As usual we cyclists were able to board the boat first. By 6:30 we were relaxing in our cabin. We struggled out soon after 8:00 to watch the coast recede on a really beautiful warm evening.

We slept well but were awake before the 6:45 alarm to tell us we would be landing in an hour. Took a while for the doors to open but first off again to find Stephan waiting on the docks in the Mercedes. Ten minutes to put all the bags in the car and lift the bikes on to the rear bike rack. We were home and boiling the kettle just after 9:00.

So… 806km ridden, 2 days of tennis,an infinite number of hotel rooms, coffee shops and bottles of beer and for Elaine a few bruises.

Someone asked for a bus shelter. We did have our morning break in one just as it was starting to rain. I should have got a picture because the seat was deep in dust until Elaine attacked half of it with a wet wipe and the two halves made a great contrast.

I returned a host of wonderful memories. When I asked Elaine what she thought and she said “I think I have got callouses on my bum”

Let me begin by apologising for any upcoming spelling and grammar errors. It is 15:00 on Tuesday afternoon and we have just finished a 2 hour lunch on the promenade in Saint Malo.

So how did we get here? On Sunday evening my web research let to ordering a large car from Enterprise via a website called Car Jet. I had paid a €30 deposit but something felt wrong so at 8:00 on Monday morning I was the Enterprise office just down the street from the station. I was on my own. The sign on the door said the office should be open but it was not. The number given on the sign inside the door did not answer.

I had given up on Europecar because their website said the local office did not have any large cars. But beggars can’t be choosers. I went in to their office and 30 minutes later had reserved a Peugeot 208 for 12:00. Why it took 30 minutes is beyond me. At Noon we checked out of the hotel and Elaine sat and guarded the bikes and luggage while I went to collect the car. Everything I had done at 8:00 was done again and it took another 30 minutes before I drove out in the Peugeot.

2 large bikes, 2 large passengers and a lot of luggage is not an easy fit in a small hatchback. Both wheels, handlebars and mudguards had to come off but eventually everything was inside and the doors were closed.

We had arranged to spend Monday evening with an old friend in Ferel which was sort of on our way to Sant Malo. And a very nice evening it was.

There was still a 2.5 hour drive to SM so we were off at 8:30 on Tuesday morning.

Once the bikes were reassembled and loaded I then had to work very hard to persuade Elaine that she was capable of riding the half mile along the promenade to the only restaurant we could see.

About 11:00 I left Elaine outside the ferry terminal guarding our luggage and the unassembled bikes. I took car back to Europecar and walked the 30 minutes back to Elaine.

It was worth the effort – very nice lunch and a bottle of pink later we are in the ferry terminal trying to stay awake until loading begins at 18:00.

We left around 9:30 heading for Challans which was about 80km away. The ride was through pleasant rolling countryside. At first we were on empty roads but then we a a busier main road for the 15km into La Roche sur Yon. The route took us straight through to middle of town past a huge statue of Napoleon mounted on his horse.

Shortly after that, at about 11:30 we were to cross the main railway line via an underpass, but as we approached Elaine missed the turn and in trying to correct fell off!! In the middle of the road. A passer by stopped to help her up and together we got her and the bike to the pavement.

It took quite a time for her to recover but by then her knee was swelling up , her elbow was damaged and both hands were bruised.

Despite me explaining that she would be alright, Elaine respectfully suggested that she was not getting back on the bloody bike.

Fortunately the main railway station and a Campanille hotel were only 1km away. We slowly made our way there and persuaded them to allow us to check in early. After an afternoon recuperating and trying to find a hire car she was sufficiently recovered for us to make the short walk into the town centre and enjoy a nice meal in a busy outdoor restaurant. It had to be busy, it was about the only one that was open.

Our day started with a challenge. The Logis did not use credit cards. We managed to find the €95 but then the host said – there is also the €1.80:tourist tax. We made it with about 15 centimes left in our purse.

No we are not back in British West Hartlepool. They have a Transporter bridge here too.

