Across Europe

" easier day today" but somehow still totalled > 90k. Lat night was a slightly strange "chambre d'hote" experience eating with the hosts then listening to the squeaky bed next door- for a long time. It rained overnight but I seemed to have missed the wetness and it was cool , windless and overcast. Stultifyingly flat : 20 m climbing in the first 30k! The biggest mound to overcome was the flan ecossais... The "hills "at the end of the ride were over giant sand dunes and allowed a wee detour "a pied " up the dune de pilat- the highest dunes in Europe. I had 2 hours spare before my ferry from Arcachon so searched out a bike shop to finally get my rear slow puncture fixed. They did an amazing rapid turnaround that max Verstappen would have been pleased with and had everything sorted ( plus a replacement for my nearly offensive thinning cycling shorts) in the 30 mins it took me to track down some grub. A bit of a spin needed to get to the ferry in time now.... and everything then seemed to go wrong. Because of my bike shop detour I no longer had directions to the ferry. Then it started raining. What??! I didn't come here for this! Then it started pouring. Then I couldn't find the ferry and was given erroneous directions. Then it was chucking it down and my phone wouldn't work with a wet screen. But ... I made it.!
By the time I was off the ferry the rain had all but stopped. I had a short ride to the Bois- Laurent's in Piraillon: how wonderful to see them, and in such good health. Olivier and wife and Cecile there too. Fantastic hosts and tuned in to my need for drying/ warming/ cleaning- and a cuppa tea🙂Leia mais