CYCLING MURRARIE TO ASCOT (via Portside), QLD

                                                                Via Gateway Bridge

This is a short ride of 17.4km but with a very important target in mind, Le Bon Choix at 121 Racecourse Road, Ascot. In my humble opinion, this is the best and the most authentic French Cafe/Patisserie in Brisbane. It is so authentic even the staff are French.

A canvas of our cycling group Peddling Pathfinders revealed that not one of them had heard of this Patisserie and so it was left up to me to enlighten them as to the finer things in life.

It was important that on reaching our destination we would be needing a good hit of caffeine and what better way of indulging in a few carbs. than to accompany the coffee with one of their delicious cakes or pastries.

Crest of southern approach on Gateway bridge

Although the ride is short,  a couple of inclines have to be negotiated, with the most arduous being the rise to the crest of the Gateway Bridge.

Northern descent from the crest of Gateway Bridge

As with all up hill rides there is the pleasure of gliding down the other side.

This photograph was supplied by Wikimedia Commons...It's author is FIGARO

To make the trip more pleasurable, our leader Dave took us on an alternate route through the developing North Shore of the Brisbane river past Riverside Park and beach and along Macarthur Ave to Portside, where the Cruise Ship Terminal is located. Portside is a trendy upmarket area catering not only for cruise ship passengers but well heeled locals as well, with an array of good quality restaurants, trendy boutiques and the Dendy Cinema. All this time of course our taste buds were being tortured by the delicate aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifting from the many coffee outlets in this vicinity.

We continued along the Brisbane River pathway until Racecourse Road where we turned right and kept riding until we reached our destination at number 121.

Le Bon Choix lived up to it's reputation and it's authenticity with good service provided by pretty girls with that unmistakable soft French accent.

The ladies in our group could have spent more time lingering in the myriad of boutiques and other shops on offer in Racecourse Road but the men were in the dominance and it was time to move on.

Murray Railway Station to Ascot via Portside

Leaving Racecourse Road, we rode south along the river through the City Botanical Gardens, across the Goodwill Bridge and on to Southbank .................

Cheers and safe riding,


Jimmy Bee