Setting Out

The plan is to cycle from the Channel coast of France via the Atlantic at La Rochelle to the Mediterranean coast near Beziers (swimming or at least paddling in each sea). The first leg was from La Rochelle to the Mediterranean - beginning in May. This leg finishes the trip taking us from Dinard back to the start point at La Rochelle.
I've attached maps of the route where possible - though the maps show the on-road route, not the cycle paths which we followed for the most part.

My sisters Lis and Cath joined for the second leg though our preparation doesn't quite match that of the real thing (shown in the video above) being mainly limited to sinking a bottle of wine and looking for cycling music on the internet.

Still, we managed to take our bikes to pieces, fit them in bike bags and transport them safely to the airport, after which we persuaded a French taxi driver to deliver us and bikes to our hotel where we reassembled them to a shape which we hope is close to the original.

I took a paddle in the sea to mark the northern end of the trip so tomorrow we are off!

Dinard to Trevron

About 50k to do today and mainly across country with a fair smattering of hills. That's probably why we all collapsed into bed at 10pm! On the positive side we have just worked out that 6 hours cycling uses about 2400 calories. Bring us the second bottle!









Stopped in Dinan for lunch and in a vain search for a bike shop as we have a few niggling problems which are making the ride less comfortable than it should be. Dinan is VERY steep. Some lovely villages along the river after Dinan though the weather isn't doing them justice at present - still overcast though warm and dry.






Very friendly and well presented B and B and as a bonus one of the other guests tightened a loose spindle in my rear wheel which had been making alarming noises as I rode along.
They seem to be very into hydrangeas in this part of the world - I have never seen so many colours and types in one place







.

Trevron to Mauron

First long trip today - around 60k and mostly cross country rather than cycle trails. They have obliging signposted the easy quiet roads though which makes life a lot easier.
Passed through the station for the 'velorail' a pedal-driven contraption running on an old rail line. Think I'll stick to my bike.













However they also had a rather nice toy train running around a track around the top pf the coffee bar - nice.


Arrived in Mauron around 5 and spotted a bike shop which will be our first port of call tomorrow.

102km to date

Mauron to Molac

Got bikes fixed before setting off and in theory this was going to be an easy day - all cycle path and not too far which was why we decided to take a quick detour down the Nantes Brest canal to Malestroit for lunch. Very nice detour but we then couldn't find the way off the cycle path which meant we ended up doing about 72k instead of the planned 60! Moreover although the day started overcast it got gradually hotter, up to 30 in the afternoon.
Eventually we flagged down a passing cyclist who led us to a narrow path down a bank- we would never have found it!





Molac is in the middle of nowhere - a tiny place. The hotel was not great but very friendly and we enjoyed sitting outside and watching the housemartins wheeling in the square and feeding their young on the wall of the hotel.
174km to date.

Molac to Guerande

The market square in Questembert.

No cycle routes available today so had to pick our way across D roads - quiet ones where possible. Brief stop at Questembert which was pretty then quietish roads almost as far as Arzal where there is a dam + road across the river.




Navigating through D roads on the other side we came across a signed route through back roads whick took us within 6 km of Guerande but then there was no option but the very busy D road across the salt marsh - horrible! After dicing with death for half an hour we were relieved to arrive in Guerande - a lovely little town though rather full of tourists.
Entrance to Guerande







Took a stroll around the town in the evening and ate some delicious galette (mine was Camembert and apple). Concert in town centre with very good unaccompanied female singing group. Forgot to ask their name though.

















Around the church in the main square was a sort of sculpture installation - lots of small metal figurines depicting people doing the activities particular to the salt marshes.



226 km to date. Getting hotter!

Guerande to Pornic

Morning started cloudy but if today is anything like the last few days pm will be baking.
To our relief discovered there are marked cycle trails - mix of offroad trails and on quiet roads as far as St Nazaire. They add about a third to the distance but take 90% off the anxiety. The thought of crossing the 6km very steep, very busy bridge was preying on our minds. Delighted to discover a 'ferry' in the form of a taxi which will take up to three bikes and riders over for twelve euros - done deal. You can just see part of the bridge and the view over the railings in these photo but it really doesn't convey its terrifying height.


