D-Day...

Our WS hosts fill jars with redcurrant jam, and then Gilles makes a Far Cake, a creamy conception, a speciality of Brittany. Helene has 2 more years to work as a social worker, but Gilles has already retired, and as a former motor bike mechanic he now fills his time restoring old classic British bikes. Gilles's father was 18 at the time of the D-Day landings, living only 4 kms from Omaha beach. His family home was destroyed, apart from the basement, in which they then had to continue living. My own father (25 yrs old), I believe, made it ashore near Bayeaux that day. The town of Lisieux was mainly destroyed in the ensuing battle.
They are a lovely couple so it is difficult to drag ourselves away from their company after breakfast on Tuesday. Mike had planned another brilliant route through quite farm lanes and beautiful Normandy farms. We stop to take a photo of one, and a pony and trap pass by. The horse is startled by passing traffic, but the driver gets it under control and we let it get out of sight before we continue.
The delicate linseed oil crop has been flattened by the recent rain, but the cereals are upright, golden in the sun and almost ready to harvest. A Canadian Second World War cemetery, as beautifully maintained as always, is on the outskirts of the village of Brettville sur Laize.





The avenue leading to it is not named after some bigwig general, but Gerard, a Canadian boy who volunteered at the age of 15 and died here 70 years ago, aged 16.





Miles to date:- 2702

Location:Lisieux to St Lauren de Condel

Busy bees...

We pass the showery evening watching the televised match between Chile and Brazil. Rather a lot of fouls and diving, but exciting until the end and Brazil winning the penalty shoot out. Still showery in the morning but we aren't complaining as the news tells us that there are storms and hailstones in the south east part of France! A quiet Sunday cycle heading west for the first time since the Douro, so on main roads as no cars, then after lunch as clear blue skies reappear we follow tiny farm roads through typical Normandy countryside, cereal crops and apple trees, dotted with neat timber framed houses, barns and even a church. The traditional building method carried on with new houses of similar construction. Some thatch too, where the ridge is planted with flowers!
Our Warm Shower hosts at Lisieux have a big "English cottage" garden where they keep 10 bee hives for their own honey.


They are making lots of blackcurrent jam from their own fruit trees. Our friends in Paris had a problem in their flat with bees living in the chimney flue, with them appearing on the living room occasionally, so we are used to them.


Miles to date:- 2661

Location:Louviers to Lisieux

Monet makes the world go round...

Only a short cycle planned today as we are visiting Giverny. The village is a long ribbon of cottages, set along a contour just above the flood plain of the River Epte. It turns out to be a perfect place to visit on a bike as there is a very strict speed limit on the road passing Monet's famous garden, and visitor's cars are completely banned from the entire length of the village. The famous lily pond, formed in the river, is on the far side of the road from the village, opposite Monet's charming, typically French, shuttered house, in a garden of rambling roses.


The whole village has been preserved by money from the Monet Trust, and it is very pretty, with rose gardens, cottages and boutique hotels.
From here a dedicated cycle path by-passes the traffic for miles, then, just after lunch and back alongside the Seine, the promised showers arrive. Our first rain since Portugal! We shelter under an enormous tree, with a wide view of fields, then make our way to Louviers, where, as we are so used to dry weather, we wimp out and stay in a central hotel instead of using their campsite. When the rain eases in the late afternoon we walk across to the Cathedral just in time to watch a beautiful bride and her new husband emerge, bells peeling. It starts to rain but there is plenty of room for them under the enormous portico. The wedding party cars drive around the main roundabout several times, honking horns. We are in the wedding mood as we had viewed the wedding album at Nichola and Paul's, of their twin son Jonathan who had a beautiful wedding last year, (and Nichola is to become a Granny in November!)


Miles to date:- 2605

Location:Near Giverny to Louvriers

Le Moulin...

