Resume of 1st month

Highlights:-
1  The people, so friendly and forgiving of my French, except for the odd couple of patronising campsite     owners (men with keys hanging off their jeans so easy to spot). Special thoughts to family who gave us                   shelter and women who stopped their cars as i tippled off such a long time ago

2 The drivers - stop to let you cross the road, give really wide birth to you and generally the cyclist is not seen as second class citizen

3 Ok now the wine (Dave wanted that top) so cheap though god only knows what its doing to our insides

4 Campsites by and large (odd anty and sand fly ones aside) great set up, favourite one the cheapest, with the unfeasibly friendly chap and his off sider the maintenance lady, and the one where we bought 4 beers and got one free!!!

5  La Rochelle was worried it would be a let down after Dave was so excited about following in Ronnie's footsteps, but really nice place.

6 the voires verts. how mmany other countries could you pretty much cycle 1200km thus farmainly on cycle tracks. very impressive

Have to stop there as could just go on forever really lovely country.

Lowlights:-

1 BUDGET!!!!! wish we could relax and enjoy it all a bit more but difficult on the budget. Learnt that can't just go out and have 3 pints like in the White Cross. This next month will be different from that perspective and feel that will make the difference. Cheaper inland too so that will help.

2 have to put this, nearly getting arrested but feel it was quite funny, you can take the girl out of Morecambe........

What does August hold. This promises to be sooooo exciting, Farrens on Sunday and then the following weekend heading to Montpellier to meet Natalie and Harry to celebrate the following Saturday Dave's 50th in St Marie de la Mer and then if that isn't enough off to provence to live like locals in a proper house and everything for a week. Promises to be a great month, keep following!!!!!!

2nd August (giving up on day count) La reole to Mas D'Agenis 29km

Dave up early doing a painting of the very picturesque town from the river. Once finished got his paintings together and headed off to the little gallery (pretty much the first of it's type we have found) in the village. A lovely chap running it and with my limited French explained the situation, he looked at the paintings and liked them, especially the beach scenes, however when it came to whether he could purchase any, unfortunately it was a "Non". After writing down why I realised he was about to retire and couldn't buy more stock. Feedback promising and he asked us where we were heading. I said some places and he added Agen to the mix, which is on the canal, so may be a possibility(though wasn't on the itinerary)

We then headed off down the Canal geronne. Excellent voires verts, paved all the way and lovely shade. Getting hot again and basically very tired from yesterdays exploits, add to that hunger as totally ill prepared and we didn't get as far as planned. Took a detour to Mas D'Agenis and felt quite beguiled by its mediaeval charm, and the campsite for 5 euros, so decided to stop. Quick shop and we have now stooped to even lower depths as we have red wine in a plastic bottle!!!! Can be reused for water ha ha.

Day 30 (seem to have gained a day??!) Bordeaux to La Reole 80km including search for wine.

Left the lovely city of Bordeaux. Had a glass of Bordeaux in bordeaux last night with a lovely chap, Connor, from Sheffield, here to line up years accommodation as part of his degree in French. Down the Voires Verts with a couple of stops on the way for coffee and food (early food stop as evidently not as much fuel obtained from Honey type cereal than good old porridge). Ended the Voires Verts at Sauveterre de Guyenne, a really pretty ville but with no campsite. Decision made to head south towards the River Garonne along small roads. What the map doesn't indicate is the undulation involved.

Hot today too so a couple of hills that almost provoked vomiting but got here eventually. 70km under our belt. Set up camp and rustled up pasta dish from nearly empty food sack then went in search of supermarche. In vain, as they all closed at 7.30 but this added 10km to already shattered body!!! Then found a little epicerie, still open, slightly more for wine but as site only cost 10 euro felt we deserved it.

Sun just starting to set as we sit by the river, very pretty little old town, stunning views from the hill we climbed on wine search. would return to get photo but really can't face it. Few easy days ahead down the canals and rivers to ultimate destination on Sunday to meet up with vicky, dave, Ava and Myah Farren (sorry guys spelling might be out there) so looking forward to that. as the start of a new month was going to do a little resume of highlights and low lights, but too tired, will have to wait for tomorrow.....

bordeaux in bordeaux

connor from sheffield

is this how you get wine

feeling pretty bad

Day 29 Bordeaux

Lovely city this. After reasonable nights sleep but really no better than the tent, we had as much as we could manage at breakfast, including my first tasting of nutella. OMG it tastes like the top of our favourite super U biscuits, that's going to be bought from now on and put on cheapy biscuits to emulate them!!!! Dave then went painting in a lovely little square. painting a little restaurant, lovely scene then a  white van parked right in front of him!!! Luckily the job wasn't an all dayer though they had to have a coffee in said restaurant before they went. Painting eventually finished we then moved to the side of the river itself after a coffee.  He started to paint an archway into the old town. Really stunning architecture all round.

After about an hour with his growing portfolio laid out on the new black sarong, a lady in some kind of uniform with a walkie talkie approached. I knew exactly what she was saying but played dumb, whilst Dave at one point said "but I haven't actually sold anything" but obviously in English so she didn't realise he was confessing all really. Then she spotted the 50euro card and jumped on the vital piece of evidence with relish then went onto the walkie talkie! I was packing stuff away by this time and owned up to all, the next thing three gendarmerie on bikes were there (slight overkill I felt). Dave then is like "but can I keep painting" which she acknowledged was ok. The boys in blue obviously felt the paperwork wasn't worth it and they all cycled off. 10 mins later two more passed by on Segways, I am so glad they weren't part of the initial squad or I could have laughed out loud and not be sitting here now.

