Day 12 - Alençon

Yesterday's laundry dried so I am warm and fragrant as I depart this morning. First stop is Bagnoles-de-l'Orne though I pause to photograph a charming wreck on the way, and I'm not talking about taking a selfie. Bagnoles-de-l'Orne is a spa town and has that rarity, a bakery with seating similar to an English coffee-and-cake café. There have been complaints that there aren't enough cake photos and in part this is due to the eateries where I have been staying which have been bar tabacs or restaurants. 

The paris-brest was designed to be a cycle wheel in honour of the Tour de France and the apple tart is a fair representation of Normandy. Eaten as a combination they represent a cycle tour of Normandy. 

Cycling through the forests around Bagnoles-de-l'Orne I see people out foraging for mushrooms so I keep an eye open for them.

Villages often like to promote themselves and provide flowers and well maintained green spaces.

As I get closer to today's destination the scenery changes becoming slightly flatter then mostly downhill into Alençon a fact I welcome as today is almost 50 miles.

I am excited about the next stage of the tour when I enter the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche. As I move on I am surprised at just how good Lonlay-lʼAbbaye was as a base for cycling.

Index

Day 13