Day 5 ambrieres le vallees to laval on the voires vertes next to the river Mayenne 40km

Bit of a slow start after a noisy night on the camp site listening to German oompah music for some bizarre reason until 12MN and hot with sleeping at a jaunty angle, therefore little sleep (and the cheap bottle of wine perhaps). However lovely cycle along the river, though a bit bumpy at times for the tyres, mostly mountain bike territory along the rivers, not tourers with 22kg of weight, but no punctures thankfully. Chatted to a French couple of cyclists at Montgiroux along the way managed to practice my french and was understood!!  Arrived at Laval and yet again the tourist information a font of knowledge and guided us through a trading estate to the municipal campsite at St Berthevin a snip at 9 euros 20cents :). Then shock horror informed by Isabel and Bill from Dundee, in the area for the Tour de France, and therefore very proud Scots that the dr

ought of a British person winning Wimbledon was broken YAY Andy!!!!!!!! Knew it would happen with us unable to watch, but don't think he will be concerned about that. Good sporting weekend all round, the French happy with their winner, the British Lions and Froome too! Time for bed and what promises to be a much quieter night.

Voires Verts

travelled along cycle paths to Domfront and on to Arbieller for a night's camping with a bottle of red for 1.70 euros!...good for the budget.

ready for bed and the next part of the journey along the river

Day 1 Raining in France???!!!

4th July 05.15 (English time) Woken by Brittany ferry chap knocking on door and then coming in as we had forgotten the clock going forward type activity. Afraid to say still a tad drunk (as I said bad idea). fastest shower, dress and luckily with everything intact out and on the road. It was raining dear reader!!!!!!! We had left blue skies in Portsmouth! However with years of finely tuned weather watching in the country that is Blighty, I knew it would dissipate at some point (and my obsessive googling BBC weather in week leading up to going.) It was actually a god send and cycling a little tipsy and pretty shattered would have been hideous in blazing heat. Into Caen 11km and then a well deserved coffee (not going to be many of them, the most expensive purchase of the day). Petit dejeuner of banana in baguette and then cycle round in circles trying to find the route out. Then a lovely 34km cycle past the really quite emotional poppy strewn fields of north Normandy, a little hillier than I had led myself and Dave to believe,  but we did it. Slowly but surely the weather improved and now sat in blazing sunshine as I type, camped 1km from Clecy, by the river and its every bit as gorgeous as I hoped. Tried a bit of French but as Mr Clarke at Heysham High would have said"must try harder", well most teachers really in the 4th and 5th year :/. But I shall get there.

5th July Day Three. Its hot!!!! and we know its going to get hotter. 35 degrees forecast at La Rochelle next week :/ However must not grumble or will be in trouble. Bit of a late start a after a good  first night under canvas. Then a horrid cycle up a long hill on a horrid busy road out of Clecy. Got to first slight flatten, followed Dave into laybye then couldn't get left foot out of peddle strap, tipped over in very slow motion much to Dave's and two lovely women who stopped to check i was ok. One of the women had actually turned round and come back. Except for grazed left arm and dinted pride I was. Got to Conde de Noireau and carried out a map purchase to reduce potential chance of ending up on huge main roads. Oh how I love a map. Dave never quite as enamoured as I double check route at every opportunity but it keeps us on right track. Arrived in Flers at the height of the heat, took shelter whilst an incredibly accommodating team at the tourist information centre charged the tablet. By which time too tired, hot and ever so slightly grumpy to continue. Decision to stay in nice campsite and very cheap 9 euro versus 18 from last night, with I am reliably informed better toilets and WIFI so hope to post this tonight. Plan early night after carb up then early start down voires verts (info again from lovely team in tourist info)

Cycling round world with little hiccough when using public transport

3rd July D day!!!!! All going smoothly, bikes and god knows how many bags safely onto the virgin train at Lancaster that usually stops for 2-3 minutes, helped by Harry, and 3 midwives!!! Then nothing. Train not moving, connection in jeopardy at the other end, the most military precisioned plans going out of the window, the ferry sailing into the English channel without us, alternatives going to cost us a fortune, not leaving Lancaster, homeless with other people living in our homes, big issue selling becoming a reality (no idea why people think I am dramatic-this is obviously Kath now on the blog case) Frantic texts to Harry who ascertained loads of connecting trains, literally every 10-15 mins just needed to be on one by 20.00 (2pm at this point) so relaxed a tad. Then 2 hours later after a change onto a later train, not sure where the original one went on the blocked line? and we were off. Woo oo. Then relatively (if cycling through London in rush hour can be called painless) painless journey made nicely in time to board our first ever overnight ferry and a well deserved pint or 4!!! (bad idea that)

Start of the big trip around the world...on bike

Finally set off and safely in France...here's a few pictures of the journey to Caen France

I'll let Kath continue with the story...she's good at talking in French and English!!!

Throwing a party and dropping the uncle!

The leaving party developed and moved into the the smallest kitchen in the world...where else!? The game started with me as the person everyone wanted to throw in the air...never seen the kitchen ceiling so close up before. My throwing went without any hitches but my brother John didn't land quite so softly. Funny though!!

Had a great time and it worked as the ultimate party garden with decking and bunker bar below. Luckily Nat's boyfriend Dave, got hold of a great canopy because the weather was a bit wet and windy.

evening. 

Everyone had a great time with food and drink on demand throughout the evening. Twelve midnight was the time to call time and everyone moved on to the next party, at Dave's down the road!!

VW Camper off road

The camper is now off road after failing its MOT....thought I'd get the last two weeks before we set off but couldn't get it sorted in time. She's parked up at Kath's mother's house and I may decide to sell when we fly back in October.

The house is looking very sparse now, with all the furniture gone and our bed  down at my daughter's in London...we're sleeping on the floor...on a mattress! Cut the couch in half to get it to the tip last week so all we've got is a borrowed bean bag and fisherman's chair.

Party at the weekend looks a bit iffy with the worst weather forecast that we could have asked for.
Desperate to go now....roll on 3rd of July!!

Just finished a commissioned painting that I picked up from the prom art fair in Morecambe. She was very happy with the painting which was a gift for her sister who had just adopted her son after 4 years of fostering...very nice people...hope she likes it!