17 May, 2015

We decide today that we really need to make quicker progress towards the Loire and our route along the Eurovelo 6.  We are concerned that if we take too long now we will be left with less time than we want to explore the countries near the end of the tour that we have not visited before, such as Slovakia.  The best way to speed things up will be to spend the next couple of days on the inland backroads rather than following the coastal cycle path.  During our cycle tour in 2011 we had planned an inland route heading north which we didn’t actually follow in the end.  So now we take the opportunity to use this route to help us save some time.

When we set off the sun is shining for the first time in a few days.  After about 10 kilometres on the cycle path we turn off onto a fairly busy section of road and start to wonder straight away if we have done the right thing.  Fortunately, we quickly turn onto a much quieter road and get the pedals spinning.  It is a nice feeling to be speeding along.  We are quickly deep into rural France, just farms and farming hamlets, green fields and birdsong.  The sun is making everything look bright and beautiful.

Fortunately, we have a full stock of supplies with us as we don’t see a single shop all day.

We had a bit of difficulty finding the campsite in the village we intended to stop at, but eventually we did find one in the next village which turned out to be one of the best of the tour so far.  We had a nice flat plot with short grass and the whole place to ourselves – literally, as the owners waved goodbye to us for the night and left.

 

The WiFi was a bit weak and wobbly, like it has been for most of the trip.  My tablet wasn’t helping either by keep changing the words I’ve typed into something it thinks I should have typed.  A couple of nights ago it changed ‘fenland’ into ‘Finland’ and I didn’t notice straight away, so if you thought we were making astounding progress that day I’m sorry to disappoint you.

Once the sun went down it turned really chilly, and as the night went on it got colder and colder.  I ended up sleeping with my long-sleeved top, long trousers and my jacket on inside my sleeping bag.