Today was an almost perfect day for riding. The sun was shining and the temperature moderate. After a nice French petit dejeuner in the hotel, I took to the bike path going west along the coast of the Cotentin. At first it was easy riding, but soon enough the "rollers" started and it was up and down all the way to the end of the peninsula at Auderville.
No tour of France is complete without a chateau or two. Here is a fine example of a Norman castle, now a private home.
I got to Auderville at 11:45, and decided to wait until the local restaurant opened for lunch. While waiting, I wandered around town and took some pictures.
The houses are typically stone in this part of the world. From the roof, it looks like this is actually two houses joined together. On a day like this it looks like a nice place to live, doesn't it?
The restaurant finally opened at 12:15, after the staff had had time to eat themselves. The menue for the day was grilled local ham with sauce made from local cider. I'm looking smug in the sunshine.
After lunch, during which I was joined by some local cyclists, I left for the return to Cherbourg, mostly by the same route I had taken on the way to Auderville. Somehow the hills seemed less daunting. Maybe it was the wind was now behind me.
Back on the flat portion coming into Cherbourg I could really feel the wind pushing me along. Of course, the trail ends at the harbor and I struggled to find the way east along the coast.
Eventually, I did get on the coast road once more. I stopped at whatever campgrounds I found along the way, but they were more or less full of caravans and motorhomes with little consideration for tents. They also had amenagements or "improvements" for the entertainment of those for whom nature is not enough. I decided to give them a miss.
When I got to Barfleur, I found the hotel "le Conquerant" had a room. I parked my bike in this beautiful garden behind the hotel.
I walked down to the harbor to have a look around. The tide was out. As you can see, the tide here is no small matter. This is one of the local style of boat called a "bisquine". The rear mast is off-center to clear the tiller, which I found interesting.
The tide started to turn, and it really runs fast here. I watched the boats start to float one by one, each one swinging with the current as it came free from the ground. Then it was time for supper. I had six fresh oysters followed by a "galette", a buckwheat pancake wrapped around a slice of ham , cheese, and an egg.
Going back to the hotel, I saw that the sky was no longer blue. The roofs in Barfleur have these interesting finials on them. I wish I had a better camera to capture these images, but I dont. This finial is in the shape of a little bird, if you can make it out. The weather does not look promising for tomorrow.
