Camping Amitie Et Nature, Saint Nicholas de Brem

At eight this morning the lady in charge of the campsite appeared. She was quick to notice there were now four pitches occupied, not three. Somewhere had sneaked in late. She made a bee line straight to them! The sun was slow to appear, so once again it was a none thirty start. John doesn't like to pack the tent up wet.

Then a flat ride across the Marais to the coast, stopping along the way to watch coypu in the waterways that criss crossed the marshland. Opposite the large ears of a hare could be seen protruding from the long grass. An ever hanging canvas of flora, fauna and wildlife. Arriving at St. Jean de Mont we found a shady spot to sit and observe the market.

The fruit and vegetable stalls a root of colour. John fancied a couple of apples, after queuing for some time whilst each customer asked about the stallholders and discussed their on growing toenail, or some other ailment he finally reached the front of the queue. Now he understands why it takes Angela so long in the supermarket here.

A lunch stop by the beach eating filled baguettes bought earlier whilst we waited for the tourist office to open at 2 pm.

Then a cycle along the coast, through the sand dunes until we were too tired to carry on. Another expensive campsite, now we're on the coast. Enquiring in the office about a supermarket we were told a Lidl was a mile out. Could we have one of the local paper maps. No, we could not. It was swiftly put back in the cupboard along with 100 more. They'll be just for the French then! Angela decided to set off with a little idea of where she was going, stopping along the way to check with two ladies out walking. At a road junction she just wasn't sure. Opposite a man leant on his front gate. Sending she was lost beckoned her over. After some schoolgirl French, Angela understood and was off on the right direction. Returning to John, salads, soft drink, fruit and of course pain chocolates he informed her he'd just felt the earth tremor. Did she? Upon investigation it turned out there had been an earth quake, 4.8 on the scale just down the coast near La Rochelle. We've not pitched under a tree have we?

Camping Municipal, De Saint Gervais

We were up at six thirty this morning but didn't leave until nine fifteen. Pain chocolates and fresh coffee take time to enjoy. Tomorrow though, no hanging about, we need to get our miles in early before the heat rises. Angela still flagging, was determined to up her game, and by this afternoon cycled all the way up a hill. 

She felt at last her health was turning a corner. Today's lunchtime stop at a little town on the coast we've lunched at before. As last time we watched the youngsters take their sailing lessons. Some tiny tots from a nursery were also on the beach. All sun hats and sandals, except for one little boy who sported a brand new pair of bright yellow wellies! His parents obviously didn't get the email! Still warm, but with a cooling sea breeze we cycled further spotting a couple we'd met on the train to Nantes. They had begun their cycle up from La Rochelle on Monday. They were coincidentally from Oswestry and had had their bikes serviced at Mule Bikes the same bike shop John had bought the bike he was riding from. Pedalling like mad, we realised we'd got between campsites so cycled through the Marais with the wind blowing across us making it hard going.

Tonight we are at the municipal campsite at De Saint Gervais. Cost 11 euros 24 cents. Or 30 cents as we didn't have the odd 4. It's our cheapest overnight so far, but as we head back towards the coast, direction La Rochelle we expect costs to rise.

Camping Eleovic, Prefailles, France

 'Cough it up girl,. Angela is desperate to clear her airways. Nose blowing is her day. Could be worse. The Dutchman looked very delicate this morning. It's always a good idea to drink a bottle of 7.2% lager just before bed. Perhaps he'd be better suited with a mug of cocoa tonight. Around nine most of us cyclists left, keen to beat the heat of the day. We cycled alongside the estuary to St. Nazaire with it's imposing road bridge. A few years ago we cycled over it after returning by train from Nevers late one Friday night, with two younger Germans in hot pursuit. Oh how we yearn for those heady days of youthfulness. Angela felt cycling up gradients was a little easier today, however John was tired. Yesterday we perhaps pushed ourselves a little to far in the heat.

So at lunchtime we found a shady spot on a beach where we dozed whilst waiting for the heat of mid-day to pass. A cool breeze blew of the sea making our late afternoon ride more comfortable.

Our stop tonight a campsite right on the coast. A huge German van arrived behind us. The pitch a little tight for it to access. All the staff in the reception came out to watch. We weren't sure if they were hoping to witness a disaster or hoping not to. Never a dull moment on campsites, especially with vans, as Marge would tell you.

Camping L'Estuaire , Paimboeuf

This morning we were good to go. At last we could cycle across to the west coast. It was hot though, and we struggled hugging every shady spot along the way. Angela was really struggling, still having to walk the steeper gradients. She was glad she'd bought her Ventolin inhaler, prescribed for a chest infection, that was nowhere near as bad as this one, back in early March.

