25th July

Hello,

As you can see from the photos below, I have finally found some wifi.
I am at a site (truthfully a complex) at the foot of the causeway to Mont St Michel. I have cycled here from Granville where I have been for the past two nights.

Granville is a one day town I think, even with the festival on there wasn't too much to do. And for a cyclist there are too many hills. I visited the Christian Dior museum which although not a disappointment, wasn't as chic as it could have been. I suspect the fashion house has nothing to do with it. The clothes were beautiful and the exhibition was put together well. Unfortunately, the mannequins didn't fit the dresses so these lovely clothes just hung there, all lifeless. My next stop was the modern art museum, nothing riveting there it has to be said.

Finally, I went out for a meal (the confusing conversation prompted me to buy a dictionary) where rather tempted by the goat's cheese and tomato quiche (which turned out to be a cheese tomato and bacon quiche) I ended up with a cheese omelette. I know that I have said before that you can always find something veggie to eat, and you can- it's just not really enough to sustain a full days cycling is it? Cheese omlette and cheese sandwiches. I usually have beans on toast and flapjacks. I have been scouring the shelves for some sort of protein rich none eggy/cheesy option and have so far found...rice pudding. Good start I suppose.

Today's journey has taken me along the coast up cliff and down. I have negotiated arrowed (on the map) climbs well but, as ever, there seems to be more steep climbs than there are luxurious descents.

In Avranches, I went to the manuscript museum. It contains many of the manuscripts from the Mont. Interesting as ever although I suspect the retailing here would bore you to death!

Finally, I negotiated the motorway mess and made my way out of town and over the bridge, passing directly (not for the first time) over this years tour route. Maybe that explains why I have seen so many cyclists today.

A word on those cyclists and cycling in general. Before I came here everyone told me what a pleasure it was to cycle in France where the cyclist is treated with respect as a fellow road user. This has proved to be true apart from today when I am getting deep into tourist county. Here, I have been forced into the verge twice. Once by a Brit and once by an Irish camper van- he even managed to stop traffic on the other side of the road too. Nice going! But, mother its still far safer and easier than cycling in the UK. (they have BIG verges and everything)

Tomorrow the plan is to go to Mont St M then cycle onto St Marlo. After that, who knows?