June 14, 2018
Back in the saddle again.
I slept well enough last night, but kept hearing animal noises outside. When I woke this morning the reason was apparent. There was a peacock roosting on the front porch of the chalet! The owners are real bird lovers. They have ducks and three kinds of geese as well as chickens and this peacock.
Leaving the chalet, I breakfasted in the restaurant then packed up and left. More of the same as yesterday, just kilometer after boring kilometer of rail tail through the pine woods. After 55 kilometers the trail ended in Mios. Right at the end of the trail was a bistro so I went in for a little lunch. The entrée was an aumônière of a tomato and mozzarella bruschetta nicely done up in thin pastry and baked until crunchy. Main course was one of my favorites, andouillette. And dessert was a fresh fruit cup.
After lunch I got on another bike trail, but this one wound through the built-up area that is the southern side of the bay of Arcachon. My complaint about trail makers is still valid. There were junctions with no directional signs, confusing signs when there were some, and of course the map scale is too large for these urban areas so Mr. Michelin was little help. Never the less, I found my way, and when I spotted a laundry in Guyana-Mestras I stopped to get my clothes clean. I had time to use the wifi in the laundromat to work on this journal and to find a hotel in Arcachon for the night. I went to a bar near by to get a coffee and to use the toilet while the dryer ran. A drunk accosted me with one of the strangest statements I have heard in a while. He said he couldn't understand how someone with a beard could be a cyclist. Well, I don't thing facial hair is a hinderance to peddling I replied and went back to the laundromat puzzling over that incident.
Arriving in Arcachon shortly afterward, I went to the tourist office to get a map and find out where my hotel was. I had ridden right past it without seeing it, of course.
Strolling around Arcachon after my shower, I was really intrigued by the Art Nouveau architecture of the city. It's as though the entire city center was built in the span of a few years and then preserved. Since I like Art Nouveau, I took a few photos of :
Down by the beach, the town has a more modern and touristy look.
Forget what I said about only eating one big meal per day. I was really hungry, so I had some oysters and a steak in a restaurant by the beach.
After dinner I walked back to the hotel and decided once again on an early night.
Today's ride: 91 km (57 miles)
Total: 600 km (373 miles)
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| Comment on this entry | Comment | 2 |
5 years ago
I feel a lot better and I'm doing all I can to stay hydrated. The only drawback is getting up four times a night for bathroom breaks. Is it age, or is it intake? Who knows, and considering the alternative, who cares!
Cheers,
Keith
5 years ago