June 27, 2018
Ambrieres-les-Valees to Flers
Shady pedaling on the Voie Verte.
June 27 Wednesday 52kms
Ambrières-les-Vallées to Flers
Shady pedaling on the Voie Verte.
Breakfast and coffee by the lac then up the hill to find the route- hard to leave the pool glistening in the sun. Watched the last part of Argentina v Nigeria last night but left just before Argentina’s winning goal. Pays to be patient with football.
The countryside is becoming much more Normandy looking with herds of cows chewing together in the shade and apple trees in abundance. We even find a cherry tree by the roadside, laden with fruit. Say no more! Our route moves from the voie verte to a small road which includes a few gentle hills and twists and turns.
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At Domfront, a prominent hilltop town, we decide to climb to the top for the view, then collapse and eat lunch in the shade. The summit of the town’s hill has a magnificent chunk of rock and a view- to the sea? Could that be it - our goal- in that distant haze?
We are wondering when we will hit the perky little hills of the Suisse Normandy. Not today thank goodness, as the rest of the route to Flers is along another heavenly, shady, former railway track.
When we arrive at the campground ‘La Fouquere‘ Flers (only two other lone cyclists ensconced- one a very affable chap from Caen with a very nice Disc Surly, the other just surly, completely ignores our greetings) the enthusiastic manageress tells us all about the hardcore Suisse Normandy Route she thinks we are dying to conquer. We don’t disabuse her of this but thank her profusely for the maps and info. She has obviously taken great pains to provide visitors with plenty of opportunities to test their mettle, by filling a whiteboard with abundant offerings of outings. Her proactive stance is infectious- almost. We decide that the Roche d’Oetre is more mountain bike territory and so we will opt for the alternative route which still has a few killer hills to whet the appetite.
As part of her enthusiasm for running an appealing camp our commandantess has provided a marquee with bouilloire electrique (kettle) and power points. Dinner is enjoyed on the much appreciated picnic table. The only minus is that her password for the wifi, ‘public’ with only 6 characters doesn’t seem acceptable for iPhones. C’est la vie - it’s a 4 T campground- it would be churlish to complain.
Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 1,801 km (1,118 miles)
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