The ups and downs of a flat ride

 We slept on our bed with no covers in our static caravan. Not because it was hot. In fact, it was cold. But the ferocious staff only gave us one sheet and two pillow cases. It's an odd feeling, going to bed fully clothed in your 'day' clothes but without the security of a sheet. Just a sheet. That's all you need as a barrier between you and the outside world. In spite of such an extreme bed situation, we slept. Every now and again, we would wake up and find something else to put on but we slept. 

Because we had passed no shops for miles the previous day, we had no food or drinks so when the alarm went off at 7am, we had no choice but to have a drink of water (no alternative beverages being available), get into our wet, cold clothes (we had washed them the night before) load up the tandem and go. But not before the lady in white appeared and demanded €10 with menaces for kindly lending us the inadequate bedding.

It wasn't the easiest first few miles. No breakfast, no coffee, cold wet clothes. Am I inducing sympathy?

After about eight miles, we saw a boulangerie which also served coffee. We fell upon it. 

Then it started to rain. We put our coats on. Then decided it wasn't bad enough and it was silly to make our coats wet for nothing. We took them off. The rain stopped.

The legs started moving properly again. The sun came out. An hour later we stopped for another coffee, both agreeing that the first one hadn't really touched the sides. As we sat there, a young man started to play the guitar and sing, accompanied by a whole plethora of pedals to create backing sounds. We would have given him a couple of euros as we often do for buskers but he left before us. The months we had to busk simply to pay the rent and food as students means that whenever we hear buskers it strikes a chord with us - whatever their instrument...

Today was as flat as a gallette. The wind was either favourable or didn't hinder us and we were able to select a high gear and motor along the impeccable road surfaces which France is so good at. Sometimes, you see a sign saying 'Chaussee Deformee'. I think, 'crumbs, you need to come to England to see a chaussee deformee, mate...

Having said that.... there was one very nasty stretch of track. I decided, way back at the planning stage, that it was worth doing as it cut out loads of busy road. It was loose large pieces of gravel and as straight as a very straight thing and ran for about 6 miles. Our average speed must have been about 7 miles an hour.

The scenery was so different today. Farm land. Sunflowers. Forests. Lakes. There were several lakes en route. I don't know what's going on, but in the same way that we didn't see the sea yesterday,  we saw just one lake, for about two minutes and yet we skirted them for hours.

We arrived at our chambre d'hote. It's very nice. We were able to use the swimming pool in their garden. We have use of a shared kitchen. They have a vast and empty garage apart from their bikes and we have to walk through it to reach our accommodation. But our tandem has been assigned a wall in the garden to spend the night against. 😶

It's Sunday. We hadn't forgotten. We have just made bad choices. We arrived here and absolutely nowhere was open. So back on the bike, and an extra five miles for a very enjoyable Japanese meal. It was the only thing open in the whole of France, it seemed. Kate was ecstatic. She loves Japanese food.

Cycling an unloaded tandem made us realise what a difference all the weight makes! 

Perhaps we'll leave all our gear here and set off with just our toothbrushes and computers tomorrow, like young people.

I just felt that this scene encapsulates the slightly bizarre world of our static caravan.

Being played to by a busker

 as we did the coffee thing

                 Le pique-nique in the parc

                 I did get in too, I promise.

A very happy Kate. I think she won me round to Japanese cuisine but it might have been the hunger