Category: europe

There were a lot of Spanish in the campsite last night. Not that I have anything against them, they just dont seem to want to go to bed a reasonable time. Especially when I had to be up early to make a good push for the border. Well, this didn’t happen, was so tired I slept in a little and didn’t really get going until about 09:30.

Apart from that the day didn’t seem to go too bad until it started raining. Slipped on my waterproofs and I was off again. Seemed to take no time at all to get to Bayonne, so I just grabbed a quick snack and carried on.

This was a mistake, I should have eaten properly. No sooner had I got out of the centre of Bayonne I hit hills and lots of them. The Pyrenees start sooner than I had thought, All I knew was I was heading to a place called Hasparren. I reached Hasparren exhausted and needing food. It was already 15:00 and decided to stay here. It has hotels, bars and a supermarket, what more do I need. So this will be my place of rest for two nights.

I’m shacked up in the hotel Argia in the centre of town. My room is enormous, it’s more like an apartment. Far more luxury than I’m used to in a pokey little 2 man tent. On Sunday I plan on covering the remaining distance to Saint-Jean-Pied-Du-Port before starting on a fresh pair of legs for the real mountains on Monday.

After rain all night long I woke up to a very soggy tent. Although the rain had stopped and I could see blue sky.

The lovely owner of Camping Canadienne said what I was doing was good and that I didn’t have to pay for the nights camping. After thanking him, I left.

Day started well, I’d made good progress around the estuary and now i was heading south again on yet more long straight roads. Everything felt good and I appeared to be steaming along!

This didn’t really change much, I felt like I could go for ever. Although for breakfast I’d had a french stick full of honey, then i stopped for a croissant at the earliest convenience, then I stopped again for a croissant but chose a pizza. Oh and then I stopped and had a big mac meal from some restaurant…the name escapes me.

I’d forgot to mention previously. Although my only plan was to join the camino de santiago in Spain. It would appear much of my route through France follows the same route.

Two fo the campsites I’d chosen for my nights stay were shut. So I kept pushing on and made it to a little place called Leon (North of Bayonne).

Woke up feeling really rough from the night before. Said farewell to the two bikers and peddled off into a scorching morning.

The route took me past many I naturist campsite. Good job I had only justset off and wasn’t searching for a place to sleep! I ended up following some odd little routes through woods. I wasn’t sure if I was on a cycle route up maybe some concrete pipeline.

It got even more scorching as the day went on, it got really hot! So much so the clouds built up rapidly and a huge black thunder cloud appeared in the distance. I caught the edge of it which freshened me up. Then managed to find a campsite in Ares before the second downpour.

The second downpour decided to stay all night, which caused me some hassle while trying to cook ratatouille holding an umbrella in one hand.

The ride went well. I decided not to take the ferry across to Arcachon just in case it wasn’t running. This unfortunately meant I had to add an extra 25 or so mile onto my journey to get round the estuary.

Left the hotel early feeling refreshed. Although I love camping and am getting more and more used to it, you cant beat a proper bed!

I couldn’t take the highway straight to Rochefort so I had to travel inland several miles before heading south.

The roads are straight and long but distance is covered quickly. You just have to have your wits about you when the lorries go thund.ring past. Actually, it’s the lorries coming the other way I hate most as the constant headwind is increase by their drag wind, If only for a few seconds, but it feels like hitting a brick wall.

At Royan I had just missed the ferry crossing so had to wait a good hour. I filled the time with a panini,

Met two English bikers, Taff and Adam I think were their names, They were

traveling south to Spain. They seemed like a decent bunch of guys. Shook hands off the ferry and off they went.

 

Bizarre thing was, they had picked the same campsite to stay at as me (choice of several). Not only that we were pitched next to each other. So after a quick meal in the town, they invited me to join them drinking 1 litre glasses of beer and chatting well into the night. Was a good night!

Prepared for a cold night so slept in my thermals, hoody and socks. Got too hot this time, typical

Got off to a good early start just after 8am. There has been a head wind (southerly) now for quite a few days and it’s really starting to annoy me. My trip to La Rochelle would have been much quicker and easier if it wasn’t for this.

