Day 5 – Getting into the groove

Evening, although I doubt many of you will be checking up on me tonight seeing as it is a Saturday. But for me its just another day in the saddle. Checked the weather last night and it said it was going to be overcast but windy. They also said that it wasn’t going to be just a breeze but 13mph winds. Which just so happened to be in my face pretty much the whole way. Set off at 9, which is my earliest leave so far this trip (hoping to beat that tomorrow), and had to stop within the first mile or so to take this picture of these two towers painted to look like waterfalls. These towers are everywhere in the countryside and I’m not sure what they are for, so if you know then feel free to share the knowledge.
After a couple of hours riding a convoy of cars went past, and being as you get to see many a car go past you often look out for the English ones. Today there was 4 in a row and all with number plates of H14GUE, and H16GUE. Now as I don’t have much to occupy my mind during the day I’ve had it down that William Hague is over in France on business or something.

Then had to stop to go to the loo, don’t worry it wasn’t what your all thinking! So as most of you cyclists know, you just stay on the bike and pull over by the side of the road. Made the silly mistake today of not watching where I was going, yep you guessed it, all on my handle bars, lucky enough it was on the drop bars!

Nearly made the mistake of not stopping at a supermarket to pick up a sardine for lunch, I pulled over but couldn’t find anywhere to lock my bike up, so I set off again, and one thing you always think about for the next mile or so is “should I have stopped”, but then at the top of the hill was an old petrol garage not in use anymore, but a couple selling sandwiches. A French family pulled in behind me and then the dad of the family came over and started checking out the wheels, so I used all the lingo I could and told him all what I was doing. They said they were in fact also going to La Roche Sur-Yon and asked if I wanted a lift!

I need to add a couple of Animals to the road kill stats, today I saw a hedgehog, and I also saw what I think was a ferret. But then again if dad was here he would probably say it was a stoat!

Also there isn’t a better feeling than when you pull up at the destination for the day, know that all the hard work was worth it!

I thought i should include some photos of me today just so that you know that I am in fact here and not just making all this up!

Today’s journey was 80.4 miles, riding time of 6:14:24, max speed 33.41 mph, avg speed 12.88 mph, 4567 calories, 2.15 litres so far.

Today has been a good day, I do feel like I could have got here a bit quicker, but hopefully, with tomorrow being a few less miles, I might get to Avranches ahead of schedule.