(Temporary Backup) Day 3- Paris

Before I talk about today, I want to mention that Chris and I had a wonderful dinner last night at Jerome Vidal’s apartment which is quite near the youth hostel

Heron hosted us with his good friend Alison from Melbourne. She works in the data management field for mining companies and seems to want to take out French citizenship. Jerome on the other hand is studying to be a nurse.

Jerome is “babysitting “ my bike box until I return to Paris...thanks Jerome much appreciated!

Today was a day of being a tourist and after a great night of sleep we were ready for it!!!

First up was a visit to see the Notre Dame cathedral after the fire. Gee there is a lot of work to do as you can see from the photograph 

Then we did the big bus tour which was a good refresher for us both. The big issue for me was the additional security around all the attractions particularly at the Eiffel Tower where there is now a glass fence surrounding the base with security gates controlling entrances. The other issue was the traffic... seems there are traffic jams everywhere. The locals who do not use cars use electric scooters which are hooked up via the GPS by various operators 

We used the metro to get around which was fine but a little confusing at times 

We finished touring at lunch and after a bite in the Latin Quarter we came back to the hostel to sort out my Garmin maps.....wow this is frustrating to say the least 

Anyhow we sorted out bits of it but downloading Europe maps was unfortunately a problem...

We gave up after a couple of hours and Chris went for a sleep whist I tried to sort the problem out at an Internet cafe

I gave up due to real concerns about security 

At about 6.00 pm we went out locally to have dinner but most restaurants open st 7.00 pm so it was a frustrating time finding one open for a couple of older blokes looking for a “nursery tea”

We were fortunate to find a cafe with ok food

After a feed of steak chips and salad we headed home for an early night ahead of the first day of riding 

It would be fair to say we are both looking forward to the days ahead of adventures in 10 countries and over 3000 kms...

Chris has a good friend who is doing the same Eurovelo 6 route and over dinner we had a look at his blog and the scenery looks great 

A good sleep tonight should be great for the days ahead

Now for the pictures

Notre Dame... note the fire damaged roof

Champs-Elysées 


Eiffel Tower

Day 1 & 2 Travel to Paris

Monday 27 May was a busy day getting my bike packed by Matt from Cycleinn and sorting out the gear for the trip

After saying goodbye to Robyn and Alice and Mikayla it was off to the airport. Great that Nick, my eldest son had time to drive me and my gear 

I met Chris in the check in desk and we managed to avoid a big queue by checking in business class.... thank goodness for that!

After dropping the bike bags it was off to the lounge for a drink and meal before the long 13 hour flight to Abu Dhabi the the 7 hour flight to Paris 

We arrived in Paris at 7.30 approx and managed to get a cab that could fit both bike boxes and it was off to the Youth Hostel where Chris has booked 2 nights 

As the rooms were not ready until 3.00 pm we decided to walk and catch the Metro. Chris needed to sort out his mobile and I thought it might be useful to find a bike shop 

Finding a reputable phone shop proved to be a real problem and we resolved to go to Orange on the Champs Alysee which seemed ok

Finding a bike shop proved to be more difficult and in the end we gave up and came back to the youth hostel to unpack our bikes and sort out our bags.,.

We are both a bit tired and are resting before going out to dinner with the son of one of the folk we met through Warm Showers on the last trip in France. Should be a good night as he does a lot of bike riding

Well we are nearing the time to get on the saddle but tomorrow is going to be day to”shake down “ our bikes and do a big bus trip through Paris. I particularly want to see Notre Dame cathedral and the damage caused by the fire

Now for the pictures...

Yes here is the Arc

.... me here to prove it!



The youth hostel where we will spend the first 2 nights 

Very comfortable

Paris to Black Sea

I am looking forward to a ride from Paris to the Black Sea which starts on Monday 27 May when I fly out from Melbourne 

I am riding with my wonderful Kiwi mate Chris Jones and am looking forward to seeing him again as we travel in Europe 

Last Sunday was a time to say goodbye to the Wheeliebinners in Melbourne as per the attached picture 

Looking forward to ridin in Europe as we visit 10 countries and travel along side some of the great rivers

Catch you all when I get to Paris 

Reflecting on the trip

As I sit on the plane heading home I have a glass of champagne in hand and am reflecting on the past 3 weeks of fun in both the UK where we stayed with Ian and Lorna in Richmond and then on the journey first to Dover and then on to Calais and the journey south to Cahors and then by train to Toulouse 

The trip through France was terrific and provided many highlights and some real challenges , particularly when Chris  had his bike stolen in Niort .... but like true travellers from the Southern Hemisphere we responded with the right spirit 

France and the French people were great even though our spoken French was poor at times . But we managed well

Over the trip we traveled 1696 kms or 1700 kms in my book 

We climbed 9737 metres and most days we did over 100 kms per day

Our biggest day of distance traveled was 151 kms

Our biggest climbing day was 1079 metres 

We stayed in a mixture of youth hostels, Warm Showers homes , camping sites and cheaper hotels and it would be fair to say the Warm Showers accomodation offered the real opportunity to meet some great hosts 

I say thank you and merci to all of our hosts 

Finally I want to thank my riding partner Chris Jones for putting up with me over the past 3 weeks...

