This morning was the complete opposite of yesterday. Absolutely still, wonderful morning sunshine, and none of the ominous grey clouds. Our route today was going to be a twenty five mile jaunt through the countryside that actually would only move us on fifteen miles South on the map. Being this close to the A28 motorway means some extra meandering is necessary to avoid it as it cuts through the countryside, seeming to swallow up peaceful rural lanes as it goes.
The father and son who presumably owned the working farm we’d been staying on appeared as we packed up, shook our hands and wished us ‘bon route’.
We set off up the hill in the warm morning sun. The hill turned out to be a monster, it was the same one we’d breezed down two nights ago, but I didn’t remember it being so long and steep. Eventually though, sweating hard, we made it to the top but as I reached for a water bottle I realised I’d left both of them in the sink at the camp site. This could be a problem. Kez only had one bottle of water, the other was filled with wine, and we were heading out into the countryside in the hot sun. I couldn’t face the hill again though, and the route we had did appear to take us through various small hamlets, so we decided to carry on. I did at least know the French for ‘can you fill my bottle please?’.
As the morning wore on we were given respite from the sun in very rural tree covered lanes winding around and over the particularly lumpy terrain. Fighting our way up one harsh incline I distinctly heard Kez mutter ‘poxy place!’ behind me, I’m not sure if she meant the countryside in general or all of France, but either way it’s pretty safe to say she doesn’t like hills.
The actual cycling was minimal today, since we seemed to be either pushing the bikes up, or freewheeling down the hills. The water lasted though, and at about midday we rolled into a little town and managed to catch a grocery shop before it closed for lunch. I bought a couple of bottles of water that fitted neatly into my bottle cages on the bike, a carton of cold peach and apricot juice and a cold can of lager that the shopkeep had cunningly placed near the till for that ‘oh go on then’ last minute sale.
Again we were wished ‘bon route’ as we left, and as has become fairly common, cars tooted and people waved as we cycled and as we sat in a grassy corner eating lunch. Initially I had thought that this might be rude gestures and annoyed ‘get out of the way!’ honks, but I’m now pretty certain it’s just because the French like a cyclist.
Later on the ride we seemed to arouse the interest of a field full of particularly pointy horned brown bovines, as we passed their field. Kez gave a cry of alarm as she noticed them starting to gallop (do cows gallop?) en masse towards us. I shouted ’stampede!’ like in the old westerns, and we pedals hard as the thunder of a thousand cloven hooves, well at least a few dozen anyway, pounded ever closer over our shoulders. To be fair, we were seperated from the beasts by a line of trees strund with some heavy gauge barbed wire, but even so, suddenly being of such great interest to such large beasts with such pointy horns does send an atavistic shiver of ‘fight or flight’ up your back, and we flighted as best we could down the hill, albeit with a slightly nervous giggle.
We found the camp site in the slightly tired looking town of Sées. The only thing the town seems to have going for it is a truly impressive Cathedral with vast, looming twin spires and some fascinating arches and gargoyles. The camp site itself was probably the best tended we’ve yet encountered, and to be offered a ‘welcome drink at 6 o’clock’ is an altogether new experience in camping for us. After a brief stroll in the town we dutifully turned up at the communal gazebo where the site attendant offered us local cider to which he added an optional slug of cassis liquer. We sat with a few French and two retired English caravanning couples and necked three glasses each of this complimentary camp site booze. This was slightly embarassing since our stay only came to a total of €7.85. For this feature alone it goes down as one of our favourite camp sites so far. Never mind the luke warm showers,  FREE BOOZE!