The markets were bustling as we cycled past, and the strawberries looked especially appealing.  However, we knew from experience that strawberries do not travel well so didn’t purchase anything. continued...

A wet day meant the streets were much quieter and we enjoyed a lazy morning before braving the rain to walk to Halles de Bayonne, the covered markets that were just a block away.  We perused all the food options and made a commitment to return for lunch provisions after we had explored the town.  continued...

More than 3000 pink-shirted people were pounding the streets of Bayonne participating in Odyssea Bayonne to raise funds to support the fight against breast cancer.  Their route seemed to take them through most of the streets of the old town as we wound our way through them to reach the river.  continued...

The skies were showing signs of blue when we left and it was easy riding through small villages, each defined by their church. Easter Monday is a public holiday in France and the roads were quiet. We had done some research to find a boulangerie that was open and at Pontonx Sur L’Adour we stopped to pick up some morning tea and found a place to enjoy a morning coffee. continued...

An 11am checkout allowed time to visit the markets for lunch provisions, which was fortunate as it was raining and forecast to clear late morning. The market space was huge, but there was only a small number of stalls.  Still, we could buy fruit, bread and pastries which was all we needed for lunch. continued...

We lingered over breakfast with Frederic and Natalie, learning more about life in France, until it was time to head off.  It was cold and started to drizzle as we picked up the rail trail.  We passed a few people doing the Camino, and one man stopped us to warn us that the route was not the best that France had to offer. continued...

Blue skies greeted us as we were leaving and we made sure that we had left space in our panniers to store the dinner provisions we would buy later in the day at Brannes.

The river was high as we cycled out of Langon and we were aware that there were flood warnings for some of the rivers we need to cross in coming days.  We were soon climbing on quiet country roads and as we crested the first hill, we had a lovely view back to Langon. continued...

We had booked a tour of the Monolithic Church through the tourist office, the only way to see inside the church.  The guide was very engaging and full of stories.  

Our first stop was the hermitage of Emilion, a cave where St Emilion lived for 17 years.  As a young man, Emilion served as a baker for the Count of Vannes in Brittany.  When famine struck, Emilion used to smuggle bread in his coat to feed the poor.  continued...

An early start to catch the 8:14 train to Bordeaux, to allow time to walk the 1.6kms to the station, having prebooked our tickets online. It was a quick 33 minute trip into the heart of Bordeaux where we purchased a 24 hour travel pass. We caught our first tram of the day, alighting near the Pont de Pierre, the “stone bridge” built on the orders of Napoleon.  It was the first bridge in Bordeaux and has 17 arches, in recognition of the number of letters in Napoleon Bonaparte’s name. continued...

The town was quiet as we went in search of a bin to dispose our glass bottles, which we fortunately found behind the little grocery store.  Chore completed, we left St Emilion as the mist was lifting.  It was an easy ride into Libourne, where we detoured to find an open Boulangerie and supermarket to buy supplies as we knew that many shops are closed on a Sunday and those that do open close at 1pm. continued...

It was a glorious morning as we enjoyed our breakfast, complete with croissants and home made jam and muesli.  Sylvie asked to have her photo with us and we chatted a while to Claude, learning more about life in France and the joys of living in Chevanceaux. continued...

Armed with our map, we set off to follow the painted walls trail.  This time we climbed up through the park, a more scenic route following the ramparts and passing a cross and small chapel located in a cave.  continued...

We had a deadline to meet Georgie and Graham in Tours on 3 May, so planned a route with four big days of cycling.  

The route out of Angouleme followed a cycle path along the Charente River, and we passed two Kayak slalom courses along the way. 10 kms on we picked up the Voie Verte Coulee D’Oc which followed an old railway line past Marthon, with its old station decorated with bicycles and being converted to a museum.  continued...