Days 23 - 26

Day 23 06/10/23

Staying indoors and in a soft bed feels like a luxury after being outdoors day after day. We left our Airbnb under a very blue sky and felt on top of the world. The night before, we won a bet during a game of Farkle with Craig and Susie; whoever lost was going to buy the other team some goodies at the pattisserie. I was determined to find the best pastries in all of France.

After few miles, we passed them on the trail and jokingly reminded them of our bet. We pedalled on and left them in our rear view mirror. A few short miles later we hit the jackpot; not one but two pattisseries! We stopped in front of the second one waiting to enjoy our spoils, but our losing opponents never showed. After a reasonable wait we pedalled on. It wasn't until the evening that we found out that they had stopped at the first pattisserie.

We had to ride on some single track trails today which is never too fun on a tandem. But, we enjoyed a lot of great scenery and an interesting archeological site. To me it looked like a bus stop in a Fred Flintstone cartoon but it was a stonehenge kind of display in a field. Not sure what it's purpose was but it dated back some 3000 years BC.

It was an up and down day but we finally reached the coast near our campsite and it was dropdead gorgeous. The sea was at low tide and the beach stretched out for about a half of a mile. The sea was a mixture incredible of hues of green. Along the side of the road was a crepe catering truck, we couldn't resist so we pulled over to eat. I had a caramel crepe and washed it down with my first coke of the year. I know it sounds terrible but it was a well deserved sugar rush.

We settled down in our campsite, showered, did laundry, cooked dinner and took a walk on the beach. Best of all, instead of a pattisserie to settle the bet, we found a place to get a beer. A great way to end the day!

Keep on rolling

Scott and Sarah

Rode 45 miles

Day 24         06/11/23

Another beautiful sun shiney morning as we rode out of camp. It is Sunday and all the towns are sleepy as the stores are closed but the church bells are ringing. Church seems to be a very small part of life in France but some people still attend.

We had a rather uneventful day yet the scenery was amazing. It has been important to remember to stock up on food before the weekend. Most of the restaurants close early or don't open at all from Saturday to Monday morning, the same goes for groceries. I can tell you, there is nothing worse than pedalling with nothing in the tank.

Both Sarah and I are definitely losing weight on this trip. We think it is due to the fact we are burning a lot of calories but we are not eating all the processed food. The availability of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses makes for a much healthier diet than we had on our previous trip which consisted of a daily dose of Dollar Store food.

We spent the night at a Home Campground which is really quite accommodating and beautiful. A homeowner opens up their garden and facilities for a small fee. Upon arriving, well almost, the owner had to come looking for us because we could not find the place. Just a few Euros each and you get a bathroom, electricity, a camping pitch, kitchen and a charging station right on the trail. It's a great way to save on accomodations during the week so we can get an Airbnb for the weekend!

Keep on Rolling,

Scott and Sarah

Rode 42 miles

Day 25          06/12/23

Last night was one of the heaviest dew nights we have had so far. This morning everyone was soaked. To compound things, I bent our tent pole when I lost my balance putting on a shoe and fell on the tent. But the day was just getting started. When I checked our tire pressure I found out that we had our first flat. We had already packed the bike so we had to completely unpack it to make the repair.

Having put on a new tire and repacked the bike we were finally under way. One hundred hards down the trail I soon realized something was awry with the drive train. The gears were not shifting and we had to unpack the bike again to inspect and fix the problem. Yay, we are finally underway, but wait, Sarah drops her Dad's handkerchief (a treasure momento) and we had to make one more stop to retrieve it. That's how the day started.

The ride itself was fantastic. We travelled on an old rail trail beside canals and lockhouses. The trails were canopied by lush landscape. We ended up stopping at another Decathlon Store (like REI) to buy me some new shorts, a shirt, gas, tubes, etc. Craig and Susie showed up to do some shopping and we all decided to head to the Golden Arches for some food and, more importantly, much needed access to toilets.

After lunch we headed to the supermarket and then got back on the trail. Our last push of the day found us lost and having to retrace our steps. We finally had to get a little help from a guy driving a front end loader. In the end, we made it to camp around 4:00pm just in time for a shower and a walk into town for a beer. What a day it was, it had all the elements of being on a slow travel adventure.

Keep on rolling

Scott and Sarah

Rode 40 miles

Day 26 06/13/23

Woke up again to another flat. Not sure what is going on but I made darn sure to do a thorough inspection of our tire. It all checked out so we are hoping we're good. Today we rode the canal all day; flat, great weather and gorgeous.

It was an easy day of riding and we arrived at our home stay early in the day. Our host was a lady by the name of Sophie. She was teaching Spanish to another women when we arrived so set up our tent in her yard but had to wait on showers until the evening.

Once Craig and Susie pulled in we all went to town for groceries and dinner. Had my first Monaco ever and it was kind of like a half beer half Shirley temple. A refreshing drink after a hot day on the trail. Sarah and I had a chicken falafel type of sandwich which was also yummy.

Back at Sophie's house she engaged us in a discussion about American culture, politics and life. When she brought up President Biden she basically laughed and said, "How do you feel about having such an incompetent man as president?" Nuff said for the evening.

Keep on rolling

Scott and Sarah

Rode 41 miles