Today is our second cycling day. A late breakfast followed by butty making and we are off. This time we are going south.

Our first target was Le Viaduc, which is the very big bridge that connects the island to mainland France. It was enjoyable cycling through fields with horses, past waterways with storks, egrets and grey herons all happily paddling together. We passed lots of oyster beds too, all you really see is the top of rusty cages. The boats are flat bottomed to operate in the shallow water.

We thought we weren’t going to see the bridge as we couldn’t see it from the end of the cycle path, and we definitely didn’t want to cycle over it, but luckily a side road led us to a harbour and great views of the viaduct.

Back along the same route until we hit the path going south. We cycle through a forest to Saint-Trojan-les-Bains and it’s promenade and harbour. T managed to pick up a thorn and a flat tyre which he fixed very efficiently. A bit of lunch by the sea, a butty that we brought with us, my last pack of Dolly Mixtures and then into the town for a well earned pint.

On the way back we stopped at the salt flats at La Grand-Village-Plage to see the salt being skimmed and collected but as we are trying to give it up we don’t buy any.

Back at Chateau d’Oléron and after a flying visit to the supermarket looking for ice and sadly failing to find it, we really enjoy a cold beer at the van.

Eventually we have a spring roll and fried rice for dinner followed by a delicious tart. Manage to squeeze in a single game of Rummikub before it gets too dark, which I won so now it’s 11-10! A lovely long phone call to Rach followed by an episode of the Cook of Castermar as I’m officially hooked. A final fab day to end our visit to Île d’Oléron.