The cyclist pointed out today, that whenever we have done a time trial, last year or this year, the weather has been grotty. and today was no exception. I did point out that we had done one time trial in Gabicce Mare Italy where the sun shone. his response was that at over 50km and being very hilly he didn’t consider it a true time trial. But that is the Giro, it does nothing by halves. Anyway back to Le Tour and today. Our destination is Mont Saint Michel. We have been there before but it could be nice with some good photos if it brightens up.
It didn’t brighten. In fact it started to rain again before we got there. It took a convoluted route brought tiny villages but there were some pretty places. I managed to get some shots of The Cyclist going past some of the decorations again. When we got to our destination the road we were due to take was no entry. This confused us a bit as the road we could go on seemed to go into a car park. This was still away from Mont Michel and while The Cyclist and I could walk it on a nice day, it was too long for most people. We took the road into the car park and I pulled out of the queue while he cycled on to see if he could work out how we get to the Mont. while he was gone I expended the sat nav’s to have a look and discovered that if we went back to where we came in then carried on we would come to a road that we needed to turn right on and should take us where we needed.
This car park was huge and I swung the car round and went the wrong way all along back to the entrance. Luckily it was a two lane in road so I stuck to the right and ignored the fact I was going the wrong way. We took the route I suggested and guess what, it led to the flipping car park but the top end entrance! The road we needed was in front of me but there was a barrier that could be raised. Cycles and pedestrians could go. There was a guy in a yellow jacket ushering me to go into the car park. I didn’t want the flipping car park. The Cyclist had gone towards that barrier so I pointed towards him gesticulating I needed to follow. It was a futile attempt but I had to try. No! He was furiously waving his hands for me to turn right towards the car park. So I did turn but over to the left and stopped. He started blowing his whistle and shouting waving his hands at me. I was shouting back but it wasn’t doing any good. Just that The Cyclist came back and joined in shouting at him and getting cross.
I followed the Cyclist towards the car park but pulled up before the entrance. Another yellow jacket wearer (this one was very gawky looking poor thing) started walking towards us. He stopped just before that car as The Cyclist was shouting at me through the window. Not at me about me, but about the situation, the blinking French (not his exact words!) and the money train that they have caught from the British. When The a cyclist took a breath Gawky Guy stepped forward pointing to a sign saying we would be towed as there was no parking. We weren’t parking we just wanted to get the bike on quickly and drive away. You can imagine what this did to the Cyclists already agitated mood. Eventually we got away from the car park and had to stop on the road to put the bike on. That was as close as we got today.
It appears that you have to park this far away now and walk ages or pay to catch their bus to get there. If you have a blue badge you might be ok to park at the car park right by it (where we parked in 2008). But it’s all steep steps when you get there so you need to be agile. We set off for tomorrows start and our B&B. The cyclist was questioning our room and facilities as he said he basically had to sit on the bed and stay there last night.
I did a search on CoPilot and said there was a Buffalo Grill in the start town which wasn’t too far from B&B. We agreed that we would do lunch then check in as soon as we were able to. The cyclist had a full 3 courses with their biggest ice cream pudding again like he had on the way back from Italy. I could only manage a some chicken wings and chips and I couldn’t even eat that. I think I am full of bread. I am letting the cyclist have any Brioche or Croissant we are given and having a couple of slices of baguette and jam for mine. This is because I know he doesn’t really like hard crust bread (I’m having to cut the crusts off sliced bread even). I love crusty baguette but it is an occasional treat at home. It is a staple hear and it has again lost its charm just like in Italy.
He also has my OJ (I don’t drink it) and yoghurt as he needs it way more than me and the bread fills me up.
The start town is a medieval chateau town. The chateau has a moat and I asked him to stop so I could get photos as I wouldn’t have time in the morning. Our B&B is up a tiny country track but is lovely. It has a spa too. Not bat we were going to use it. All of the rooms are called names according to how she has decorated them, e.g. Asia, Sahara. But ours is called Nuptuials and is big with a big 4poster bed. More than twice the size of last night. The Cyclist is happy and got down to updating his website immediately.
The Sports Therapist had text me yesterday to tell me to massage his legs to help get rid of toxins that were making his legs ache. he tod me nit to kast night as he was too tired but I insisted that once I had washed his kit then his legs were next. I use a Menthol cooling rub that the Sports Therapist gave us to use. this one smells and clears your nose like Olbas Oil. As his legs need a good rub I made sure that I went to the top of his thigh under his loose fitting boxers. It was while doing this that he said “oi you have just got some of that on my willy. Ooh. I didn’t know I had as I was using my fisted knuckles at that time. I asked if it was burning. I carried on massaging his leg and his face was all screwed up and I asked him while giggling, if it was the massage hurting (as it really does) or if it was the cooling rub in a place it isn’t meant for. He said it was getting hotter and hotter. By now he was wincing. Ah, I said, now you know what it was like when I got it in my eye the other day.
So he has put more routes on my Garmin and I have got my blog updated. Tomorrow is a long ride as we spend three days heading South East towards the Alps. Early up then.
6 Responses
Those are lovely photos Kay. Clever one with the Mont in background. Nice bed too.
The best blog yet, you make me laugh so much! This is the best tonic after another gruelling planning session with the Board. I lost the plot in sheer frustration and ended up telling them all to sod it!
FREE WILLY IN SAVAGE ATTACK!! – “it was absolutely menthol” he said! “I was hanging out with my mates and was attacked by a Blogger. I could have been scarred for life?”
Dismissing his claims the Blogger said “he should have been minding his own business and he wouldn’t have got hurt”
Thank you for your comments, I was wondering if they weren’t interesting in France?
Lovely photos – and I laughed out loud when reading above – and at Douglas’ comment too!
Really warm here today and very close and sticky tonight. Hope you get the sun tomorrow too 🙂
Im late on this one but it did make me laugh……