Reflecting on the trip

As I sit on the plane heading home I have a glass of champagne in hand and am reflecting on the past 3 weeks of fun in both the UK where we stayed with Ian and Lorna in Richmond and then on the journey first to Dover and then on to Calais and the journey south to Cahors and then by train to Toulouse 

The trip through France was terrific and provided many highlights and some real challenges , particularly when Chris  had his bike stolen in Niort .... but like true travellers from the Southern Hemisphere we responded with the right spirit 

France and the French people were great even though our spoken French was poor at times . But we managed well

Over the trip we traveled 1696 kms or 1700 kms in my book 

We climbed 9737 metres and most days we did over 100 kms per day

Our biggest day of distance traveled was 151 kms

Our biggest climbing day was 1079 metres 

We stayed in a mixture of youth hostels, Warm Showers homes , camping sites and cheaper hotels and it would be fair to say the Warm Showers accomodation offered the real opportunity to meet some great hosts 

I say thank you and merci to all of our hosts 

Finally I want to thank my riding partner Chris Jones for putting up with me over the past 3 weeks...

I hope my snoring and lack of hearing at times did not spoil your holiday and I wish you well in the days ahead with your new bike and the Tour de France trip

As you said on your blog yesterday we might make an ANZAC business out of this yet for those interested in an adventure with a bit of “ ruff and tuff” traveling 

So with a tear in my eye and a glass in my hand I say au revoke

Day 23- In Toulouse-43 kms

Today was a day to organise ourselves for the trip home for me and for Chris to sort out his arrangements to pick up his new bike in Niort 

So we slept in a bit getting to breakfast at about 8.00am and using the time over a good feed to plan the day

First step was to find a bike shop so I could organise a bike box and Chris could buy a few items he needed for his new bike 

The first shop was only a few kms away and was ok for the box but Chris wanted some particular tyres which the shop did not have so we resolved to have a look at other shops which seemed to be dotted around the town 

On the way to the second shop we went to the Airbus museum which was located near the airport where Airbus have their big assembly plant 

The museum was most interesting and gave a good account of the history of flight as well as having a Concorde on display 

After a drink in the museum restaurant we then ventured in to the train station so Chris could get his tickets to Niort 

After a sandwich lunch at a cafe near the station we then went to 2 more bike shops which didn’t have the gear that Chris wanted so on our way back to the hotel, we visited the first bike shop we saw in the morning and I got my box and Chris picked up some of his gear

After getting some help from the bike shop owner as to how to pack the bike I took a cab back to the hotel... Chris rode back!

Then it was time to clean the bikes and shoes and start to pack....yuck!

The weather today has been warm and humid but not really hot like yesterday 

The traveling around Toulouse by bike was easy with good navigation and there seems to be a good network of bike paths and lanes on the road 

Something I have been wanting to mention on this trip is the numbers of people in France who smoke!!!

It is staggering to see people young and old with cigarettes and cigars... much more than we see in Australia or New Zealand. People smoke anywhere and there seems to be spasmodic restrictions 

Anyway a good day to finish off in Toulouse a city that I should visit again if possible.

A view of the river- La Garonne ( same river as in Bordeaux $

Me with the Concorde

A back view of the Concorde 

Underneath the Concorde with some smaller planes

The tail section of the plane

This is one big plane!!!

Day 22- Cadouin to Cahors - 78 kms

Today was the last day of my ride in France and Chris has another 3.5 weeks to go 

We were both awake at 6 am and the morning was fresh and cool despite being very humid so we decided on an early start with breakfast to be purchased along the way

We had a little bit of difficulty in finding our way out of the town ....

Shortly after this we had the most horrendous route along an overgrown lane way that had to be walked with our bikes rather than riding them....this was probably only one of about three occasions where this had occurred on the bike navigation system we were using....quite remarkable really when you think about it after all the roads we have been on over the past few weeks 

Them we had the “mother of. Climb “ for about 1.5 kms where the gradient was over 20 pc in some parts

We later discovered that we could have taken another road which went around the hill we climbed !!!

Lesson learned for later in the day....

The first stop for breakfast was at Belves which is a pretty town at the top of a hill!!!!..and after a 5 km climb of gradients of around 5pc so getting to the top to have some croissants was certainly a well earned reward 

After breakfast we had a good decent followed by many ups and downs with the ups being more than the downs.....

