Viva la France!

Tuesday 13th August

A very relaxing start to the day with a leisurely breakfast and lunch, bit of a sunbathe and the luxury club lounge thanks to P&O ferries was very much turned on its head when I arrived in France. 

I had the small issue of not having a clue where to go! I thought my road map of Europe I purchased for £5.99 from the ferry would serve me well but I have learnt to trust my instincts more than the small print of my map and French road signs.

In the end I resorted to my compass to work out the direction I should be going in, (which I had correctly felt in the first place) and found the sign for St Omer. Realising time was against me, today was more of a sprint section, 30 miles in just over 2 hours is pretty good considering Nigel's put on a few more pounds in the shape of Uncle Ben's rice and packets of pasta.

First realisations of France are that they drive on the right hand side of the road which means turning left at a roundabout can be interesting the first couple of times. Right side good, left side not good. They also have blue and green signs. Blue means motorway and bicycles aren't allowed here, green means 'A' road bicycles are allowed here. Blue bad, green good, I have found this out also. 

Luckily for me the French love a cyclist, they're very considerate when over taking and give you plenty of room. Some may even get into that Tour de France spirit and give you a toot as they go past. The French love a toot, the only trouble is they sometimes catch you off guard and if you're of a nervous disposition you could find yourself scrambling in an attempt to stop yourself from careering into a bush as they happily drive by with a thumbs up and a wave.

I dread the day I have a dodgy stomach whilst riding through France!

One good thing is that French roads are flatter than a 10 year old 7up! Honestly, they are a cadburys dream to ride on which should make this week a lot easier.