Hanoi Christmas!

Floral display by Hoan Kiem Lake.

More blogging!  Well, the cycling in Thailand was fun, but I really did want to get to a new country - and in fact, I do now have to leave Thailand, again, to get yet another new visa, so, virtue out of necessity once again, I am off to Hanoi.  Well, I may as well use the Vietnam visa I bought in the hope of cycling there...

First impressions of Hanoi?  Honestly not the greatest, a pall of pollution hangs over the city, I get off the bus from the airport thinking I can see the river that my hotel is near, but it turns out to be a massive lake, also pretty badly polluted judging by the numerous dead fish floating on the surface.  I now of course have to walk pretty much all the way around the lake, it is pleasant enough, barring the constant swarm of fast moving, horn beeping mopeds that clog the roads here.  Getting towards the old city these things become a real problem, just crossing the road here seems to mean taking your life into your hands, and walking beside it isn't easy either, while there is a pavement, the locals seem to think it is there for them to park those mopeds on.

In the Ho Chi Minh museum.

Things seem to be kind of small here... my hotel is small, as is my room, the streets are lined with little, box like shops, cafes and bars, with wares and seating spilling out onto the road.  Indeed, I end up spending an evening at a bar where the music - which is excellent - consists of a band set up on the opposite side of the road.  There are lots of tourists about, local children dance around in the street, and adding to the party atmosphere are the fires that people are making out of scrap cardboard and so forth in the street, as you do.  All quite fun anyway.

Uncle Ho's mausoleum.

There is of course a lot of sight seeing to do here, there are many interesting museums for instance.  I visit the old palace complex, not many of the original buildings survived - apparently the French demolished many of them - but there are many exhibits, with a lot of finds from a nearby archaeological site which I also wander around, it is certainly a nice escape from the traffic.  The presidential palace complex is not quite so exciting, I peer at Ho Chi Minh's old house while many Chinese tour guides herd their groups around, and speaking of 'Uncle Ho', his mausoleum is here of course, plus a large museum dedicated to him, all very interesting.  The well preserved body of the father of the nation is worth a look to be sure... from the museum, I get the feeling Ho has slotted right in to the role of virtuous leader, which in Thailand is filled by their many kings.  Indeed, visiting the impressive military museum, the history described there begins with independence from China, around a thousand years ago, progresses through numerous legendary kings, and then segues straight into Ho's battle against first the colonial French, and then the 'American aggressors'.  There's also a large display of tanks, planes and so forth from the Vietnam war, all very cool.

Back to Hoan Kiem Lake, this is the famous Turtle Tower.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 6

Wat Mai in Lampang.  Yes it means 'new temple'.

Is there much to do in Lampang, Thailand's third city?  A quick internet search suggests a national park, and a restaurant I'm familiar with - because it is in Chiang Mai!  Both of these things are over eighty kilometres away...  Never mind, I am feeling too broken for much sightseeing in any case, I manage a little wander along the river, where of course there is a big temple, and then to a museum in a substantial 'ancient house' - over a century old - supported by hundred or so thick teak pillars.  I make an attempt to cure my upset stomach by eating a very large pizza, I don't know if it will work but it is good.  Then off to watch Arsenal play Southampton, in a veritable shrine to English football, there are scarves and flags everywhere - just a shame about the result.

So much teak.

Still feeling bad the next day, I do what I probably should have done a couple of days ago and head to a chemist to buy some pills.  I seem to be able to keep pedalling at least, though not without problems - the bike doesn't want to go into first gear, this is not ideal, I'm pretty sure I will need it today.  I manage to fix it after a fair amount of faffing about, and then first gear is indeed needed, up into the hills I go, crossing the railway line near the Doi Kun Tan tunnel entrance, and then climbing the mountain that the tunnel cuts through.  I manage to pedal pretty well, but have to push for the last mile or two to the top, where I leave Lampang province and enter Lampun - I'm not going to Lampun the town though, have been there before after all.  It is at least all down or flat from here, though for a while the road is unpleasantly busy, and also being dug up so there is no shoulder for me to ride on - I'm very glad to pull off onto a minor road, joining a familiar route by the railway line back into Chiang Mai.

