All the French who can not make it to the Mediterranean coast must congregate along our next run - up the Atlantic (the Bay of Biscay) to the Loire. We remember lots of beaches, beach towns, relaxed holiday style architecture, and zillions of camp grounds. It could be early for a lot of campgrounds to be open, though.

In terms of landscape, we expect marshes and scrub forests, and sand. We also remember a lot of mussels on offer in restaurants (moules frites) and crustaceans. Moules frites intrigued me in the past, thinking the moules could be deep fried, which could make them edible. But no, the frites part is a side of fries. So you could order moules frites and hold the moules, I guess.

As we come around the area where the Loire enters the sea, we will have fond memories of the time our friend Michel from Nantes cycled down to meet us. Michel's knowledge and love for this area has permanently influenced our own attitude, and we will be nostalgically happy to enter Michel's stomping grounds. >Michel has written extensively about his cycle tours up and down the river. (see at the end of his Profile).