maison de Oiseaux, was our favourite and we thought it was very romantic. We didn't have time to stop and see the real birds though, as our rumbling stomachs told us that the next beach, and lunch, was our priority.

After lunch, we were able to go where cars cannot currently go - along the minor road to Cayeux sur mer, which is currently passable only by bike or foot, following some serious marine erosion.

As we entered Cayeux, we discovered that we could actually cycle along the beach by using the very extensive board walk (Wikipedia tells us it is probably the longest in Europe with as many as 400 beach huts - the French call them cabins!) After cycling along it for what seemed like miles, we saw a sign saying cycling was forbidden. We were mortified and scuttled off to a local bar to distance ourselves from the scene of our crime.

The town square contained more to interest us than a few bars. We admired the sculpture of the traditional dressed French couple which opened our first post of this series. And then, to our delight, we spied this fantastic mural.


We simply had to take this picture to show Eddie, so he could see that his Norfolk seal friends have relatives in this part of France.

Lots of love Gilbert, George, Yorkie, Chelmer & Rocco xxx

Remembering A Brave Lady

Wonderful though it is, there's so much more to St Valery than the waterfront. There is some rather interesting history. And so, I dragged the guys away from the beach and the cafe, to go for a climb up to the old part of the city to discover the links with Joan of Arc and William the Conqueror.

We were a little puffed by the climb up to the remains of the walls and the town gates, so I encouraged the guys to take a rest while I discreetly read the information boards, so I could sound a lot more knowledgeable about the history of the town than I actually was! We are there if you look hard.


As we took advantage of our high viewpoint across the bay, I was able to reveal that we were looking at the same view as William the Conqueror had, as he looked out to sea before sailing off to England in 1066. Were we able to travel back in time, we would have seen his fleet assembled just below us.

I tried not to take the moral highground as I imparted the news that the English had not been very kind to St Valery in medieval times. They had destroyed the abbey and cloister in order to strengthen the nearby St Valery castle.

The fact that most captured my imagination though was that in 1431, Joan of Arc, captive of the English, was held prisoner in a local cell, from where she was conveyed to Rouen and burnt at the stake.

We weren't sure exactly where the cell she stayed in was, but it must have been close. We knew we were in the right spot for one of the gates she passed through, as there was a big plaque on the side telling us all about her.


Can you see me hanging from the gate? As I read the plaque, I noticed that Joan had passed through this gate on 20th December; somehow I don't think she had a very happy Christmas.

Lots of love Gilbert & co xxx

Even More Watersports

As we continued our promenade along the waterfront we left the town centre, with its shops and restaurants, behind and arrived at the town beach.

The Viking boat was quickly forgotten, once my friends spied the mega raft style canoes, which were lying idle on the beach.


These really fired the imagination and the only thing that stopped us dragging them out to the water, was the realisation that these boats were so big that not only was there room for all members of Bears Unlimited, a 3 line B.U.whip would probably be required to get them launched and propelled. We decided to get on the mobile and see if we could get the rest of the company over for a regatta in a day or two's time. In the meantime we contented ouselves with posing, Bay Watch style, aboard these wonderful craft.

Lots of love Gilbert & the Baywatch bear hunks xxx

Down at the Waterfront

In the tradition of saving the best to last, I pulled out St Valery's delightful waterfront as my trump card.


I challenge anyone not to warm to France when they stroll along a waterfront as fine as this one, with lovely views across the bay and some fine wooden planking underfoot.

Knowing the Norfolk branch's enthusiasm for boating, I took advantage of the fact that the tide was out, to show them a boat with a bit of character, that I just knew they would appreciate. Sorry we're only small dots in the picture!


Action bear Chelmer immediately wanted to know if I'd got a tide table, so I could tell him when the tide would be in, and he could go out for a Viking sail. I was able to convince him that there was time to do a bit more exploring first, and also to take in a bit of waterfront cafe culture (much more to my scene - but then I am a chic French bear!)

Lots of love Gilbert & friends xxx

The Holiday Gets Underway

We were very comfortable in our tent and slept well. The next morning the sun was shining and we were eager to get out and about.

We had our bicycles with us as all the cycle paths make France a great place for cycling. We pedalled into St Valery and left our cycles in the town car park as I knew there was a lovely route into the town from this point.


I was keen to ensure that my friends saw the best side of France and hoped they would become francophiles like me. I showed them some lovely views over the Somme bay and took them along small back streets with quaint houses and lots of flowers.


I was pleased to hear my friends following my lead and exchanging a friendly word or two with the locals (my French coaching has paid off!).

This characterful cottage with a very nautical theme provided a lovely spot to rest and soak in the sun.


I was pleased to see that St Valery was proving a hit with my English friends and smiled to myself as I thought about how much more they would enjoy what I was about to show them.

Lots of love Gilbert and the Bears Unlimited travelling party xxx

En Vacances

Our first picture, showing moi (Gilbert) - look closely at the basket - with some of my compatriots, should leave you in no doubt where we went for our latest adventure.

