Peace and Tranquility
France: Tour de Manche Stage 3 – Fri 24th July 2015 – Saint-Lô to Vire (64 Km)
Rain is what greeted me when I awoke this morning, but I could see a couple patches of blue sky so I delayed my start until 9 am. By this time there was not a cloud in the sky so I set off on my merry way. It is not that I mind getting wet, it is just that the camera has to stay in my bag. Later in the day it clouded over again and started raining quite heavily when I got within 5 Km of my destination.
I think “tranquillity” is the word that best decribes my route today from Saint-Lô to Vire. About the only sounds I heard all day were birds chirping, the occasional rooster crowing, the rippling of the Vire river, and the sound of my bike tyres squelching on the compacted pathway along the river. The route was about 50% on Voies Verte paths and 50% on good tertiary roads that wound through some beautiful countryside and lots of pretty villages and hamlets. Unlike the previous two days, the terrain was undulating with a few fairly steep climbs (up to about 170 Km) in places. Just as well I have been eating lots of carbs, with all the continental breakfasts and visits to those fabulous boulangerie patisseries. They say you are what you eat, in which case I am about to turn into a baguette or a pannini!
My first stop was at the mediaeval town of Tessy-sur-Vire which has some fine granite buildings. I bought a white coffee that was strong and bitter and looked like mud, but at least it was pleasant sitting outside in the sunshine. One of the things I am looking forward to when I get back to Sydney is a decent cappuccino because there is no such thing in Europe.
Much of the ride today was along the banks of the Vire river. The stretch from La Ferrière-Harang to Vire took me past one of the most spectacular edifices along the Vire: the Viaduc de la Souleuvre. Once a hugely impressive railway viaduct designed by Gustave Eiffel, arching over the valley on five granite pillars, it survived the War but was demolished in 1970 and is now popular for bungee jumping. It also has flying fox rides and the highest swing in France, as well as a big dipper type ride down the steep hillside.
Vire is quite a sizable town with lots of interesting history. On 6 June 6 1944 during World War 2, around 8:00 pm, like many Norman cities and villages, Vire suffered heavily from the British bombings, and 95% of the town was destroyed. Much of the bombing from the first wave of aircraft fell across the town of Vire killing many of the inhabitants. The reconstruction after the war began in the 1960’s and it is now quite a nice city.
Heavy rain is falling again now. Hopefully it will have cleared before morning when I set out on my 72 Km ride to Ducey. More importantly, I hope it is fine and sunny on Sunday when I ride past the famous Mont-Saint-Michel which should be the highlight of Normandy. You might have noticed that Mont-Saint-Michel appears on all the sign-posts since I left Cherboug.