We leave Paris, northwest over the Seine, passing concierges chatting outside their blocks of Art Deco apartments, up to the Trocadero roundabout where a dedicated cycle path takes us out through a large park. Commuters pass us, one on a Segway, others on little scooters, and stylish ladies cycling in high heels. A postman on a heavy yellow bike joins us. The Seine loops a lot in the wide valley, so we cross it at least 6 times today. St Germains is smart stone-built suburb with a very long high street of trendy shops, culminating in a square hosting lots of market stalls. Later we have to share a busy road with homeward bound commuters alongside the river until we turn off into tidy little villages. We pause at a Bed and Breakfast sign and ring the tel number. The chap answering says he is full, but that a lady nearby in the village has a room. We ring her, and she offers to come and guide us to her house, so we wait for her to arrive in her little blue car and follow half a mile into the most fabulous gardens of "Le Moulin". Elderly madam lives in the main house, but gives us the adjoining mill for the night.





In the ground floor living room a glass wall shows off the water mill whooshing around. It supplies all the electricity for the house.





On our first floor is an enormous bedroom and bathroom. We wander the gardens taking photos of the ivy covered stone walls, the water wheel and the river and then enjoy a beer at a table on the lawn. A green woodpecker laughs as it flies from an oak. What a place to find! We are very lucky.





Miles to date:- 2575

Location:Paris to near Giverny

Getting an Eiffel...

Breakfast croissants from one of the many local little boulangeries, followed by a stroll through street markets to the Eiffel Tower. Lots of visitors, parties of French school kids and bus tours of Asian visitors. A mini Eiffel Tower about 20 ft high constructed of red metal chairs, makes an interesting photo in front of the main thing.


A posse of cycling police chase after illegal street vendors who disperse rapidly, running off, dodging the traffic. A jolly evening birthday celebration meal in a restaurant near N and P's place.


The dining areas are set around an atrium on three floors with the central roof open to the sky, as it is a warm clear evening. After, we dash across to the Eiffel Tower to just catch the 11.00 illuminations.


Next morning we follow a walk around the neighbouring 14th Arrondisement, passing ubiquitous 19th century ornate green water fountains, the boulangerie that came second in the best baguette in Paris competion, and down a side street a 19thC church dedicated to workers and constructed on a steel frame. A bit like a small railway station, there are murals to Carpenters, painters and steel workers, but no quarry men! The cemetery at Montparnasse is a shady quiet haven, with tombstones marking graves of Samuel Beckett, Sartre, various generals, and lots of other famous French.


Finally The Palais de Luxembourg set in gardens busy with joggers and pétanque players. On the way back to the apartment we inspect the stands of hire bikes and note that quite a lot are in need of repairs. There are also ranks of little electric cars plugged in, waiting to be hired. Water is discharged down the gutters each morning to clean them.

Location:Paris

À Paris...

We exit the camp straight onto a car-free cycle route through more woods. The trees are well spaced, letting sunlight through. Then a bit of scary peddling on a fast road before a new cycle path rescues us and brings us to the ornamental lake beside Versailles Palace. What a great place for a picnic, and we have the view to ourselves.








We then venture around to the front of the palace, where the gold leaf is glinting in the sun, but there are big crowds of tourists, so we pedal off towards the Seine. Lots of roadworks make it an uncomfortable ride along the river, so we go along parallel quiet back roads, heading vaguely towards the Eiffel Tower, always visible on the skyline, arriving early afternoon at Paul and Nichola's apartment, on Place du Commerce about 1/2 mile south west of the Eiffel Tower.








Miles to date:- 2521

Location:Rambouillet to Paris

Chartres Cathedral...

We enjoy an evening stroll around Beaugency on the shortest night of the year, visiting each of the music venues, a Jazz Band outside a restaurant, a Swing singer in the market place, disco on the main square and Susan's choir in front of the post office, (which has the biggest audience). We also discovered Rue de Rû, a pretty street with a flower-edged river down the middle. A whole roast pig is soon demolished by families seated at long trestle tables. We bump into a French couple on a tandem, who we had camped next to at Amboise!
Next morning is a Sunday quiet cycle on farm roads through an undulating plain of cereal crops. Our WS hosts are in the small village of Amilly. After dinner, Florence so kindly drives us to Chartres to see the floodlighting of the city, not just the Cathedral, but other principal buildings, including the old Post office, theatre and several ancient bridges have moving film or pictures illuminating them. We are so impressed, having never seen anything like it and would't have known about it without Florence. Next morning , after waving goodbye to F, P and their 4 small boys (and the puppy), the pedal is virtually flat on a quiet route route into the middle of Chartres that Patrice helped us plan. We loved Chartres and its Cathedral, visiting it before tourist parties arrived.


