geeteetravels

Today’s ride from Bourcefranc to Royan was one of the most pleasant and scenic rides we have ever done, which is many over the last 11 years. The entire day was on a Velodyssey route again and it took us through a forest (Forêt de la Coubre) and then along a coastal trail all the way to Royan. In the forest it was wonderfully cool and shaded and it lasted about 12 kms. Then we were on the coast riding past huge beautiful uncrowded beaches, seaside cities and towns, sail boats on the ocean, lovely stone villas at Pontilliac, lighthouses and many people on bikes. And did I mention that it’s quite flat here? This is a cycling paradise.

Our property rental in Royan is quite grand, literally. It is much bigger than we are used to and comes equipped with a full kitchen, garden, dishwasher and washing machine! It is about 5 minutes from the waterfront as well.

We learned that in January 1945 Royan was accidentally bombed by the Allied forces due to a mistaken communication. They had planned to bomb it in an attempt to rid the city of German occupiers.  Unfortunately they weren’t aware of the fact that the Germans had already left and the civilians had not been evacuated resulting in the destruction of the city  and hundreds (maybe thousands) of Royan residents killed, a sacrificial city, such a tragedy. As a result the city looks much more modern than most European cities due to reconstruction in the 50’s. We visited the Notre-Dame church of Royan and the central market, two notable buildings from the reconstruction phase. The market is bright and open with an elevated sail-like roof with slots to let in the light. The church is unusual for Europe in that it is modern. It is a tall concrete structure that is easily visible from afar and striking to see especially at night when lit up. The stained glass and artwork inside is also modern.

We spent a couple of hours on the beach too and both had a dip in the Atlantic. Seems just as salty as the Pacific. The sand is much finer here than in Hawaii so if the wind comes up the sand goes everywhere, even in your mouth. The beaches are huge, plentiful and not crowded. This is supposed to have been where the sunbathing and beachwear fashion business began early in the 20th century.

Our final day in Royan turned into a rainy/rest day. It’s better to have rain days when you don’t have to get somewhere. This is a comfortable apartment so not a bad place to hang out, read, plan for future destinations and practise our French. We did head out for a short ride in the afternoon when it lightened up a bit to see some sights down the coast from here but didn’t get too far before the rain started again.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

We are stopping in this ville only for a night on the way to Royan which was too far to ride in one day. Bourcefranc is situated just before the island Olèron.

The route took us back to Rochefort then farther south and west. Again we spent most of the day on a Velodyssey route. We’ve gotten spoiled with bike lanes and cycle routes on this trip. Our cycling friends Katharine and Rob would love riding here. Sometimes the terrain is less than smooth or on gravel but overall good for riding.

This time we crossed the Charente River on the easier bridge, the Transbordeur. It was recently reopened after 4 years of renovation. We arrived there about 1pm but the 2 staff members were having their “dejeuner” so we had to wait an hour to cross. It was interesting to see all the different cyclists gathering here with us to wait. There was no signage about this midday rest, instead the operator had to keep telling people from his lunch table that he would start again at 2pm, it seemed odd, another strange French thing.

We rode through a lovely little town with an ancient fort named Remparts de Brouage. It is one of many in France with a classification as a Beaux Village. It wasn’t a planned stop, just happened to be on the route, a great place for a rest and refreshment. It’s main street was called “rue de Québec”.

Much of this area is salt marshes, and full of small canals. As we were going by a canal parallel to the bike trail we saw an animal in the water that may be a muskrat? After the google research we thought it might be a Nutria but we’re still not sure. What do you think? At any rate the Princess Bride movie came to mind (rodents of an unusual size).

We arrived at Bourcefranc and got into our apartment easily this time. However we soon found out that just about everything was closed due to it being a Sunday. If the city is smaller and not a tourist attraction then it’s difficult to find a place to eat or buy groceries. We were worried that we may have to have oatmeal porridge for supper, we always carry that for Tara’s breakfasts. We eventually found a Chinese buffet takeout (Panda King) that we had to get back on the bike and ride to about 3km away. We need to pay more attention to travelling on Sundays. No gourmet French food for us tonight but we didn’t go hungry.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

Today’s ride from Rochefort to LaRochelle was entirely on the Velodyssey, the French section of the European cycle route system, so no cars at all to speak of, only bikes. The temperature was about 25 Celsius, much more comfortable. Also the ride was relatively short, only about 48kms so our legs and butts were feeling fine.

