France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 3

Distance this section : 291km
Distance completed : 1058km

Lovely riding by the sea.

Two days should be enough rest, in fact it is more like two and a half, as I only have a short day out of Donville.  I ride past my parents' old house, it is still there.  A few big hills today, I feel a bit stronger but still need to push sometimes.  Nonetheless I get to Tessy-sur-Vire where I plan to camp not much after 4pm, however the campsite is shut, they are setting up for a festival on it.  My GPS comes to the rescue, there's another campsite nearby in Domjean, it seems to be free and is very nice, it has toilets with actual paper!  Also a shop next to it, where I buy strong beer by mistake...

One of numerous memorial tanks along the Norman coast.

That beer was definitely an error, next morning I ride the wrong way for an hour, not great.  The right way has some nice cycle route by a river for a few miles, but after that there are many steep hills.  Destination today is Bayeux, I remember last time I was around these parts I took a direct route along main roads which worked well, this time I follow a signed cycle route which is... not great, lots of climbing, lots of weaving about.  I don't really have time to sightsee in Bayeux, instead I head straight for an excellent Chinese buffet.  It has whelks, well this is France.

Pegasus Bridge.

From Bayeux I head to the coast, and then ride along it, easy and scenic riding, also interesting as these are the Normandy Landing beaches, there are many memorials, informational plaques and so forth.  I pass the ferry terminal at Ouistreham, then cross the historic Pegasus Bridge before heading back to the coast, tonight's stop being the pretty seaside town of Houlgate.  I briefly consider taking a day off here, but I'm only three days out of Donville, and it would mean a seven day stretch without a break next, onwards it is then.

The throbbing heart of Brionne on a Sunday.

I leave the coast, through charming countryside with many half timbered buildings, some even have thatched roofs, very quaint.  An easy enough day too, mostly flat including a section of old railway leading out of Pont-l'Évêque.  I've managed to forget it is Sunday again though, doh.  Brionne has many bars, all shut, I am directed to the football club by the campsite who sell me a couple of beers, then thankfully a creperie is open and I can get a decent meal.  Time for that day off, I have just about earned it, nice to have a rest, do washing and bike maintenance, I also find time to visit the ruined eleventh century Donjon overlooking the town, and even read one of the campsite's collection of French children's books.  And tonight the bars are open, yay.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 2

Distance this section : 303km
Distance completed : 767km

I love the baby cheeses.

Leaving Amboise, at least I no longer have an appointment to keep so the days are slightly shorter, it's still hilly however and I'm feeling tired. Pleasant surroundings though, France continues to be very rural, although there are different crops here in Normandy, cider apple orchards and fields of maize line my route. I make camp at Houssay, just south of Le Mans, it is very cheap, the girl on reception says that is because we're in Normandy. A nice place anyway, with a big lake where one can hire pedalos and such like, I've pedalled enough though so instead I get merguez and frites, and of course a beer or two.

Roman temple remains.

More Norman countryside the next day, and a few points of interest - I pass the Babybel factory at Evron, then ride through the Roman town of Jublains, where there are the ruins of a pre-Christian temple. Normandy seems a little more civilised than further south, I'm actually seeing convenience stores in many villages, this is good. But still, I have failed to allow for the fact that today is Sunday, my plan was to buy some food and eat at the campsite, I'm staying in Mayenne which is really quite a large town so there are certainly shops, but of course they are all shut. All the restaurants seem shut too, maybe I can get takeaway food and a beer or two in a bar? Nope, bars are all shut as well - in the end I get takeaway pizza, and they sell me a few cans of beer too. Stupid country though...

Time for another test of the brakes.

Day seven of cycling, and I am feeling rather broken, my legs have no strength and pretty much every hill sees me pushing the bike. It is nice therefore to do a stretch on the 'veloscenic', a signed route running from Paris to the Mont Saint Michel, this section is along an old railway line and so nice and flat. I'm sorry to leave it and head north towards Avranches, not least as I remember from my last ride through the town it is built on top of a large hill. But in the event this time I find a better route, and from there it is only a little way further to Donville-les-Bains, where as luck would happen my parents now have a little pied-à-terre. It is very nice indeed to have a couple of days rest there, in a proper bed and everything.

