August 8, 2013
Bayeux to Vire
We felt a bit apprehensive about today as Alison and Eddy had had such a hard day yesterday and because Joanne in her journal Double Double en France described it in less than glowing terms. We therefore avoided the dedicated cycle way and took to the roads. One slight problem was that in my effort to get under Emirates weight allowance I had cut off the vital part of the map! Never mind we would give it a go.
One thing I have learnt is that Normandy is not flat. The area we were riding through today is Bocage country. This is undulating with small fields, hedges and woods and is perfect defensive country. And that was what it was like up and down innumerable hills but we were going well. At Villers Bocage we stopped for a coffee and a chat with some touring Welsh Motorcyclists. Made me think that perhaps we should be like Dick and Dianna and take to a motorbike. Just before this I had one nasty experience. The traffic on the route we had chosen was light and very considerate pulling over to pass us. Then along came a real bastard. I was grinding slowly up a hill riding as far off the road as I could get , right on the white line. He seemed to take a delight in getting as close to me as he could and our rear vision mirrors hit. There was an almighty bang and my mirror broke, I sure hope his did too. I actually wasn’t even put off my line but he didn’t even slow down and he must have heard the bang.
Shortly afterwards we came to the challenge of the day a very long and steep hill which was too much for us so it was a slow push to the top. We stopped at the top and had our usual lunch of bagette and cheese then on we went. Over this hump we were back to the previous undulations and we passed through productive looking countryside. Wheat is still present but now there is more corn, some of it beginning to flower, there is now hardly any linseed but Ken did spot an excellent crop of red clover. A first today we saw an apple orchard and this is what we had really been expecting to see in Normandy.
Vire seems a lovely little town, it isnt at all touristy, just a small working French town with wonderful welcoming people including a man in the Bar who used to live in Browns Bay (suburb or Auckland). He and his wife are now deciding whether to go back or stay here
Internet too slow to load photos again will do it when I get a faster conection
Today's ride: 83 km (52 miles)
Total: 563 km (350 miles)
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