I hope my snoring and lack of hearing at times did not spoil your holiday and I wish you well in the days ahead with your new bike and the Tour de France trip

As you said on your blog yesterday we might make an ANZAC business out of this yet for those interested in an adventure with a bit of “ ruff and tuff” traveling 

So with a tear in my eye and a glass in my hand I say au revoke

Day 23- In Toulouse-43 kms

Today was a day to organise ourselves for the trip home for me and for Chris to sort out his arrangements to pick up his new bike in Niort 

So we slept in a bit getting to breakfast at about 8.00am and using the time over a good feed to plan the day

First step was to find a bike shop so I could organise a bike box and Chris could buy a few items he needed for his new bike 

The first shop was only a few kms away and was ok for the box but Chris wanted some particular tyres which the shop did not have so we resolved to have a look at other shops which seemed to be dotted around the town 

On the way to the second shop we went to the Airbus museum which was located near the airport where Airbus have their big assembly plant 

The museum was most interesting and gave a good account of the history of flight as well as having a Concorde on display 

After a drink in the museum restaurant we then ventured in to the train station so Chris could get his tickets to Niort 

After a sandwich lunch at a cafe near the station we then went to 2 more bike shops which didn’t have the gear that Chris wanted so on our way back to the hotel, we visited the first bike shop we saw in the morning and I got my box and Chris picked up some of his gear

After getting some help from the bike shop owner as to how to pack the bike I took a cab back to the hotel... Chris rode back!

Then it was time to clean the bikes and shoes and start to pack....yuck!

The weather today has been warm and humid but not really hot like yesterday 

The traveling around Toulouse by bike was easy with good navigation and there seems to be a good network of bike paths and lanes on the road 

Something I have been wanting to mention on this trip is the numbers of people in France who smoke!!!

It is staggering to see people young and old with cigarettes and cigars... much more than we see in Australia or New Zealand. People smoke anywhere and there seems to be spasmodic restrictions 

Anyway a good day to finish off in Toulouse a city that I should visit again if possible.

A view of the river- La Garonne ( same river as in Bordeaux $

Me with the Concorde

A back view of the Concorde 

Underneath the Concorde with some smaller planes

The tail section of the plane

This is one big plane!!!

Day 22- Cadouin to Cahors - 78 kms

Today was the last day of my ride in France and Chris has another 3.5 weeks to go 

We were both awake at 6 am and the morning was fresh and cool despite being very humid so we decided on an early start with breakfast to be purchased along the way

We had a little bit of difficulty in finding our way out of the town ....

Shortly after this we had the most horrendous route along an overgrown lane way that had to be walked with our bikes rather than riding them....this was probably only one of about three occasions where this had occurred on the bike navigation system we were using....quite remarkable really when you think about it after all the roads we have been on over the past few weeks 

Them we had the “mother of. Climb “ for about 1.5 kms where the gradient was over 20 pc in some parts

We later discovered that we could have taken another road which went around the hill we climbed !!!

Lesson learned for later in the day....

The first stop for breakfast was at Belves which is a pretty town at the top of a hill!!!!..and after a 5 km climb of gradients of around 5pc so getting to the top to have some croissants was certainly a well earned reward 

After breakfast we had a good decent followed by many ups and downs with the ups being more than the downs.....

The next stop was Casals for a snack which consisted of a soft drink and a Paris Brest for me... Chris had a strawberry tart.... the 2 seemed to go together well somehow!

Anyway after the snack we decided that the cycle tour route was going to deliver some tough climbs so we followed a few of the more major roads for a change which were:

- less hilly

- offered a slightly shorter route 

- and were not all that busy 

The result was that we made good time to Cahors and were at the train station by about 12.30 with a train leaving at 1.15pm

The weather was getting quite hot so rather than go down town , we booked tickets on the train and had lunch at the train station cafe

The train arrived and left on time and we enjoyed a good rest for about 1.5 hours on the train. We struck up a conversation with a couple of guys who were heading home to Niort and Paris after a ride in the wine country for a few days... they gave up because of the heat!

Arriving in Toulouse we then started looking for youth hostel accommodation only to find the place was closed. Our next option was an apartment hotel next door but it was full.

So on to the net with booking dot com and we found an apartment hotel that looked okay but was on the other side of the river!

So Chris guided us to the place with about 15 kms of riding through the heart of Toulouse with people everywhere!

Finally we arrived at the hotel only to find that they had 2 locations and we were at the wrong one!!

Let’s say we were not all that happy.....

On the bikes again and off for the 5 km ride to the other hotel...

