We'd set ourselves a target of quite a few miles today. The weather forecast was for very heavy rain from around five tomorrow morning, so with that in mind we were away by eight-thirty. The day soon began to warm.
After a couple of hours cycling through the Marais and over the sand dunes we stopped for coffee at a beach bar.
Whilst John relaxed in the fake Caribbean setting Angela shot into the dunes for a comfort stop. Re-emerging in discomfort her cycling shorts full of sharp scratchy seed heads from the dried grass. That'll teach her! The heat building we headed towards the busy resort of Les Sable d'Olonne, where for some reason the velodysse cycle route signs disappeared. Great.
We found our way to the sea front and the tourist office, to be told the route ran right along the seafront. Of course it did! As we cycled up and on we stopped to look back at the view. The large sweeping bay bordered by rocks and sand curved right round to the high rise flats and hotels we passed upon our arrival. An hours lunchtime stop, the need to press on we battled with the oppressive heat which was playing havoc with Angela's chest today. By the time we arrived here we could go no further. After enquiring about renting an eco lodge at a campsite by the sea and being rudely told no, they were full all week we cycled a little further out of town where we found a site beside the cycle path with a covered outside area for cyclists. Worried about the heavy rain we once again enquired about some accommodation. Yes, they had a caravan at 30 euros for the night.
It smelt badly and we thought bed bugs would probably join us in the night. We politely declined the caravan. There would be no storm we were told, despite hearing thunder rumbling around, so we booked a tent pitch and prayed.
Two French male cyclists arrived and sat with us to eat. Them, pate, bread, melon and a custard tart. Us, two large pizzas and large chips. Didn't cycling make them hungary? The elder was 75, he proudly announced as the same age as King Charles III. He spoke no English, his nephew did and before retiring thanked us for helping him improve his understanding of our language. What nice men they were.
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