We woke up to a much warmer morning… Fraser and I got the bread and Stew got on it with the the coffee. The aero press has stolen the place of the handpresso on freckle and makes a great coffee whilst saving on space! https://www.coffeeisland.co.uk/catalog/viewProduct/13?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7ZCr9NCM3QIVDpPtCh3R8gXpEAAYASAAEgKvt_D_BwE

It works brilliantly!

We decided over breakfast that we would try a longer bike ride… about 8 years ago we went to st John de mont and stew had the best burger of his life… my recollections were less positive but we thought it was a good target place to ride to!

23km to the town, seemed like a good challenge to the children! We set off along the cycle path which stretches along the whole of the Vendée. Through saint Gilles and on past st Hilarie de Riez.

Along the way we planned a weeks cycling holiday! We will need some accomplices though!! The weather was perfect and the route was flat and mainly off road.

We arrived and had a picnic on the beach front and the children played on the sand. A quick walk through the town to find and ice cream some chi chis, was followed by a rest in a cafe with a coffee!

Back on the bikes and out bottoms were already starting to tell us this was one of our longer cycles!

We headed home, through saint Gilles in full flow on the last day of their summer season. It was packed but the children did an amazing job of cycling through the busy streets.

Back at the camp a cool off in the pool was very much the order of the day. Back at the van we got ready to get back on our bikes and head into the town for our last evening in saint Gilles. Penny decided her bike seat had been replaced by a pine cone whilst Fraser planned his “cycling outfit” for the cycle holiday! I just felt every. Single. Bump.

We headed to the beach front where stew and Fraser had huge bowls of moules…. the temperature had dropped and the earlier sunshine had left with us all feeling chilly.

We moved around the town to the carousel which the children wanted to go on…. they have been going on it for the last 8 years, and we feared they might be too big, but the sparkly lights and traditional horses drew them in!

Ice creams all round before a dark cycle home and all to bed! Bet our bums hurt tomorrow!