France August 2019

A

c ycl e

Fr anc e t hroug h

08.19

Nor t he r n

L oi re

Fr ance

Va l l e y.

and

t he

Por t s mout h

Har b ou r

2 3 .0 8 .1 9

We met a f r iend ly g roup of Welsh bi ke rs i n t he qu e u e for t he fe r r y, e qu a l ly exc ite d to ge t goi ng on t he i r e x p e d it i on .

Por t s mout h

Har b ou r

2 3 .0 8 .1 9

Af ter t wo hou rs on t he t r ai n and anot he r hou r bu mbl i ng t h rou g h Por t smout h , we b ot h cou l d’ve d one w it h a sl i g ht ly shor te r qu e u e

L e

Hav re

Por t

2 4 .0 8 .1 9

My f irst t r ip on an over nig ht fe r r y was just as su r re a l as e x p e c te d, l i ke a g r ubby hostel d or m ro om w it h 3 0 0 p e opl e and chai rs i nste a d of b e ds .

L e

Hav re

Por t

2 4 .0 8 .1 9

Thou g h t he p a d d e d ar mchai rs we sl e pt i n e nd e d up b e i ng su r pr is i ng ly com for t abl e, we were b ot h rel i e ve d to s e e L e Hav re p or t appro a ch i ng .

S ai nt

Ph i lb e r t

su r

R isl e

2 4 .0 8 .1 9

The f irst d ay ’s c ycl e to ok us t h rou g h a s e r i e s of char mi ng r u ra l v i l l ages, a l l fe el ing r at her Br it ish ami dst t he rol l i ng p atchwork f i el ds .

Ev re u x

Tap as

2 4 .0 8 .1 9

We stopp e d in Ev reu x for s ome mu ch ne e d e d d i n ne r. A g i rl at an i c e c re am shop k ind ly p ointe d us towards t he l o c a l’s f avou r ite t ap as b ar.

B oiss e t

l e s

PrĂŠ v anche s

2 5 .0 8 .1 9

O u r f irst nig ht w as sp ent b e s i d e a f ish i ng p ond i n a re mote f ar mi ng v i l l age w it h op en f iel ds re a ch i ng for mi l e s i n e ve r y d i re c t i on .

L a

Ne uv i l l e

d e s

Vau x

2 5 .0 8 .1 9

The s e c ond d ay b eg an w it h a b e aut i f u l d e s c e nt t h rou g h t he v a l l e ys to me et t he S eine, but w as c ut shor t by an aw kward pu nc tu re i n t he he at .

G are

d e

L’ E s t ,

Par is

2 5 .0 8 .1 9

Hav ing b e en s ave d by t he t rai n f rom Mante s l a Jol i e, we ar r ive d i n Par is f u l l of energ y and re a dy to ma ke f r i e nds at t he ho stel.

St

C h r i stophe r’s

In n ,

Par is

2 5 .0 8 .1 9

We k icke d of f b e er p ong in t he ho stel b ar and t ravel l e rs f rom f ar and w id e s o on f l o cke d in for w hat tu r ne d out to b e a me morabl e n i g ht .

S e i ne

R ive rs i d e,

Par is

2 6 .0 8 .1 9

We st ar te d t he t h ird d ay rel a x i ng by t he S e i ne w it h f re sh b agu e tte s and tomato p ast a s au ce, ou r ne w go - to me a l and f avou r ite hangove r c u re.

C hâte au

d e

Me s n i l - Voi s i n

2 6 .0 8 .1 9

Cycl ing in l and, t he cl imate, te r rai n and arch ite c tu re a l l st ar te d to fe el more ste re ot ypi c a l ly Fre nch .

Ru e

d e

B ou rgo g ne,

O rl ĂŠ ans

2 6 .0 8 .1 9

We met t he L oire in O rl ĂŠ ans and sp e nt a wond e r f u l e ve n i ng e x pl or i ng it s c at he d r a l and c obbl e d b a ck st re e t s and t a l k i ng to l o c a ls i n a b ar.

Mu n i c ip a l

C amp s ite,

O rl é ans

2 7 .0 8 .1 9

O rl é ans’ mu nicip a l cit y c amp s ite was t he f i rst we ha d e nc ou nte re d. To t h is d ay we are st i l l u nsu re as to w he t he r we we re supp o s e d to p ay.

L a

C or ne

D e s

Pâtu re s

2 7 .0 8 .1 9

D ay fou r w as ou r f irst on t he L oi re. Inte re st i ng stop of f p oi nt s waite d arou nd e ver y cor ner, f rom qu ai nt ol d v i l l age s to p op - up h ippi e c afĂŠ s .