The afternoon built up to 29 C so we were glad that the route from then on was back onto cycle paths. However they definitely add to the km, so it was gone six when we rolled into Pornic, a very pretty little harbour.











Comfortable hotel overlooking the old port. A bit noisy but the view was worth it.
66km today, total 292km.

Pornic to Fromentine

30 degrees forecast today and already hot when we set out.

Quite hilly on leaving Pornic but as we dropped down into the Vendee it was like cycling from West Wales into East Anglia with muddy creeks crisscrossing the landscape - many with fixed fishing nets - and then back into West Wales again.






Some imaginative person had also thought to broadcast wild flower seeds (poppies, cornflower etc) along the sides of the path which transformed the ride.




It was like cycling through the ends of the earth with isolated houses and tiny fishing ports here and there.





















We decided we didn't want to face the busy road from Beauvoir to Fromentine so decided to take the 5km tidal causeway to the Ile de Noirmoutier - which meant we were forced to dawdle over a leisurely lunch and bottle of wine waiting for low tide.









Theoretically you can cross from an hour before low tide but long before that cars were edging out along the causeway - some to park half way in the sea to look for oysters. We decided to go for it once the water was 4 inches deep as that guaranteed us a traffic-free crossing - but wet feet. Such fun!








Then along the island and over the bridge to Fromentine. Wall to wall caravans but a lovely beach and the hotel was very individual and attractive - sort of colonial style.
The only drawback to the resort was that it was so packed (being Aug 15) that we couldn't find any where to eat without a long wait so ended up buying pizza and a bottle of wine to eat on the terrace of our room.






And a beautiful sunset to round off the evening!
348km to date

Fromentine to Bretignolles

The diversity of this coast continues to surprise. From Fromentine which, though small, was surrounded by caravan sites, through huge multistorey developments in St Jean de Mont
and Notre Dame de Mont, all with wide sandy beaches. Then narrow sandy coves between rocky promontories






We stopped for lunch(v. nice) at Sion Plage, just north of St Gilles Croix de Vie - quite a busy sailing port.
Arrived at the hotel around 5 and still very hot so Cath and I took a swim (so the Atlantic swim can be ticked off the list).
The chef of our hotel ran a Michelin rated restaurant (no stars, but a good write up in the guide) but we weren't tempted by anything on the menu so walked miles into the town centre (such as it was) to find something to eat. Nothing very appetising but we had had an excellent lunch so no complaints.
401 km to date

Bretignolles to La Tranche sur Mer

A long one today (about 75km) so relieved that the weather is apparently going to be cloudy most of the day.

We started off with a great breakfast from our Michelin chef and were away by 9. We positively stormed along and covered 40km before lunch which we ate in Talmont . There wasn't much on offer so we were glad to find a little cafe offering very reasonable lunches in what seemed to be an extension to the car park in the shade of the chateau.


The waitress was not only quick and efficient but quite brave too as she had to cross the road from the cafe with every order!
Then cross country again to pick up the cycle path again in Longeville. The last 10km dragged (as it always seems to) and we arrived at our hotel around 6pm. The coast just seems to be more of the same...
478km down.

La Tranche sur Mer to Sainte-Radégonde-des-Noyers Tuesday 18

SO hot today - up to 45 degrees in the afternoon. but only 47 km - which was just as well in view of the heat.

Much of the trip was over reclaimed land in the Bay of Aiguillon and in fact you could see on the map which parts had been reclaimed when as slices were labelled 'prise 1, 2' etc. The Dutch again of course! It did mean that the ride was a bit disappointing from the point of view of scenery - though it was interesting to cycle past a rocky escarpment in the middle of seemingly

endless flat plains and realise that this was the original coastline.
We took a couple of hours out in the middle of the day to have a doze in the shade since we were concerned about arriving too early. All the same, when we arrived we were superheated and more than glad to sit in the shade in the garden and drink the cold drink offered by our landlord.
Really lovely bed and breakfast. The owners are Parisienne ex-journalists who spend the summer offering bed and breakfast, spring and autumn guiding birdwatching tours in the Baie d'Aiguillon and winter leading nature and art tours in Africa.
They seem to have it sorted!

Total 525km

Sainte-Radégonde-des-Noyers to La Rochelle Airport

The very last leg...

