Let me ace out Mr Shaneyfelt for a change. Common wood pigeon, I think.

We had a great visit and as a special bonus we got to meet two of their very lovely grandaughters at breakfast next morning.

And one of our favourite memories too. Lovely to have time with Michel and Janette You would have had time to have an indepth look at her beautiful quilts. I spent the time doing that while Ken and Michel attempted to solve the mysteries of changing the back tire on my bike with its hub gears
Keep safe
Tricia

Hi Steve, Hi Dodie,
Took me days to catch up on the journal but I'm finally here! Wow, do you two ever take a day off? We wear ourselves out riding too much and get to the point we can hardly move! You two recover so fast and you do twice the mileage you used to each day!
We head out Sunday for Germany. I will take my rain gear. At first I was going to go light because you mailed all your cold wear home but it seems ever since you have been cold! We will be in the Black Forest which looks like it will be cool in there too.
Oh hey, we are cycling up to Tofino in August! We will be riding through Duncan. I will wave to Cobble Hill as we go through. You probably won't be back home by then. We leave here on the 6th so we will be in Duncan the night of the 7th. Then Nanaimo, then Port Alberni. We are going to hop on the Lady Rose to catch a ride out to Ucelet. From there we will ride up to Tofino and spend two days before we return to ride the Freighter back to Port Alberni. Once we are back in Nanaimo, we sail on the ferry to Horsewshoe Bay and ride to Surrey. Surrey to Bellingham, Bellingham to Anacortes, Anacortes to Port Hadlock and then back to Poulsbo.
The summer is filling up with adventures! Happy trails. I'll keep checking in. Janet

I happen to know some potentials...

Cistus purpureus, aka rockrose.

They look like poppies.

Oleander pops up when I google search "laurier rose."

----->Bill

km 33 from Place Royale, Nantes to // Waypoint 02 Picnic // will exactly put you on the right track, avoiding car traffic ...
https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ewysroiikmzpjave

see you guys Friday May 18th, 2018 on EV6, before noon, cycling from Ancenis to Sainte Luce ...

Oh my gosh! It’s them! We biked through Parthenay almost exactly 10 years ago, on a loop from Bordeaux. We didn’t stay there overnight, but as we were biking through town these two guys leaned out the window above us, hollered down, and I think invited us up for a chat (I don’t have a journal for this tour). Same guys. Amazing.

Now up dated to DAY 48

https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ihxkfwxcoodlexyq

May be a crocodile was there and turn around ?

Any time!! And Clever Cycles is owned by a friend of mine!!!

In the early going, we refused to enter the US, but were drawn in by having family in Seattle. Now we hold our noses and I am instructed to say nothing to the man at the border crossing. So maybe Leo would come anyway. It sure would be fun, and Portland has some great bicycle shops, like Clever Cycles.

Hey, we could also meet in Vancouver Island. We discovered a sticky bun place that Leo missed, in Ladysmith!

And so the circle is kind of completed! Léo was kind enough to ride to Valence d'Agen last year to share a meal with me. Alas...no Stephanie. We tried to connect this year, but as I was headed east this time, our paths failed to cross. I think next year we should all meet in Portland. If Chump is tossed out, Léo might agree. What say you??

I know, it is kind of hard to take......