However, our route was over the much newer flyover bridge. Quite scary but plenty of signs telling cyclists to keep right so we were not the only idiots.

Once over the bridge we negotiated Rochefort without much trouble. We did remember to stop at an ATM and stock up on Euros. The 15 km out of the town were frustrating – dead straight and just up hill enough to make it hard work.

At 25km we found a cafe in a village square overlooking the local church.

We think the people going in to church were going in to a wedding but to Elaine’s disappointment we could not see anyone we recognised as a bride.

The temperature climbed to around 30 degrees and we worked our way sweatily onwards eventually arriving after 83km at a very nice Logis. In the town just before there we had stocked up with bread, beer, wine and salad. So we enjoyed another meal in our room.

Quayrac, the village we are in is tiny and deep in the Medoc wine region. There is a Marie, a pharmacy, our hotel, a nice restaurant that is only open Friday and Saturday evenings, a boulangerie, a snack bar and about 3 houses. To make things more interesting the appeared to be demolishing and rebuilding everything in sight.

As the restaurant was not open we had to eat in the snack bar. We asked for ketchup with our fries and the waitress brought out the bottle, put a squirt on the side of our plates and took the the bottle away. We obviously could not be trusted with it.

Friday morning we set off on the 38km ride to the ferry expecting to be in good time for the 12:00 ferry across the Charente. But Elaine got into full bore mode and by 10:10 we were standing in line to pay our €4 each for the ticket for the 30 minute trip to Rayon and by 11:00 we were sitting in the square drinking coffee.

After that we had a 40km trip to Rochefort. This time the opening time was supposed to be 17:00 but again we negotiated our way in at about 14:30. Elaine even managed to get a swim in the pool. I didn’t. Our room for the night was beautiful and we were directed a local restaurant-just a 15 minute ride away- really nice food washed down with a litre carafe of rose.

We set a record today, we had eaten a nice breakfast, loaded the bikes and were on the road before 9:00.

Choosing where to aim for was tricky. We planned to cross the Bordeaux estuary by ferry from Le Verdon to Royan. But it was too far to get there today and we needed to arrange tomorrows ride to meet up with the crossing which were only once every three hours. So we picked a hotel in Vensac and headed towards it. Once again we were on the wonderfully straight flat (and boring) cycle path. I think it was because it had rained overnight that the world was suddenly full of flies. Some tiny no-seems and some the size of flying ants. It was not possible to ride without glasses on.

The things we travellers have to put up with.

Although the paths were long and straight, they were constantly interrupted by crossings. Seldom more than 500m apart. Every forest path was marked and every road crossing had a stop sign. 95% of them had no traffic but of course we had to stop just in case.

A coffee stop arrived conveniently at 25 km and a very dilapidated picnic bench for lunch at 40 km. Time to book the hotel. But I could not now find a hotel in Vensac – I’m sure it was there this morning.

No problem, I’m versatile, so I found an alternative which was a little nearer but meant we would have 30km to ride to the ferry tomorrow.

The locals must have known that Elaine was coming. She had become addicted to the white asparagus on our Romania ride and here was a huge field of the stuff just being harvested.

We again arrived soon after 14:00 but this time there was no one for Elaine to harangue so we had to sit in the garden until the owner appeared at about 15:00.

By the way, if you are wondering what the plastic bag is on Elaine’s bike, one of the exhibitors at the tennis was giving away straw hats. Elaine wore one at the tennis and decided to bring it home.

When the land is flat as a pancake and the area is sparsely populated, there is no reason for the roads or the cycle paths to turn corners, so they don’t. Our last 5km today was as straight as an arrow and as flat as could be – well except for the tree roots which seem determined to wreck the smooth surface.

We set out reasonably early and quickly rejected the offer of a forest track selecting instead a narrow D road with too many big trucks. This did not go on too long before we got back on to the nice bike trail. Only problem was we could not find a coffee stop and had covered 40km before stopping to eat the Pain Chocolate we had bought last evening.