We estimated that it was about 30km to the airport and as our flight wasn't until 6.15 we thought this was pretty safe. However another hot day was promised so we decided to set off early and try to get most of the cycling out of the way before the real heat of the day.




We took the cycle path along the coast most of the way which afforded wonderful views but rattled us to pieces so cut inland to find the airport. Easier said than done. It's remarkably easy to conceal an airport! After about 45 minutes cycling in circles we finally managed to find the airport entrance around 1.30 - only to discover that the place was HEAVING with people. Most of the crush was due to a clutch of flights due to arrive or leave in the next hour so we decided to find a spot in the shade and wait for calm.



Then Lis discovered a sitdown restaurant with air-conditioning hidden inside the terminal so we were able to kill another hour.
As things calmed in the airport we set about taking our bikes apart for shipping - which provided endless amusement for our fellow passengers. The first one was a challenge (especially after a bottle of wine) but by the third we were pretty slick.





















So that's that- journey completed. 566 km on this leg, which, with the other leg, makes a total of almost 1500 really enjoyable kilometres (well I enjoyed them). Many thanks to my saddlesore, sunbaked companions - my sisters Lis and Cath and my daughters Emma and Laura.
Next year Brest to Budapest?

Monday 18 May - Ile de Re to Rochefort

It was pouring with rain and the weather forecast promised even more. Looked as though this might be more of a test of character than a holiday.
What a relief – the sun starting to peep through. Tony and our friends waved me off – though as we were planning to meet up for lunch later that day it wasn’t exactly farewell

I had been warned about the bridge between Ile de Re and ‘le continent’ but in fact the slope wasn’t challenging and there was a comfortingly large barrier between the traffic and the cycle lanes. The cycle path around the north of La Rochelle was a delight but the problem arose when trying to cut under the ring road

to get into the town centre. I had only a sketchy map and predictably took several wrong turns which must have added an extra 5 kilometres to the route. Crossing La Rochelle was simple though.

Well marked cycle paths led out past the port and then on to the coastal path which follows the impressive sweep of the bay south of La Rochelle. Lost the cycle path a few times going through various small towns and spent about 20 minutes in Angoulins looking for the way out. This may become a recurrent theme!

About 12h30 I rolled into Chatelaillon Plage where Tony and our friends were waiting for me with a cold beer and a pizza. Apart from the very welcome refuelling Bernard gave me a quick lesson in using a compass with a map so I should have less trouble finding my way out of small villages in future.
From Chatelaillon onwards the trip was easy though unremarkable and the weather continued to improve moment by moment until I arrived in Rochefort in bright sunshine.
I stayed at the Hotel Lafayette – an attractive, clean, friendly little 2 star hotel. I showered, changed and strolled to the main square where I relaxed and enjoyed a citron presse.
Later in the evening I went for a stroll around the ‘Corderie Royale’ where I was reminded of the incredible decibel level that female French teachers seem able to achieve. There was a school party being shown around – so I decided to cut my visit short!
By the way – the most feared words in any language: “ Go straight on, you can’t miss it”. Wrong!
60km so far - only another 800 to go.

