Feeling the effects?: Sables d'Olonne to Le Mans

August 5, 2017

Dehli belly, Montezuma's revenge, the Tallahassee two-step, call it what you will it got me last night. Not to be too graphic, but it looked like a sh---ty day ahead. As fate would have it though, I felt fine by morning. So with a good breakfast to replace lost calories, I got packed up. The first order of business was to rinse the accumulated sand and grime off the bike. After I got the bike reasonably clean, I loaded the panniers and set off for Talmont St. Hilaire.

Think I'm crazy? This guy was riding his unicycle from Roscoff to Hendaye along EuroVelo1. I caught up to him in traffic and was able to ask a few questions, but he couldn't stop easily so we didn't really get to chat. I tried going ahead and waiting, but somewhere in Sables d'Olonne we got separated and I never saw him again.

A castle that guards the entrance to the harbor in Sables d'Olonne.

The sands for which Sables d'Olonne is named. The beach was being groomed for the vacationers who would arrive later.

More sand. Looking in the direction of Talmont.

I got to Talmont in short order and stopped for a cup of coffee and a stamp on my route card. Talmont was the furthest south I wanted to go and I had to make a decision about the rest of the tour. I could return to Brittany, go north to Angers, or head for home. Still feeling the effects of the previous night, I chose the later course. The nearest railway station was back in Sables d'Olonne, so I retraced my steps to the outskirts of the city and then headed for the station. I got a ticket for Nantes, a sandwich, and a coke and got on the Train. In Nantes I checked my options, again. I could get home either through Tours or Paris. I decided on Paris because there was a train to Le Mans leaving shortly and from there I could get to Paris in the morning. Going to Tours would put me in a delicate situation vis-à-vis the trains because tomorrow would be Sunday when they run a reduced schedule. I rode a quick circuit of Nantes to kill time before the train, and then I was off to Le Mans.

In Le Mans I went looking for a hotel and eventually settled on one next to the station. I took the tram to the city center to find supper, which was not memorable. And so to bed.

Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles)
Total: 821 km (510 miles)

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