8 May, 2015

Nothing is going to dampen my spirits this morning, not the weather forecast for 60 kilometre per hour winds, nor the hotelier telling us that it is a national holiday in France (isn’t it always?) and that the shops will be closed, the roads full of traffic and all the hotels and campsites full.

So, what was the reality?  Perfect weather – sunny with a breeze.  Busy cycle paths, but nothing like on a weekend in Holland.  Yes, the roads were busy, but we weren’t on them most of the time.  The wayfinding was a bit challenging; sometimes the signs were in strange places, sometimes they were ambiguous and sometimes they were missing, but mostly they were fine.

The route followed the coast line which was spectacular for the first part of the day, with beautiful bays and rocky cliffs.  It made the cycling a bit hard on the legs, but actually they felt better than expected.

We kept arriving at seaside holiday towns, full of the locals enjoying the sun and various parades and activities.  The beaches were busy and hundreds of surfers were taking advantage of rough, rolling waves.  We even saw a few cycle tourists, one German couple getting lost in exactly the same places as us.  As we ate our lunch on a bench in a small village, we watched them pass by several times, back and forth, looking for the route.

Following the cycle path is not the most efficient way of getting from A to B; the cycle path meanders around, lengthening the journey by many kilometres compared to using the road.  However, it does take you to places you wouldn’t see from the road, cliff top viewing points, harbour fronts and fortified buildings, for example, giving a real flavour of the area.  Many of the tracks were stone and gravel, although some were super smooth tarmac giving the opportunity for a change in pace.

The terrain became slightly less hilly as we approached Biarritz, the physical challenge being replaced by more of a mental challenge.  To be fair, crossing the city was not too bad, with a cycle lane marked on the road through the city centre.

We reached Ondres where we hoped to find a campsite by 6pm.  The campsite did exist and had plenty of spaces.  Unfortunately it also had plenty of mosquitoes – the first negative of the day.  The second negative was that my new Brooks saddle, recommended by  all serious cycle tourists, had rubbed a blister the size of a large grape.  This was not too much of a surprise, because when I tried it out at home it rubbed a similar sized blister after only 7 kilometres.  It is made in a traditional style of hard leather and feels like sitting on a brick.  It is claimed that once it is broken in, which takes 500 kilometres, it will be the most comfortable saddle ever.  That remains to be seen, but tomorrow is going to need a super- sized plaster.