Most french main roads are long and straight and disapear over the horizon. Todays route was no exception. With a constant headwind this doesn’t cause great cycling conditions.

I stopped for something to eat in the centre of La Rochelle but got upset when a waiter told me I couldn’t leave my bike outside. I think i may have swore at him before finding a sandwich shop round the corner.

Was very busy in La Rochelle, lots of people in restaurants paying over the odds for some terrible meal. Gimme pasta and chopped tomatoes any day!

Arrived early at the hotel, allowing me to charge my gizmos and pop to the Lidl up the road.

Stayed another day at the campsite in sables d Olonne because I liked it so much. Spent the afternoon drinking with a french guy called Jeremy I think. Then went for a swim in the pool before dinner. Was a totally relaxing day doing absolutely nothing!

Jeremy said he would cook me tea but as I had to eat what I had I invited him. We dined on pasta and chopped tomatoes and shared a quarter of a bottle of wine. Happy days.

Somehow the mosquitoes managed to get me on my wrist, knee and ankle in the night. Ive never seen bites come up like that before (Ive included a picture of my arm). I was really cold in the night too so hardly slept. Woke up to another gorgeous day.

It seems to be taking me too long to pack everything away. I think it’s because I have to take everything out as opposed to unpacking just what i need. Also, I’ve noticed my liquid fuel (Coleman Fluid/White Gas) is going down quite quickly and I haven’t seen anywhere to buy any.

Was just a short 60 miles to Sables-D’Olonne which went quite uneventfully. Was going to attempt a boulangerie crawl but gave up after my second croissant.

I’ve also noticed that the French seem to like putting road diversions just before the end of my ride. Just what I need!

Staying in a 4 start campsite with a pool. As today was supposed to be my second rest day I might have it around the pool tomorrow instead. This place has hot showers too. Damn it, give them an extra star!!

Its been a week already. I think my body knows it as I slept to a whopping 09:30 this morning and actually slept well.

After making some porridge and a coffee I spent the morning washing clothes and cleaning my bike as well as some bike maintenance. Although everything is looking pretty good mechanically!

It started to cloud over slightly in the afternoon but fortunately all my washing dried.

Rather than have two rest days at that campsite i decided to just have the one. The facilities aren’t great and there is nothing to do. So tomorrow I’ll make my way towards Sables-D’Olonne

Didnt sleep as well as Id have liked. Got woken up to the sound of some french love making in the room nextdoor.

Just a short trip to the coast from the hotel using mainly minor roads.

Stayed in a campsite on the coast on the port of Du Collet. Showers are freezing and the swimming pool (which I was looking forward to) is under refurbishment. Very quiet here though, which is good.

Stocked up for the evening with beef steak, cider, beer, wine, crisps, peas, mushrooms, water and carrots

Today has been so tough. It started off well but after helping out a French guy with a puncture it all went downhill, what happened to karma?

The day started well. It was overcast and a bit chilly but I made good progress out of Rennes and joined the river Vilaine. Followed this for a good few miles before it just ended. So I decided to follow the GPS straight to Redon. En route to Redon I stopped at a fantastic, friendly restaurant who filled me up with fish, potato, salad, beef and ice cream!

There was a traffic diversion that added an extra so many miles onto my route before I finally hit Redon, and after a quick stop at the tourist office I was on the Brest to Nantes canal towards Nantes.

This is where I came across a fellow cyclist in trouble who had no idea how to fix his puncture. After fixing it, I carried on towards Nantes. Realising I wasn’t going to make it before bedtime I left the canal and joined the roads. This is where the fatigue kicked in and I really started to struggle. Then, when I did finally get to northern Nantes all the hotels were booked. After a quick text to my amazing fiance she booked me into a hotel in the centre.

Gonna have a bit of a lie in tomorrow as I’m not far from the West coast now. I’ll probably camp there for a few nights to give me chance to do some bike maintenance (it needs it) and some washing.