Yes finally arriving they had our booking and we could finally have a drink and a shower after a big day 

I will reflect upon the ride either tomorrow or on the plane home but initial reaction to the trip is that it has been fantastic despite the problem of Chris’s bike being stolen 

Chris has been a great pal on the trip and in many respects we compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses 

We have covered a lot of France and seen a lot of country and met a lot of very fine French people who have been more than helpful and hospitable to us

It is sad the trip has finally finished for me

Early morning fog over the valley...(sorry about the wire)

Breakfast at Belves....what a view!

A disused railway viaduct 

This cafe took or fancy but was closed 

Me at Cahors...

In the hotel finally at then end of a big day with a drink!!!

Home for the night 

(Backup) Day 21- Libourne to Cadouin 120 kms

Today we again made an early start after having breakfast at the hotel at 6.30 am. We were on our way by a little after 7.00 pm. I was the allocated navigation for the day and we made a good start by getting out of Libourne very quickly with no mishaps 

The travel through the Dordogne valley was beautiful as we traveled through wine country with many familiar names such as Saint Emilion etc

The roads were good and flat and the weather was perfect for riding being about 18 degrees 

We made good timing to have a stop for a morning tea in a town on the Dordogne river

Our next stop was Bergerac for lunch where we had an omelette in a cafe overlooking the river. After lunch we struck up a conversation with a couple from York in the UK looking for a house in the region. I think they must have seen too many reality TV series on buying homes in France because they spoke no French and were completely unaware of the region .... good luck!!!

After lunch we made the final run in to Cadouin which started off with more travel along the river flats noticing we were getting out of the wine country and in to farming country 

The last 11 kms in to Cadouin was more difficult as we needed to move out of the Dordogne valley and in to the valley of the river of Le Belingou. The climb of about 6 kms was about 5 pc in most sections with some lovely flat sections 

At the end of a long ride this was a bit of a test but we came through with flying colours!!!

The village of Cadouin is quite beautiful with many old buildings 

We are staying in the youth hostel which is located in an 11 century abbey ...

At the time of doing this blog I have befriended a Frenchman named Rene who is quite good at English and we are exchanging information about our families 

All good fun!!!

Today is the second last day of my ride and was probably one of the most testing and yet most rewarding 

Now for a drink and dinner

Early morning in the wine country near St Emilion 

A wine chateau 

Lovely view of the Dordogne valley 

...and the river 

...and again near Bergerac

We saw some gypsies 

And some lovely homes

...and of course the river 

What about the street decorations in this town!

 ...and of course the river again 

Home for the night in Cadouin in the Abbey 

Day 20 - Blanquefort to Libourne- 69 kms

Today was going to be an easy ride after a relatively long ride yesterday so we started a bit later after having a feed on the fruit that was left over from last nights fruit salad we made up to accompany our frozen spaghetti bolognase and chilly con carne. We had to make a visit to the local supermarket for dinner as all the cafes appeared to be shut...

So much for an authentic French meal!!!

Anyway it turned out well and we had plenty to eat and enjoy 

So it was left over cherries, peaches , grapes and apricots as a snack prior to a short ride to Bordeaux for a fuller feed on croissants baguette and coffee.... well not so easy!!!

Firstly trying to find our way out of Blanquefort was an effort as the Garmin had us heading every which way. Then after getting to Bordeaux finding an open cafe proved to be a real test. Finally we found one on the “poor “ side of the river (La Garrone)

I had a croissant and coffee and Chris a croissant as well... hardly what we had anticipated 

After this we made our way along the bike path beside the river and it started to change completely with some very big chateaus with lovely gardens etc

A little further along the path which had now become a rail trail we came across a cafe which was part of a disused railway station. It had a couof guys playing acoustic guitars and people enjoying a drink and food 

We thought we might stop and have a brunch ...

We ordered what we thought was an omelette but turned out to be a cheese and  meat platter.... so much for our attempt at the French language 

Anyway it turned out fine and we were joined by a couple of locals who were on their way home after a 60 km ride 

We had a good chat ..... mostly about bikes and our adventures.... all good fun!

Then it was on to Libourne along the rail trail which was very pretty.... but the weather was getting hot and the humidity was taking its toll 

We stopped at Creon which seemed to be at the top of the climb between the valleys of the La Garrone and the Dordogne rivers. It was here I noticed that my rear tyre was a little flat. On inspection I saw a piece of glass in the tyre and after extracting it of course the tyre went completely flat...

Well changing the tyre became more difficult as the new tube replacement seemed to have a faulty valve so a I had to use a spare tube that Chris had.... fortunately!!

Anyway whilst all of this was going on the village was in full festival mode with a band playing and people dancing and kids playing on the sand that was placed in the village square for the festival 

All good fun... except when you have a puncture!

Chris kindly bought me a drink to calm my nerves and it was on again to Libourne with only another 30 kms to go

The ride down in the the valley was goods and we were now seeing the full valley of vineyards.... very pretty but HOT!!!

