1st October (sunny and mild) 58 km

Mum’s birthday today, she would have been eighty-seven. I still think of her at some point throughout my days and especially when you’re riding long distances, you have more of a chance to think. I had a great relationship with Mum and I was very lucky, some people don’t get the fifty seven years I got. So, wherever you are Mum and you deserve the very best place…. If it were a camping ground, it would definitely be five star. I toast what would have been your birthday and tell you that you are missed by an awful lot of family members.

The day dawned cloudy, but fine and with no mist and fog to worry about, we had a cup of coffee [no milk for tea], packed up and hit the road. I managed to catch up on some much needed zzz’s last night, although there was still one irate Frenchman during the night rambling on loudly, before tucking himself up in his bed. This camp (La Moussailant) would have been one of the best we’ve had, especially for peace and quiet and getting the tent pegs in the ground without doing serious damage to your palms.

A typical view of the seemingly neverending pine forest

Headed for a supermarket and as it happens, our favourite one, a Super U, was just down the road. All stocked for breakfast and lunch, we found a spot under some trees not far away and although a little cool, we enjoyed a nice breakfast. Today we were to be visiting some of France’s surfing meccas, including Seignosse, Hossegor, Capbreton and Biarritz. 

Pete surveys the beach and we decide to plonk ourselves down here and watch the waves

Nobody was in the water when we arrived and I mentioned to Pete it would be great for boogieboarding.
 In half an hour there were sixteen surfers in front of us, half of them boogers

One of them, Stef Gilmore

Actually stopped at Hossegor and sat on a beautiful beach for forty five minutes watching them surf. This coming week the Roxy Pro and the Quicksilver Pro are taking place here. The world’s television crews were already setting up and the place definitely had a vibe going on. Whilst watching and taking photos on the beach, former women’s World Champ, Stef Gilmore paddled out in the water….what’s the chances…?

Hossegor

The closest I got to catching a wave

And for anyone wondering why we weren’t in the water today, it’s because the air temperature was only about seventeen degrees and the water temp yesterday was about fourteen…. Yes that’s right viewers….fourteen.  It’s been very cold every day we have been in, but today we were too early and weren’t feeling it. Keren, just in case you are sitting there in Maloolaba saying…”Oh come on Pete, go in for a swim with her”, I’ll have you know, that I’ve been the one coaxing her into the freezing friggin water, just because the beaches are so bloody gorgeous.

This entire coastline is totally geared up for surfing. Surfing schools, surfing camps, surf shops, cafes, restaurants, surf gear hire, surf houses. The weather has been great for this and we look forward to more as we go into Spain and Portugal. Elizabeth and Phil are still behind us and we’re not sure when we’ll hook up again.

Rode into Labenne and found their Tourist Info office, complete with free wifi. They were closed for lunch, which was fine with us as we only wanted free wifi really so we could upload the blog.  For some reason all the campgrounds lately have been charging up to 5 euros per hour for wifi!!....I think not! 

A popular way to go exploring the vast expanses of beach, looking for an uncrowded wave

Capbreton

Blogging outside the tourist office - the autumn colours really coming through now

Our riding during the afternoon stint was all on the road as we had to get to Anglet, where they had a Decathlon store and so, fresh stocks of camping gas and hopefully a new magnet for my speedometer/computer, as mine fell off my front wheel a couple of days ago.

The ride to Anglet shopping centre BAB2, wasn’t particularly fun as the traffic was heavy and the drivers were shit, a fact we have come to discover, the further south we have come. They have no patience and will cut you off in the blink of an eye. The trucks are actually the most courteous.

With the help of our offline app, Maps.me, we found the Decathlon store. This is an outdoor person’s heaven. You name it …they got it. I’m like a kid in an ice cream parlour.  However, we had a job to do. Strolled in to get the gas, which we know they stock and they didn’t have it…only a different type, no good for us. Looked all over and then asked a nice guy who showed me where it was. Great… have gas….but why keep them separately? Asked him about the bike magnet and found out that they have another store across the road. Are you kidding…this one was massive in itself. Over the road I met a really nice guy called Oliver, who not only gave me one of their best magnets for nothing, but also pumped up our tyres with a compressor and told us about his trip to NZ some years back. We noticed the difference in the tyres as soon as we left the store…..our bikes were flying along.  Really glad Oliver pumped them up because there were quite a few sharp hills in and around Biarritz and on our ride south, and the bikes were much more responsive with that extra air in their tyres.  And looking south at the hills to come in Spain, that was a very timely adjustment.

Scenes from Biarritz

A bit of sandart we whipped up in between taking photos

Tomorrow, we leave France. It’s been thirty years since we cycled here and in that timeframe, we have found the people have become really friendly with other nationalities, something that was lacking back then. Most younger people speak English and if you even try to communicate with older folk in French, they will go out of their way to assist you. Well done Froggies… you are awesome..!!

Last part of the journey saw us cycling into the famous Biarritz, celebrity hangout for years. It’s still an elegant town although time has caught up with her. But, it was lovely to experience how the other half spend their vacation time, if only in a small way. Kept mainly to the coastal road looking for an elusive campsite. They are becoming fewer and fewer as autumn marches on. Finally discovered one south of Biarritz, called Sea Green, which is where we are laying our heads for the night. All full from a great meal and some alcohol, we will hopefully catch some shuteye.