By the time we completed our forty five mile ride, she was literally fit to drop. We are sure to remain hydrated each day, buying large bottles of orange and cold water along the way. This evening a storm passed close, all noise and luckily no rain.

The campsite has an area they call the 'cycling village' with cooking facilities, charging points, seating and bike storage. Another couple, Dutch are just about to cycle the Euro velo 6 to Basel as we did last year. As for us we will head down the Atlantic coast. John if feeling much better, Angela is running about two days behind so is hoping that after tomorrow she'll feel more her old self.

The sun setting over St. Nazaire. 

Camping Belle Riviere, St. Luce sur Loire (day 2)

We asked to move pitches on the campsite this morning to a space near to the office as we didn't want to have to take our luggage on the bikes into the city. We were hopeful that someone today would sort John's bike. The first shop we visited were very helpful, but to cut a long story short yes they could order in a wheel, or John could order it. It would take nine days. Can you hear our despair? Between 11.30 am  and around 3.30 pm we waited whilst they tried to source a wheel locally. Decathlon, of which there are five stores in Nantes had one. So we cycled ten miles to it. Angela having to walk the gradients as she was still suffering with her chest infection. The wheel in stock was not correct. They could order one in for the next morning. O.K. sounded good. Or did it. Another one of John's spokes had broken on the way up. Would he be able to safely cycle seventeen miles back to the campsite and then back again tomorrow? No! So a wheel that would do was taken off one of the display bikes. And we were back on with our road trip. Just our health to sort out now.

Camping Belle Riviere, St.Luce sur Loire (day 1)

Today was a train day. Just before 11am we boarded the train at Granville which would take us to Rennes.

One bicycle was already loaded owned by a Frenchman who modelled himself on Catweazle. John placed Angela's bike with one of its wheels just brushing the Frenchmans rack bag. He shouted at John in French, John shouted back at him in very loud English. Why this man was so upset we couldn't fathom. Angela's bike moved by an inch and the men calmed. The atmosphere left by the altercation hung heavily in the air all the way to Rennes.

Ninety minutes later, time to board train to Nantes, you've guessed it there he was. Great! Fortunately all the bike slots were taken in our carriage. The afternoon hot we stopped on the way to the campsite a the small town of St. Luce sure Loire, alongside the river Loire.

Some kind of fund raising event was taking place complete with live music. We stopped awhile to listen. Camping Belle Riviere is about seven miles east of Nantes. We stayed here last year. Tomorrow we will cycle into the city in hope of finding a bike shop who can sort John's bike.

Donville - les - Bains, Normandy, France

What is about us? We really do attract the wrong people. Around midnight the seasonal workers, who work in the fields here began to celebrate the end of their working week. This involves drggg-inking, of course, singing very loudly, shouting and roaming around the campsite doing all of these things. Their merriment didn't cease until the sun came up. Thanks guys. Needless to say we weren't in the best of moods this morning. Today we decided to sort out John's bike. How difficult could it be to have one spoke repacked? Apparently very difficult! Unless we wanted to purchase an electric bike nobody was really interested. Still struggling with our health we were started to feel tested in every which way. On the verge of returning home Angela decided we'd carry on. We've never let anything defeat us before. So we've booked train tickets, using our over sixties railcards, to Nantes  tomorrow.

We'll be on the edge of the Loire one of the most popular cycling areas in France, so we feel someone here will help us out. Tonight though we're on a campsite near Granville. The area is fashionable with the Parisians which might explain the steep price to stay. However, with a hairdryer for us cyclists and three, chemical toilet disposal points for the vans it's win win.

Coudeville - Plage, Normandy, France

The misery continues. Yes Marge we miss you. Angela had a bad night. John had a disturbed night thanks to three people a little way down who appeared to live on the site in a tent arguing into the early hours. Five times he got up to check our bikes were safe. Angela struggling, we decided to cycle to the nearby coast. On the way another spoke broke in John's rear wheel. We are now at the end of our tether, if we felt better the bike problem wouldn't seem so huge. We are now close to the town of Granville. The temperature today 27c which has brought on a thunderstorm. Please someone, come and rescue us!

Coutances, Normandy, France

We had a bad night last night. John coughed continuously and Angela's throat was really painful. This morning she'd almost lost her voice. A plus some might say. At the appointed time of 11am we were at the bike shop. Repair complete within the hour, and us nearly fifty euros lighter. But the money had to be spent for us to continue our trip. John seemed a little better, Angela worse, finding the cycling up gradients too much sometimes, having to dismount and walk. 

We were hoping to cycle across to the coast for tonight's stop but by the time we reached Coutances Angela could cycle no further. So we found the town campsite, where we stayed once before when cycling in the area. We pitched our tent opposite a Dutch campervan far away from a group of school children here on a football course. The noise from teenage children is really annoying, we hoped the organisers would settle them down early.