Well this is awfully civilised.

Well this was all good fun, a shame about not getting to Laos but never mind, I certainly had a very interesting trip around the northern region of Thailand.  Good to practice my Thai as well I suppose... and indeed, it was very handy to be able to read the signs with things like 'hotel this way'.  I suspect also that by staying in Thailand I had a much better quality of road, though clearly the Thais are not satisfied with their highway network just yet, there was an awful lot of widening going on.  Still, I can see me doing this again, there is a lot more of the country to explore, and maybe there are other borders that I'd actually be able to cross.  Myanmar isn't far away...

Massive statue of revered local monk Khruba Sriwichai.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 5

Animals paying homage to Taksin the Great.

For the third time, I ride to the old city of Sukhothai, but this time I keep on, along a broad highway leading west towards Myanmar - I am not going to get that far, this time.  There's little traffic, I am passed, slowly, by several improvised lorries - what look like basically the wheels, suspension and engine of an old pickup truck with a much larger body built on from steel bars and wooden planks.  Destination today is the town of Taak, once again the capital of a province with the same name, I cannot seem to say this word right, people ask where I am going and then look blankly when I say the name.  I pass a monument to King Taksin the Great, governor of the province at the time of the sack of Ayutthaya, who rallied the Thais and declared himself king - the monument is a copy of a bigger one which is Taak's main tourist attraction, that and a historic suspension bridge over the Ping river.  Taak doesn't seem to be very set up for tourists, I check in to a hotel which is very posh compared to the one in Sukhothai, but then struggle to find a restaurant, eventually I eat at an even posher hotel, it's only me dining and the food is expensive and actually not that nice, but never mind.

Islands in the Ping.

Next morning I visit the Taksin monument, actually the English signs call it a shrine, and indeed there are locals paying respect, the people in these parts are descended from animists and ancestor-worshippers and sometimes it shows.  I ride along the Ping, the same river as runs through Chiang Mai though much broader here, it is very pleasant barring the dogs that sometimes dash out to bark at me.  Hills are crowding around the road now, I know I will have to cross mountains to get back to Chiang Mai, but not today, the road stays flat, it is a long day though, and my stomach feels rather odd.  There's no big city for me to stop in tonight, instead I end up in the small town of Toen (pronounced 'turn').  It is little more than a truck stop, but there's a hotel which is very cheap and perfectly serviceable.

I think I might need to lower the saddle a bit...

Onwards, I head north on route 1, I'm really not feeling good now, painful stomach cramps strike at intervals and I have to stop and sit down, still I keep going.  The surrounding terrain grows more and more hilly, there are no more plains or paddy fields, instead steep wooded slopes rise to either side.  Still, the road maintains a manageable grade, and I keep pedalling.  Late in the afternoon I stop for a snack at Thailand's ubiquitous convenience store, 7-11, opposite yet another massive statue of a legendary king, this time Naresuan, he of 'fought the crown prince of Burma to the death on elephant-back' fame, they sure love their statues of kings here.  Pulling away again I realise I actually have a puncture!  First one of the trip, but it's easily fixed, and not actually that surprising as the tread on my rear tyre is getting very thin.  I finish the day in Lampang, this is a big place, and I'm still feeling pretty grim, so I decide to take a day off.

On the approach to Lampang - big place for horse and carriage riding it seems.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 4

Replica of the Ramkhamhaeng Stele, with the King himself behind.

I consider spending one day wandering around the old city of Sukhothai, and one looking at the sights of the modern town - but it turns out there's really nothing to see in the new city so two days of old ruins it is then.  There are certainly enough of them, the place is similar in scale to Angkor Wat, though it has to be said the architecture is not nearly as impressive.  Still, there are very many old chedis, the gold leaf and stucco long gone, revealing the brick structure beneath.  I walk through forests of laterite columns, and marvel at giant Buddha statues, some of them in pretty good shape - recently restored I suspect.  Many of the temples are surrounded by substantial lakes, attracting plenty of hungry birds, it is all very tranquil, and there's a good sized museum too, with many articles recovered from the site - why yes, most of them are indeed Buddha images.

