Thursday 23rd July ; Mimizan to Arcachon

We overslept this morning and only awoke in time to wish our hostess thanks as she went to work. We left at 1030!

Nearly all day today we were on dedicated cycle paths through the forest. Pleasing lunch at Bicarosse-Plage - this salad as started followed by salmon and Panna cotta. Pleasing trancy music in background.

On through the woods all day -this was our first day it did not rain all day and it was in the low 30's. Lovely smell of hot pines, and they provide much appreciated dappled shade.

New Forest council please note - THIS is what a forest cycle path looks like. The thousands of people we have passed are travelling through quietly and with minimal environmental impact and not disturbing your precious cars and lorries and coaches, but spending good money at cafės and hotels and campsites.

Tonight we arrived ar Arcachon - a humming seaside town famous for its giant dunes. Actually there is a parallel hill behind the dune which the road and cycle path go up - it was a dare ascent at the end of the day!

We were in the Yatt Hotel on the main beachside

- and our room had an enormous bath with which we were pleased after a hot day!

Supper tonight in an upmarket white table cloth restaurant on the beach

I had the shellfish platter

And I have rarely seen Su so excited as she was by her starter of coddled egg in truffled cream and smoked salmon.

We enjoyed Arcachon Plage - although we went quite early to bed the party went in all night in that happy way that the French (and UK festival goers) seem to do so much better than UK towns.

Today's track was 83 km at an average speed of 18.45 km/ hr, and ascent of 349 m

GPX of Actual Route