The stained glass is amazingly detailed and colourful. Apparently it was removed and stored safety during WW2 to preserve it.


Then we pedal through very narrow old streets that are mostly car free, over the many little old stone bridges and out onto the countryside on a river route to Rambouillet. The campsite here is in a massive old wood. A walk in the evening takes us around a small lake.


Miles to date:- 2483

Location:Beaugency to Rambouillet

All sorts of bikes...

The Loire cycle route east now is right beside the river, with views, as it is either on top of the dyke or on the river side of it. Mostly cycle-only, it is very relaxing not to think about traffic and we meet lots of other tourers, quite a few tandems, some trailers and we are a bit indignant to be overtaken by several electric bikes! For variety we take an off road option along some sections which is even nearer the river and a firm surface. At the town of Blois we do not cross the bridge to the town, and so avoid mingling with the cars, but still enjoy great views of all of the main sights, cathedral, chateau and lots of the traditional wooden, sailing fishing boats moored alongside or sweeping past with the flow. Our destination is Beaugency for a Warm Shower stay with English Susan. What a beautiful town she lives in - we would have cycled past and missed a gem, if not visiting her. Lots of little squares, a wedding emerging from the ornate town hall, a covered market and a Saturday street market. Susan lives in a lovely house and big garden that she has recently completely renovated. We are camping on the lawn.


It is a music festival this evening in town, with 10 bands, and Susan starring on drums and in the choir! She is also a complete bike enthusiast, with day, road, mountain, tourer and tandem.


Miles to date:- 2374

Location:Amboise to Beaugency

Cavemen...

On our day off in Amboise we pedal without the bags on a circular route of 30 miles to the west, taking in a couple of minor Chateaux and lots of vineyards. It is not easy to see the Loire as it is behind dykes and walls to resist flooding, but we get views as we cross it and climb onto the high banks. It is very wide but the water level is low, with sandbanks exposed. One village, Chancay, backs onto a limestone cliff so every house has a cave as a garage store or rooms. Back in Amboise, for a stroll around the sights in the afternoon, we discover back streets the same here, and also whole small cave houses still occupied.


The other sights of Amboise include the best Chateau yet, which grandly dominates the river, and the final home of Leonardi da Vinci, Clos Luce. This is an enormous stone manor house set in grand gardens. He spent the last 3 years of his life here. Back at camp some of our fellow cyclists have pedalled on and been replaced by two sets of English couples on tandems (one a Thorn), three young French ladies in one tent, and a French retired couple (with a tent each!)


Miles to date:- 2324

Location:Amboise and the Loire

Other travellers...

We eventually drag ourselves away from the comforts of the country house hotel, ambling along empty farm lanes that mostly go right through farmyards. A chance to mingle with hens, friendly dogs (collies and Pyrenean mountain doggies) and "Bonjour" farmers, now knee deep in the sunflower crop.
Again I have highlighted a little town on the map for an unknown reason, so we find ourselves in Loches. Every town now has a either castle, Chateau, Cathedral or monastery.





Loches has all, impossibly pretty limestone houses, and a town wall with gates. There are consequently some tourists, but not overwhelming. From here there is marked a cycle route to the Loire, mostly along side a busy road. We notice lots of fresh horse manure on the road (either one horse with an upset tummy or a lot of horses!) It turns out to be Gypsies with traditional horse drawn caravans, camped across the cycle path and taking their beautiful brown horses to the local village pond for water. One family of gypsies are also enjoying swimming, washing and fishing in the pond.
After 66 miles, ending in a lovely shady road through woods, we are at the gorgeous historic town of Amboise on the Loire. Standing looking a little lost, a New Zealand tourist comes up and gives us her town map! We find we are right beside the bridge we need to an island in the river where our campsite is located. It is beautiful, river and trees all around, plenty of grassy plots and fellow touring cyclists to chat to, mostly ladies! Two lady couples (one young pair English as we spot from their Waitrose bag), and a single lady with one lone chap with a trailer. As we cook our evening meal a whooshing noise attracts everyone's attention. Then 4 enormous, colourful hot-air balloons fill up behind some trees, and set of in the sunset down the river!


