11 May, 2015

OK, there seems to a pattern developing here – one day blazing hot, the next day dull and cool.  Today the skies are black and it is decidedly cool. Jackets on and off we go.  In complete contrast to the hot blasts of wind yesterday, when the temperature was over 30 degrees, it is really comfortable cycling weather today.  It is just a shame that the dull greyness does not show off the countryside to its best.

First things first, we restock our supplies at the first supermarket we see on the edge of Parentis.  Just as we are leaving we bump into a fellow cycle tourist from Wales, whose first words were “wow, cycle tourists from England, wow, people to talk to”, he had obviously been on his own for a while!  He reminded me of Tigger, bouncing around with enthusiasm.  He was travelling down from north to south roughly along the Eurovelo 1, although he was having so much trouble finding the cycle paths he had started to use the roads instead.  We exchanged stories of our travels, before wishing each other good luck and departing in opposite directions.

Our route today moves us slightly inland and weaves its way around some waterways and lakes, which makes for very pleasant riding.  Eventually the path makes its way back to the coast and back to the pine woods.  There are one or two steep climbs though today to add a bit of interest.  As we head up towards Arcachon, we pass the Dune of Pyla which is the tallest sand dune in Europe at 110 metres high.  We made a detour to see it on our 2011 cycle tour, but even having seen it before it was still an impressive sight.

We ended the day in Arcachon, an attractive seaside resort on the south bank of a huge estuary.  It had never really warmed up all day and the evening was starting to feel chilly, so we decided to treat ourselves to a night in a hotel.  The one we chose used to be a boarding house for the workers at a local sardine factory in the 1930s.  It had retained much of its character and best of all it had a comfy bed and snuggly duvet.