Tuesday 19 May Rochefort to La Palmyre

Typical! Today the forecast was for sunshine so I woke up to drizzle. Warm drizzle though. Left Rochefort by the ‘pont transbordeur’ a rather idiosyncratic piece of 19th century engineering.
I had a choice of routes from Rochefort – back to the west along the Charente then south to Moeze and Brouage or through Echillais to the canal. I took advice from the hotel owner ( a keen cyclist) and headed off through Echillais. Bad decision! Getting to Echillais was OK but finding the canal proved a challenge. It must have taken me 40 minutes to cover what should have been 2km to the canal and when I got there the ‘piste cyclable’ on my side of the canal was a soggy grassy path; great for walkers but incredibly difficult for cyclists. And of course on the other bank was a perfectly level beaten earth track. After about 3km of bone-juddering effort I came to a bridge and gratefully crossed over – whereupon the other path immediately became a grassy obstacle course and on my original side of the canal the path transformed into an immaculate tarmac cycle path. I wearily retraced my steps and crossed back, only to find – yes you guessed it- that the tarmac path ran out after 200m or so and the other side once again offered an immaculate cycling surface. Damning all French mapmakers to hell I crossed back (again) and decided that since I still had about 50km to go before I reached my hotel and it was already approaching lunchtime I would cancel the detour to Brouage. Shame – it’s supposed to be very pretty but I was beginning to think I might not see my bed till midnight. In fact I was beginning to wonder if my target of 60km a day might not have been completely unrealistic.
From here on things got better. I carried on along the Canal de Seudre and intrepidly navigated myself through Marennes. The terrain around here is flat and desolate, cut with canals which make it difficult to go in straight line from A to B. It must be a great place for birdwatchers though. Then over the bridge (MUCH harder work than the bridge from the Ile de Re) towards Ronce les Bains. Great surface (I’m becoming a connoisseur of road surfaces) and ran through the forest within sound of the sea. I didn’t actually see the sea though, as to do so meant either lugging the bike 200 yards over a sand dune or leaving it and all my worldly goods unaccompanied. I had chosen to take the longer route on the cycle path rather than cut directly across the peninsula where I would have to negotiate traffic. All went swimmingly till about 2pm when I ran into a barrier across the path and a notice announcing that it was closed for widening. This left me with the option of a rather busy D road or ignoring the notice. Having been in France all of 3 days by now I was in the mood to ignore any rule which seemed inconvenient so I decided to press on and take my chance. I had enjoyed about 6 km of idyllic cyclepath when I spotted, in the distance, a total roadblock of bulldozers, lorries, diggers, tarmac layers etc etc. But – off to the right of the road was a forest path which appeared to run parallel to the piste and offered an alternative. Unfortunately after about 15 minutes the path started to head away from the bike path. Lorries were still charging up and down, so no possibility of rejoining the main path and I had no wish to retrace my steps. My trusty compass told me I was heading south and the sea was still on my right; it looked as though the path was a short cut to the lower part of the piste so I ploughed on. And voila, there it was exactly where I had calculated. I was quite proud of myself though rather hot and sweaty.
La Palmyre (when I got there) was a strange place. Very quiet, very clean, lots of tree-lined avenues. I wonder what it’s like in summer? I bet the cycle paths are thronged with nose-down, bum-up, lycra-clad cyclists. I suppose I was seeing it out of season but it seemed to be populated entirely by coach parties and retired people. A coach party of Belgians arrived while I was sat on the hotel terrace and for some reason they ALL stared at me as they walked in. I was tempted to rush in and check my ‘look’ in the mirror – but I know what it will be - ‘windswept and sunburnt’. The hotel (Le Palmyr’Hotel) was very much a coach tour hotel - but OK.

130km so far

Wednesday 20 May La Palmyre - Hourtin

The weather forecast lied again! The sun is out and there is a cool breeze. Perfect cycling weather. At the ferry at Royan by 10h00 which was much faster than I expected.
Along the way I took a few pictures of shore mounted fishing stations. Quite a feature of this part of the coast, they are remarkably similar in principle to the fishing nets seen in south India – just worked by motors instead of people.
This coast continues the impression given by La Palmyre. There is a smattering of the usual seaside tat and a smattering of shops selling shrimp nets but the general impression is of a place which is well manicured and very very quiet. I imagine it’s rather different in season.
It’s also clear that the same architect seems to have been responsible for all the seafront houses in pre first world war seaside resorts. They all look like Le Vesinet. Dinard, Biarritz, Royan – all identical.
I shared the queue for the ferry with three very serious Dutch cyclists. They were doing the St Jacques de Compostella route and have all the gear. And it all matches perfectly - identical jackets, panniers, shoes, hats
etc etc. I am humbled.
Once over the ferry it was cycling paradise – perfect road surfaces, flat or undulating paths. Of course you have to like pine forests. I stopped for lunch in Montalivet and the Dutch trio went past. I felt quite smug.
The last 10km was a bit of a flog. Don’t believe people who tell you that there are no hills in the Landes. My chambre d’hotes was a few kilometres off the cycle path and if I’d looked at the map closely I’d have seen that the road between was called the Petit Mont. In fact not a very steep hill but murderously long. For the first time I decided to get off the bike and push. It was only when I got to Cartignac that I realised there was a cycle path most of the way which skirts the worst of the hill.
The chambre d’hote was mediocre but pretty much what I expected from the website.
208 km so far