Miles to date:- 2294

Location:Availles-le-Chatellerault to Amboise

Anniversaire...

An undulating pedal next day takes us to a town I had highlighted on the map but could not remember why! In fact on my map it is called St Savin and on the GPS St Germain, so we are intrigued. It turns out to be a small town split by the river.





It is supremely pretty with an ancient stone bridge and an enormous monastery with old towers, carvings and all sorts of interesting detail.





Now we are on a very straight but quiet road ( well apart from the occasional logging lorry and milk tanker). We are heading for a little village where Mike has played a blinder booking us into a fabulous country house hotel. As it is our wedding anniversary he felt I would not be impressed at spending the evening in a small tent. The hotel is perfect, set in gorgeous walled gardens with views for miles over unspoilt countryside, and it was once the home of Descartes!





Being cyclists we obviously took advantage of the lovely bathroom to do lots of washing before an afternoon stroll through the gardens and back in time for a dinner majoring on pungent lamb, local cheeses and tarts washed down by Cahors wine. Bliss.











Miles to date:- 2228

Location:Bellac to Availles- le- chatellereut

Memorial village...

An evening stroll in the countryside around the farm campsite is along a small ridge road with views of the extensive deciduous woods, interspersed with small farms. Honey coloured brown cows look very content in their meadows. A hedgehog takes a stroll across the tarmac. We notice English names on a letterbox at a drive to a converted barn. Next morning camping means we can get a very early start so we are up and down the hills whilst deer are still feeding in the fields, and a red squirrel scampers up a tree. Our aim today is to visit the memorial village of Oradour-sur-Glane. This is the famous village that the retreating German army slaughtered on 10th June 1944. We approach from a quiet back road and come upon the village houses and church, with a very simple wooden cross. Only six out of a population of 600 escaped, with most locked in the church that was incinerated.


All that remains are the stone walls of building with roofs razed. It has all been preserved just as it was found and the replacement village constructed separately across the road. At the main entrance many coaches of sightseers are parked so we are glad that by bike we could see the scene more peacefully off the main road.
We stop this evening at the municipal campsite in the town of Bellac. Perfectly good with trees , lots of grass and space, but opposite the abattoir! Our worst fears do not materialise, as there is no noise or pong from here, in fact there are pink climbing roses around the entrance as there are everywhere around here.


Miles to date :- 2169

Location:St Yrieix-la-Perche to Bellac

Plums and chateaux...

After breakfast (including tasty home made jams of fig and strawberry) Benoit leads us safely through the rush hour traffic on his way to work. The first village we take a detour through is Varetz, where every building is made of a local stone of a very attractive red colour.


All the village churches now have very pointy slate roofs like witches hats. Arnac-Pompadour has the most magnificent chateau, with great curved walls next to the entrance arch. Opposite is an equally fine equestrian centre from which a very smart lady on a very fine horse emerged and trotted past. We cannot resist the Plat de Jour at the Cafe alongside. Suitably nourished with local enormous sausages, we pass acres of plums, grown on big wooden trellises. Tractors are busy in the fields, turning the new-mown hay to dry in the sunshine.
Two minutes after we decide to look for a place to camp, we spot a sign for Les Vigeres campsite, 1/2 mile off our road. It is a former farm with lovely rural views, run by a British couple. It is still early afternoon so an opportunity to wash and dry our cycle gear, and get up to date on our blog!


Miles to date:- 2116

Location:Brive to near St-Yrieix- la -Peche

Crossing the Dordogne...

After a very convivial evening, Bob and Mary next morning lead a lovely country route to a favourite spot of theirs, the charming little town of Domme, sitting on a hill top, houses all of matching honey coloured stone.





We then are on our way, over the Dordogne and on to the gorgeous ancient town of Sarlat, rather busy this Sunday morning with sightseers.The weather has now settled comfortably into the 20s with a light breeze. Our destination is Brive-la-Gaillarde, a very big town, so we are so glad to be navigating our way through on a Sunday. Our WS hosts live in the older area, their large, 3 storey house, typically French with its high ceilings and shuttered windows, set in a big garden with room for their fruit trees and veggie patch as well as shady patio and bike store. There is even a wine cellar. Next door is an enormous handsome church, the bells peeling for evening mass when we arrive.
We are greeted by son Octave and daughter Matilde, with Mum Frederique (a surprising name to us for a lady) and Dad Benoit, soon returning from a bike ride. They are both great cooks so we enjoy a lovely evening meal outside. When first married they were living and working in Senegal a former French colony, so it was interesting to learn about their time there.


