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
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