As we arrived in Libourne we stopped for a drink and ice cream just ahead of the final 5 kms to the hotel

We arrived at about 3.30pm after a short but hot ride ready for a shower to freshen up

I also had to repair my tubes which was done quite quickly... I hope they are okay 

Today I thought I might talk about the navigation approachuwe have taken on the trip

Chris is one who uses his Garmin as his guide almost exclusively 

I on the other hand am more of a street watcher looking at the street names and sorting this out with the Garmin 

Both approaches have their positives and negatives but I think the combination works well when applied together 

The Garmin that Chris uses is a Garmin 1000 which shows the down loaded route from cycle travel and has good information 

I think it was Phil Eagar who said the issue with this model Garmin is the fact you cannot see a large enough map to judge where you are particularly when you go “ off course “ 

Anyway Chris’s Garmin has done a great job to get us through most of France 

Tonight we look like going to Buffalo Bills for dinner to haves steak!!!

Only 2 more days of riding to go 

Bordeaux alongside the river 

Bordeaux again near the big park 

Bordeaux... they knew how to build great buildings!!

The bridge across the La Garrone river 


Stopped for an omelette or so we thought 


We met 2 nice French guys out on their bikes 

Puncture time!!...in the meantime the town was celebrating!!

A nice rail trail ... but boy was it hot!!

In to the wine country 

Drying our washing at the hotel... worked well 

Home for the night!! And with AC!!!!!

Day 19- Mussonville to Blanquefort- 122 kms

We made an early start on our ride this morning at about 6.50 am to be well down the road before the heat kicked in!!

Yes this was before breakfast which was a little difficult but once I got going we had done about 30 kms before the hunger pangs started 

The town we selected for breakfast had a village market being set up with food stalls and the like so we had a good choice of food. I had an OJ and 3 croissants. Chris had an OJ  and croissant .... I later found a coffee shop that did cappuccino!!!! Wow what a change for France!!

After breakfast we then proceeded along some very pretty cycle ways which are a real feature of the Medoc region 

The paths are everywhere and are well marked and FLAT!!!

This made for very fast riding until we came to our next stop in the village of Carcans... not sure how it got it’s name as it certainly does not sound French 

At Carcans we had 2 each of the biggest lime and lemonade ( Chris had water with his lime) drinks you could imagine as we were feeling the heat. We also had a toasted baguette with butter and jam.... not the ideal lunch but we were hungry 

After lunch we decided to take a shorter route than planned which meant about 20 kms on the road. Luckily for us most of the traffic was heading to the coast for the weekend break so traveling was both fast and safe and we made good time to Sainte Helene to rejoin the bike path

The route then took us on to the outskirts of Blanquefort on the most magnificent bike path. The surface was very good and was flat and in good straight stretches. I opened out in time trial mode with average speeds for Garmin distance gaps of 8 kms each of 30 kms/ hr plus in to a slight headwind and in temps of the mid to high 30’s.... it was exhilarating to say the least 

We had a final stop at a pretty cafe to have a drink and fill water bottles as we were using water at a fast rate with the high temps and humidity 

The cafe was an old railway station which served food and drinks much like the situation at My Evelyn in Melbourne 

After the drink we traveled in to Banquefort and rode with a Zfrench guy out for a lazy 60 km ride... he was interesting to chat with as we made our way along the bike path. He had done over 20,000 last year!!! I thought what an effort but looking at him he was at least 20 yrs younger than me

We finally arrived in our hotel in Blanquefort at 3.30 pm after doing over 120 kms...

A great effort I thought on a hot and humid day....somewhat different to the weather at home in Melbourne I hear!!!

Dinner and entertainment last night in Musselton..

Thanks 

The Atlantic coast this morning.... small surf!



A view along a typical cycle way in the Medoc region 

I thought this Paella looked good... but doing 60 kms after it might not be the best thing???

Chris at lunch in Carcans

..... drinks at the railway station on the bike path for a couple of parched blokes!!!

Home for the night

Trip so far

Here is a photo of the map of France with the top half first 

Calais to Poitiers 

Then Poitiers to Blanquefort 

Day 18 - Rochefort to Mussonville- 82 kms

Although it seems that today was a short ride it seemed longer and harder in many respects than the rides where we had done over 130 kms. I think I can put this down to the poorer conditions on many of the roads, the hotter and more humid conditions, the fact that we had 2 stops ferry trips which breaks the riding rhythm of the day and lastly I had a puncture after hitting a pot hole on the road....

Well the day started with breakfast at the youth hostel at about 7.00 am and we were on our way at about 8 ish

It was lucky that we did not start earlier as we needed to ride a punt across the La Charente river shortly after leaving Rochefort 

The area around the punt was interesting in that there is a rebuilding projector restore a bridge mechanism that will take people across the river on a contraption that moves over the water.....very ingenious and will be interesting to see when completed 

The next 20 odd kms was through a lot of swamp land until we reached a small town called Marennes where we stopped for a drink and a very nice crepe.

