First day that we’ve had time to get out on the bikes l, since arriving back from France, 3 weeks ago. So where better to go than pootle through the hack lanes to the Dovetail Cafe at The Antiques Village. Best carrot cake in the area!

Have the bones of the first stage of our route home. First stage ends in Toulouse, in tome for Provence Rugby’s first away match against Colomiers

Pusscat’s favourite cross-legged position … she’s much better since having her thyroid out, last week … it’s made such a difference

Frazzled after abandoning the drive back to Devon from my mum’s … after battling through Birmingham with warnings of an hour delay between 2 junctions at Gloucester and 3 hour delay between Bristol and Exeter .. have cut my losses and turned off to stay with a friend tonight. Wine will be drunk!

A last minute jewellery inspection by a very friendly little hopper … nearly time to pack up and go home. Wine is required!

Up and ready to go for day 2 of Exeter Craft Festival…. Going to be hot again, so deploying a frock . This doesn’t happen often!

All set up for the next 3 days at Exeter Craft Festival , on the Cathedral Green , with lots of new pieces of wearable history … first coffee of the day has been drunk

Escaped for a while all to Budleigh, this afternoon…. It was just what I needed

Pusscat does have some strange behaviour, now she’s older. There’s plenty of water for her in the house, but her chosen drinking hole of the moment is an old watering can in the garden…(now kept topped up with fresh water for her delight)

After a busy week up at my Mum’s, back with youngest and Pusscat tonight in East Devon, up to my eyeballs getting ready for this weekend’s Exeter Craft Festival… is it really only 10 days ago that we were cycling in France 🤯

Still up in Shropshire at my mum’s after her knee-op. She was in hospital for longer than expected but it’s given us a chance to blitz her garden, which is really lovely but needed a bit of TLC

Happiness is …. A little bird-bath

Realised I need to start posting photos of my new pieces ahead of this summer’s fairs, but am at my mum’s until the event, so all I can do is put the pieces on my knee … I’m not sure it’s the most professional look!! 🤣

Provence to Plymouth complete, sitting on the Hoe for a couple of hours waiting for the first train we could book with bike spaces, then a short ride from Exeter … but have ice cream, so that’s good

Last early morning start, up with the sunrise for a gentle pedal into Roscoff …. Coffee and croissant in the port and now on the ferry heading back. A busy few weeks ahead. Off to help my mum tomorrow, having a knee operation, then 9 days of shows with my jewellery, before we head back home

This last couple of days has been rather lovely … it’s been fresher, cooler and we’ve been able to stop and enjoy the little things …. I never realised Red Admirals had such wonderfully striped antennae 😍🦋

Good morning …. Last breakfast by the beach, camping again tonight and tomorrow onto the ferry… can’t believe part 1 of our summer cycle trip is nearly over

Best coffee spot of the last 12 days!

Good morning …

This afternoon has been basically this …. The Brittany coast is very beautiful

Finally, a slow morning. This is the first time we haven’t had to be pedalling by silly-o’clock to beat the heat …. Sitting by the tent, having a coffee, listening to the birds feels like a real treat

Made it to the north coast …. There’s actually a sea breeze and a bit of air. What a joy

Thanks, we took back roads through Guingamp, Vieux Marché to Galan and in that way. It’s been a stunning morning on the bikes, with empty lanes, beautiful countryside & a glorious sunrise - just in Morlaix now, will potter along the estuary to Carantec for tonight’s camp site. A really lovely day

2 trains and 20km of cycling later we’re on today s campsite, although they just sent the local police out to help us get in, as we don’t have a vehicle. 🫣 all good though, but could have done without the brutal climb out of Saint Brieuc … lovely once we were up though

On second train heading to Saint Brieuc, this town me was much less stressful (apart from the bike spaces being up the steps in the carriage 😳) … coffee stop at the Rennes Café Joyeux …. Such a great social enterprise

Made it onto the right half of the right train, going to the correct station , have already been asked about our bike bookings and they are on the train with us … stress levels still high though …pedalling to s so Much easier - but not in the heat

Happily in our apartment at Angers …. Then an early train north tomorrow to try to find a slightly cooler spot, and more importantly take a big chunk out of the ride to cut down our daily distances …. It’s 4pm and it’s still 40 here 🥵

You too :… about 45km into our morning ride to Angers and just stopped for something cold

Afternoon viewing #COYC

Lovey ride through to Saumur and I may have got a bit excited seeing a Renault 16 coming through with other cars in the Chinon Classic. It was the car my parents had for all my childhood trips to France (last one bright orange TX with smoked glass windows 😜) there was a white Fifi & a few R8s too 😍