Day 34 - Sarlat to Capbreton - Gorging in France ...Then Basquing in the Pyrenees - 2023

Day 34 - Sarlat to Capbreton

Another B Side day

No, we didn’t bike 346 km from Sarlat to here. Three hundred of those km’s were courtesy of SNCF and they were extremely efficient, friendly and comfortable in facilitating this.

We caught an early regional train from Sarlat to Bordeaux that left at 7:53. There were three other bikers on the train and there was room for six bikes in each car. The train also started in Sarlat so there was no stress at all in getting ourselves and our bikes on board.

It was a very comfortable trip to Bordeaux and I had time to finish up yesterday’s post.

We had planned a decent layover of 1 1/2 hours in Bordeaux so we weren’t rushed to make a connection. Good move as our Bordeaux to Dax train was a TGV with limited bike space and a relatively short stop time of 8 minutes. It was a bit rushed on the TGV platform, not helped by a large group of elementary school kids who were also boarding our assigned coach. They were essentially all over the place. I don’t mean to sound like a grumpy old man, but they were a PITA when you’re trying to maneuver a loaded touring bike onto a TGV and it’s adequate, but tight, assigned bike space. Once we were loaded though, it was a non stop, low stress trip to Dax.

The views from the train confirmed that we made a good call. Pleasant country that I’m sure has beautiful villages and great wine estates, but it was pretty flat and for the most part featureless in comparison to where we were coming from.

Off loading in Dax was painless and we were soon changed into our bike gear and on the road to Capbreton and the Bay of Biscay. It was noticeably warmer and more humid and as we got closer to the coast, the pine trees, architecture and suburban nature of the area around Capbreton, plus the smell and feel of the maritime air almost made us think we were in the Bay Area of California.

Not much to say about the biking; a mixture of our favourite small D roads, some busier D roads and urban bike routes, and all of it pretty flat.

Capbreton certainly is a beach / sail / surf / fishing town and after we checked into our simple but very nice hotel right in the harbour (honest there was potential for rain in the forecast so we booked a hotel!), we took a stroll around the harbour for : 1) our post ride bevy (that took about 250 m of strolling) and 2) dinner at a great Thai place that was an additional 10 m of strolling from our bevy place. Super place, we were the first folks in as they opened their doors and it’s run by a young Thai family. With the fresh seafood available right outside their door, it was a great meal with very friendly and efficient service. We ate more than we needed to with only 46 km’s of flat cycling for the day … but who know’s when we’re going to see another great Thai restaurant?

Tomorrow we head south along the bay of Biscay to St Jean de Luz and our last day in France. It’s been wonderful and we are looking forward to Spain wth a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The Pyrenees will have more climbing than all of what we’ve done so far!!!

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SOTD - Hotel California by The Gypsy Kings.

We both remarked how the suburbs we were riding through as we entered Capbreton had a real California feel to them. Large pine trees, big white stucco houses with tile roof on large lots with golf courses all around … certainly not something we’ve seen anywhere else in France. Since we’re also right on the edge of the French Basque Country, what else could SOTD be but this classic by France’s own Basque Boys, The Gypsy Kings!

Leaving our Hotel in Sarlat this morning at 7:20. the train station was a short 10 minute ride away.. Sarlat’a cool place that we’d like to come back to and check out in more depth

The train started in Sarlat hence we had lot’s of time and room to get organized. No Stress. Each car held 6 bikes. By the time thr train got to Bergerac (about half way to Bordeaux, all the bike space in our car was full

We did gave to negotiate some stairs to change tracks once we were in Bordeaux (elevator on our platform was out of service!)

Bikes on the TGV in Bordeaux. It was a little hectic but our assigned seats were right beside the bike area, which only allowed two bikes. If you want to travel on a TGV with a bike … book well in advance!

Nice sign basically telling everyone else not to put their big suitcases here … it’s for bikes!

We’ve arrived in Dax. Much warmer and humid. Now to change and start biking west to the sea side.

and this is what our 46 km of riding was like, more or less. Much of the 300 km’s we did by train would have been similar.

Great dinner at Tamarind, a very nice Thai restaurant in the harbour in Capbreton. Tofu Larb with mint, kaffir lime chilies and fish sauce. Uuummm

Lotte (monkfish) in green curry ….. even more uuummm

Rice and mixed veg with chilies and fish sauce

Signing off from the Atlantic coast! last night in France tomorrow!

Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 1,489 km (925 miles)

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