Very quickly, we HATED this section. We ended the last one in San Sebastian, and instead of taking the train from there (or nearby Biarritz) to start our next recommended route in Alsace-Lorraine (the other side of the country), we decide to complete the circle and bike through an area known as Les Landes (every region has its own name and number(!?!)). Well, we know under stand why it wasn't recommended to us. It was totally flat, clear cut, hot and booooring, That was after battling tremendous holiday-returning traffic. The two days we were on the road were hot and stressful, and halfway through the section we decided to blow off this ride and we went to the nearest train station and got to Bordeaux quickly.
No rating system needed for this section. It is an unqualified failure - F
Instead, as we near the end of our journey through France, we thought we would capture some observations of the country as outsiders (etrangers, so to speak...).
Observations:
1) The pillows suck! Either they are small and flat or round and long and flat.
2) The showers ROCKED! With removable heads, good pressure, consistent temperature, evne the lousy hotels kept us happily clean. Except, of course, for the fact that the shower stalls tend to be half blocked with shower doors, leaving much room for water to splash in the rest of the bathroom. But still...
3) Dog Poop is truly everywhere. While walking, one of us was always on 'poop alert'. Apparently the situation is better than in years past, so it must've REALLY been bad considering how bad we saw it. Luckily, no missteps were taken...
4) On the other hand, there are dogs every where, mostly wee little ones. Alice had to be held back from stuffing a few of them in our paniers, and had to be physically restrained at least twice from 'spooning' a cutey while it rested on the sidewalk. So many cute little dogs; so much poop!
5) It was unbelievable the number of people we saw, especially in the mornings, carrying a baguette with them wherever they went. It seemed to be a part of the national uniform. Once Alice saw a crushed baguette on the side of the road and deemed it 'french roadkill'. So much white flour is used in this country.
6) On the subject of roadkill, we saw lots of it, as you can imagine, in our some 2000 kms rides on France's roads. We both made the observation separately that one type of animal was particularly interesting and uniform, as roadkill - that of the hedgehog. As roadkill, they consistently appeared as balloons that had been flattened. Never shmushed, crushed, or torn up, but always appearing as a popped balloon. Funny, the things you notice with hours to spend on a bicycle every day.
7) The French seem to have mastered what we would describe as the 'what do you want me to do about that...cause I ain't doing anything' shrug of the shoulders combined iwth a look of disdain. Hard not to get pissed off by it occasionally. And we did.
8) We would recommend taking Peter out on a date after he has biked 100 kms. He is such an easy drunk. One beer. Dehydration has its upside.
Happy days ahead!
Love Peter & Alice
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