On the way out of Rochefort we rode past an interesting bridge: a platform suspended on cables running back and forth over the river. This is actually the way we should have come into Rochefort, not over the big car bridge that we did. After about 20km we came to the coast of the Atlantic ocean. We have seldom been anywhere near the Atlantic so it was exciting to see. The first thing we noticed was that there were large open sandy beaches, just like in North America. Along the Mediterranean and Agean the beaches are mostly covered with privately owned areas covered with lounge chairs and umbrellas where you pay for access. It was the perfect lunch stop.

We arrived in LaRochelle easily and located our accommodation. We have found that it is sometimes a bit of a puzzle to gain entry as these apartments are not necessarily manned, rather done without any human contact, just a lock box on the outside. This was again the situation. It is good in terms of Covid but not so good for helping people orient to the area. For this one and the previous one the hosts appear to be on site but then say that they are unable to greet you for some reason. Possibly it helps them avoid paying extra taxes if it is less like a hotel. (just our theory)

We spent the evening and the next day exploring around the LaRochelle harbour and old town. This is a beautiful city! So many tourists here and so many restaurants, all surprisingly full. There doesn’t appear to be any Covid here. 🤔

The entrance to the harbour is dominated by 3 towers, one of which is a lighthouse. There are also many arcaded streets so that the vendors could sell their goods during bad weather. We learned there is a strong connection to Quebec (New France) here due to being an eastern port of Europe with much trade back and forth (furs, wine, salt and slaves from Africa-yikes!) Samuel de Champlain was born here in 1567 and sailed from this area in the early 1600’s to establish New France. He died in Quebec. One of the streets in La Rochelle is cobbled with stones from Quebec. The stones were used as ballast on the ships sailing back to France.

The following day we rode over a big bridge from La Rochelle to the île de Ré. This island is right beside the city and a very touristy destination with several seaside towns, beaches, shops, camping, oyster farms, salt marshes and a network of cycling trails like nothing ever seen before. We happened to go on a Saturday so it felt like everyone was on a bike. This is a good thing for the most part but some riders just don’t know how to behave so we had to be alert. Nevertheless we had a wonderful day of riding around this beautiful island. It was especially nice to ride sans paniers, we felt light as a feather.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

The ride from Cognac to Rochefort was much better than the one to Cognac. It was similar in scenery but slightly cooler and a bit cloudy so more comfortable. The route mostly followed the Charente River and was mostly on quiet rural roads. We did accidentally end up on a 4 lane highway briefly so that wasn’t good but it was short-lived. Sometimes our GPS gives us confusing directions and then before you know it you are not where you want to be and can’t easily escape.

We both are completely recovered from jet lag and other ailments so feeling pretty strong. However the last 15 or 20 kms always feel hard and your butt starts to ache. Today was no exception. Our bags feel so heavy by the end of the day even though we have done everything we can think of to minimize/economize.

We were able to find and get into our accommodation. This one was more of a self serve situation so not as interesting people wise. We did go to a restaurant recommended by our Cognac hosts and it was exceptional with a view of the marina.

We had a quiet day to rest and do laundry but also managed a walking tour of the port/marina area and the city. Rochefort isn’t on the ocean but is on the Charente River which leads to the ocean so there are lots of ocean going water craft here. The most important attraction here is the “L’arsenal des Mers” which is a naval base complete with a Royal Corderie or rope making workshop. There is also an interesting display about the construction of a very authentic replica of an 18th century frigate that followed the voyage of the original ship in 1779 to America during the American Revolution. General La Fayette was also on a voyage of the “Hermione” to fight in Canada (New France) so there is a connection.

We learned that in 1967 there was a a musical filmed here with Catherine DeNeuve and Gene Kelly called Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. It appears to be a claim to fame here, we saw several references to the movie around the city, we will have to watch it sometime.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

We left Blaye in good time when it was still coolish. The first few hours were pleasant, again riding through mostly vineyards as well as some lovely bike paths through forested areas. We are often riding on parts of the EuroVelo routes which are are established bike routes throughout Europe. Sometimes they are pathways, sometimes small rural roads.

Unfortunately the day got very hot, we had to ride almost 80kms, it was a Sunday, and we were riding in a very rural area. So with still 30 kms to go, 35 degree temperatures, and no open bars for cool refreshment and recovery possible we arrived in Cognac completely spent. To make matters worse George was struggling with an upset stomach so wasn’t at his best. At one point he took a drink of warm water from his water bottle and almost vomited (not true – GG)😝.