Oh fun is being had all round!!!! Back to Auberge with bottle of wine and pizza!!!!! which normally would not bother me but this trip has changed everything!

in distance gendarmerie retuning to base

segwayers!!!!

Day 28 Lacanau Ville to Bordeaux 50km

Voires verts all the way, Nice easy cycle, with lunch stop in the most lovely grounds to social security building i have ever seen, into beautiful city of Bordeaux. Once established that no real camping potential found through tourist info Auberge jeunnesse which is we assume the halls of residence for the uni used as accommodation for the summer. really great place 46 euro for a double, close to the town centre, spotless with brilliant security for the bikes and in general, and breakfast and use of kitchen. As we settled into Room 101 :/ plan was made and dave went out painting.

About 8pm i followed him out to the fountain in the centre of the front of the old town where a decidedly tense dave was attempting to paint with a dentally challenged man of the street and water colour artist himself, Didier, was sat by his side, drinking, smoking, advising dave on his technique and most importantly probably deterring any potential clientele. After 10 mins of me being there, perhaps my more dismissive aura, he moved on. After which Dave then turned and said "lesson learnt, you can't be nice to everyone".

Packed up and back to Auberge, where, I have to admit to this, whilst I prepared our soup initially I was offered left over pasta in a pan which i accepted gladly, obviously very gladly, as they then offered me there left overs on the plate and I took it!!!!!! Dave looked on in astonishment and it was only as I finished i realised really what i had done!!!!!!Anyway they seemed nice young women and i was starving!

not sure why am pulling this face but lovely grounds for council workers

Day 25 Carcans plage to Lacanau de Ville via Blackpool, sorry  Lacanua de oceans!!! 15km

Lovely morning and spent it on the most amazing beach, reminded me of a really wild surf beach  in Australia. Carcans is a real surf spot with a good vibe, nice cafe's (wish we had loads of money to partake of mean looking pizzas) and though campsite was expensive it really had a nice feel (managed to avoid putting the bracelet on). Dave did a painting and a lovely French teacher came along and chatted about them, and bought a card. She lives in Warsaw but family in Chamonix so we even might see her in the winter.

After a little lunch we headed the 12 or so km to Lacanau de Oceans. I am afraid to say it was as I imagined, a bit of a characterless resort, (which actually Blackpool has) with a great beach I have to admit, but the water didn't seem as clean as up the coast and there was a bit of a haughtiness to the place, not really deserved, probably due to 50 euro price tag in the two campsites/resorts of the place!!!! These were serious wristband territory so even if they had been half the price i couldn't have stayed there so after another session on the beach, another painting done we set of inland to find cheaper. bear in mind this was now 18.30, very little eaten up to this point. 5km brought us to the L'Ermitage (or the Hills have eyes) 29 euros was quoted here and as we followed the lady down a track, luckily with other campers ahead of us we decided to turn back out of the place. So back on the track, past a resorty looking place and then eventually all the way to lacanau ville.

Really hungry by this time and the time approaching 19.30 we searched for a bed for the night, nothing appeared hopeful, but then we found a Super U and the world became a sunnier place. Dave entered the shop a bit like father Jack though uttering 'wine!!' instead of 'drink!!' and with other staples and the knowledge gained there is a campsite we headed off to said campsite. in my hungerstarved state when we were quoted 13.44 i heard that as 30.44 euro, so used to those kind of numbers, imagine when i realised  my mistake :) Unfortunately Dave so busy painting lately so lack of photos but below is photo of Dave with mug of wine and super U choccie biscuits - a happy man!!!1

Day 26 to 27 Lacanau Ville.

Stayed here two days, pretty exhausted so needed big rest really. Quiet campsite. Got chatting to lovely young couple from bedford, bless them they didn't know what had hit them when I started, having not talked to anyone other than dave for a while. Eventually let them go ha ha!!!

Day 24 Metveliet to Carcans plage 40km

Funny day today, weather dodgy and that matched the mood of the day. Another storm in the night, not as intense but lasted 2 hours so not very rested in the morning. initially bright and then clouded over. We set of to our original destination hourtin Plage  but on arrival, small place, no cash point (no money at this point) only a 5 star campsite to stay at, cloudy and threatening rain. looked for potential to wild camp, found a site that had wooden sculptures and a bit of a hippy/itinerant crowd. Felt like the slaughtered lamb as we entered. Obviously not cool enough to stay there, and felt a wee bit dodgy really for two middle ageds from Morecambe so off we went back on the road.

As it was not going to be a beach day headed inland slightly with potential to stay by a lake, arrived at ready made resort, hideous music blaring, no redeeming features whatsoever (bank though so funds replenished) so before our moods worsened further headed off again just 4km to the coast to Carcans plage, very surfy little place but the campsite (1 star!!!) costs 26 euro. These pricings are a bit odd. only one in town and bored with searching so settled up for the night. Drew the line at putting on a blue arm band. Actually a really nice site, we are used to being the only non French speaking couple on a site, but i think we are the only non German speaking. Big site so was worried about noise but on the strike of 11.00pm silence, love that german efficiency :) So well rested for Day 25