Jour Sept: New friends

June 17, 2011

Today was the coolest yet!

It didn't really start that way. I woke up feeling better, which was good, but looked out the window to a steady rain. Still, after sitting around all day yesterday I wasn't going to sit around again, so off I went, rain jacket and all, with all of my stuff covered in plastic...

...it's not terrible, riding in the rain, but fewer people are out and about and its harder to take pictures. Still, I made the best of it and rode west, pedaling through picturesque towns and villages.

In Doueville it started to get colder though. It's right on the coast and wind picked up and my hands started to get cold and the next thing you know I was standing next to a café, one that had those portable outdoor heaters, warming my hands and it was so inviting I sat down and ordered a café cream, or, as they say in America, a latte.

Nearby a couple sat next to me eating lunch with the cutest and friendliest dog. Of course when she came over to me I had to pet her and say, "mon amie" and then in English, "my friend."

"Yes, I can see that," the woman replied in English. It wasn't too much longer that I was sitting at their table, talking about this and that, drinking the local specialty, hard cider (Whew!), and learning that Gabriella has a friend in San Francisco. "Do you need a place to stay tonight?" she said. "You can stay at my place."

Of course, how could I refuse. So we made arrangements to meet at 6:00 near her house and the rest is history. She made me dinner and her dog, Lolli (pronounced Low-lee), is sacked out on my bed.

How cool, huh! I told you before, the French are cool! :-)

Before we met up I rode around Doueville and took some pictures. For about an hour the sun actually peaked through. I also stopped at a war cemetery. This one was smaller than some I expect to see, with the graves of soldiers from all sides, mostly from world war I. It's amazing how well kept it was, the German AND the allied graves.

Soon after that it got windy and rainy again so it's nice to have a place to stay.

BTW, Gabrielle is a world class photographer. She showed me some of her work. Tres bon!

Thanks, again Gabriella, and Lolli!

BTW, I'm feeling almost 100%, after my cold. Tomorrow I'm hoping the weather clears. But either way I'm planning on moving west to more D-day stuff.