Miles to date:- 2069

Location:Salviac to Brive-la-Gaillarde

Markets...

Saturday morning we are able to visit old Cahors centre with little traffic, but the bustle of the street market and the covered market busy as well, too many local cheeses to count.





Mike navigates us a great route out, that provides a view point at the top, looking down on a big bend in the River Lot and the city.





Soon we are along narrow, car-less valley roads through meadows, heading north. The top temperature today is a more moderate 26 deg. Our next hosts are retired Americans, Mary and Bob, who live in a restored chapel, tucked down a little lane right in the centre of the village of Salviac, opposite the church, Mairie and the Boulangerie. Their garden is a very tranquil spot overlooking fields at the rear. Mary and Bob know the area very well, and are leading lights in the local touring club. They also have one of the few tandems in the region. They have cycled all over the world, including Thailand and Kerala in India.





Miles to date:- 2018

Location:Cahors to Salviac

That's your Lot...

A bit of bike maintenance is needed Friday morning before we wave goodbye, making our way through roadworks but at least in the opposite direction to the busy commuter traffic of Montauban. Soon on quiet country roads again, passing the distinctive tall frames supporting plum trees which produce prunes. By noon it is 31 degs in the shade. Our bit of shade is a grapevine trellised over a stone seat on the central square of the village of Castelnau-Montratier.
We sit out an hour of the heat, then sweat our way through undulating farmland to the River Lot at Douelle. A derelict campsite here, so we go for our second choice which means cycling in rush hour traffic through the large city of Cahors, not pleasant but the camp is a lovely oasis of calm a mile to the east of the city, big grassy, shady pitches, surrounded by peaceful fields.


After a reviving shower followed by a cold beer in the camp bar (that didn't touch the sides) we are re-humanised.


Miles to date:- 1979

Location:Montauban to Cahor

Yurt and a heatwave...

An easy ride back down the cycle track to Lourdes, then farm lanes up and over foothills with the towering snow capped peaks we are leaving behind visible above clouds. Wild strawberries grow at the verges. At the top of hills are pine woods, in the many small valleys, young corn plants in neat rows, with fig and cherry trees around the edges.


We stop for a cool drink and map check at Meilan, with it's imposing Hotel de Ville.


We are hosted tonight on a farm, where Farmer Thierry is away in Norway, but has arranged for us to use the yurt on his farm for the night. We were expecting just a large tent affair but it is a really big room.


We sit on the steps on the evening with both doors wide open for a cool breeze as is has been a very sultry day. Further up the meadow are a flock of free range Rhode Island Red chickens. Nightingales, crickets and frogs are the evening chorus.
We set out Thursday morning at 6.30 to have some of the day out of the heat, and are rewarded with close encounters with hares and deer, feeding on the young sunflower crop and a red squirrel. A lot of hills soon have us overheating, though, and by midday we need our stop at Mauvezin. In the deep shade of their enormous ancient Halle we sit, people watching in the central square. The small shops shut and the locals take refuge in the 2 cafés under the shade of ancient stone colonnades. We route plan and rest til 1.30 then back into the heat for just 2 more up and downs into valleys before following a tributary of the Garonne to the great river itself near Montauban. We know our way here as we are revisiting WS hosts AnneMarie and Yvon, who we first met last year. Two miles to go, 78 miles down, and a puncture on the rough canal tow path that won't take even enough air to get us there. Yvon is brilliant and comes to the rescue in his van. It is fantastic to stay with them again, catching up on journeys taken, whilst eating Anne-Marie's fabulous home-cooked dishes, rounded off with a cream cheesecake "de paradis".


Miles to date:- 1923

Location:Argeles-Gazost to Monteban

Rapids and a Bun...

