By the Lake

Rest day today. Still on track,but yesterday was as tough as expected. 67km by the time
we reached the camp site. Pretty sure that's as long as Sue has ever been in a day loaded or unloaded, I'm impressed but not surprised.
Expected the camping to be at Iffendic but it turned out to be at Tremelin, which was a further 6km, up a long steep hill, nothing in a car, but difficult on a loaded bike with 60km behind you. Not helped by several tins of food and a bottle of wine bought at Montauban. We forgot about food for today though and there's no towns close enough so we have had to use the camping restaurant. Possibly the longest breakfast in history, Bob would be proud of us.
First major mechanical when my chain got horribly jammed inside the cassette. Would have given my right arm for a cassette tool but we improvised and got it sorted. Not sure what you do with an immobilsed bike and no help around. All part of the adventure I suppose.

Combourg

A very calm crossing only disturbed by less calm thoughts of work.
After a slightly disorganised start we arrived at Combourg after 53km of reasonably flat riding. Revisited some places from 1990, nostalgie.
Empty campsite, but oddly got charged 2.35 euro for using water. May have been a mistake (the charge,not drinking).
Cooked the whole meal and coffee using the honey stove with wood from around the site.
I've already got my usual collection of very itchy bites.
Tomorrow should be 60+km.....we'll see.
Still no free wifi, so can't update the map.

Docks

Sat in the ferry terminal waiting to check in. Thanks to Dave we got down safely. Spent the afternoon in the park and cruising along the seafront. The bikes flex alarmingly with the weight and the springy steel frames. if they don't break I suppose we will get used to it.

                                          

Last stop Leeds

Called in at mum's on the way back from Edinburgh. A day and a bit to get finally ready. Weather forecast is looking a bit better, definitely warmer.
Home to finish paperwork and final checks.
What have we forgotten?

1 week to go

Off to Edinburgh on Tuesday for Helen's graduation, so preparation time is running short.
Final packing today and I did the first load up of my bike and a 23km trial run. Reasonably ok, but hills hurt!
Sue managed a 9 lap local hill loop, but is still well short of bike fitness, Out again tomorrow both of us with full load, but that may be our last chance of any training. Next time will be St Malo.

Preparation/Panic

So. In less than 3 weeks we'll be on a ferry for St Malo in Brittany with about 8 and a half weeks to get to Le Lavandou, to find real food and chairs.
Between now and then we have to finish outstanding work issues, sort out the bikes, pack, drop off supplies for the time at the Med, go to Edinburgh for 5 days and pop in to see my Mum in Leeds.

We have a provisional route which seems to go over some very big hills in the middle of France, it also looks like a very long way.
The bikes, two 18 year old Kona Lava Domes, are almost ready, we have more gear than can possibly be transported on two bikes and a pile of paperwork to tie up/burn before we go.

We've now been officially retired for two weeks, but we've yet to really feel like anything has changed. Sue's back at work and I'm at home on the computer. Plus ça change.