The next stop was Casals for a snack which consisted of a soft drink and a Paris Brest for me... Chris had a strawberry tart.... the 2 seemed to go together well somehow!

Anyway after the snack we decided that the cycle tour route was going to deliver some tough climbs so we followed a few of the more major roads for a change which were:

- less hilly

- offered a slightly shorter route 

- and were not all that busy 

The result was that we made good time to Cahors and were at the train station by about 12.30 with a train leaving at 1.15pm

The weather was getting quite hot so rather than go down town , we booked tickets on the train and had lunch at the train station cafe

The train arrived and left on time and we enjoyed a good rest for about 1.5 hours on the train. We struck up a conversation with a couple of guys who were heading home to Niort and Paris after a ride in the wine country for a few days... they gave up because of the heat!

Arriving in Toulouse we then started looking for youth hostel accommodation only to find the place was closed. Our next option was an apartment hotel next door but it was full.

So on to the net with booking dot com and we found an apartment hotel that looked okay but was on the other side of the river!

So Chris guided us to the place with about 15 kms of riding through the heart of Toulouse with people everywhere!

Finally we arrived at the hotel only to find that they had 2 locations and we were at the wrong one!!

Let’s say we were not all that happy.....

On the bikes again and off for the 5 km ride to the other hotel...

Yes finally arriving they had our booking and we could finally have a drink and a shower after a big day 

I will reflect upon the ride either tomorrow or on the plane home but initial reaction to the trip is that it has been fantastic despite the problem of Chris’s bike being stolen 

Chris has been a great pal on the trip and in many respects we compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses 

We have covered a lot of France and seen a lot of country and met a lot of very fine French people who have been more than helpful and hospitable to us

It is sad the trip has finally finished for me

Early morning fog over the valley...(sorry about the wire)

Breakfast at Belves....what a view!

A disused railway viaduct 

This cafe took or fancy but was closed 

Me at Cahors...

In the hotel finally at then end of a big day with a drink!!!

Home for the night 

(Backup) Day 21- Libourne to Cadouin 120 kms

Today we again made an early start after having breakfast at the hotel at 6.30 am. We were on our way by a little after 7.00 pm. I was the allocated navigation for the day and we made a good start by getting out of Libourne very quickly with no mishaps 

The travel through the Dordogne valley was beautiful as we traveled through wine country with many familiar names such as Saint Emilion etc

The roads were good and flat and the weather was perfect for riding being about 18 degrees 

We made good timing to have a stop for a morning tea in a town on the Dordogne river

Our next stop was Bergerac for lunch where we had an omelette in a cafe overlooking the river. After lunch we struck up a conversation with a couple from York in the UK looking for a house in the region. I think they must have seen too many reality TV series on buying homes in France because they spoke no French and were completely unaware of the region .... good luck!!!

After lunch we made the final run in to Cadouin which started off with more travel along the river flats noticing we were getting out of the wine country and in to farming country 

The last 11 kms in to Cadouin was more difficult as we needed to move out of the Dordogne valley and in to the valley of the river of Le Belingou. The climb of about 6 kms was about 5 pc in most sections with some lovely flat sections 

At the end of a long ride this was a bit of a test but we came through with flying colours!!!

The village of Cadouin is quite beautiful with many old buildings 

We are staying in the youth hostel which is located in an 11 century abbey ...

At the time of doing this blog I have befriended a Frenchman named Rene who is quite good at English and we are exchanging information about our families 

All good fun!!!

Today is the second last day of my ride and was probably one of the most testing and yet most rewarding 

Now for a drink and dinner

Early morning in the wine country near St Emilion 

A wine chateau 

Lovely view of the Dordogne valley 

...and the river 

...and again near Bergerac

We saw some gypsies 

And some lovely homes

...and of course the river 

What about the street decorations in this town!

 ...and of course the river again 

Home for the night in Cadouin in the Abbey 

Day 20 - Blanquefort to Libourne- 69 kms

Today was going to be an easy ride after a relatively long ride yesterday so we started a bit later after having a feed on the fruit that was left over from last nights fruit salad we made up to accompany our frozen spaghetti bolognase and chilly con carne. We had to make a visit to the local supermarket for dinner as all the cafes appeared to be shut...

So much for an authentic French meal!!!

