Our Norman journey starts in Le Touquet, where we were warmly welcomed by our friends Camille and Amaury.
After a weekend in their company, we leave Le Touquet and we go for 6 days of cycling to join Romain's parents in Saint-Malo. The weather (a bit predictable) is going to be very rainy for the next week: the perfect opportunity to test the impermeability of our stuff.
The first evening, we find a wonderful spot on top of the cliffs to set up the tent and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
The next bivouacs will be as magical, with beautiful windy nights.
A breathtaking region full of charm
We discover Normandy : its green fields, its breathtaking cliffs, its emerald water, its typical ports, its historical beaches...
The contrast between the coastal cities is stunning: the peace and sweetness of Honfleur after the tumult and agitation of the gigantic harbor of Le Havre, the wealth of Fécamp and Étretat after the industrial cities of Dieppe and Le Tréport...
This trip is also an opportunity to learn about the drone and to control it. In this region, everything is perfect to take beautiful pictures, as here with a nice shot of the cliffs of Étretat.
We spent 4 days riding along the beautiful Normandy coast, with a strong headwind. Well sheltered in Romain's wheels, the kilometers go by " pretty fast " and we find our cruising pace.
After 2 days of very strong headwind, we finally change the direction to cross the "Pointe du Cotentin" and reach the last bivouac : Granville. It is a relief for our legs tired by this damn headwind.
In Granville, we sleep on an esplanade on top of a cliff next to the lighthouse. The noise of the waves, the gusts of wind and the light of the lighthouse are there to lull us.
The last day from Grandvill to Saint Malo is done over a heavy rain. Hopefully we have great waterproof jacket to stay dry !! We pass by the Mont-saint-Michel but the cold and the rain discouraged us from visiting the Mont. We still enjoy this moment to admire this incredible monument.
This week served as a test before the big journey:
the humidity of Normandy has shown us how important it is to stay dry: we have to invest in good rain pants and rain overshoes.
We were still wondering if we should ride a flat pedal or an automatic pedal. This week in a flat pedal was causing us pain in our feet. We are planning a next test for this summer with automatic pedals.
We think we have found the right distance for the big trip: we will try to ride about 500 kms/week. It seems to us to be the right ratio to progress while enjoying the places we cross. Of course, we will adjust this distance depending on the attractions and the difficulty of the roads.
One of Romain's objectives for this week is to taste good oysters right at the oyster farmer's. The destiny decided differently: our schedules at farmer were never adapted or the detours were too important in comparison with our itinerary... In short, we had to wait until the final destination, Saint-Malo, to finally be able to taste the oysters (well deserved!), that he was looking forward to.
We ended this Norman break in St-Malo where we enjoyed the place to rest for a few days before going back to Lyon. It's the opportunity to enjoy Breton specialties and the famous Kouign Amann. The lost weight is quickly regained!
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