September 19, 2016
St Valery en Caux: Our first puncture
Yesterday's ride just felt that we were battling wind and traffic to cover distance and get ourselves to Brussels. Today was entirely different the joy was back into cycling.
Our first challenge was to ride up Cap Fagnet which involved riding up the Route du Phare. The very names tell you how steep it was. At the top there was certainly a reward. Firstly there is a really remarkable view up there looking in all directions and secondly there is a lovely chapel the Notre Dame du Salut. Also up there there were a number of gun emplacements which we took to be German ones they certainly would have had a magnificent view out to sea. I think that if you are staying in Fecamp and feeling very energetic the thing to do is to walk up Cap Fagnet - although there is a bus that will take you up. Yesterday when we were down in the town we were watching paragliders flying from up there.
After that things were not nearly as extreme though still very up and down. We had picked up a cycle route the Veloroute du Littoral - it is described as linking Quaint fishing villages to seaside resorts along the Alabaster Coast, this is challenging cycle route consists of small sign-posted roads that wind through the impressive chalk cliffs and green valleys- It is perfectly sign posted with so much of interest. Up high above the cliffs there is extremely large scale farming a lot of it cropping with sugar beet and potatoes. Though Ken said he saw some massive dairy farms. While we were going along one little road a farmer brought his cattle across the road - they were a French breed very similar to Red Devon, the farmer had excellent English because he says he sells his bulls all over the world and needs it to do business.
We came to a seat at an aerodrome and stopped for lunch . Just as we to leave we noticed my back tire was down . We really couldn't have had a more favourable spot for a pucture - the tube was completely shot as the pucture was just by the valve - lucky we had replaced our missing one. We decide to take a short cut to St Valery and low and behind we came to a supermarket and Ken went in to see if they had bike tubes -they did so once more we have a spare. We can't believe how lucky we are.
St Valery is another glorious little old port and has massive numbers of boats in the Port. We are staying in the Hotel du Cassino which is very comfortable. We have had a walk around the port and the old town and viewed the stony beach. Now for some dinner.
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Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles)
Total: 2,378 km (1,477 miles)
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