Day 9 - Saint-what-I-said-yesterday to La Rochelle - France, Top to Bottom

May 3, 2023

Day 9 - Saint-what-I-said-yesterday to La Rochelle

Today was flat canal riding all day. Doug’s prediction of very little climbing, which we now know cannot be trusted, turned out to be true. Staying at a self-catered house, breakfast was a stop at the town’s boulangerie, next to the town church of course.

Lunch was at the town of Marans which got the first, and so far only, negative review from me. We should have had our suspicions when we noticed that the town church spire/boulangerie indicator was made of metal and glass in some modernistic attempt to recreate a missing spire. When we got to the church, there was no boulangerie to be found. We asked a nice florist for the nearest boulangerie and after giving it a lot of thought, she directed us to a large supermarket on the edge of town. It was actually much more than a supermarket, selling everything from furniture to lawnmowers. What it did not sell is food in quantities not intended for a family. So I must modify my church steeples lead to boulangerie rule with an exception that modern steeples made of metal and glass are in towns that have also replaced their boulangeries with modern super stores.

I finally managed to buy a single baguette and a container of Gouda and Mimolette cheese cubes. The later was a major score as Mimolette is my wife’s favorite cheese and a favorite of mine too, and very expensive when you can find it in the states.

The rest of the ride was mostly straight and downwind leading us to La Rochelle. The wind was blowing a bit which gives Donna an advantage being that she rides with a large brim/hat thing attached around her helmet. She says it’s called “de brim”, you can google it if you need one. She has received many comments on it. When riding with the wind at your back, it is a bit like sailing with the spinnaker up I suspect. Problem is if you are facing the wind, it would be like you forgot to take the spinnaker down.

In any case, we made La Rochelle in short order. La Rochelle is a stunning city with a very large medieval section, and a harbor guarded by a couple of towers that look like something from Game of Thrones. The hotel (Hotel le Manoir) is in a very old building, but full of funky modern art and furnishings. Fun stuff.

Morning breakfast stop at the boulangerie next to the church of course.

Town along the canal along the Velo Francette route we followed all day where we probably should have bought lunch.

Marans, where we did buy lunch. Looked promising from here.

Start of a very long straight canal. If you don't believe me, look at the map below.

La Rochelle had excellent bicycle infrastructure, even in the very large medieval center. This is a small example.

La Rochelle also had the larges cathedral we've encountered yet. Perhaps the only church that qualified as a cathedral so far.

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Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 440 miles (708 km)

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