A Curious Tale of African Cycling: Nantes a Biarritz

The much anticipated Euro Velo Route 1 to Spain turned out to be like Dublin Bus Nite Link – all over the feckin place.

We followed it from Nantes, along the Loire to it’s Atlantic estuary and then south to a town called Pornic. From there we abandoned it and hit La Roche Sur Yon, La Rochelle and Royan, boat to Verdon Sur Mer and then Bordeaux, Sauginet, St Julien en Born, and yesterday Biarritz.

Nantes was impressive but the old city of La Rochelle, cycling through the vineyards and past the chateaus of the Medoc region and a rest day in the mini Paris of Bordeaux were even more impressive.

South of Bordeaux – peering out from under the rain coat, seemed to have lots of nice sea-side resort towns, but with the bucketing rain we just kept blasting through them ending up in the flash town of Biarritz. Stopped for a day here, as we couldn’t face the rain again, and headed to an agricultural show for some cheap wine and cheese.

Bodies are starting to adjust to the shock of 100km a day. Continuously having to organize and research stuff is also a bit shocking but getting used of it. Finding wifi spots trickier than expected, campsites that haven’t closed for the season, weather forecasting, finding places in towns/cities to buy equipment , bus timetables and tram timetables to get in and out of cities from remote campsites if you don’t fancy locking up your bike in city centres …. blah blah.

Bordeaux a great town to go out in - funny named bars like Sherlock Holmes, Frog and Roast Beef & Charles Dickens.

Crossed paths with the Tour De Vendee and met a few French cycling heads at our hotel -Daniel Mangeas being one – the voice of Tour De France.

Meeting some fellow cyclists along the way – bumped into one French lad touring France as if it was the 1920’s.

More comments on the French – you get a tissue instead of plate, where are the bins, what’s a vegetarian, where are they all hiding in the small towns and who’s eating all the cakes …. but full respect to the French road signage- it will be missed.

My brother Derek, who makes no effort to learn French, upon meeting French people who don’t speak English, repeats made-up French words to frustrate them – funny to watch - 'Le Fleur De Fleur' is his favourite.

Trip total is 1262km – no injuries, illnesses or breakdowns – tomorrow Espana and the end of the flat terrain.