Day 17: Royan to Vendays Montalivet

 A day of easy rides and boat trips!

Today we all got to sleep in. Breakfast at our hotel (at 8:30!)  was exceptional with eggs and cheeses and desserts along with the usual fair. After breakfast some took a nice morning stroll along the beach boardwalk in front of the hotel watching the water walkers (a unique French exercise program).



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AIS was a relaxed 10 AM as we had an exhausting 1.5 km ride along the beach to get to the ferry. Waiting in line for the ferry, we met a charming young lady from Germany who was on her college break and riding through France toward Spain. Her near perfect English shamed all of us and our feeble attempts at 2nd languages. (Stephanie excepted!)




After a pleasant 30 minute boat ride (serenaded by the soothing sounds of 20 car alarms all going off as the boat rocked), we landed in La Pointe de Grave and remounted. The vegetation had again changed as we rode through sandy pine forests toward the coast.



Our first stop was  in Soulac sur Mer for coffee and picnic shopping at and indoor marché. Caffeinated and supplied we headed south toward Montalivet les Bains. Lunch was another impressive picnic buffet on benches above the beach followed by surf wading and an attempted nap by Pete.





From there we left the Velodyssee route😬 and following John’s excellent computer directions headed inland to our night’s lodging in the TINY town of  Vendays Montalivet. There we found our Hotel ( the only one in town) which had stayed open just for us. After some searching we found our innkeeper, an interesting woman, in a flowing dress, flip flops with some serious ink!



Next agenda items were pression, and dinner. Turned out to be an easy search as there was only one bar/restaurant open in town. It was a sketchy old Basque restaurant named Papyum. We all entered with some trepidation, but it turned out to be a great evening . The proprietor/bartender/chef was wonderful as he laughed and smiled as he cooked our dinner in the open kitchen behind the bar . His wife? girlfriend?neighbor?? was our waitress. The food was solid and good , and the evening one of the most memorable of the trip.



Then back to our little hotel for a night sleep on VERY saggy mattresses while we listened to the church bells 🔔 just across the street ring out every hour😵‍💫.

Good night!




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