Wat Mahathat.

There's more the same on my second day in Sukhothai - I feed massive catfish by Wat Traphang Thong, then cycle or wander on foot, looking at ruined temples built in various styles, some like Angkor Wat built from solid stone blocks, others more typically Thai, and constructed from layers of brick.  As with the chedis, the remains of massive Buddha statues reveal the brick interior, cunningly shaped so that with a coating of stucco the result is a human form.  I must admit though, I am getting a little bit tired of the Buddha, though the massive one at Wat Si Chum is impressive for sure.  Still, I miss the cartoon animals and superheroes of the modern temples... never mind, there is something different around the corner, I find a substantial ancient industrial site, in the process of investigation and conservation by archaeologists.  Some fifty pottery kilns  have been unearthed, and fragments of centuries old plates litter the ground, all very cool.

Wat Si Chum.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 3

Miuang Pii.

I continue to follow route 101 south, it's flat and easy going, there is a bit of traffic though so when I get the chance I turn off onto a minor road.  It is nice and quiet, I ride through plantations of rubber trees, each with a strip of bark cut away and a bowl attached to catch the sap.  Back to the highway, I climb up to reach a high point, the border between Naan and Prae provinces.  Checking my GPS, it reckons the nearest hotel is in Prae the city, that would be a very long day, I am glad to find one thirty kilometres earlier, it even has a nice bar attached.

Teak house at Prae.

I make it a lazy day to Prae, why not, this gives me time to visit the Miuang Pii forest park on the way, an interesting place where the various types of volcanic rock have eroded to form tall columns - the name means, 'city of ghosts'.  I have plenty of time for sightseeing in Prae too, it's another nice, unspoilt place with a pleasant walking trail along the city wall, many old teak houses, and a lot of museums too.  One next to my hotel is dedicated to the Free Thai movement, the resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War Two. Pretty dead in the evening here mind you, though after some wandering I find a restaurant, by the bus station.

Crossing into Uttaradit province.

I keep on south, route 101 has got pretty busy, but I find some minor roads leading up into the hills, I seem to be stronger now and manage to keep pedalling.  I leave Prae province, into Uttaradit, if it sounds Indian that is because like many names here it is derived from Sanskrit.  Once again the provincial capital has the same name, and seems a good place to stop - it's a bit of a letdown after Naan and Prae though, straight streets lined with modern(ish) buildings, many shops at ground level, all shut at night of course.  Nonetheless I find a bar, and eat some tasty Tom Yam Gung.

Clock tower in modern Sukhothai.

I seem to have left the mountains behind, the way ahead looks flat, so I can do a long day, over a hundred kilometres to Sukhothai.  I find a route away from the main road, this makes for nice cycling between the paddy fields, with various bird species fishing in them. I make good time to Sukhothai, the first capital of Thailand, they say - to be honest a somewhat dubious claim, it was just one of many city states in the region, and the story of legendary king Ramkhamhaeng inventing Thai script can be taken with a pinch of salt.  The old city is twelve kilometres away, it sounds very impressive, so I decide to take two days off to explore, and find a slightly down at heel hotel - but no matter, there is food and beer nearby.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 2

It was worth riding up this way just for the scenery.

Day four of my trip turns out to be a hell of a day, so many hills, all day I am going up and down, sometimes so steep I can barely push up, and I am testing the brakes on the way down too.  There are some lovely views at least, but it takes some ten hours to reach my destination, Chiang Klaang... I have my own little flat today, courtesy of a nice Norwegian chap named Tomas - he even gives me his dinner to eat and goes to buy me beer while I shower.  And I get to watch Arsenal destroy Tottenham, can't be bad.  A slight downside, Tomas reckons the Laos border police won't let me take my bike through - we shall see...