As I said the roads were poor today and after hitting a pot hole I was surprised I did not get a flat straight away. It was only after our stop in Marennes that I noticed my tyre

After replacing the tube it was off to Royan. Once again the country was uninteresting with swamps and villages perched on the top of any high ground. The weather was also hotting up and with humidity it made for hardish riding 

We arrived in Royan at about 1.30 pm and headed to a bike shop to get my tyres pumped up and checked and Chris bought a new water bottle 

After this we had a sandwich and drink and made our way to the ferry across from Royan to Verdon Su mer... there was a bit of a wait at the ferry wharf but once on the ferry the ride was short to our destination .... appropriately half an hour 

Off the ferry and then on for the short 10 km ride on the cycle way to our despot Mussonville

This ride although flat was marred by the humidity and fact there was no wind....

Arriving at our destination we were pleased to have a shower and cool down 

Interesting the name Mussonville....not really French in my mind more somewhere in Australia in the outback

Anyway despite the poorer riding conditions the body and the bike are holding up

Tonight we sample some of Mussonville’s finest cuisine.... I will report on this tomorrow 

Me leaving the youth hostel 

Note my erect bag!!!

The structure being renovated near Rochefort 

Our punt across the river near the car bridge 

A view of the car bridge and the punt 

Chris and other cyclists on the punt

The guys on the right were Germans and I think they were amused after we got off the punt as we returned to the area near the wharf 3 times as we were lost...poor navigation on my part!

 At the top of a bridge we crossed later in the morning 

Note jet vapour in the sky.... we see this all the time 

After getting off the ferry at Verdon Su Met

Home for the night at Mussonville 

Day 17 - La Rochelle to Rochefort- 93 kms

Today we made an early start at 7.10 am with the thought of having breakfast on the way rather than having it at the hotel 

The Wray was also likely to be heating up during the day....

It was Chris’s turn to navigate so we were in for a fun day?

The first destination was a small island of the coast called I’le de Re which is to crossed by a bridge 

Before arriving at the bridge we had a good look around La Rochelle which is very much a sea port with plenty of both commercial and pleasure sailing and boating 

The region is big for mussels and oysters which are “grown” locally 

The crossing over the bridge was a 2 km ride with the gradients reaching about 5pc. 

Our original plan was do do a circuit of the island but we we’re entranced by a small village called La Flotte. You will see from the photos that this village has a real charm about it as a seaside resort for families with plenty of wonderful restaurants serving the local produce. We had breakfast here with Chris having a slice of pizza and a cake. I had 2 croissants and some juice followed by a coffee as we walked through the village market 

For those wanting a village type holiday and looking to have wonderful meals of mussels and oysters with local produce I would thoroughly recommend La Flotte

Having spent around 2 hours looking around the town we made our way back to the bridge and La Rochelle. This time the wind had picked up and the traffic was starting to get busy 

Our next stop was Chatelailon Plage where we visited yesterday looking for Chris’s French teachers mum... well once again we dipped out as her flower shop was shut for lunch and siesta!!!

Rather than hang around until 3.30 pm ( ie another hour) we decided to ride on to Rochefort to have an early end to the ride..... we had some washing to do!!!

The trip from La Rochelle to Rochefort was along the coast with some interesting little villages

We met an Englishman riding to Barcelona who was struggling with navigation and Chris advised him to use Cycle Travel. Com which we are using to great affect 

We arrived at the youth hostel in Rochefort at about 4.15 pm after a good day of riding 

There is a distinct increase in tour cyclists on the road mainly heading in a north direction... they will struggle with the wind I believe as it seems to prevail from the north east 

I thought I might talk a bit about how we pack each day and fit our meagre belongings in our bags...

The first thing to learn is it is NOT packing but stuffing.... yes you stuff as much of your clothes and other belongings in the rear Ortlieb bag which hangs from the bike seat 

The ideal packing job is one where the bag has a slight “erection” which seems to transfer less weight to the back of the bike

The stuff I use during the day such as my wallet, glasses ( if I can find them) , maps, muesli bars, caps etc go in the bag on the handle bars and my spare tyre bike lock and bum cream go in the bag on the cross bar

Each day there is much hilarity as we stuff our bags to get the right erection ....

At the end of the day the first thing we do is to take our clothes out of the back bag and let them hang a bottom remove creases 

All in a good days ride really 

Just to let you all know we have not heayfrom the bike shop in Niort yet as to when Chris’s new Cannondale will br ready 

On the bridge crossing to the island 

The harbour at La Flotte 

Another view of the harbour... very pretty 

Harro gazing at the harbour 

Chris getting some nougat in La Flotte... look at the size of the nougat chunks...


The village market in La Flotte... the oysters and mussels are sold in the store on the right....very cheap 

View of the beacon the island at low tide....see the oysters and mussels being farmed 

Nice view of the harbour in La Rochelle....plentiful money here!!’

