May 28 Last day in Paris.
Up early and on to the bike to check out the location of a bikeshop and the route to the railway station for tomorrow. Used the bikeshop's floor pump to put plenty of air into the tyres. Bikes away and onto the metro to see the Champs Elysee and the Arc de Triomphe, but didn't tackle the stairs up the Arc. Huge and impressive. After a shared sandwich it was off to the Pompidou Centre to see some modern art - Sue enjoyed this visit more than I did. Returned home exhausted for an hour or so's rest before heading out to a local Bistro recommended by our landlord. Good food very reasonably priced.

May 29 Paris to Vernon.
Another early start to pack the bikes for a 7 am start for the Gare St Lazarre. Traffic was very light at this time of day so we had an uneventful ride to the station where we packed up the bikes before boarding the train for the hour ride to Vernon. Reassembled the bikes as we could walk directly off the station onto the road. After a lengthy conversation with some locals in a bar, comprising my limited french and many handsignals, we discovered that we were on the wrong side of the railway and would have to go back to the station, down the stairs under the railway lines and up the stairs on the other side. Carrying 45 kgs of bikes and panniers down and up the stairs was not the best way to start the day. However, after this it was simple to find the hotel which we had pre-booked. After off-loading the panniers, and having a coffee which only cost €2.50, we headed off for the 5 km ride to Giverny to see Monet's Gardens.

The weather was fine, the path flat, and Monet's gardens beautiful. The water lily pond was quite large and very pretty with its Japanes-style bridges crossing it at various places. Gardens planned, but not formal - and a blaze of colour. Monet's house was very quaint and well preserved. Being a week day the crowds were manageable.

Rode back to Vernon and after booking into our room, walked around the town admiring the old houses, many of which are around 700 years old. Our hotel was also pretty olde worldy. Had dinner in the dining room - white linen table cloths and napkins, flowers, stuffed animals and birds adorning the walls, exposed beams and paintings all combined to make a very welcoming atmosphere. Food also was very good.

May 30 The ride starts in earnest.
Using the excellent Michelin 1 cm= 2 km maps we headed out of town on a fairly busy road with what seemed to be the obligatory uphill climb to start the day. After about 7 kms, including a couple of kms or more peaceful tractor path, we turned off onto a more minor D road with less traffic and the first of many many small pretty villages. Enjoyed seeing our first traditional half timbered Normandy houses, many built at the edge of rivers, sometimes over the edge of the river. The ride followed the river valley through farmland and villages. Made the mistake today of not stocking up with food, expecting to find shops in the small villages, only to find that many villages were only a collection of houses with no shops. Found the first shops about 5 kms from the end of our days ride. Enjoyed a very welcome roll and drink in park before continuing on to the town of Louviers to look for accommodation. Ended up at a more up-market and expensive hotel than we would have liked, but them's the breaks when you don't book ahead.

45 kms for the day. Planning to ride around 40 kms a day to allow us plenty of time to stop along the way and to arrive in town early enough to find accommodation and look around town.

After tidying up, we went to the Church of Notre Dame, built in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Some great stained glass windows. Building braced from one side to the other in several places; old statues strapped to the pillars. Also saw the Penitents Cloister built in the 17th C. Named after the Penitent Brothers who settled in Louviers after abandoning their old monastery at St Barbe. The only cloister in Europe built on water. Closed during the French Rev., was given to the Societe Populaire, became a boys school, then a prison and now a school of music!

After a good night's rest had breakfast at the hotel - too expensive; can't eat enough to make it worthwhile.

May 31 Louviers to St Georges de Vievre 52 kms
On the road just before 9 am with a steady 2 k climb out of town. A bit more traffic today even on our minor D roads. Farmland and pretty villages. Very tidy houses and gardens.

Same problem as yesterday trying to find a boulangerie (bakery) open. In the village of Tourville la Campagne we noticed the Rue de les Australiens, obviously reflecting the role of Australians during WWii. After an energising half banana, we continued on, finally arriving at Le Gros Theil, a pretty little village which had a bakery which was open. No sandwiches, so we had a cold pizza type of bread, followed by a coffee in the garden of an old, quaint hotel. Iain's french is improving and he is generally understood by the friendly locals. The toilet in this little hotel was a doozy. Behind a curtain under a stairway was a door leading down three steps to a toilet set at the height of the top step. You almost had to jump up to get onto the seat, upon which your feet swung some 30-40 cm from the floor. Spotlessly clean.

Back on the road we continued along gently undulating roads to Le Bec Hellouin - the sign claiming it to be one of France's prettiest villages. It was very pretty, with a lot of history. The only discordant note was meeting our first beggar. Heading out of town we encountered a long fairly steep hill, fortunately followed by some fairly flat road to our destination at St Georges de Vievre, where the information centre directed us to a small hotel on the town square. A locked shed for the bikes and a clean bedroom for us on the second floor.

We visited the local church, a large, high ceilinged open planned church with a painted dome ceiling - looked like a Persian pattern. Pews had doors at each end. Many of the stained glass windows depicted gruesome scenes of tortured saints. Around the town were several 'fairy story' like thatched houses.

After an enjoyable meal at the hotel and our first glass of Normandy cider, we were in bed by 9 pm.