Army monument on the road to Naan.

Of course the last bit of Thailand - hopefully - involves more crazy hills, but it is only sixty kilometres, and I reach the Laos border at 3:30pm.  And indeed, Laos border control tell me I can leave my bike and walk in if I want to, but I can't take the bike without papers from a tour company.  I suspect they are worried that lone travellers will be attacked by bandits!  A kafkaesque process ensues, I push the bike up the large hill that sits between the Thai and Laos checkpoints, only to be told I have to go back again and buy a Laos visa, just so that I can get back into Thailand...  This is all a little bit annoying, not least, my GPS reckons there are many hotels a mile or so into Laos, back in Thailand there is maybe, one.  It turns out to be a... half built military museum?  But, I chat to an army cadet who is hanging about, and he shows me a nice little, brand new house I can stay in, the price being a donation, amount 'up to me'.  Good thing I knew that phrase.

So, no real choice but to head back the way I came, it is still very pretty, and at least more down than up in this direction.  I stay on route 101, the main highway in these parts, for eighty kilometres or so, as far as the small town of Pua.  I am just in time for a pleasant stroll around the lake opposite my hotel as the sun sets, and the locals enjoy a bit of Zumba!  Searching the internet for 'bar Pua' is a bad idea it seems, but I find a nice one anyway.

Temple with a fine view over Naan.

From here it's a short, easy run to Naan, the provincial capital, time for day off I think.  Kind of unspoilt here, plenty of Thai tourists, but no farang apart from me.  Good to have a day of sight seeing, I climb a big hill with a fine view of town, and visit many temples, one of which has the famous 'Hak Naan', that is, 'Naan whisper' - part of a large mural, it depicts a heavily tattooed gentleman making what I am sure is an entirely proper suggestion to a traditionally dressed young lady.  There are no bars here!  My first night, I end up in a restaurant by the river where I am only customer, a bit awkward to be honest.  On the second night I do rather better, finding a no frills little place that going by the posters and indeed video they have playing, is run by local celeb, chef Uthai.  He even comes out for a chat, and compliments me on my Thai!

Whisper whisper.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Southeast Asia : 1

Hot springs.

Time for another cycling adventure!  I am back in Chiang Mai, having spent a month brushing up on my Thai, but my visa is about to run out so I need to leave the country.  My plan then is to make virtue from necessity, and ride over the border into Laos, and then on to Vietnam.  What can go wrong?  I start by heading out of town on Highway 118, it is flat and arrow straight, so easy enough for the first thirty kilometres or so.  But then I hit mountains, this is hard going, a climb up to three thousand five hundred feet, and it doesn't help that they are rebuilding the road, slogging up a gravel surface is not great.  Still, I can often ride or push on the packed dirt of the new road, avoiding the traffic.  And it sure is nice to stop along the way for a paddle in a cool mountain stream....  On the other side of the hill I find hot springs, huge fountains of sulphurous water, most cool - well, actually hot, so hot people are boiling eggs!  Next to the springs there is an amazing Angkor Wat themed resort, half built then abandoned...  A little further is my hotel, turns out the 'room' is little wooden house in traditional Thai style, no restaurant though so I head back to the hot springs for pad Thai.

My own little cottage.

There's more up and down the next day, worth it for the beautiful mountain scenery, including an impressive waterfall at my lunch stop.  I consume som tam, allegedly made with a single chilli - if so it was a big one.  It's a long push to high point, then a fun freewheel for ten kilometres or so, and then not far to my destination for the day, Phayao, a decent sized place nicely located by a lake.  My hotel here is a bit of a change, it has all mod cons, and I also find a rather classy restaurant with music, where I think I confuse them by eating two persons worth of food - barring all the salted egg anyway.