Look at the colour of the ice blocks here in my drink

Yes they are in plastic containers 

Big disappointment for Chris the mother of his French teacher was at lunch.... at leather tried twice!!!



Home for the night... very nice youth hostel 

Day 15- Niort to La Rochelle- 84 kms

Feeling better today!!!!

Ready for the challenge ahead as I go in to the 3rd week of the break in France

The weather today was forecast to be hot so we got on the road as soon as we could at about 7 40 am. The wind once again was favourable being almost behind us for most of the day 

The day was my turn to navigate and we were out of Niort on about 10 minutes... a far cry from the hour that it has taken us in Day’s previously 

So we made good time to a coffee break in a small town called Saint Pierre d’Amelie where there was no coffee shop but the ladies working in the shire office provided me with a coffee and Chris with water. At this stop Chris was working the emails regarding the set up for his  new bike based on conversations we were having along the way 

Anyway the ladies were terrific and I made short work of the coffee....

On our way again to the next big town on our route called Surgeres. We stopped here for a cool drink and cakes and noticed a rather large riding group who had just finished their ride. As Chris did not have a bike water bottle ( he was a rather large bottle of water by our hosts in Niort) we thought we should ask our way to the nearest bike shop or supermarket to buy a bottle. Anyone of the group, Trevor, offyto give Chris a bottle from his home. We followed Trevor to his houses had a good chat about our travels and he made a few recommendations for the days ahead which may see us traveling to Spain on the Atlantic side and then ride through part of the Pyrenees and climb one or two of the mountains there including Tourmalat

Seems that this is better and quieter than going through to the Mediterranean Sea 

We said our thank you and arvoir to Trevor and made our way to Chatelaillon-Plage which is on the Atlantic coast 

Along the way we passed through farms where they were harvesting their crops 

At Chatelaillon-Plage we stopped for a lunch... an omelette... and a drink and then attempted to locate Chris’s French teacher’s mum who owns a florist shop....unfortunately she was out for the day and the shop was shut ... so onwards to La Rochelle 

The route north along the coast took us past some very nice holiday homes and hotels as it seems this is a very popular place for seaside holidays and the food is good with mussels and oysters being farmed locally 

Finally we arrived at the hotel in La Rochelle at about 3.15 pm and collapsed in to the swimming pool 

We had a great day of riding today after the drama of yesterday!!!

The ladies at Saint Pierre d’Amelie

Peter and Trevor at Surgeres

Harvesting the crops....

Interesting shot of a silo ... note the wheat and barley crops 

A well deserved lunch of an omelette and drink!

The beach at Chatelaillon-Plage I

Home for the night at La Rochelle 

Day 14- Forced Rest Day Niort

Today was not our best day..

We started out with great intentions having woken to a good breakfast provided by the hotel. Then as we were making our way back to our room I took a look in the courtyard where our bikes were stored only to notice that Chris’s bike was not there!!

After speaking to the owners of the hotel we ascertained that someone had broken in to the locked courtyard and had taken the bike....

Christoff who owned the hotel and his wife Sonjon were mortified at this and were extremely helpful. Christoff who works as a policeman was able to take us down to the police station so the appropriate statements were made for insurance purposes. He then ascertained that the bike loss was covered under his policy and was willing to fund the purchase of a new bike for Chris.... A truly wonderful gesture by this generous Frenchman!!!

Then it was off to a bike shop to buy Chris a new bike... Unfortunately the bike Chris wanted was not in stock so we arranged for a loan bike until the new bike is ready in approximately 1 week ( or less if delivery can be organised)

One of the interesting things I learned from this is to understand what gadgets are on the bike so when replacements are required you know 

The other obvious lesson is to have bike locks on your bike even when in what appears safe storage....

It seems that our plans for the next week are going to be some somewhat fluid as we will need to make a trip back to Niort to collect the new bike

With all the coming and going to the police station and the bike shop I seemed to have lost my reading glasses which is a real pain. Fortunately I was able to pick up a pair of cheap glasses from a optical shop which will see me through... pardon the pun!!!

Afraid relook at our schedule we head to the Atlantic coast in the morning and it looks like the weather will be quite warm 

I guess today has been one of a few challenges and we seem to have responded well to them

The other feeling is how extremely lucky we were to have had Christoff and his wife to help us through the day... they were simply grand

Also the bike store was great to lend Chris a good bike for a time at no cost so we could continue on our journey 

Despite feeling a bit flat we look forward to getting on the bikes for the days ahead

At the police station.... Chris with Christoff making the statement 

Chris and Christoff and the bike store staff helping to choose the new bike

The front of the bike store in Niort 

Some Statistics....