Anyway it turned out well and we had plenty to eat and enjoy 

So it was left over cherries, peaches , grapes and apricots as a snack prior to a short ride to Bordeaux for a fuller feed on croissants baguette and coffee.... well not so easy!!!

Firstly trying to find our way out of Blanquefort was an effort as the Garmin had us heading every which way. Then after getting to Bordeaux finding an open cafe proved to be a real test. Finally we found one on the “poor “ side of the river (La Garrone)

I had a croissant and coffee and Chris a croissant as well... hardly what we had anticipated 

After this we made our way along the bike path beside the river and it started to change completely with some very big chateaus with lovely gardens etc

A little further along the path which had now become a rail trail we came across a cafe which was part of a disused railway station. It had a couof guys playing acoustic guitars and people enjoying a drink and food 

We thought we might stop and have a brunch ...

We ordered what we thought was an omelette but turned out to be a cheese and  meat platter.... so much for our attempt at the French language 

Anyway it turned out fine and we were joined by a couple of locals who were on their way home after a 60 km ride 

We had a good chat ..... mostly about bikes and our adventures.... all good fun!

Then it was on to Libourne along the rail trail which was very pretty.... but the weather was getting hot and the humidity was taking its toll 

We stopped at Creon which seemed to be at the top of the climb between the valleys of the La Garrone and the Dordogne rivers. It was here I noticed that my rear tyre was a little flat. On inspection I saw a piece of glass in the tyre and after extracting it of course the tyre went completely flat...

Well changing the tyre became more difficult as the new tube replacement seemed to have a faulty valve so a I had to use a spare tube that Chris had.... fortunately!!

Anyway whilst all of this was going on the village was in full festival mode with a band playing and people dancing and kids playing on the sand that was placed in the village square for the festival 

All good fun... except when you have a puncture!

Chris kindly bought me a drink to calm my nerves and it was on again to Libourne with only another 30 kms to go

The ride down in the the valley was goods and we were now seeing the full valley of vineyards.... very pretty but HOT!!!

As we arrived in Libourne we stopped for a drink and ice cream just ahead of the final 5 kms to the hotel

We arrived at about 3.30pm after a short but hot ride ready for a shower to freshen up

I also had to repair my tubes which was done quite quickly... I hope they are okay 

Today I thought I might talk about the navigation approachuwe have taken on the trip

Chris is one who uses his Garmin as his guide almost exclusively 

I on the other hand am more of a street watcher looking at the street names and sorting this out with the Garmin 

Both approaches have their positives and negatives but I think the combination works well when applied together 

The Garmin that Chris uses is a Garmin 1000 which shows the down loaded route from cycle travel and has good information 

I think it was Phil Eagar who said the issue with this model Garmin is the fact you cannot see a large enough map to judge where you are particularly when you go “ off course “ 

Anyway Chris’s Garmin has done a great job to get us through most of France 

Tonight we look like going to Buffalo Bills for dinner to haves steak!!!

Only 2 more days of riding to go 

Bordeaux alongside the river 

Bordeaux again near the big park 

Bordeaux... they knew how to build great buildings!!

The bridge across the La Garrone river 


Stopped for an omelette or so we thought 


We met 2 nice French guys out on their bikes 

Puncture time!!...in the meantime the town was celebrating!!

A nice rail trail ... but boy was it hot!!

In to the wine country 

Drying our washing at the hotel... worked well 

Home for the night!! And with AC!!!!!

Day 19- Mussonville to Blanquefort- 122 kms

We made an early start on our ride this morning at about 6.50 am to be well down the road before the heat kicked in!!

Yes this was before breakfast which was a little difficult but once I got going we had done about 30 kms before the hunger pangs started 

The town we selected for breakfast had a village market being set up with food stalls and the like so we had a good choice of food. I had an OJ and 3 croissants. Chris had an OJ  and croissant .... I later found a coffee shop that did cappuccino!!!! Wow what a change for France!!

After breakfast we then proceeded along some very pretty cycle ways which are a real feature of the Medoc region 

The paths are everywhere and are well marked and FLAT!!!

