Day 10: L'Homeau to Brouage 77 km. I was in a shopping basket.

I saw the sea today for the first time since Ouistreham and rode along the coast, through La Rochelle, more coast and then into marshland. Another sunny day but I'm not complaining. Always helps me zip along a little bit quicker. Safe, flat, mostly smooth roads and tracks all the way to the tourist honeypot that is Brouage. The ubiquitous local leather work is everywhere. Max would have loved it.

Nature watch update. Over the last few days those lovely little red squirrels have been pretty prominent. They run onto the bike track, freeze a bit and then run ahead of the bike and then suddenly and unexpectedly freeze again. Little buggers. I came across one today that obviously froze a bit too long and was the shape of a furry slipper. RIP mate but you needed to work on the not freezing thing. I think the grey ones in the UK got that. Just saying.

In the marshland there were a few Egrets. This stimulated solitude induced singing.... "Egrets..... I've seen a few..,... but then again......  too few to mention...." etc. It's the sort of thing you do when you haven't spoken to anyone for a day or so. Don't get me wrong. I am more than happy with my own company but I do just lose it a little bit every now and then.

Two other wildlife reports. I saw a beaver today having a morning wash. Forgive the awful pic. I don't think it will make the cut for Planet Earth but it was lovely to see. The other report is a bit embarrassing. In the marshland I followed a bend in the path and there, right in front of me, enjoying the morning sun and raising its body temperature was a grass snake. I couldn't stop or swerve in time and went right over it. Really gutted. I thought about going back and trying mouth to mouth or something but had visions of producing one of those balloon sausage dog things so i rode on. Bit unhappy about the whole episode but I really couldn't avoid it.

In other news... another ferry today and the best yet. I saw this one in the distance but didn't realise what it was. So when I arrived at the banks of the River Charente I joined the queue of cyclists and, being British, I didn't ask what I was queueing for. Eventually, we were all loaded into an oversized, wire shopping basket hanging from a steel framework and then a cable pulled the shopping basket across the river a couple of feet above the water. Oh joy! I love bridges. I think they are the pinnacle of architectural mix of aesthetics and function. This one was brilliant. Sorry.... it's the soitude thing