Day 10. Bordeaux to somewhere deep in Armagnac country. 62 miles.

Leaving Pessac on the outskirts of Bordeaux after a 2 night stay in a very comfortable b&b, where Madame made huge quantities of Bordeaux delicacies to consume at breakfast, we soon found ourselves whizzing along the M25 for cyclists, except that we were alone. It wasn’t long before we were in Graves and Sauternes country with immaculate wine estates tempting us to have a degustation, but as it was only just after 9.00am we thought it was just a tad too early.

On we whizzed, just as well as we had a long day in store, down endless straight roads with pine trees as far as the eye could see. The expected hills never materialised and so 34 miles had been covered as the clock struck one o’clock on an 11th century church we came across in a tiny hamlet, once owned by King Edward (the first?) when the Brits ruled in Acquitaine.

Having stopped to buy a picnic lunch in a lovely old fashioned village which still had a boulangerie and an epicerie, it was a treat to sit and admire the church, from the outside only, and to share our lunch with a local dog which could smell our pate 100 metres away.

And, of course, the church in question.

But it wasn’t St Martin’s.

A mid afternoon beer was required to replenish some energy, assisted by nuts, raisins, some freebie Nestlé chocolate things given to us in Bordeaux yesterday, Coke, water and anything else that could be found, particularly as the final part of the journey took longer than expected.

Ending up in the middle of a pine forest miles from anywhere, with no beer but an aperitif promised at 8.30 and dinner at a late 9.00 is not what we have come to expect. However, the garden is nice and so is the owner’s dog which is 75% Labrador and 25% English Setter, but not quite so daft as a 100% English Setter.

So it’s been a bit of a 🐕 day today so far. Let’s see what supper has in store, and any chance of an Armagnac I wonder?

Postscript. The dinner was not memorable or worth photographing but we enjoyed the company of a fellow cyclist, Robert Cleave, who is cycling around the world, having started in Agadir for some reason. He is raising money for Cancer Research and Traidcraft. His wife is joining him in Bordeaux but doesn’t expect to see much of him for the next 18 months it seems. He is seeking support at http://www.robertsride18000.com . Here he is with Dick:

And here is Dick being attended to by our strict hostess for the evening with her special medication!

Bon nuit one and all.