Thursday 21 May Hourtin - Lacanau ocean

Weather still holding up and the cycle path back from Cartignac to the main cycle path was much less of a killer than yesterday’s ride. I saw a tortoise on the path. Very small and obviously enjoying the heat of the tarmac. I am getting rather bored with pine forests though.
It was the same motorway as far as Carcans where I stopped for lunch. Then a surprise; it suddenly became a 50cm wide bumpy concrete strip. Much less pleasant to ride on and demanded some concentration not to fall off.
I arrived in Lacanau-Ocean at about 4pm and unfortunately another disappointing place to stay. The hotel (Hotel Oyat) was a bit grubby and my room stank of cigarettes. However I wasn’t planning to spend too much time in the room. It was lovely to sit out on the terrace overlooking the sea and watch the surfers.
The place is a mix. My first impression was quite unspoilt, wooded, very much a surfers’place. On the other hand the main street was full of the usual bars, clothes shops and tourist tat. On balance a young place though.
Despite the fact that the hotel was rubbish it had a very good restaurant so I treated myself to a good meal: Coquilles St Jacques facon Rossini (with foie gras). Yummy.
258km so far

Friday 22 May Lacanau Ocean - Bordeaux

My first puncture! I must have picked up a thorn at some point in the forest and discovered on leaving the town that my front tyre was flat. A moment of panic but in fact I just swopped the inner tube – no problems.
Splendid piste from Lacanau to Bordeaux but more kilometres of boring pine forest. For the first time I am beginning to find the need to cycle standing up some of the time. A beautiful day so I had to stop and plaster on the factor 50.
Just outside Lacanau I picked up a friendly Spaniard who decided to keep me company to Bordeaux. Nice chap but almost impossible to understand as he had a really strong Spanish accent. I also got rapidly tired of being told what to do, which turnings to take etc – all very well-meaning but I’ve got this far on my own. In fact one of the best things about this trip is to wake up every morning and know you have 60km between you and your next stop and only pedalpower and a map to get you there. I was quite glad when he stopped for a snack. I on the other hand hadn’t thought to bring a casse-croute so ran a severe risk of starving to death as none of the little villages en route seemed to have an open shop. I arrived in Ste Helene just as the supermarket was closing (12 – 3) and no way were they going to stay open an extra 5 minutes for some sweaty anglo-saxon on a bike. . That’s when you know you are in the south. Fortunately I found a small restaurant in Salaunes so was able to recharge my batteries.
I was nervous about cycling into Bordeaux along the main roads but it was really easy. Luckily I spotted a couple of cyclists heading back into town with a child on the back of the bike and they led me safely onto the cycle network.
Laura arrives on Saturday so it will be a non-cycle day – which will give me a bit of welcome recovery time. Very nice hotel (Hotel La Tour Intendance) right in the centre of the pedestrian area.
318km to date

Saturday 23 May Bordeaux

No cycling! I had a wander around the town in the morning, topped up my stock of maps and bought a new inner tube (just in case). Also stumbled across a map of the cycle path from Bordeaux to Toulouse along the Canal de la Garonne produced by the tourist office, Really useful! I am carrying about a ton of maps but it’s almost impossible to get a joined up view of the route. In the afternoon I took the shuttle out to the airport to meet Laura. Luckily the shuttle takes bikes in bags as luggage to no need to unpack her bike and cycle it back. Bordeaux is a great place to cycle in – but be warned, they hand out tickets to bikes as well as to cars!
The weather was still beautiful and the evening was warm and delightful. We had a wander round the town in the evening and ate outdoors in one of the squares. I’ve been to Bordeaux so many times for work but I’ve never had a chance to explore the centre properly. There was a major football match on that night but no problems in the town centre.

Sunday 24 May Bordeaux - Courpiac

Today’s ride is along a new cycle route which follows the line of an old railway line. We rode out of Bordeax along the riverside cycle path, over the bridge and south alongside the river. As mentioned before this is a really bike-friendly town. As it was a Sunday the path was full of cyclists doing the family outing thing. They were quite a mix: lycra-clad supermen and family outings with tiny tots trying desperately to keep up with dad on a full size bike.

