Wednesday August 20, 2014

Today was a little chilly to start with, we were wearing our windbreakers for the first hour.  The route was flat until the last 25 kms and then it was hilly through paved forest tracks.  On this section of the Velodyssey the signs have been really good.  If there is a Town to visit the signs will direct you in to the Town or Village but also direct you on the Velodyssey route.  At about 54 kms we were getting a little hungry so made the deviation into Maubuisson and had a baguette.  Maubuisson has some very nice holiday homes nestled into the trees and beach area.

Often we had the route to ourselves, but if we were coming into a Town or Village, we would be inundated with cyclists, joggers and walkers.  We often had to ring our bells to warn people we were coming and to indicate that we were wide and they should may be stay on their side of the two-lane bicycle path.  We stuck to our line and they would move out of our way.  I often felt today that we were the “transport truck” on the bicycle path, big, wide and moving fast.  Get out the way people we are coming through.

There are things that I miss since being on the road, and I have mentioned pillows and fluffy towels before, but last night I realized I miss a shower that when you turn the tap on the water pours over you until you decide to turn the tap off.  Camp site showers in France are on a timer and the temperature of the water is preset.  You press a button and the water comes out for a set amount of time usually about 30 seconds and then it stops, you press the button again and again and again, the water temperature can vary from boiling to cold.  I mentioned to Ralf that I was missing having a regular shower and he told me the solution was simple, when you hear the water pressure reducing you hit the button again. I wish I could describe Ralf’s actions and noises when he was telling me how to do this, it was very funny.  Whoosh, Ralf pretending to wash his hair, arm behind him to hit the button, whoosh, pretending to wash his arms, arm behind him to hit the button, whoosh, pretending to wash his body and so it continued – Voila continuous water.  I tried it this afternoon, not quite as voila continuous water for me. I really miss having that tap that you can turn and get continuous water with the temperature that I like.

We are staying in a very nice touristy campsite tonight with water-park, restaurant and all the facilities.  We thought it might be really expensive but it is the same price as the Municipal camp site we stayed at last night.

We are located next to a surf school camp, we were assured that they would not be noisy.  – Not quite true, but hopefully they won’t be up all night.