Woke up early to yet another stupendous dawn chorus. I wandered off to the loo and when I returned I found Jackie sat outside the tent, Tupperware in hand. “My throat’s a bit sting-y” she said. “I ate some of last night’s pizza for breakfast and seem to have eaten quite a few ants with it.” Despite Tupperware being airtight, there exists a type of ant that is reddish and so incredibly tiny that they’d been able to breach the plastic defences and were having their own Tupperware party. Shame Jackie had to eat so many of them before she noticed. I haven’t chuckled at her insect misfortune at all. Not a bit.
It’s the last day of our big ride and we are simultaneously excited to complete our trip and disappointed that the adventure is nearing its end.
Breakfast in Sommières. Yummy pastries and coffee in a beautiful 18th century square. Did a teeny bit of tourist shopping, buying gifts for those who are about to help us out over the weekend with the loan of instruments and Sunday night accommodation.
The route started with another Voi Verte which was very helpful as we rode through open countryside and straight into a huge headwind.
Stopped in a small town beginning with B. Bought lunch of Jambon Beurre for me and Fromage Beurre for Jackie in a lovely little boulangerie. Jackie dropped a can of coke outside and it jetted out of a small hole in the base of the can. When I came out of the shop she was desperately trying to cover the hole with her finger in a highly comical way. Boulangerie man took it off her and gave her a replacement, how kind. We wandered around the corner to the town square and ate our picnic on a bench in the pétanquerie (or whatever that gravelly court for boules is called). It was simple but super-yummy.
Cycled onwards into more wind along a newly built Voi Verte, sandwiched between a toxic-looking canal with bright green water and a fairly big road. There was bamboo to shield us from the road traffic and it reduced the wind too. Then yet another route barrée! We ignored it this time and cycled on through. Had to walk a bit as there was no proper surface and a team busy building foundations for a new stretch of cycle road.
Not exactly our favourite route of the trip. At one point we had to cycle across a motorway junction past entry and exit slip roads. Scary! Then picked our way through roadworks on a very busy road with mad traffic everywhere. Next along a cycle lane next to busy road, with industrial/large scale commercial buildings and a lot of traffic.
Finally arrived at the beach. We had done it!! After cycling 835 miles we had achieved our goal of coast to coast, from St Malo on the English Channel all the way to Montpellier and the Mediterranean. We took celebratory selfies in front of the beach and congratulated each other for what was for us a considerable achievement. When we began the trip we genuinely didn’t know if we’d make it all the way, especially with the music festival at the end creating a very real deadline, and we had given ourselves a good talking to about how it wouldn’t matter if we had to finish early and jump on a train. After a certain point though (probably about 75% through the route) we really didn’t want to fail and we were now very chuffed with ourselves indeed!
Booked into our campsite. They have a special price for cyclists which was nice to see. Put up the tent. After so much practice we can now do this very efficiently!
Had celebratory ice creams from the campsite shop. Then we put our legs in the sea. Next to the campsite swimming pool where we swam, then enjoyed the water slides a few times before some more swimming.
Had a beer outside at a nearby hotel bar overlooking the sea. Then back to the campsite restaurant for celebratory dinner. Jackie had monkfish and I had moussaka, yum. Dessert was Norwegian Omelette which we’d never heard of. It had a round sponge base supporting a big scoop of vanilla ice cream with raisins, all topped off with Italian meringue and the whole thing was flambéed in front of us. Dee-flippin-licious.
Off to bed very happy and with playing in a French music festival this weekend to look forward to. I’ll continue this blog throughout the festival and back home on the train and ferry. Five more days to go…
Miles cycled: 27
Grand total miles: 835
Metres climbed: Not a lot
Good things today:
- Breakfast in Sommières
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Lunch
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Kind boulangerie people
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We made it! We flippin’ well did it! We got all the way to Montpellier!
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Celebratory ice creams
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Water slides
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Norwegian Omelette
Well I finally caught up with you (I’m not that fit at the moment).
Congratulations on finishing on time and for overcoming all medical, mechanical and route barrée obstacles. Sounds like there was a good support team of superheroes along the way. Really enjoyable blog and fabulous pictures, it looks like you had a blast. Looking forward to reading about the après cycle and seeing you both at the weekend for a proper catch up.