August 3, 2013
From St Valery to Fecamp: A short but exhausting day
Had a bit of a hiccup starting this morning. We had planned to leave about 7am to beat the projected head wind which was said be about 35km/h as I didn’t know how I would cope with both hills and a strong head wind (the answer is not well). However this early start was not to be as there was no one in the hotel. It said breakfast started at 7.30am but that came and went and eventually the owner arrived sometime after 8 and we were able to pay and retrieve the bikes.
Up we started out of the little port. My low range gears are getting a really good work out. Once up on the plateau we realized just how strong the wind was and that it was to be low gears all day except when we swept down to each little seaside town. The crops up on the plateau are bountiful, we think it must be a late season as little has been harvested and Ken thinks that the wheat looks a couple of weeks away and certainly the corn has not even started to form cobs yet.
As it is Saturday today we were concerned that it would be difficult to get accommodation so we kept pressing on. I would have liked a good long rest but we wanted to get to Fecamp before the Information de Tourisme closed. We thought we would be putting up our tent in the wind but were very pleased when the young man at information found us a reasonably priced hotel. After a reviving beer I went straight to sleep. I am not feeling proud of my cycling and certainly wish I had done a bit more before leaving home. Ken just whizzes along with no apparent effort. Tomorrow we should get to Le Havre
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 175 km (109 miles)
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