Friday 12^th May

(I have decided to start with the date as Wendy and I keep losing track of the days!)

Sorry if you are getting Le MSM overload but I just had to start with this view that we had on our walk to get the bread this morning.

Right now I am writing this in an aire overlooking a beautiful bay on the west side of Roscoff. Two hours ago it was just one big sandy beach that we walked across, now it is completely flooded. This part of France has some of its largest tidal ranges (> 12m). We have gone from the most expensive aire to the cheapest.

(Explanation for non-motorhomers – aire has a number of meanings in French; this use means a dedicated overnight parking spot for motorhomes. Yes really! The French like people motorhoming so much that communities actually provide a proper place to park and some even have water and electric hook-up. How’s that for civilised? Much better than the British “Get off my land!” attitude shown by councils.)

A steady, two-hour drive this morning took us to the car park of the Morlaix Decathlon (that’s another ticked off in our Decathlon Spotters’ guide). I wasn’t allowed to go in. This was merely a reconnoitre for tomorrow. We then went to the Casino Geant over the road. There will be many reading this, especially close friends and family who will find it hard to believe that this is actually our first visit to a supermarket on this trip! I had to pull Wendy away from smelling the melons and tomatoes but we managed to come away without buying any. Wendy has managed to rearrange the ‘fridge in the van so that she can fit in her three litre bag of white wine.

We then drove to Roscoff ferry port; the scene of the surprise meeting with Andy and Lesley and the boys, around 20 or so years ago. They were in their caravan, expecting to meet Paul and Hazel and we turned up as well! It is here that the Velodyssee starts or finishes, depending on whether you do it north to south or vice versa. It’s from here that I will be starting out tomorrow morning. While we were looking for all the bunting and official celebratory signs that mark such an auspicious spot – there was none, I had to use my GPS to check we are in the right place – we saw a group of French cycle tourists arrive to catch the ferry to Bilbao. Looking at their bikes and their kit I felt a little unprepared. It’s a good thing I bought a big bottle of water and some nappy rash cream from Casino.

Around the corner from the port and the town centre we found this happy little aire with the gorgeous view. Amongst the photos from our walk this evening it might amuse some of our younger viewers to see the picture of the tree adorned with surfers’ fetishes – I wish I had copyrighted that idea!

We are fourth camper van from the right.

Tomorrow, 9 months after I first caught the germ of the idea to ‘do’ the Velodyssee, it finally begins…