{"id":178,"date":"2023-05-15T19:05:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T19:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montpelliercycle.cactus.co.uk\/?p=178"},"modified":"2023-06-15T09:13:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T09:13:45","slug":"day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blazingsaddles.cactus.co.uk\/index.php\/2023\/05\/15\/day-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 2 – Raining, raining, raining and a hurty leg"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The tent and new mattress have proven their worth: super-comfortable! (except for the makeshift pillow). However Jackie had to use her pillow, aka her warm coat, as a warm coat, so had no pillow and was still cold! Woke at 6 to the sound of rain so dozed until it stopped around 8. Packed up and off to Pontorson just 3 miles away for breakfast. Pain au choc again! Put my saddle up a little as my right knee was really painful by the end of yesterday\u2019s riding. Fingers firmly crossed that\u2019s enough to sort it out, I don\u2019t want knackered limbs this early in the trip!<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly it\u2019s 11am, how did that happen? Maybe it was the lazing around outside a caf\u00e9 watching the world go by followed by a heathy dose of bike fettling. Anyhoo, time to get a move on!<\/span><\/p>\n

Riding through an agricultural landscape, mostly cows and extremely neatly ploughed fields.\u00a0 <\/span>Saw a lovely pair of donkeys. Happy days!<\/span><\/p>\n

Met Simon, a French-Canadian cyclist heading in roughly the same wrong direction as us. Had to retrace our route for about a mile. He soon left us behind after that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday we decided upon some golden rules for the ride. Rule #1: if you spot a potential picnic lunch at the brealfast boulangerie, always buy it as we may well end up in the middle of nowhere at lunchtime or find everywhere is closed because it’s a Monday. Today (Monday) we completely ignored our own advice. At lunchtime we arrived in a small village with a C in its name. Surprise, surprise – nowhere open to get any food! We must learn to listen to ourselves – some of our advice is actually quite sound! Had a biscuit and half a dozen peanut M&Ms each for lunch while sheltering from the rain under the porch of the village shop (closed).<\/span><\/p>\n

Set off for Foug\u00e8res approx 15 miles away hoping we might eat lunch by 3.30pm. The rain turned itself up from 6 to 11 and the wind did its best to freeze us. Saw a fabulous collection of old 2CVs which cheered us a little.<\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of van drivers warned us that there was an accident ahead and the road was completely impassable. We had to find an alternative route which turned out to be a lovely off-road cycle path (a Voie Verte) all the way to Foug\u00e8res, complete with a fun disused railway tunnel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rode up a steep hill into the middle of town and started looking for somewhere to eat. Jackie spotted a two-star (our kind of budget) hotel and we decided to stop early today and stay in comfort. The rain had frozen us and my knee was really playing up, I was limping quite badly. The hotel staff were lovely. They opened up a store-room for our bikes and let us use their laundry to dry our clothes and tent. Warmed ourselves up in the hot shower and set out to explore.<\/span><\/p>\n

The chateaux in Foug\u00e8res is amazing! Well worth seeing. Traipsed around seeking out somewhere to eat that ignored the Monday closing habit. Discovered a taco place and had the best fast-food we’ve ever eaten. Never did get that lunch though. Back to the hotel to sort out our kit and get an early night as we’re knackered again!<\/span><\/p>\n

Miles cycled: 33<\/span><\/p>\n

Total miles: 75<\/span><\/p>\n

Good things today:<\/span><\/p>\n