Because of this we had completed 66km and arrived a the Hotel La Porge soon after 14:00. Unfortunately we were met with a closed automatic gate. However someone was leaving and we rushed in before the gate could close again. A big sign on the hotel door said – reception closed from 12:30 to 16:00 – but when we tried it the door was open. A very pleasant and very gay manager/owner was then subjected to Elaine’s mix of raised voice and diplomatic pleading. The result of this was that by 14:30 we had the bikes unloaded and were in our very pleasant room.

The hotel did have a restaurant but the only option on the menu was duck which Elaine declined. So with wonderfully light unladen bikes we rode into town and raided the local Intermarche

After a couple of beers and most of a bottle of wine the world looks to be a wonderful place. But not for long – my wife accuses me of snoring. Totally untrue of course.

Unbelievable but true. Every afternoon as we approach our destination Elaine gets tired. So instead of slowing down and crawling our way in she goes into “4 bobbles” mode. Turbo on the electric then she starts peddling like crazy and is soon in excess of 30 kph. I just want to get there she explains as I try to keep up with her.

“There” today is a chamber d’hote which was actually a tiny bedroom on the end of a nice house. The room was bigger than the bed but not by much. But it was immaculately clean and had all we really needed.

If you ever find yourself in Sanguinet you must try the Cabinet a Moules.

Nothing special to look at but superb Moules and fries with a nice rose wine all at a very sensible price.

The days ride was what we have come to expect. Long stretches of excellent well paved cycle paths occasional detours trough small towns and then instructions to turn along muddy grass tracks. We refused these offers and instead of the 66km we planned our meters showed 93 but that included a trip to the supermarket, a diversion for coffee (and a huge St Bernard) and the very worthwhile ride for the Moules.

Now that we have made it to Madrid in time to watch the tennis, there is no reason to press ourselves to do a set number of miles (km) in a day.

So we set off from Bayonne expecting an easy day. The only small worry was that I could not see a suitable hotel at around 60km. In the morning we covered 40 km along a beautifully smooth tarmac bike path. Not only was it smooth it was mostly flat and ran thru miles of forest. Lots of other users on bikes going in both directions. Just to add interest the route occasionally ran thru one of the small towns. At lunch I looked for a room and the only one I could find was a b&b 40 km away on a campsite.

No choice but go on. We passed an area we had visited in the motor home a few years ago and forced ourselves past a particularly good restaurant we had enjoyed. About 10 km from our destination we found a supermarket and stocked up on bread, sandwich fillings, beer and water.

The last 10 km were hell we were knackered. But when we got to the campsite it was a delight. Our room was a small apartment. The children’s bedroom included an indoor treehouse. Everything was clean and immaculate. We collapsed into bed very early and knew no more until the birds woke us in the morning.

We had an interesting problem Sunday morning. When I booked the car the Europcar app had allowed me to enter Sunday 10:15 as the return time. When we finally found the office (conveniently hidden in the entrance to a shopping centre) it was of course closed. There was a generic sign on the door – if we are closed put the keys thru the letter box. There was no b….y letter box. Further searching revealed a more helpful sign saying that there was a Europcar section in the shopping centre car park. And when I got there there was a secure box for dropping the keys.

Riding out of San Sebastián towards the French frontier was ok but both hilly and busy. We understood that the frontier was where the road crossed the river – but we could not see any sign of it God bless the EU.

Once we were in France, the cycle tracks improved and the countryside became flatter. We bypassed Biarritz and arrived in Bayonne about 4:00.

This is a really pretty town but it is easy to be intimidated by the many cyclist who travel everywhere – roads, pavements alleys at high speed and with complete confidence that they are invulnerable. The buses are worth a mention – huge, jointed in the middle, all electric and very futuristic

We navigated the narrow streets and arrived at a Trattoria. As so often on this trip, eating at 7:30 we were the only people eating in the restaurant. However we were amazed at the constant steam of delivery and Uber Eats drivers collecting takeaways.