Next morning I take time to visit the lake, take a photo or two, and make like the Thai tourists and feed the fish - no western tourists here.  Then an easy day of cycling across a flat flood plain, stopping for lunch in Jum, guay tiaw luuk chin muu, that is noodles with pork balls.  I reach Chiang Kam before 3pm, it's not much of a place, but I find a nice hotel for only three hundred Baht, and a bar with good food, plus shouty Thai men.  It turns out they are the band, the music is good, if loud.

Phayao Lake.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 7

Distance this section : 329km
Distance completed : 2,162km

Tower on the outskirts of Den Haag.

I follow a familiar route from Amsterdam, through Haarlem then down the coast, this is the way that I went on a rather shorter trip a few years ago - it seemed a long way to cycle at the time.  Now it doesn't seem too far, which is good as the weather has turned, it rains on and off, and there seems to be a strong wind against me the whole way, this makes for hard riding for all that it is totally flat.  It's good to get on the ferry, which doesn't depart until 10pm, but they let me board at seven, time for dinner, beer, and sleep then.

Back in England, I found canals to ride along here too.

Not enough sleep mind you, this is not a long crossing so I need to get up early, breakfast is welcome anyway.  Not so welcome is making a cold start through a constant drizzle of rain, my feet quickly go numb, this is really not terribly pleasant.  The going is flat enough through Essex, but English cycle paths are a bit of a shock to the system after the smooth tarmac I enjoyed on the continent.  One long off road section is the Flitch Way, yet another old railway line, and mostly not too bad, but some sections are horrible rutted mud.  I ride through the exotic environs of Colchester, Braintree, Bishops Stortford, and on to Stevenage, to spend a pleasant evening with my Aunt and Cousins, being back in England I can have a proper roast Sunday dinner, yay.

Avoiding English roads by any means necessary.

One last section to do, I really need a rest now.  England feels very built up, I cross many motorways, my route is mostly off road though, there is more old rail line, and plenty of canal tow path too - the paths are still terrible compared to France and the Low Countries, sometimes more like a muddy, rutted farm track than anything else.  Unsurprisingly I get a puncture, and progress is slow, this route seems longer than the ninety-nine kilometres I thought it was.  It's getting dark by the time I cross the Thames, my lights go on, I'm riding on roads now and there is scary traffic, English drivers often making no allowance for my presence.  I make it as far as my brothers place, I was planning to just pop in and say hi, and indeed they say they're tired after a weekend away and will have an early night, but this suits me just fine, I'm sure they are happy to have an unexpected guest for the night.  Then the following morning I just have another half hour to ride, albeit on a very unpleasant road, to mum and dads and that is the end of the trip.

Millenium milepost - one thing they don't have on the continent.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 6

Distance this section : 279km
Distance completed : 1833km

In the tunnel.

I follow a cycle path alongside a railway line from Ghent as far as Antwerp, it is very flat.  In fact all the land here is flat, no sign of hills, the horizon is not far away, it does make this country feel kind of small.  Barring my way to Antwerp is the Sheldt, somehow much bigger here than in Ghent - how to get across?  The answer turns out to be a tunnel, quite exciting with its funicular style lifts.  Antwerp is a big, busy port city - I do glimpse some historic looking bits, no time to stop though.  Along a canal to the wonderfully named Sint Job in 't Goor, where I camp and obtain pizza, and yes, more yummy beer.

Polders.

I ride into Holland without noticing, it is also very flat, but seems to have more trees than Belgium.  There are lots of other bikes here, all going faster than me, though I do notice many of them seem to be electric - can't help but feel this is cheating.  I ride along the top of dikes and past windmills, then through Dordrecht, a large and industrial seeming place.  A little to the north of the city I find a rather expensive campsite, but at least have a cheap meal of tent pasta.

Much water, very wet.

