6 times under the arch

Now the French people can be extraordinarily nice.
Monday, and it is publication distribution day. This Monday all was going well and the first round (a small one) finished without incident. The second round is much bigger, but this week the pub was lightweight so there should be no problem.
However, after a few km the bike started making funny noises. Sometimes it stalled (quite normal in the cold), once the oil warning light came on and then went off again moments later. Then it choked at one point and the motor stopped within 100m; I was just outside the next post-box.
Now this post box was a remote one. There are 2 on this stretch, both near each other, but a long way from any one else. I posted the pub and pressed the starter. It coughed reluctantly and refused to try again. I kicked the started pedal. It tried once and then locked solid and refused to move. Dead. Completely dead and 'miles' from anywhere.
I rang the 'Distribution Help Man', Christophe. "I'm ill" he said, and coughed into the phone to make the point. "Is there anyone who can help?" I pleaded. "No." "I'll walk then." Decision made and no option despite being miles from anywhere.
From anywhere except, that is, from the house I was at. A lady appeared. "Problems?" she asked. "Yes, the bike is broken" I replied in my best French, "can you show me the best way to walk to Melle?" She started to describe the route, about 6km if I found the old railway line and descended at the archway. Her husband appeared. A similar conversation resulted, but he said, "we need bread from Melle, we [actually meaning his wife] will give you a lift." And that she did; altering her day accordingly to make the Mell trip immediately just for me.
She drove me in a different way from the convoluted course I take to her house. It came out at a different part of Mell from my start point. "Do you deliver here?" she asked. I did, but in the afternoon. "Here is the arch under the old railway" she said as we drove under it.
I used her route under the arch to return to the bike for my rescue, then back again to swap it at the depot, and once more on the new bike to regain my distribution run. And then under the arch twice more in the afternoon as normal. That's 6 times under the arch this unusual Monday.
I think they saved me about 2 hours. What a nice couple.