From Craon, following the cycle path still, Brian stopped at a tourist office (he said it was for information, personally I think that’s where all the pretty girls hang out) and then at a bar (where all the beer hangs out) before setting off again.
I was just dozing off when I found myself flying off the front of the bike and tumbling into the vegetation at the side of the path, somehow Brian didn’t notice! I thought he would stop straight away, but no, he had the bit between his teeth, or rather his feet clamped to the pedals, and was set on taking a shortcut. So I decided to explore the locality and perhaps find a tourist office of my own! It was a nice cool deep ditch at the side of the path, with lots of flora and not too much fauna, so lots to eat and drink, and I set out to munch my way through as much as I could manage in one go.
I was just approaching a lovely escargot (French snail to you) to try out my best accent à la Officer Crabtree from ‘Allo ‘Allo, when Brian came back to look for me, and I wasn’t quite quick enough to hide before he spotted me…. And there went my chance of a brief encounter.
Well he said he came back to look for me, but I later found out that his shortcut went nowhere and he had to retrace his steps anyway… and I thought he cared!
That diversion meant he found a museum to visit, he left me outside to watch the bike while he went to look at the exhibitions.
Waiting outside the Musee Resistance, keeping a close eye on the bike
He said when he came back that the weather forecast was for rain (perhaps they had some seaweed) and so we would stop in Chateaubriand and he would go sightseeing in the rain rather than cycle on wet roads tomorrow.
Another tourist office for directions, another lady to admire, and then a new campsite, and yet another lady who spent ages talking to Brian and showing him around the camp, recommending places to eat and generally chatting. I was getting impatient; it was raining and my earlier adventure had given me a taste for exploring. This campsite is next to a football field, so there should be some locals around, and maybe even another escargot for me to try my chat-up lines on… and as we are not moving on tomorrow I might even have time to polish my accent.
The promised rain came as a thunderstorm next day, so there were lots of snails around (we do like a good downpour) enough to have a party.