My emigration from France to Norfolk last year, to join Bears Unlimited, meant that an annual jaunt to 'la belle France' is an absolute necessity to stop me becoming too homesick. My fellow members of the Norfolk branch didn't need too much persuading to join me on our latest adventure. They said that most years they would pop across the Channel for a couple of days, to replenish the wine cellar, and agreed that an extended visit would provide a great opportunity to travel a little further afield and see more of France than the shops.


As last year, we travelled across via Eurotunnel. Thanks to me being so eager to set paw in France, we arrived at the Terminal really early and caught a much earlier train than the one we'd booked.

On arriving at Coquelles we had a drive of about 70 miles to reach our camp site just outside the lovely Somme Bay town of St Valery. This time there was no camp to set up as we had booked a Eurocamp pre-erected tent and, even more luxury, there was no meal to cook as we were able to pop across to the chalet that members of the Midlands branch had been renting for the past week, and enjoy a meal and a glass of wine with them.

First though, there was a very important task to be completed: the raising of the bear flag outside our camp area.


See what we got up to in France next time.

Lots of love Gilbert xxx

News from the Garden

Every week Chef Oakley and I take a walk round the garden to see how our vegetable plants are doing. I let Oakley know what I'm growing for him and what will soon be ready for harvesting, so he can plan the week's recipes and shopping.

Yesterday was at least dry for our garden tour even though it was rather overcast and very windy.


Although it looks dark, I can assure you we were out in daylight - our camera obviously thought we needed some illumination though. First stop was the cucumber plants. If you can remember back to mid August, you may remember me telling you how I was growing cucumbers and squashes from seed. My cucumbers have not been in a greenhouse, but are producing quite a few fruits. This plant, despite its scabby leaves, is the most prolific fruiter of the bunch. I have already harvested a shop size cucumber and as you can see there are 3 more growing.


Next stop was the squashes whose seeds were sown at the same time as the cucumbers. Two big squashes have been harvested and are resting on the window sill in our dining room. As you can see there are others coming along well which will soon be ready for cutting.

There are also others which still have some growing to do ...


It's quite a jungle when you get amongst those squash plants. Their tendrils snake over the ground very quickly and they take up a lot of my vegetable plot. Fortunately a visitor who was staying with us last weekend, gave me a masterclass in squash care and pruning. The bed looks a lot better now, although it was sad having to decide which of the squashes to keep and which to cull (in the interests of the retained plant).


Our corn on the cob plants, also grown from seed, were a bit of an experiment this year. They have grown and we do have some cobs as you can see, but they are more suited to a small bear's (like me) appetite rather than a big bear's, such as Ungi or Blue Bear. They'd have to eat quite a a few to satisfy their hunger.

Last weekend we met up with members of the Midlands branch at T.B.B.'s (Teddy Bear Bill) minder's party and we were very pleased to be given lots of lovely mint and stawberry plants. I planted the strawberries yesterday, all together, so it will be easier to net them next year, when - paws crossed - some lovely fruits develop.


Here you see me proudly showing my planting to Oakley and giving him advance notice that we hope to have stawberries on the menu next year.

My mouth is watering already!

Lots of love Tommy (gardening bear) and Oakley xxx

Investigating the Eel's Boot!

I'm sure all our readers know how much we like visiting pubs. Normally this is because we like drinking beer. There are a few pubs, however, which draw us for other reasons.

One such pub is the Eels Foot at Eastbridge, near Dunwich. Our walk over Dunwich Heath just happened to start from this village, and of course this meant that it also ended at Eastbridge, just a few yards (sorry we haven't gone metric) from this marvellously named pub.

It would have cut our lovely day short, if we didn't pay a visit, so visit we did.


The non beer reason for liking this pub is illustrated in our picture. Not only is this pub located in a scenic spot and have a superbly whacky name, the landlord makes the most of the name, and goes to town with some great illustrations. There is a lovely pub sign (but we were too short to get near enough for a picture) and in the beer garden is this incredible sculpture depicting the pub name. They've taken a bit of licence actually as it's a boot rather than a foot, but we still think it's great and it makes an excellent bear's playground.

It did actually distract us from our beer for a moment or two ... that doesn't happen very often.

Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx

Does Purple Suit Me ... ?

Many of us Norfolk Branch members lived in Suffolk before we moved to Norfolk. We were therefore quite excited to receive an invitation to meet up with friends in Aldeburgh, where they were on holiday. We looked forward not only to seeing our friends again, but also to revisiting some of our old stomping grounds.


As our friends had already explored Aldeburgh, we headed for one of our favourite spots, Dunwich. We love it here. The beach is very fine, the pub and chip shop are excellent and the heath ... well, just look at it in our picture - what a blaze of colour.

There are so many paths crossing the heath, that a fine day's walking is always guaranteed. Our recent visit was no exception and we were blessed with some lovely sunny weather. This gave us an excuse to linger and to drink in the lovely views and take in all the sights.

These were not all natural ones ...


Here you see us with one of several wave sculptures created by an environmental arts group called Red Earth. As they were only there for the summer we're glad we got to see them before they were removed.

Lots of love George, Yorkie & (sorry we haven't introduced her properly yet) Rosa xxx