We begin Chapter 10 of our French cycling tour with a lovely early morning ride into Fromentine, where a Saturday market awaits. Back on La Velodysee, a few miles on forested paths, and suddenly we’re back on the coast, where we pass through one sunny resort town after another. Continuing on Eurovelo 1, we ride through the salt marshes of the Olonnes, and meet a videographer who tells us all about how they extract the sea salt from the marshes. Lots of ocean, beaches, forests, and great people. We’re having a lovely time on our bike tour of France!
Music:
Accordion and Glockenspiel Comedy – JK Productions
Pond Five
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Hidden Track – Staffan Carlen
Epidemic Sound
Rainy Birthday – Aluvio
Epidemic Sound
So Long Yesterday – Coma Svensson
Epidemic Sound
The Carousel Twins – Luella Gren
Epidemic Sound
Unbroken Spirit – Sunfish Grove
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Anten Before Dawn – Candellion
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Infinite Rings – Lama House
Epidemic Sound
21 Comments
When replenishing water, are you finding spigots in every town?
All I can say is you do a beautiful job with these videos. Those bike paths thru the woods were awesome. It seems that you had a pretty good balance of city and country. Also an education of gathering salt from the channels. So interesting. Thanks for the video and take care, Al
The best Chapter yet. After watching this, my weekend rails to trails rides seem so underwhelming. I hope you guys do a USA tour again, is it probable or unlikely?
So…. How were the fajitas?!
The best way to take a beach vacation is bicycling beside it! Perhaps Selina’s Celtic Sea Salt is harvested in those salt ponds as it’s from the coast of France. 😊 Hoping you recovered quickly from your cold! Gorgeous scenery and weather. The outdoor markets sure are a nice treat to find.
So look forward to, and so enjoy your tours!
Thank you both for sharing!
Wonderful, as always. Thank you for treating us with a bit of paradise.
Roland, your voice is very nice, warm and sweet…🙄😁
You guys are living the life. Visiting some awesome places, staying in great hotels, and eating in nice restaurants. If that is paradise I don't know what is. Makes up for some of those tough days when you rode across America and ended up sleeping in a tent in a car park!! I love cycling for all these crazy varied days.
Bonjour !
Aren’t these “marais salants” fascinating.
Digging done with shovels, centuries ago.
Couple of videos for you.
First one, May cleaning, mud which has accumulated during winter needs to be removed (otherwise the salt would be brown, muddy).
The small square pools are made of clay (bottom + sides) once cleaned, the water is evacuated, the clay dries and the sun “cooks” it avoiding a contamination of the salt which stays white, once these pools are filled with sea water which will evaporate.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5JRJ7cwMQ4E
Salt ready for harvest:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WmL9FnOnrbw
10:57 Can not go wrong with Orangina, my wife's favorite. That's all she drinks when we are there. She doesn't drink alcohol. Ok… my 6'8" would never be happy in that height challenged place. That was quite the welcoming committee at that boulangerie. Do all patron get that welcome? Or, just world famous YouTube cycle tourists? Your observation about holiday styles is so on point. My sister and her husband have time shares on Maui and Cancun and always go to the same place. Jo, my wife, and I, cannot imagine that as we are rarely in one place for more than a couple of days at a time, though we did spend a week in Avignon in 2019 as there is so much to see in the town and the surrounding villages. Did you guys ever stop to have ice cream at the shops called Amorino? They have some of the best we've ever tasted! Just discovered they have expanded to the US. Though why they chose Ft Worth and Houston for two of their locations, I'll never understand. Until next week, à bientôt.
What panniers bags you ?use
Very cool, no bare breasts….bummer, guess that's a summertime thing, lol! Awesome video as usual!
I just adore your videos,they capture everything I love about bike touring. I really respond to the emotion and love that is obvious – even on the tough days. My hat is doffed. If you ever tour UK let me know and I will spin a few miles in your wonderful company. You inspire me guys and you are a reminder that human beings are essentially kind and warm beings. Big love.
Bonjour,
Always a great pleasure to see you along Atlantic.
Just one question: are there similar bike lanes along the ocean in the usa?
Merci
A couple of episode ago you stopped into the second bike shop to get julianna's wheel looked at. What developed there? Looks like they may have fixed it. Great video again.
I totally agree with you about Saint-Jean-de-Monts, the stretch of sandy beach is very nice but a very nondescript place. We stay away as it's heaving with holiday makers in July and August.
You passed through the edge of Saint-Gilles-Croix -de-Vie and missed the pretty part near the church. You'd need a lot longer to see everything along your route so unavoidable.
When I saw the shot of the yellow navigational bouy where you had lunch, I realised you'd stopped just opposite where we own a small house facing the sea. The restaurant is very new and gets taken away at the end of the season as it would be destroyed by the huge gales if not. We don't get to use the house in summer as it's rented as an Airbnb. When we do it's heartwarming to see whole families on loaded bikes off for an adventure somewhere.
Las Sables d'Olonne is very popular, especially with the Parisians and there are some really nice restaurants there but it can be very crowded and a place we avoid.
That seemed a bit of a slog, winds are worse than hills as it doesn't give you a break.
Thanks once again for a pleasant 25 minutes watching the video.
Great video. Some topless moments would not hurt though ;))))
I especially liked this section of your trip. My wife and I used to vacation often in the NW corner of Brittany. But, our last vacation in France was in Bourgenay, only about 15 km south of Les Sables-d'Olonne. Many of the places you filmed as you rode by, I've ridden by myself. I found Les Sables-d'Olonne nice, but the smaller villages outside the city were much nicer.
13:20 … called "salt pans" en anglais
Magnificent country for cycling-what an eye-opener ..and ye are a super-cool couple !