The crowds slackened after Creon and we even saw a deer leap over the path ahead of us. The weather was beautiful, the path excellent and we arrived at 2h30, much earlier than expected. As our hosts were clearly unprepared we dropped off our bags and rode on to the next village for a cold beer then came back to the mill and slept most of the afternoon. We toyed with the idea of a dip in the pool – but it wasn’t quite hot enough. The day’s rest seems to have done the trick though as far as saddle-soreness is concerned. The chamois cream really helps too. No more pain!

The Moulin du Prieur is a lovely building in a beautiful spot. It’s a new b and b run by a very pleasant couple but the facilities are a bit rough around the edges – particularly when compared to some of the places we stayed in later.
358km

Monday 25 May Courpiac - Noillac

The cycle path ended at Sauveterre en Guyenne and from there we had to cut across country on D roads to La Reole on the Garonne. The plan was to buy bread or a sandwich in Sauveterre but of course, being Monday, everything was shut. I had planned a route on the ‘white’ roads on the Michelin map which proved to be easy and surprisingly flat.

La Reole was a surprise. Tiny but a medieval gem. It has the oldest Hotel de Ville in France (built by Richard Coeur de Lion), the Black Prince’s Palace, a huge priory built in the 9th century. Well worth a visit. This whole area seems to have formed the front line in the 100 years war and in addition was in the middle of the Cathar Crusade (Montsegur was 10km away). It’s packed with history, much of which you would miss in a car.

Unfortunately, despite all this history there seemed to be the usual shortage of food. Eventually we found a slightly down-at-heel Café des Sports which provided a cup of tea and a couple of sandwiches which we decided to take away and eat somewhere more salubrious.
We asked directions from a couple of schoolkids and attracted their derision by referring to the Garonne as a ‘riviere’. I’d forgotten how structured these things are in French. It is of course a ‘fleuve’! Later that even, over dinner in our b and b we were given an exposition on the difference between riviere/ fleuve/fleuve cotiere/ confluence etc. Ah there are times I miss the certainties of the French educational system.
Although the map doesn’t show it we were told by a couple of cyclists (also hunting unsuccessfully for something to eat in Sauveterre) that the cycle path now starts in Fontet and were delighted to discover that this the case. We followed it as far as Hure then cut off to our next overnight stop in La Tuilerie, near Noillac. It was a bit of a slog up and down hills and over D roads, but proved to be very worthwhile. We arrived 15 minutes before the heavens opened to a warm welcome with tea and brownies. . The other guests arrived around 6pm. They had been out for a bike ride and didn’t miss the downpour.
The evening was very convivial. Copious glasses of wine were served as ‘apero’ and under its influence we played table-tennis and table football with the son of the household while the daughter of the house practised for her drum exam upstairs. After an excellent dinner around the immense round table, talk turned again to table tennis and led to Johnny rushing out to the garage and returning with makeshift bats (cut out of a pine plank) and net (two brooms and a roll of tinfoil). We ended the evening playing 3 a side table tennis around the table. The house is beautiful and Alison runs a very hospitable and classy chambre d’hote. Definitely a place to revisit
Mileage to date 421km

Tuesday 26 May Noillac - Feugarolles

Our first rainy day – but only a light drizzle so not enough to spoil the ride. We are lucky though as apparently Bordeaux has been hit with major hailstorms since our departure. We tried a different route back to the canal and predictably got a little off track. The drizzle added to the gloom but once we got to the canal we just zoomed along – and the sun obligingly emerged. We stopped for a quick snack at the ‘Halte Nautique’ at Meilhan la Garonne and had a couple of mulberries for dessert from the trees growing in the picnic area.
We made a few detours – into Mas d’Agen for coffee (a very pretty little town with a delightful market square) and Damazan where we ate lunch (12e for a very good 3 course meal).
We did it again, getting to our destination a couple of hours early. This time we met with a less warm welcome – sent packing till 16h30! Wet left our bags and set off to look around Port Ste Marie, which had a very pretty old centre but appeared to be closed. In fact much of this part of France appears to be closed much of the time. Not the season yet of course.
The B and B was functional but not in the same class as last night and the food was not great tough duck and watery tinned peas. Pleasant company though, as there were another 3 or 4 couples staying so lots of chat over dinner and breakfast.
Mileage to date 489 km