Day 9 - Biganos to Hourtin

Distance cycled today 46 miles
Distance cycled since Modbury 361 miles

Last night's meal was not very auspicious - basic but perfectly OK - as it was Monday .... and France closes on Mondays. Nevertheless, we found a pizza place, where Rob continued his quest to make duck extinct and I had a large pizza. This cycling certainly restores any lost appetites. We've had a Comment that our diet may be carb and fat rich at the possible expense of fruit (and veg?). I think we're both conscious of that and we do seek salads (remember the hard boiled oeufs?) and vegetables as accompaniments although we don't always mention them e.g. I asked for a side salad with my pizza last night and got a pallet-load of lettuce! I forgot that salad means just lettuce in France so I'll ask for a salade mixte next time. There's often fruit on offer at breakfast time too, which satisfies my addiction to bananas.

The bikes were safely locked in the hotel restaurant overnight - we've so far found all hotels to be very accommodating, perhaps helped by our inflating the value of them when discussing security.

I've already mentioned the wi-fi which is widely available but every time a hotel receptionist refers to it when we check-in, they pronounce it as "wee-fee" and I guiltily keep thinking they are referring to the state of my cycling socks!

Our blog post yesterday had to be written from scratch when we arrived at our hotel and the "wee-fee" was so weak that it took about 20 minutes to get it to upload. You may be noticing that the photos are becoming smaller, which is the only way that I can get them accepted. Apologies to all and sorry, Gareth, I must have just missed Freya's bathtime yesterday.

Last night, I reverted to type and had just 5 or 6 hours of what I call fitful sleep, but so long as I have 5 or more I seem to be OK. I'm one of those who dream, can remember them vividly and are easily woken, whereas Rob says he doesn't dream, could fall asleep on the back of a motor-bike and can get back to sleep quickly if he's disturbed.

We got away after a good breakfast (including orange juice and an apple, Sarah - no bananas though) at 8.40am and found a terrific cycle path, yet again, which took us along the edges of the small towns on the east side of the Bassin d'Arcachon. The weather was overcast and cool again and our windproof jackets now seem to be our default apparel. I've also been wearing arm warmers and ear muffs.
A word about cycle clothing - Rob bought quality and I bought cheap. I've resolved to replace my cheap with quality when we get home. All cycle clothing has now been subject to cool, cold, windy, wet and saturated conditions .......... and Rob's has performed better than mine (Rob rightly sings the praises of The Bike Cellar in Plymstock). There is the odd thing that's been good with me and I suspect that if the weather had been kinder I might have got away with some more of my stuff performing better. It's not spoiling the tour and it's part of the learning curve.

We stopped to look at the Bassin d'Arcachon at Lanton then had a pastry break at 11.30 at Le Porge. The cycle path continued as a very smooth, very flat 2.5-3m wide tarmac strip, through woodland, where Rob identified a cuckoo flying closely overhead and we cycled to within about 3m of a red squirrel who hadn't spotted us until the very last second. Cycling with Rob is like having David Attenborough beside you!
With the total lack of traffic we were able to make fast progress (the startled squirrel will confirm that). The path finished at Lacanau and we continued along dead straight flat roads to Carcans where we had a baguette and coffee for lunch at 1pm. Mine had mixed salad in it, Sarah - honestly!

We checked in at the Hotel-Bar-Restaurant d'Hourtin (88 euros, dinner, B and B for both of us plus a couple of euros tourist tax) right in the middle of Hourtin, at the embarrasingly early time of 2pm, where the bikes are now in a back room tonight, cabled together like inseparable friends (God, I'm coming over all emotional!).
It's now the 3rd time that I've chosen via booking.com and rung to make the reservation and check facilities and it seems to be the best way, although it adds to what I have to do on "wee-fee" each night.

Our early arrival was due to the fact that we've now hit our highest average speed (12.49 mph).............. brought about no doubt by the fact that we must be fine athletes!
As happened yesterday, the cloudy conditions gave way to sunshine after our arrival but at least we've been spared rain now for a few days. Temperatures are in the mid to high teens and there have only been light NW winds.

We are well into the Medoc region of Bordeaux and may sample some of its produce! Tomorrow, we hope to cross the Gironde by local ferry from Pointe de Grave (Verdon) to Royan in the Charente Maritime.

Photos:
Our hotel last night, the Logis Hotel du Delta.
The traffic-free cycle track near the east of the Bassin d'Arcachon.
For my home-town followers, the Welsh pennant, (which has been recognised) and led to the hotel receptionist this morning referring to the French rugby team as "un catastrophe!" The plastic bag contains my morning pastry.