by Philip

Miles : 37. Ascent : 751’.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our high rise flat for these two nights – the most fantastic views, sunrises and sunsets. As today’s mileage is on the lower side we allowed ourselves a later start than usual, spending every last minute enjoying the flat. Finally though we had to leave – and had one piece of luck when the lift engineers came to do maintenance, and took the lift serving the odd-numbered floors out of action – so our floor was still served – otherwise we would have had to take all our bags and Liz’s bike down a flight of stairs to the other lift! 

We left at 10:30 – the latest yet – emerging from the bowels of the building and setting off. An early record was broken – we stopped after only 200’ to have a quick look inside the Priory. Next stop Super U for bread and pastries. 

From the supermarket we skirted around the large marina – this is where the Vendée Globe global yacht race starts – and the town is obviously very proud of its maritime tradition. We then wound our way back to La Grande Plage, passing yesterday’s bakery and spotting a Norse boat in the harbour. From there we had a delightful 2-3 miles along the front on dedicated cycle paths – the cycling infrastructure here is amazing and very well used, with as much space given to cyclists as to motorists. We saw a surf school – while the waves are at most 1m high, they are big enough and there were a lot of people out enjoying them. As I type we are sitting on a bench looking out over a small bay having some interesting pastries described as “paille framboise” which Liz described as like two palmiers, sandwiched together with raspberry jam. Yummy. 

After this second breakfast (still just morning!) we turned inland, along a stretch with huge houses, each behind a 6’ high wall …  closely followed by a holiday park full of static mobile homes, and then a golf course. The riding is easy, the gradients gentle and the wind mostly behind us. We’re hoping it doesn’t rain! 

After a short trail through a forest we were back into wetlands. This region is Richard the Lionheart territory, and information boards explain that the system of culverts was established in the Middle Ages (11th century onwards) mainly to provide fish for the many days when the Christian calendar forbade the eating of meat. The area is carefully managed, with sluices to manage the water levels, and a large digger to dredge the channels. We saw kestrels, swifts (or similar), herons, egrets and (I think) a lapwing. There were many sheep, cattle and the occasional goat feeding on the land in between the waterways – the land is well used. At one point the trail went through farmland, and we saw our first proper vineyard – the only other one we’ve seen was on a roundabout!

After a few miles we came to the town of Jard sur Mer, riding through miles of sprawling outskirts, missing the centre of the town altogether. The houses were almost all single storey, painted in light colours (mainly white) and with terracotta tiles. Getting to the coast again it was time for lunch. More food! 

We had a lovely lunch looking over the sea, the weather oscillating between full sun and cloud – even a few spots of rain. Towards the end of the meal, we chatted to a couple from North Wales who are doing the same route as us, on Ribble bikes – my previous ebike was also a Ribble! We exchanged stories of bikes on trains and routes to Bilbao, and then the rain threatened so we all headed off. 

After lunch we had a glorious 6-7 mile stretch through (mainly) deciduous forest – so peaceful, the only sounds being our tyres on the compacted gravel/sand path and the birdsong, with an occasional burst of motor when a hillock appeared. I do love these stretches of calm through forests where there is rarely wind, and it’s cool and quiet. On one part of the trail with a few smallholdings, we came across a lady walking a goat, its kid trotting alongside – a sweet picture!

After the forest we began to approach La Tranche sur Mer which is where our supermarket is for today. We passed the incongruously named “Chemin de la Pacifique” which seemed a little out of place given where we are, next to the Atlantic … or perhaps just tongue in cheek. We were riding alongside a regional main road, on a beautifully smooth tarmac path which had a gentle downhill gradient and which took us straight to Super U. They seem to be building the store proper – the interim shop being in what’s effectively a large tent. 

Leaving the supermarket we had just over 5 miles to go … and a very strong tailwind to assist, which combined with a supersmooth cycle path made for a lovely ride at about 18 mph without any motor assistance and little work needed from me. Komoot took us to the wrong place, so we consulted Google maps and retraced our steps for half a mile before finding our tiny house for the night. Today was the first of four days cycling before our next rest day, and has been very gentle.