NEXT

Nice was humming with rugby and excitement. We’ve never seen so many streets with so restaurants so full of people with more waiting to be seated. Many had big screens showing the rugby. The coast with its flat calm sea stretched for miles in both directions lined with street lights fading into the distance and hundreds people out walking enjoying the warm October evening. It was a wonderful atmosphere. We’re definitely going back!

I must confess I was exhausted the first night. It’s like my body decided to tell me to STOP even though I hadn’t felt tired whilst cycling. After a long lazy sleep, we had a leisurely day swimming in the sea and wandering through the city still busy with people.

Next day started the long journey home, switching trains at Marseilles, Lyon, Dijon and Paris to get to Caen, with a stopover at Dijon. Some trains had whole carriages designated for bikes. Others didn’t, but we managed to get our bikes on every time, aided occasionally by friendly cyclists as we stacked our bikes into allocated spaces. Neil loved the whole process. I found switching platforms and finding bike spaces tiring and would sit exhausted watching the French countryside roll by. But Paris for a few hours was regenerating. What a beautiful city it is.

The final part of the return was cycling 14km along the canal path from Caen to Ouistreham to catch our ferry. Families and cyclists were our enjoying the warm evening and it felt so good to be back on our bikes. We continued on to the vast expanse of the Normandy beach for a swim. One couldn’t help but think of all those lives lost and saved on that beach. Then fish and chips in a beach cafe, still in our summer clothes even in October. What a perfect ending in France.

We slept like babies on the overnight ferry to Portsmouth then an easy drive home. I was happy not to be using trains this time, but we will again next time.

Home to a rather overgrown garden so we set to it straight away. We’re happy to be home

NEXT

BACK