As we leave the hotel in the morning to buy today's provisions, the smell of cooking Paella is overpowering. In the adjacent main square a large market has just been set up including two competing Paella sellers. Stalls selling local produce from goats cheese to sausages predominate, but spreading down all the side streets are shoe and clothes stalls. Our hotel owner/chef struggles back with his shopping bags full of fresh veg for dinner. Our last full day in A-G, a rest day. Only an 18 mile cycle up and down a valley just south of the town, following a river (with no name on the map) as it cascades in waterfalls and rapids from the steep wooded slopes above.


The cloud is sitting very low in the valley and as we gain height the humidity is visible on the wet road surface, and our clouds of breath. At the mountain village of Estaing we are getting into thick cloud, so head back down. Just before we leave the bridge here, a white bibbed dipper dashs up stream, then does his characteristic bobbing on a rock, bringing our bird count to 86.


Houses here have steep slated roofs coming almost to the ground, and impressively large neat log piles. We take a detour to a hamlet on the way back down, just because its name is Bun. Last year's flooding is evident where a torrent of water has carved a swathe through the houses, washing away gardens and a section of the road. Big boulders have been brought in to hold back steep banks. All is very tranquil now, with only a group of chewing donkeys stirring. A notice explains the local vernacular farm building, a "Poulailler". About the size of a single garage but 3 storeys high, these have stone pig pens on the ground floor, with timber slats across the front of the next storey to keep foxes from the chicken house, over which is a timber pigeon loft. All the protein needed to see them through a hard winter.


Miles to date:- 1781

Location:Argeles-Gazost

Wow!...

The Col du Tourmalet is officially shut from "our" direction, because the road was washed away last year and it still being replaced. However today is a Monday Bank holiday here, so we reckon it may be possible to get through the roadworks as they won't be working. So we set off, first trying a little farm road as an alternative but after only 200 metres find not only has the road been washed away but replaced by lorry sized boulders. We turn back onto the main route. The two villages we pass through, Esquièze and Barèges, have no top surface left on their roads, and many side roads have been destroyed. We had not realised the scale of the destruction. About half the small bridges to side roads are destroyed, only really old stone bridges and ancient stone barns and farms have survived unscathed. More recent buildings were just washed away entirely, the occasional foundation or end wall showing where they had stood. From here on up where the road had been totally swept away there are new tarmac sections, but where only the surface is destroyed these are not yet repaired, so are very rough. As the road climbs we are overtaken by a few carbon-bikers and a several groups of motor bikers - blissfully hardly any cars. Signs read "Tourmalet Fermé", but we ignore them. After the closed ski-lift station the road steepens and we are surrounded by high mountain peaks and big patches of snow. Full waterfalls are spectacular on both sides.


The road surface worsens, only one bike in sight. A barrier saying "Route Barré" is easily passed.
Water is now coursing down the full width of the road from snow melt streams, bringing with it gravel. Fresh rock falls have to be negotiated. An enormous pylon that supported the ski lift above us has been knocked sideways by a giants blow. Looking up we can see two more enormous empty hairpin bends, but not the summit, so we still don't know if we can get through. At 2000m there the are very strong wind gusts, water rushing across the whole road, and no top surface remaining. The side crash barrier has been washed away entirely so we are a bit nervous about being blown over the edge as there's a big drop. Three German motor bikers stop with us to admire the view of the valley we have just come up from, and the surrounding snow dazzling in the bright sun.


Then one last hairpin bend, a very steep climb through temporary barriers that again state "Route Barré", and there is the sight so familiar from photos on the internet, the enormous metal statue of a cyclist, and the Tourmalet summit height sign, confirming 2115 m.





I am sure it is rare, but we had it to ourselves for a while to take photos, and then were joined by a few motor bikers and a couple of Brits amazingly carrying full panniers. We go over the top for the view down the other side, but is is softer with green meadows, so we return to "our" side and the snowy peaks, to shelter from the very strong wind, eat a baguette and venison pâté picnic, before putting on gloves and jackets to start back down.


Then taking care on rock strewn hairpins, and very gingerly through the rushing waters. Five hours up, 1 and 3/4 hrs back down. Hardly a cloud in the sky all day. Sitting on our balcony eating olives with a glass of wine to celebrate before enjoying one of Madam's wonderful 5 course meals, I chase away a lizard away who is running into our room, then watch a red kite soaring near our high balcony. A perfect day.


Miles to date:- 1763

Location:Argeles-Gazost to Col Du Tourmalet