Patton Memorial in Avranches.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 1

Yes, it's another cheap tent from Decathlon.

Distance this section : 464km
Distance completed : 464km

Is it time for another little adventure?  Why yes, I think so - really quite a little one this time, a cycle ride of just a bit over 2,000 kilometers.  What, that is totally little!  Anyway, the plan is to start from Lacanau-Océan on France's Atlantic coast, where I've been enjoying a convivial family holiday, ride north to hit the English Channel in Normandy, and from there west as far as Belgium and Holland before taking a ferry to England.  Should be fun and hopefully largely flat.

Giving the bike a bit of a test out on a forest track.

I begin with a lovely ride to Bordeaux, along a beautiful, flat and well-surfaced cycle route through pine forest, and make good time - seems I have not completely lost my ability to do this.  A small hitch does arrive in Bordeaux, my planned route over a very large bridge is impassible as the cycle path is shut, necessitating a detour on what is already a long day.  Still, the detour, involving another big bridge, does at least let me ride past the fascinating, and massive, World War II submarine base, sadly I forget to photograph it though.  I have as far to ride again after Bordeaux, and the way is hilly now, this is hard going.  I cross another bridge, the impressive Pont Eiffel, stop for lunch (cheese of course), and find I am running low on water - I try to use my GPS device to find a shop but then its batteries die, oops, I really need a shop now.  I try to navigate by the sun, this does not work too well, and remember all too late that French villages don't really have shops, barring of course the boulangeries that a) only open in the morning and b) only sell bread.  I at least manage to find water from some random roadside taps, then remember that I can navigate using my phone, this gets me to La Roche-Chalais where there is an actual supermarché,  I make camp, cook some pasta and drink wine, all good.

Fortifications in  Château-Larcher.

There's a big thunderstorm during the night, my new tent holds up well - yes, another Decathlon £20 job - even though I only bothered to use three tent pegs.  Today I'm riding through familiar country from two years ago, there are many rivers, I bomb down to cross them but it is hard work getting up the other side, often there is pushing involved.  I also do a bit of off road, the bike (also new from Decathlon, believe it or not) just about copes.  I make good time, today to the familiar campsite at Mansle, getting there for 5pm.  Plenty of time to find a restaurant, one I'd wanted to visit last time but it was of course shut.  I am not disappointed by the monstrous burger washed down with much wine.  From Mansle, I follow my route from 2016, but in the opposite direction of course.  There are chateaux, vineyards and fields of sunflowers ready to harvest, it is all very pleasant... a slight shame I've left my cycle helmet in Mansle, never mind, honestly I don't go fast enough to really need it.  A little bit more off road action, and more annoyance with rural France as there are no shops for me to buy lunch from.  Eventually I eat a late one in Poitiers, there are mini pizza crackers and even some beer, worth the wait.  Then only a little further to Bissay, a nice place with, of course, an impressive chateau, not to mention an actual bar.

Amboise.

One more long day will get me to Amboise - I've been forcing the pace a little, the plan being to meet my brother and family for dinner tonight, they had an extra few days in Lacanau-Océan and are now driving north, moving rather more quickly than me.  But in fact, I make pretty good time, much of the route being along the river Vienne, making for largely flat, and also very scenic riding.  Then a little up and down, and I'm in Amboise before 5pm - actually beating Dan which is nice.  A pleasant little campsite too, located on the Ile d'Or in the middle of the Loire, there is a good view of the chateau from here.  And if communication issues at the restaurant result in rather more charcuterie turning up than expected, well, not the end of the world...

Photos to go with this post can be found here

Cotswolds : Day 7

Traction action!

