ATLANTIC COAST, PART DEUX - ILE-DE-RE TO BORDEAUX (JULY 27-30)

This next stretch of cycling took us along the Atlantic coast south from Ile-de-Re to Bordeaux, which was about 240 kms of cycling. We did this in three days of biking, with one day off in the middle, which you will read about further on in this blog entry. It seems that we are settling into a routine whereby 80kms/day average is the norm, in between key stops. Read on for details...

July 26 - We left Il-de-Re in the morning for a long day of cycling to St. Savinen where, along the way, Alice felt a twinge of knee and it was very difficult to find a place to stay; ended up at a family campground that had little cabins - we got the last available one, which was good, because it was the only accommodation in town and we were pretty hot and tired, after about 100 kms on a hot day of hilly biking. We relaxed by playing a game of french-language Scrabble in English. Did you know some of the letter values are different? for example, 'Q' is only 8 points (instead of 10) and 'W' was 10 points (instead of 5...?).

July 27 - We biked from St. Savinen to Cognac, stopping a few times on the way, intending to bike only(?) about 60 kms. We stopped at Lolo's Roadside Caribbean in a small french village, and at Carbonneau's Pineau and Cognac. As you might know, there are a lot of Carbonneaus in Quebec, most of whom apparently originated from this region (as did Champlain). Lots of connections to Quebec here. We bought a lovely pineau cocktail (which is a cognac mixed iwth grape juice - mildly reminiscent of a desert wine) for the road. It came in handy when we got to Bordeaux for our 1000 kilometre toast. In Cognac we found a nice Chambres D'Hotes, though we felt somewhat dissatisfied with the low mileage we put in today - who would of thought of 60 kms as a short day... But Alice's knee hurt, though in a different spot than last time. Hmmmm.....

July 28 - Because of Alice's knee, and our decision to go see yet another 'medecin sportif' in a town 35 kms away, Peter took off on his own for a pannier/Alice-free ride (though according to Alice, he missed her).

So a short day of riding for Alice (75 kms for Peer) to Barbezieux-St-Hiliare. We visited the doctor there and he confirmed that she tweaked a ligament, this time on the other of her knee. He gave her some anti-inflammatory pills and sent us on our way. Alice felt much better knowing that it was not more serious. At night we saw Ice Age 3 en Francais - just the right level of language that we could follow the complex storyline and character development (of the animated cast)... ;-)

July 29 - This was a monumental day of cycling from Barbizieux to Bordeaux (see the previous blog entry posting for full details of this day). Alice felt fine and has no problems with her knee, though we think the anti-inflammatory meds are helping greatly. Coming over the main bridge to Bordeaux was stunning. It is truly one of the most beautiful riverside landscapes we have ever seen. We settled into a hotel downtown and planned to explore more the next day.

July 30 - We spent today playing tourists in Bordeaux. The city is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic preservation of largely 18th Century architecture combined with its recent (since 2000) progress urban development and renewal projects, including a light-rail transit system and substantial quays gentrification (i.e. turning former port warehouses into an extensive pedestrian shopping and eating zone). The city is an amazing harmonious mix of old and new; it has transformed from its earlier heydays as the port for wine and slave trading into a cultural and tourist hub. Bordeaux has been the most impressive human settlement we have come across since Basel, Switzerland - it has definitely been worth spending some time here.

Alice's favourite past time

Beyond strolling the streets, we took in a Bordeaux-by-boat tour (realizing that ultimately such outings make us both incredibly sleepy...) and stumbled across the gastronomic delight of french macaroons in a local chocolatier (heavenly with our pineau).

Church steeples separated from main building given unstable, marshy terrain of Bordeaux

Ile-de-Re to Bordeaux grading:

• weather (A) – sunny, high 20s, little humidity, cool at night - ideal!
• landscape (A) - a few unremarkable towns (e.g. Barbizieux, Cognac) matched with nice countryside
• cycling challenge - moderate but made difficult with Alice's recurrent knee issues
• physical and emotional response (B) - frustration for both given knee issues
• our relationship (A) Steady and holding (still))
• food (A) - memorable were tapas in Bordeaux plus enjoyable homey-family-camp food in St. Savinen
• accommodations (B) - Cognac B&B with terrace and family camp cabin were our highlights
• other people – n/a (just us! and we're still enjoying each other's company :)
• entertainment – (B+) wandering Bordeaux was lovely

Overall Grade: A- (cycling good overall once knee issue resolved & Bordeaux is a world-class, beautiful, picturesque city!)