Bikes by signpost in Olonne sur Mer. © Listen to Africa

Huw wakes at around 6.30am, just after the birds, when the first glimmers of light are starting to show. He lies snugly tucked up in his sleeping bag as the birdsong gets louder and the sun starts to show over the horizon. Bex at this time is showing no signs of life.

At about 7.15am a combination of a weak bladder and a growing urgency for the first coffee of the day forces movement. The nights and early mornings are cold (near freezing) so there is a certain reluctance.

Once outside, the first job is to light the stove and put the water on to boil. The stove makes a comforting roar (for Huw) and an alarm call for Bex. First coffee drunk, the stove is on again for a second cup, plus a hot chocolate for Bex.

We haven’t been very good at getting going in the morning, so a lazy hour or so is spent eating the remains of yesterday’s bread and waiting for it to warm up a bit.

When the sun is finally up and the chill is out of the air, we pack everything in the panniers and take the tent down. With everything packed, we pore over the maps and work out an approximate route for the day (anything to delay having to actually cycle).

Once on the road, we continue until late morning, then stop for a bit of a break – eating fresh bread or croissants if we pass a boulangerie, or stopping at a café for refreshments. Suitably refreshed, we continue until early afternoon, then stop for lunch – usually bread and cheese.

After lunch, it’s on the road again, always keeping an eye open for a shop to buy food in for the evening meal. By about 4pm, we start looking for somewhere to stay. Camping in France in March can be problematic. There are numerous campsites, but most are closed until early April or later. We usually stop several times to ask and, by about 6pm, we’ve usually found one (either open or sufficiently deserted for us to set up camp).

The first jobs at the campsite are to get the tent up, stove lit and the water on to boil. At the moment, we’re a lot more efficient at setting up camp than packing up in the morning. With camp set up, we start preparing the evening meal before it gets dark. Typically, dinner is something like spaghetti bolognaise – lots of carbohydrates and easy to cook on a single ring stove.

After dinner, a short time is spent watching the stars then it’s bed by 8.30pm for a good ten hours, before the next day begins.

Bikes by signpost in Olonne sur Mer. © Listen to Africa

Huw wakes at around 6.30am, just after the birds, when the first glimmers of light are starting to show. He lies snugly tucked up in his sleeping bag as the birdsong gets louder and the sun starts to show over the horizon. Bex at this time is showing no signs of life.

At about 7.15am a combination of a weak bladder and a growing urgency for the first coffee of the day forces movement. The nights and early mornings are cold (near freezing) so there is a certain reluctance.

Once outside, the first job is to light the stove and put the water on to boil. The stove makes a comforting roar (for Huw) and an alarm call for Bex. First coffee drunk, the stove is on again for a second cup, plus a hot chocolate for Bex.

We haven’t been very good at getting going in the morning, so a lazy hour or so is spent eating the remains of yesterday’s bread and waiting for it to warm up a bit.

When the sun is finally up and the chill is out of the air, we pack everything in the panniers and take the tent down. With everything packed, we pore over the maps and work out an approximate route for the day (anything to delay having to actually cycle).

Once on the road, we continue until late morning, then stop for a bit of a break – eating fresh bread or croissants if we pass a boulangerie, or stopping at a café for refreshments. Suitably refreshed, we continue until early afternoon, then stop for lunch – usually bread and cheese.

After lunch, it’s on the road again, always keeping an eye open for a shop to buy food in for the evening meal. By about 4pm, we start looking for somewhere to stay. Camping in France in March can be problematic. There are numerous campsites, but most are closed until early April or later. We usually stop several times to ask and, by about 6pm, we’ve usually found one (either open or sufficiently deserted for us to set up camp).

The first jobs at the campsite are to get the tent up, stove lit and the water on to boil. At the moment, we’re a lot more efficient at setting up camp than packing up in the morning. With camp set up, we start preparing the evening meal before it gets dark. Typically, dinner is something like spaghetti bolognaise – lots of carbohydrates and easy to cook on a single ring stove.

After dinner, a short time is spent watching the stars then it’s bed by 8.30pm for a good ten hours, before the next day begins.