Travelling and finding gems like Saint-Lo unexpectedly can be so rewarding. We had gone to Saint-Lo with no expectations or information. It was to be a stepping stone to get us to the dedicated bike path which would lead us south along the river. A frustration travelling in France is the exclusive approach the tourist bureaus take in providing information for only the area you are presently in. There is no overlap. That being said, we have had excellent service at Tourist Information centres.
Looking forward to our day on the greenway - Voie Vert.
The bike route exceeded our expectations. The route follows the river using old tow paths and rail lines - the signage is excellent and picnic areas are plentiful. This experience has been unique for us in France. We enjoyed being in rural areas completely away from vehicle traffic. Saint-Lo to Pont Farcy is 35 km of stress free riding - there are several locks along with the old stone houses that operated the locks still there, a canoe/kayaking school that utilizes the rapids for training, farms and villages along the way. This part of the route is also blissfully hill free.
Taking a break at one of the locks. We are so happy with our Radical Designs trailer that we ordered from Holland. It lightens the load on our bike and tracks so well.
And then you get to Pont Farcy...there was a lovely campsite along the river - tempting, but we wanted to make more distance before we stopped. The cycle path changes here to a shared route with vehicles and it doesn't follow the level of the river. As we began, we began to climb and noticed that the hills were becoming unridable. A family of cyclists were flying down a hill toward us and the mother shouted "beaucoup de hills". Until we rounded the next corner, we didn't appreciate her warning - anyway, we turned around and took a secondary road which was a more direct route to Vire and half the milage. It was a good decision, but the hills here were also gigantic. However, the landscape was magical. The rain kept coming and going, but we were constantly in awe of the scenery. The drivers were patient and considerate as we struggled up the hills and equally thoughtful as we took over the road on our speedy descents. As we approached Vire, we stared at the city which looked like it was suspended in the sky. It rose up and up, and that's what we did. We climbed for what seemed like forever and finally reached the town centre - no campground, so we got a room at Hotel France with a view back to the valley that we had just come from - a satisfying day. (And it's raining hard - glad we're inside and watching the Olympics on French TV.) The French coverage makes us feel at home - like Canadians, the press are so encouraging to athletes and impressed simply by their participation and any medal that they achieve. It is fun to share their high level of excitement when the French athletes perform well. We have just watched a French female white water kayaker win a gold medal - this is timelt as we saw kayaking schools today along the river creating a training ground for this type of sport.