Thought you might be interested to know we have now done 1011 kms to then end of today... we topped to 1000 km Mark

Big celebration 

We have also climbed 6415 metres cumulative from the start of the ride

Day 13 - Poitiers to Niort- 84 kms

Today was officially classified as a “short ride “ day as only had a ride of about 80 kms as opposed to the previous few days before our rest day of over 100kms per day

We started riding a little later at 8.30 am and Chris was in charge of navigation for the day

Well it seems Chris had the navigation out of Poitiers well and truly sorted out as we took about half an hour to get out of the town rather than the more normal hour!

I thought today I would take a few photos of the typical roads we have traveled over in our trip through France....so I called today a “ Road day”

Comparing the roads we are traveling on here with those last year on the LEJOG ride both Chris and I think the roads here are better to ride on and once out of town (our nemisis so far except today ) the navigation seems to be easier than in the UK

You will see from the photos we travel on gravel roads ..... generally in short distances between surfaced roads. We then travel on country lanes in either open country of hedge rows. The next level of roads are the minor roads generally connecting smaller towns and villages. Finally for us the next level is the major roads connecting major cities where the traffic includes cars and trucks..... generally we traveled very little on these roads. Beyond this of course you have the major motorways which we have not travelled on and hopefully will not do so on our bikes!!!!

Enough on roads..... today really was sensational for riding with a breeze behind us most of the way and we were generally heading down hill although there were a few bigger pinches to climb to keep us on our toes 

At various times we were traveling quite easily at speeds of 40 KPH for long stretches 

Our stop for coffee was in a small town called Sanxay where we were able to converse with the publican for a coffee and juice ( for Chris) ....there was little else going on in the town although one of the locals invited us up to see his home. Unfortunately we were unable to find him after our coffee... pity really as it might have been interesting to see what lies beyond the walls of the homes we see as we ride through the towns

Anyway as we were making good time it seemed best to push on and see if we could make Niort before lunch. We stopped several times to look at the views to take photos of the roads mainly and to organise accommodation in Niort.... we had several offers out on Warm Showers accomodation but the responses we were getting were not favourable.

Our executive decision was to sort out a cheap hotel which we did at about 1.00 pm!!!

We tried to have a lunch at a very posh restaurant in Sainte Maxient but they were closed for lunch. The owners were happily eating lunch and I guess they though a couple of cyclists in Lycra would not be the right image for their establishment!!!

Anyway we had some water and left over lollies and were on our way to Niort in no time at all... the last 20 kms just flew by 

We arrived with no navigation errors at our hotel at about 3.15 pm well inside the 6.00pm curfew due to great leadership by Chris and some assistance from the “wind gods”

A great day of riding... for me anyway one of the best 

A lovely scene here of a village with stream 

.... on the other side of the bridge 

Coffee at last!!

Road study.... normal country lane/ hedgerow 

Road study.... major road linking towns

Road study.... gravel road 

Road study.... road between villages

Nice restaurant/ hotel where we were refused lunch as they were closed??



Home for the night.... posh hotel with towels!!!

Could be an interesting place for a new business to be born as Chris and I discussed the idea of doing these sort of trips with others as a business.... you never know!!

ANZAC Bike Tours

Day 12- Rest Day

Last evening during dinner we both thought we might have a day of rest after a few days over doing over 110 kms each day, but we decided to wait to see how we felt in the morning 

Lo and behold waking up at about 7.45 am we both thought that a day of rest would be good and we could do a few chores including cleanup our bikes and the like

So after a good breakfast provided by the youth hostel we cleaned and oiled our bikes. Whilst doing this we caught up with Helma the Dutch lady walking from Holland to Spain. She spoke to us for some time about her travels and hoe who looked at getting about 30 plus km’s each day depending on the terrain 

After the bike clean I went for a walk to find a coffee shop and in the big gardens the city I found a coffee shop which seemed ideal for us to have lunch....

Chris and I then cycled to the restaurant in the gardens and Had the most wonderful smorgasbord lunch in delightful surroundings.... the food was delicious and it was very popular with the locals. We had about a 2 hour lunch chatting about all sorts of things

After lunch we rode through the park then back to the hostel so Chris could sort out a few technical issues with his Garnim... I watched the start of the French Grand Prix

Such was the lunch we had today, dinner was going to be light 

Tomorrow we travel to Niort which is about an 80 km trip

It looks like we will start early before the heat gets up

A good day or rest for us both 

Helma from Holland and her walking frame with all her goods and chattels ....

.....finally a good cappuccino!!!!!

Venue for lunch... chef is preparing crepes!

... meanwhile another chef get the main courses ready 

Picture of map of who we have been 

.... and where we are still to go!!!!

Day 11- Saumur to Poitiers- 114 kms

After another good night of sleep ( possibly due to the 2 glasses of wine over dinner) we awoke to a beautiful morning with a wind in the direction of our ride. I must admit we have been very lucky as the past 4 days we have had favourable wind conditions. It would not be pleasant with a strong headwind on the open farm land we have been travelling through overthrow past few days. I guess the wind gods have been smiling on us!!!