Luckily (or not, George does choose our accommodations carefully) our B&B host was ready for us and provided ice and refreshment immediately as well as help finding somewhere to eat supper. We had a light meal and hit the sack early for a well earned rest.

After a good sleep we were ready to explore Cognac. Obviously this is where they make the liquor cognac and there are several companies that produce it. I only recognized a couple names (Remy Martin and Hennessy) as I am not a connoisseur. We went on a tour of one of the oldest companies that is housed in an old chateau/castle where King Francois the first was born and lived back in the 15-16th century. I enjoyed hearing about the history of the building, less about how they make the cognac. I think for others it was the opposite.  At the end of the tour you could taste the cognac, which I didn’t like, could not manage to even finish the sample. C’etait trop fort pour moi! 😝. George enjoyed his. Later that evening we tried the other specialty of the area: Pineau des Charente which is like port or a fortified wine. This was very nice. 🍷😊

Cognac is a lovely little city situated on the Charente River. We enjoyed wandering around the old city area that has many ancient homes, fortresses, and gates dating from about the 16th century. It is amazing to think about how long people have lived in the very buildings we are visiting today, and we complain about poor wifi or AC.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

The ride out of Bordeaux was now familiar as we had spent a few days there already. We crossed the Garonne river right away and headed north. It is always reassuring to get riding after all the hassles of travelling across the world with a big bike, sometimes I feel like staying home, but getting going reminds me how much I enjoy cycle touring.

Our first stop was the giant Carrefour store to get groceries for the day. It takes so long to find only a few items, perhaps we should find smaller stores? Definitely good selection though. I always have to retrain myself on how to operate the produce scales in European grocery stores. Usually I stand back and watch someone else do it first then give it a go. I have learned never to show up at the cashier without the weight/price sticker on the item. Arguing with the cashier in French is not covered in Duo Lingo.

Much of the ride was on bicycle lanes or very small roads with little traffic so very pleasant riding. As expected there were many vineyards to enjoy with grapes growing abundantly. Other fields we saw were not looking so well: corn and sunflower fields were dried up. Apparently this was the first time in many years that they had to irrigate the vineyards. There has been no rain in 3 months.

Next we crossed the Dordogne river. Both the Garonne and the Dordogne are huge, wide and muddy looking rivers. We followed the shore towards our destination and eventually the river became an estuary where the 2 rivers join and then we arrived in Blaye. This lovely little city sits on the estuary where a defensive fort was built way back to protect them from British attackers. Two similar forts were built to cover the entire width of the estuary. There are also river cruise boats and ferries to take you up the river or over to the other side or to isles in the middle.

We stayed in one of these ancient townhomes that look like nothing from the outside but have beautiful gardens extending out the back. We wheeled the bike right through the house into the back garden, Our room was up a floor and quite grand. The host offered us an evening dinner in the garden as well as breakfast. He was a genuine French “foodie” and served us very good meals, mostly right out of the garden. A fun place to stay.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

Here we are at last, after a 9hr plane ride plus 2.5hr wait for the train, 8 minutes on the train to Euro Disney, blitzed the place in 1.5 hours (kidding, but there were a LOT of folks with mickey mouse ears hanging about the station where we changed trains), and 3 more hours on the TGV to Bordeaux, complete with unmasked woman with coughs and sniffles. Fortunately we were staying at one of possibly the best B&Bs with the loveliest hostess we have encountered. Isabel made sure we were very comfortable, turned up the AC and pointed us back to a bon restaurant to recover a bit of strength. It all went quite smooth except for a weird glitch trying to attach our phones to a local network (fixed).

I must say jet lag hit quite hard despite crashing in a timely fashion on the first night. The next two nights were not as good. We got the bike up and running also without issue and did a shakedown run all around on some of Bordeaux’s bike pathway network which goes everywhere. The city is pretty and clean, bisected by the Garonne river with several interesting bridges and one of those unprotected trams right at ground level which would never be allowed at home. There is a huge piece of the central city which is a no-car zone which we always welcome so a day was spent on foot touring the sites as well as the bike day.

Then it was time to sort what would come with us on the bike and what could stay back at the B&B while we toured for the next 24 days. We do our best but the panniers still seem to be stuffed and very heavy. Onward to Blaye in the morning.

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine