Tjs recovery ride 5. The low countries and France

I think ypu are right. Yup this afternoon all down thecoast path

Of course, if I ever do go on a cycle tour I'm going to have to get under 13kg aren't I? 🙂

Under5 moley

Camped up for the night. A bit north of la Rochelle on the coast. Struggled to fine a campsite but tent is now pitched and i have dinner

I am knackered. A good days riding tho with a nice mix of duneland pine woods and wetlands

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Every bit of sand was covered in people and the tourists towns are heaving

Struggling to post pics

There is a really loud disco somewhere nearby. Its rubbish music and i cant find a way in🙄🤣

I’ve since come to the conclusion that cycle touring does not have to be a suffer-fest, and that one person’s idea of comfort and what they are happy to carry is widely different to any others.

Alternatively "any fool can be uncomfortable in a field" (learned while a reserve FOP gunner in the 80's).

And camping without beer is just sitting in a field

Balls to it, why the chuff is it so difficult to post photos 🙄

You'll all have to imagine a whole pile of panniers for a 3 night trip to my sister's. It's less than an hour by car🤣

Out of interest, what do you do about bike security when you need to get shopping/go to a bar/get a shower etc etc
You carrying a big lock or just hopeful there's no tee-leaves around??

And how bike friendly are the campsites? i.e. is there any "no turn-around" policy for bikers or hikers? Are you mostly on private or public campsites?

I have a padlock and cable that will stop an opportunist theif. I dont leave the bike in cities at all.

Campsites a mix. Several times they have squeezed me in a full site but tonight i tried 3 before getting a pitch. Campsites are les busy away from the coast

Campsites are fairly secure

Must be some big celebration going on. They just reenacted WW2 with fireworks

It's so annoying camping next to a big event and not being apart of it! We were camping near the Hague at May half-term, there was a big end of the season hockey match going on, I think it was a title decider. We got the atmosphere from a couple of Kms away! If we'd have known earlier we'd have seen about getting tickets. I've never been to a game of hockey in my life, but it sounded like a good evening out!

Markgrylish

I also tonight have the bike precariously balanced and tied to my tent

I'll repeat my prediction campsites will have places from tomorrow night, it's back to school on Monday.

Tomorrow you'll be going past some places that are worth more time if you want to do the tourist thing. There are Île de Ré with its network of cycle paths, Île d'Aix by boat and Île d'Olèron if you fancy a sea food restaurant. In terms of history all that water out there was the scene of several naval battles between the British and French up to the Napoleonic period. The main west coast naval arsenal was in Rochefort and there are many fortifications to see including Fort Bayard which you'll recognise form TV series.

The next day south you have Royan which was bombed by the Brits and Yanks in WWII, a shambles that bordered on a war crime. The town was completely leveled and rebuilt in 50s concrete. I love the architecture. The little dedicated museum in town and the cathedral are well worth a visit. Clairefontaine campsite in Pontaillac is one of the ones I used to work on with a nice swimming beach nearby. You can cut the corner to get there but going along the cycle route along the Côte Sauvage and past le Phare de la Coubre (you can go up it for a panoramic view for a few euros) is worth the extra effort.

Then there's the BAC over to the Médoc.

Todays earworm. Ffs

I'm safe, I didn't click. 🙂 I almost forgot the market in Royan, one of the best places in France to go shopping for fresh sea food, fruit and veg. Oh and the boulangerie that does pain au chocolat aux amendes between the market and the sea front on the right, we used to knock on the back door on the way back from the night club when they came out of the oven. If you hadn't already guessed, I'll admit Royan is one of my favorite places to spend a short holiday break.

Camped up early. Couldn't resist the " refugio cyclo".

Im the only person here so far anyway. It has a rustic charm shall we say. Need to go to the shops for supplies

Not many miles on the map today

I pitched up in a few parks, edges of roundabouts, tennis courts, under concrete table tennis tables, beaches and next to circus's when I couldn't find a site. Was in Italy Austria and Germany tho when these issues cropped up. Didn't have a decent wash for a week either 😭😂. France was great for sites.

Cruel, that's what it is, just cruel. Pictures like that should be banned.

Royan is one of my favorite places to spend a short holiday break.

I concur. I spent many family holidays as a kid at Nauzan Plage campsite.

No beating a good French tart!
Glad to see the cuisine is to your liking. That breakfast shot a couple of days ago couldn't be more French holiday.
Thanks for keeping us updated. Encore un croissant all the way.

You sir are a tarte (sans citron)!

Encore un croissant all the way.

I always order two as it saves having to remember if it's un or une croissant

if you're going south, get the ferry and then Pin Sec and Hourtin have good and cheap campsites and you're very near to all that lovely Medoc wine. Did once come across a boar cycling through those pines but it was a rare event and we both darted for it (in opposite directions).

Pictures like that should be banned.

Too true - I swear the lawn is getting worse!

Tonight the village party was on and there was another bike tourer turned up who spoke english so a couple of beets were had while we watched the fireworks. All slightly surreal especially wandering thru the village trying to locate the party by sound.

I didn’t think you you liked beetroot 😈

Camped up cold beer in hand. 20 odd miles south of la Rochelle in a camping municipale on the beach.

Snack bar seems to only do liquid snacks not chips. Oh well.

Decent days riding for crossing a city. La rochelle looks spectacular

The day is saved. I can get chips.

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Bloody hell wtf with posti g pics?

Maybe you need some text?

Are you only eating chips and the occasional pastry?

Bread and cheese mainly with a lot of fruit. Pasta and / or rice and veg most nights. Chips are a treat. As is a beer
My 30 euro a day budget is more an aspiration than a reality but im trying to do this on the cheap and healthy

It would help if the beer didnt keep evaporating

My way of ripening but not bruising peaches. I ate 4 today. * rubs tum*