Last day of the Cotswold Way, I think I could probably do with a rest, it has actually been pretty strenuous what with the various detours to campsites.  More hills today, and once again all manner of interesting stuff too - various manor houses, some very pretty little villages with houses of local stone with thatched roofs, and at one point I even pass a pub as a number of miniature steam traction engines pull up outside.  And why not.  Later on is a fairly substantial town, Broadway, filled with tourists checking out the various historic buildings, and on a hill above it a rather charming little castle.

Broadway Castle.

Not much of the way remains, before long I am at the end in Chipping Campden, unsurprisingly there are many historic stone buildings here, and next to one of them there is even a marker for the end of the Cotswold Way!  Well that is good, another UK National Trail done, it was a good one I must say, nice to do some walking in Britain, and much respect to the volunteer wardens who keep this trail in good shape.  I didn't have to apply for any kind of permit to do it either!  Of course I can't rest just yet, it is another five miles or so to the nearest train station at Honeybourne which means some less than pleasant road walking, and a bit of footpath through fields, where of all the luck I get set upon by a tick of some kind.  Hopefully not carrying any horrid diseases but we'll see... either way, I am sure I'll be off on my travels again soon.

That is six long distance trails done now!

Photos to go with this post can be found here

Cotswolds : Day 6

A long barrow.

After a night in a somewhat bigger tent than usual - Austin has one of those huge things with multiple 'sleeping pods' - I head back out of Cheltenham, at least on the way back I know to avoid the closed footpaths.  Still a long day though, another twenty mile plus walk, and of course there are more hills.  Better weather today at least, and again great views, of Cheltenham and its racecourse, and into the distance the Malverns are visible.  The route circles around Cleeve Hill where there is a trig point and yet another topograph, then a little further a well preserved looking long barrow.  From here it is not far to the little town of Winchcombe, a pretty place with many half-timbered houses, still a couple of miles to the campsite but it has gone six o'clock and I need a beer.  A couple in fact, after which I do make it to camp, thankfully pretty much on the route and a bargain at a mere eight pounds for the night.  More money saving ensues as for the second night of the trip I tuck into some 'home cooked' couscous...

Winchcombe.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

Cotswolds : Day 5

Cooper's Hill.

Day five of my little walk in the west country, and it's a long one, I reckon at least twenty-two miles or so, mainly as I plan to make a substantial detour to find a campsite to the south of Cheltenham.  My old mate Austin is driving over from Wales to meet me there - I reckon he probably wasn't up for wild camping in the woods somewhere.  I also suspect he is to blame for the rain that continues to fall on and off - he always was good at making water fall from the sky, somehow or other.

Pencil shaped bollards in suburban Cheltenham.

The route continues to be hilly but very scenic, and there are plenty of points of interest, for instance early on I pass Cooper's Hill, scene of the annual cheese rolling event which is known the world over as a prime example of 'stuff those whacky Brits do'.  Then more hills and more hill forts, before leaving the Way and making a descent towards Cheltenham.  My route leads through suburban streets, plus a few footpaths, which unfortunately mostly seem to be shut due to construction work, a bit of a pain as I have to detour around.  I nonetheless beat Austin to the campsite, but don't have to wait long before heading off to a pub for beer and fish and chips, it is all most cheap.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

Cotswolds : Day 4

Dursley market house.

It seems the recent dry spell, most of which I wasn't in the country for of course, has come to an end, it rains all night and is still drizzling when I come to pack up the tent.  I can live with this...  The walking begins with a steep descent into Dursley, nice little place, I like the market house with its effigy of Queen Anne.  Then back up into the hills again, views not so great today what with the rain, but still plenty of interest.  I walk past a neolithic barrow, a trig point and more topographs - there have been a lot of them.  Seems more hilly today, lots of climbing up and down through woods.  Makes for a long day, it is past six by the time I reach camp just outside Painswick.  Nice campsite, I get a shower, there's even a communal space where I 'cook' some couscous, getting my long distance walk routine back now.  Campsite is oddly empty mind, so into the historic, stone built centre of Painwick for a beer or two...

A topograph.

Photos to go with this post can be found here