Day 8: Airvault to Niort 90km. Warming up down South.

Hot and hilly today. Temperature crept up to 30 and there were rolling hills all along the route. These can be demoralising because just as you enjoy the lazy descent, it's time to climb again. Lovely day despite the burning legs.

Not for the first time on the hills I'm overtaken by other cyclists. On this trip though, it's often people a fair bit older than me, panniers laden and heavy and they just cruise effortlessly past with a cheery ' bon route!'. They're riding E-Bikes and I love 'em. I've lost count of the number of older people zipping up the hills and enjoying the ride. It's opened up a whole new experience for people who enjoyed cycling but thought their hill climbing days were done. Brilliant. I will put off owning one as long as I can climb the hills but am happy that there is an option.

My last day on La Velo Francette tomorrow as I hope to get to La Rochelle and from there join La Velodyssee for a bit to follow the Atlantic coast. My original plan was to follow La Velodyssee down into Spain and then head for San Sebastian or Madrid or...... well somewhere else very Spanish but the fires in La Gironde mean the route south of Bordeaux  is closed. I think I will join the Canal de Deux Mers route and ride East to the Med. We'll see.

it's quite a bit better thanks, since you asked,  My bum that is. Two short stretches of the route today took in a cobbled street and a cobbled bridge. All very quaint and charming but for a cyclist these are the devil's handiwork. My bottom took the sort of beating that Max Moseley would have paid double the Deutsche Marks for back in the day. Unless anything changes that's the last you'll hear of my bum. I've put it behind me.......