More Dutch scenery follows, I ride through polders, narrow rectangles of cultivated land between parallel drainage ditches.  Then through the outskirts of Rotterdam and back into the countryside - Holland is really very wet, my path is often a little strip of land with substantial bodies of water to either side.  Getting into the afternoon, I ride alongside the river Amstel, this is turning into a long day, finally I make it into Amsterdam, and then out the other side to camp at Durgerdam.  This is a familiar spot, it is still very nice with the little wooden houses on one side of the dike, and houseboats moored up on the other.  Seems I am here just in time for the weather to change, I take a day off during which it rains a fair bit, so I mainly sit around in Amsterdam and drink beer, then back to the campsite - last night's burger was good, and so, it turns out, is the spätzl.

Durgerdam.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 5

Distance this section : 243
Distance completed : 1554

Missing of the Somme Monument.

I continue along the Veloroute Memoriale as far as Arras, passing many WW1 cemeteries and indeed monuments - a notable one being to the Missing of the Somme, some seventy thousand names engraved on it, just those whose bodies were never found, in this one region, and in fact just from the English and South African forces.  A little further on is the  Canadian Monument at Vimy Ridge, here the ground is a mass of craters, and there are restored trenches for me to walk through, wondering about the huge sacrifices made a hundred years ago, for so little.

At the Belgian border.

My route takes me into the Pas de Calais, a populous region it seems, and there are massive slag heaps showing the mining history around here.  This, the canals, and brick houses makes it all feel quite English.  I ride through the suburbs of Lille, a very big place, big enough to have actual young people, and also beggars.. then a bit of countryside, and I am into Belgium without ceremony.  Not far to my first Belgian campsite at Tournai, a nice place with cobbled streets, and a substantial triangular 'square' hung with guild banners.  I get a pizza and some Leffe, well I am in Belgium now.

In Sint-Baafskathedraal, with whale skeleton.

I follow the river Scheldt out of Tournai, very easy and flat cycling this.  On through Oudenaarde, where some sort of horse festival is happening, there are all sorts from tiny ponies to big draught animals.  I make excellent time to Ghent, which turns out to be a really nice place to take a day off, there is much to see, such as the splendid medieval castle.  I visit the Cathedral and at least look at a copy of its famous altarpiece, the 'Adoration of the Mystic Lamb' - there is also an unexpected whale skeleton.  And my friend Chris has come to visit, much consumption of the wonderful Belgian beer ensues.

The Castle of the Counts.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here

France - Belgium - Holland Cycling : 4

Distance this section : 253km
Distance completed : 1311km

Crossing the Seine.

From Brionne, I follow a pleasant cycle route as far as Évreux, where I need to detour to Decathlon to buy some gas for cooking - it seems to be the only French stockist for standard threaded canisters.  I cross the Seine at Vernon, then ride into Giverny, where there are lots of tourists, day trippers from Paris it seems, drawn by a parade of gardens and art galleries.  A little further and I find myself on a familiar route, the Avenue Verte from London to Paris, indeed tonight I am heading back to Dangu, my first campsite in France back in 2016.  Good to get there, it has been a long day, sadly this time though there is no peacock.

Camping at Dangu again.

The next morning I ride a little further along the Avenue Verte, then a decent road route for most of day.  This seems to be chalk country, I see little quarries, and chunks of flint in the fields, it feels very English.  There are lots of other cyclists, generally (even!) older than me, they have better bikes though.  Mind you, I don't think their racers would be suited to the last fifteen kilometres or so of my route, the 'Coulée Verte' is another old rail line, but the 'verte' bit is right - much of the surface being grass.  Camp is at Loeuilly, not a lot here but it is no problem to ride a couple of kilometres back to Conty for beer and merguez.

On the Coulée Verte.

From Loeuilly, the Coulée Verte continues a little way, then I ride into Amiens, a substantial place which takes a while to get through, though much of it on riverside paths, so nice and flat.  Indeed I'm now alongside the 'Somme Navigable', and I am starting to pass World War 1 cemeteries - this will be a theme of the next few days.  But a short day today, good as I am tired, need to rest and do some washing.  Camp is in a proper town, Albert, so I treat myself to a fine dinner, there is ficelle picarde, it is good.

Relics of war in Albert.

Photos to go with this post can be found here

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