Day 5. Jard sur Mer to LaRochelle. Fri. 26 June

Fab start to the day.  A few clouds but warm.  I didn't get very far when I left the campsite, I fact less than 300 metres when I stopped at a beach cafe for breakfast. 

Today I will ride along the coast. 

I left Jard at about 10 am and just headed south on a specific cycle route that actually runs all the way to La Rochelle.  

It was another really hot day and I stopped at a supermarket for a few supplies.  I chatted outside for a while to an elderly lady from Paris who told me that when she was young she used to camp on the beaches.  Aaaah, the good old days.  She had clearly spent her youth in the sun. 

I continued on the trail and was loving it, it was a winding dirt trail and I was in my element.

At 1pm I got to a little town just as the local patiserie shut.  So I retraced my route through town to a little bar I passed.  I ordered a cold coke and within a couple of minutes another cyclist joined me.  Pedro, from Switzerland.  We chatted and hit it off straight away.  He too was heading to La Rochelle, so I rode with him on the cycle route.  He is a well travelled man, very interesting and easy to talk to.   

As you can see it was a real mixed trail.  We followed canals and waterways most of the way and it was very well sign posted.  We missed a couple of turns because we were so engrossed in our chat.  

We passed fields of Sunflowers as far as the eye could see and oceans of wheat fields. 

The aroma of flowers in bloom filled the air and the sun was doing its best to cook us.  

We came to several locks and at one there were a bunch of lads jumping into the canal from the top of the big steel structures.  The were having a great time. 

 

As we neared La Rochelle the water became very clear with a green hue to it. 

We rolled along at a nice pace and laughed a lot.  

I decided I didn't want to camp and would stay in a hotel.  

We found a hotel in the centre of town, sorted our rooms out and went out for dinner.  Pedro had found the most fantastic restaurant and we gorged ourselves on seafood. 

We shared a mixed shellfish platter to start followed by fillets of fish.  

Pedro is great company with an excellent sense of humour.  We shared an appreciation for our surroundings and ability to be fortunate enough to do a trip like this. 

We strolled the town and it was buzzing with life, the sights and sounds assaulted my senses.  

It is a beautiful city by night and I was looking forward to seeing it by day. 

By time we returned to the hotel I was tired and ready for sleeping.  It was so hot that I slept on top of the duvet and slept soundly intil woken at 4am by the sound of rain. Within seconds I was asleep again.