We set off at about 8.00 am and I was “chief navigator “ for the day!

My start was not good as we took time to find our way out of Saumur.... we returned to the hotel twice to reset our start. So much for my navigation skills 

Any after our normal hour to exit Saumur we were heading through wine growing country with the roads going over rolling hills... all very pretty. As we progressed there were several lovely villages .... but none with a coffee and balongarie . We finally found a shop which was a delightful break. The timing was excellent to catch up with Robyn and the news from home... the dees lost against Port Adelaide and the weather in Melbourne is freezing... far cry here in France where the weather is a very nice 24- 26 degrees 

Then back on the bikes we were looking to have lunch at the approximate half way point at Loudun... well it seems the master of navigation missed the town and we had to try for a cafe in a small village. As luck would have it Chris saw a group of people near what we thought was a cafe only to find it was a private function... as we were a bit tired we took some time to rest and replan lunch options when the chefs for the function spoke to us and after much guessing it seems they were offering to share some of the function fare with us....it was a god send and the veal with champignons was gobbled down quick smart.  It made us both feel a bit humble to be welcomed by our new French friends 

After thank yous it was on our way again 

Fortunately the lack of navigation worked in our favour as we traveled on a fairly major road in towards Poitiers 

With the wind behind we made gout one reaching speeds at times over 45 Kms/ hr for long stretches

We made a couple of stops along the way to have water a soft drink and some fresh fruits 

We also found a lovely balongari and could not go past a sweet tart!!!

Finally we arrived in Poitiers and navigated our way to the youth hostel ... the time of arriving was about 6.30 pm about half an hour after the 6.00pm curfew all due to poor navigation on my part!!

The youth hostel seems ok and we met a lady from Holland who is walking to Spain and doing 2600 kms!!! 

She has this wheelie contraption which contains all her clothing and personal items .... she has walked so far over 900 kms!

We decided rather than go to a cafe downtown we would “stay in” and use the hostel kitchen 

Chris went shopping at the local supermarket whilst I organised the washing and he came back with a veritable feast of beer and nuts/ chips followed by ham salad ....  a great feast fit for a couple of old buggers riding through France 

Today has been particularly tiring for me and we both think we might have a day of rest tomorrow.... all a bit of a mystery but isn’t that what holidays are for 

View of the Loire from the bridge 

Interesting feedlot on our way through the Loire 

A lovely farm along or travels

Gosh what is this guy doing on his bike!!!

Our lunch courtesy of the chefs for the function....yummy!

Arvo tea.....

Home for the night in Poitiers 

Note to blog readers

At last I have been able to get good connections to publish my blogs of the past several days and hence the days are somewhat out of order 

Apologies to you all but technically I am challenged sometimes 

Hope you enjoy the reads.....

Day 10-Le Mans to Saumur- 127 kms

After a great sleep we awoke to a beautiful day in Le Mans at about 7.00am and the youth hostel had a lovely self serve breakfast where we loaded up on baguettes for the day ahead

Our plan was to get out of the city to go to the Le Mans 24 hour race track to say we had been there and send a note to a few of our “petrol head “ mates

Getting to the track was really easy and although we could not get in as the track was closed, we managed a photo of the entrance courtesy of a chap from the UK who was doing a similar thing as us.... he was traveling back home on his motorcycle after traveling through France 

After visiting the race track it would be fair to say that the exit out of Le Mans became a little challenging so we made for a baloungari to settle our nerves and recalibrate our travels 

This was a wise investment of time and only goes to prove our routine of taking at least an hour to get out of major cities 

From Le Mans we made reasonable progress to Le Flèche which is a pretty city on the banks of the Loire. Lunch consisted of a baguette sandwich a rhubarb cake and a drink of fruit juice on the banks of the river.... very pleasant 

After lunch we made our way to the bike path along a disused railway track and although it was pretty the surface made for slow travel compared to the road

The 50 km ride to Saumur was punctuated by several stops to look at some very impressive houses and to refresh ourselves with water.... I managed 3 refills of my bottle during the day despite the temperature being in the mid 20’s 

We arrived at our hotel in Saumur close on 7.00pm and had a quick shower before heading in to town for dinner 

The most efficient way to travel was on bike... a lot lighter without our bags

Along the way the route we took reminded me of the trip Ric  Hallgren and I made a few years ago with Bikestyle Tours when we stayed in Saumur 

Chris and I managed to get through a plate of pasta each,half a pizza and a bowl of ice cream ( 2 boules) .... we were hungry!!!

It is now 10.20pm

As I do this blog and the sun is setting after a another wonderful day of riding in pretty country 

At the Le Mans race track 

On the Loire river in Le Flèche at lunch

Another view of the Loire at Le Flèche 

A lovely building in Le Flèche 

A canal off the

Loire 

..... Drinks at last with 10 kms to go!!!

Chris and I thought we might buy this house????

Home for the night in Saumur