Travelogue#
Final push. Today’s plan called for “only” about 110 km, but the heat made it incredibly demanding. Around midday, my Garmin showed 44°C. Every chance I got, I poured cold soft drinks into myself, yet I still crawled along at a snail’s pace.
The first 25 km once again took me through beautiful pine forests. Absolutely fantastic.
The route for the rest of the day was quite enjoyable as well. Only in Bayonne did the area and overall atmosphere feel a little strange to me.
Finally arriving in Biarritz — which is actually quite hilly — I suddenly ran into Daniel again. He had been riding a different route and had started much later than I did. It’s funny how you keep crossing paths when timing is so critical and yet somehow you end up meeting in exactly the same place.
We both agreed that it was simply too hot for cycling, and then we took a few photos. My finisher photo!
After an ice cream break, Daniel continued on to the campsite while I checked into my hotel right in the city center. My room had been cooled down to 20°C. What a relief after battling the heat all day.
And that’s it for this year’s tour. What an adventure! My French section of the route is now almost complete after roughly 2,100 km. I’ve gotten to know this country in a very intensive way — one of the great advantages of traveling by bike. And it’s quite different from what I had imagined beforehand. J’aime la France.
Now all that remains is getting home again, which honestly is always the most stressful part for me. I’m hoping everything works out with the train connections tomorrow. Otherwise, traveling with a bike and the TGV could become rather complicated. Fingers crossed!
Pictures#
