VelOcean, part 2: Barbatre to Sables d'Olonne

August 4, 2017

Well rested and breakfasted, I left the Hotel Göeland and headed back to the mainland over the bridge. I just kept following EuroVelo 1 or VelOcean signs as I headed south.

For much of the way the trail looked like this. A hard packed sand surface in the pine woods. What I don't show here is the many short, steep hills the required that I pay close attention to what I was doing. This may be fine, and even desirable for mountain bikes, but its much more difficult to control a fully loaded touring rig in the sand. But I did not crash, and all well well in the end.

From time to time I could see that the route was parallel to a road. In some spots this was an advantage and I could make better speed on the asphalt than the sand, but in some places the traffic was too much, especially as you neared a town. I would get back on the trail then when I could find an entrance. In St; Jean-de-Monts, I lost the signs completely and got on a connector trail by mistake. I found myself going in the direction of Challans, and needed to thread my way through the swamp/drained swamp/farmland to get back to the trail. At St. Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, the trail is on or next to the city streets. It was going on noon, so I stopped in a restaurant for lunch, just as it began to rain.

Lunch over, there was a temporary lull in the rain and I continued on. The trail forked again south of St. Gilles, but I caught the error more quickly and only had to go back about 100 meters to get on the right path. I also ducked into a bus shelter to don my rain gear, as the drizzle was by now more or less constant and turning into a regular rain. The trail entered the wetlands north of Olonne-sur-Mer, and I started to see a lot of day riders out from Les Sables-de-Olonne. There is an extensive network of trails, but fortunately for me the signs are clear and numerous. One reaching Olonne I was on small roads again, and able to move along more quickly.

The only picture I got in the swamp. Don't tell me what kind of a day I'm having!

Nearing Sables-de-Olonne, I crossed some cyclo tourists going north. They were going to camp but I decided that I needed to get somewhere where I could do laundry and get it dry. In the city, I tried a few hotels but found no vacancy signs. At las I came upon the Hotel Admiral and they did have one room left. I took it. They showed me where I could store my bike and I went up to get a shower.

My room looked over the port, and when I was done showering, the sun broke through the clouds long enough for me to get my stuff to a near-by laundromat. I used the machines to wash and dry and had a beer next door while I was waiting.

Clothes all clean, I strolled around the port for a bit before getting supper in one of the restaurants that lined the quay. A lot of fancy yachts are tied up here, but the view takes in the commercial port with its grain silos and bulk terminal. I had no trouble falling asleep after getting back to the hotel.

Today's ride: 88 km (55 miles)
Total: 777 km (483 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	1
Comment on this entry	Comment	0