L e

Pont

d e

B e au ge nc y

2 7 .0 8 .1 9

It w as a wel come bre a k f rom t he he at of t he op e n c ou nt r ys i d e, and we d id n’t m iss t he h i l ls or p ot hol e s e it he r.

R ive rs i d e

S e at i ng ,

Amb ois e

2 7 .0 8 .1 9

He av y r ains and a t hu nd erstor m c ame as we we re l e av i ng Amb ois e, s ett ing a r at her wet and g r u mpy tone for t he re mai nd e r of t he d ay.

Vi ns

d e

Tou r ai n e ,

Amb ois e

2 7 .0 8 .1 9

For tu nately a k ind w inema ke r app e are d f rom a c ave b e s i d e t he ro a d and inv ite d us in for a f re e t ast i ng s e ss i on . We l e f t t ip s y and c onte nt .

R ive rs i d e

C afĂŠ,

Amb ois e

2 8 .0 8 .1 9

We ar r ive d l ate in Tou rs to f i nd t he b ars c rowd e d and e x p e ns ive, s o went b a ck to t he cit y c ampsite and l e f t e arly for d ay t wo on t he L oi re.

Vi ns

d e

Tou r ai n e ,

Amb ois e

2 8 .0 8 .1 9

The ter r ain f l attene d out and t he r ive r w i d e ne d as we l e f t t he wo o d e d r iversid es of Tou rs and appro a che d Ange rs .

Ru e

du

Mai l,

Ange rs

2 8 .0 8 .1 9

We d ropp e d ou r b ag s at t he f anc y Ai rbnb we’d b ag ge d on ly an hou r b eforehand and he a d e d out for anot he r n i g ht of b ars and e x pl or i ng .

C hâte au

d ’A n g e r s

2 9 .0 8 .1 9

Angers w as s o char m ing t hat we d e c i d e d to st ay anot he r n i g ht . I sp e nt t he mor ning sketch ing t he c it y c ast l e w h i lst Butch got h is bi ke f i xe d.

Ru e

d e

L é t andu è re,

Ange rs

2 9 .0 8 .1 9

We sp ent t he s e cond nig ht in t he Ai rbnb ho st’s f ami ly home. T he y we re l ovely, w ar m p e opl e and I g ave t he m my c ast l e d raw i ng as a t han k you.

E spl ana d e

c Ĺ“ u r

d e

Mai ne

2 9 .0 8 .1 9

The tow n’s stu d ent s were just mov i ng b a ck i n for t he st ar t of te r m, s o we ma d e s ome f r iends at t he p ark and j oi ne d i n on an ama z i ng n i g ht .

L a

Pi e r re

B ĂŠ che rel l e

3 0 .0 8 .1 9

The c ycl e f rom Angers to Nante s was i dy l l i c , w it h t he sl ow f l ow i ng r iver and b a ck g rou nd birds ong pre s e nt t h rou g hout t he j ou r ne y.

S ai nt

F l ore nt

l e

Vi e i l

3 0 .0 8 .1 9

Ever y fe w hu nd re d met res t he re was anot he r g rass y r ive rs i d e cl e ar i ng w here I’d have happi ly put up t he te nt and sp e nt an e ve n i ng .

Nante s

Aub e rge

d e

Je u ne ss e

3 0 .0 8 .1 9

Nantes w as an o d d pl a ce, not l e ast b e c aus e of t he you ng- of fe nd e rtu r ne d -r app er we end e d up shar i ng a d or m ro om w it h .

C at hĂŠ d r a l e

d e

Nante s

3 0 .0 8 .1 9

He d id s e em to have tu r ne d t h i ngs arou nd, and ha d move d to Nante s to re c ord h is a lbu m . An u nc onve nt i ona l but e f fe c t ive tou r gu i d e.

R iv i è re

d e

Morl ai x

3 1 .0 8 .1 9

The t r ain f rom Nantes to Morl ai x ha d b e e n rat he r more st re ss f u l and v i a S aint Mel o t han inte nd e d, but we got t he re i n t he e nd.

R a d e

d e

Morl ai x

3 1 .0 8 .1 9

O u r f irst v ie w of t he Eng l ish chan nel i n a we ek c a l l e d for a s it d ow n and a c el ebrator y Tw i x .

S ai nt

Pol

d e

L ĂŠ on

3 1 .0 8 .1 9

The su ns et w as sp e c t a c u l ar on t he f i na l n i g ht . We e nd e d t he t r ip i n a c osy s e af ront pub in R os cof f w it h a pi z z a and a fe w Br itt any c i d e rs .

L e

Jard i n

E xot i qu e,

R o s c of f

0 1 .0 9 .1 9

R os c of f fer r y ter m ina l in our s i g ht s , we e me rge d f rom t he te nt for t he l ast t ime and re a d ie d ou rs elve s for t he su n ny shore s of Ply mout h .