This made for very fast riding until we came to our next stop in the village of Carcans... not sure how it got it’s name as it certainly does not sound French 

At Carcans we had 2 each of the biggest lime and lemonade ( Chris had water with his lime) drinks you could imagine as we were feeling the heat. We also had a toasted baguette with butter and jam.... not the ideal lunch but we were hungry 

After lunch we decided to take a shorter route than planned which meant about 20 kms on the road. Luckily for us most of the traffic was heading to the coast for the weekend break so traveling was both fast and safe and we made good time to Sainte Helene to rejoin the bike path

The route then took us on to the outskirts of Blanquefort on the most magnificent bike path. The surface was very good and was flat and in good straight stretches. I opened out in time trial mode with average speeds for Garmin distance gaps of 8 kms each of 30 kms/ hr plus in to a slight headwind and in temps of the mid to high 30’s.... it was exhilarating to say the least 

We had a final stop at a pretty cafe to have a drink and fill water bottles as we were using water at a fast rate with the high temps and humidity 

The cafe was an old railway station which served food and drinks much like the situation at My Evelyn in Melbourne 

After the drink we traveled in to Banquefort and rode with a Zfrench guy out for a lazy 60 km ride... he was interesting to chat with as we made our way along the bike path. He had done over 20,000 last year!!! I thought what an effort but looking at him he was at least 20 yrs younger than me

We finally arrived in our hotel in Blanquefort at 3.30 pm after doing over 120 kms...

A great effort I thought on a hot and humid day....somewhat different to the weather at home in Melbourne I hear!!!

Dinner and entertainment last night in Musselton..

Thanks 

The Atlantic coast this morning.... small surf!



A view along a typical cycle way in the Medoc region 

I thought this Paella looked good... but doing 60 kms after it might not be the best thing???

Chris at lunch in Carcans

..... drinks at the railway station on the bike path for a couple of parched blokes!!!

Home for the night

Trip so far

Here is a photo of the map of France with the top half first 

Calais to Poitiers 

Then Poitiers to Blanquefort 

Day 18 - Rochefort to Mussonville- 82 kms

Although it seems that today was a short ride it seemed longer and harder in many respects than the rides where we had done over 130 kms. I think I can put this down to the poorer conditions on many of the roads, the hotter and more humid conditions, the fact that we had 2 stops ferry trips which breaks the riding rhythm of the day and lastly I had a puncture after hitting a pot hole on the road....

Well the day started with breakfast at the youth hostel at about 7.00 am and we were on our way at about 8 ish

It was lucky that we did not start earlier as we needed to ride a punt across the La Charente river shortly after leaving Rochefort 

The area around the punt was interesting in that there is a rebuilding projector restore a bridge mechanism that will take people across the river on a contraption that moves over the water.....very ingenious and will be interesting to see when completed 

The next 20 odd kms was through a lot of swamp land until we reached a small town called Marennes where we stopped for a drink and a very nice crepe.

As I said the roads were poor today and after hitting a pot hole I was surprised I did not get a flat straight away. It was only after our stop in Marennes that I noticed my tyre

After replacing the tube it was off to Royan. Once again the country was uninteresting with swamps and villages perched on the top of any high ground. The weather was also hotting up and with humidity it made for hardish riding 

We arrived in Royan at about 1.30 pm and headed to a bike shop to get my tyres pumped up and checked and Chris bought a new water bottle 

After this we had a sandwich and drink and made our way to the ferry across from Royan to Verdon Su mer... there was a bit of a wait at the ferry wharf but once on the ferry the ride was short to our destination .... appropriately half an hour 

Off the ferry and then on for the short 10 km ride on the cycle way to our despot Mussonville

This ride although flat was marred by the humidity and fact there was no wind....

Arriving at our destination we were pleased to have a shower and cool down 

Interesting the name Mussonville....not really French in my mind more somewhere in Australia in the outback

Anyway despite the poorer riding conditions the body and the bike are holding up

Tonight we sample some of Mussonville’s finest cuisine.... I will report on this tomorrow 

Me leaving the youth hostel 

Note my erect bag!!!

The structure being renovated near Rochefort 

Our punt across the river near the car bridge 

A view of the car bridge and the punt 

Chris and other cyclists on the punt

The guys on the right were Germans and I think they were amused after we got off the punt as we returned to the area near the wharf 3 times as we were lost...poor navigation on my part!

 At the top of a bridge we crossed later in the morning 

Note jet vapour in the sky.... we see this all the time 

After getting off the ferry at Verdon Su Met

Home for the night at Mussonville