DAY 54

Today was just the perfect close to a country that has, in so many ways, been so good to me. It was a Sunday and Sunday is always a day for the cyclist in France.(In fact all trucks are banned on all roads in France on Sunday,but I never had any trouble with the trucks here.The drivers always gave me loads of room when they overtook me) By 11am the sun was getting strong,so much so, I nearly went to the shade to enjoy my morning dose of pain au chocolait(I'm going to miss these tasty buggers from the local bakeries). I continued on up over the hills. I must have passed more than 200 cyclists today.Well actually they passed me to be more correct. (My Koga Signature bicycle is a complete work horse. It will carry the heavy load up the steep hill that would buckle the wheels of an average bike and the brakes are powerful enough to control its decline from the mountains.) Many of the cyclists would wave as they pass and many more would even ride along beside me and chat a bit. But one particular cyclist,Patrick, was fluent in English and we had a great chat.His knowledge of bikes was amazing.He was well aware of the Koga and all the components that I had chosen for my bike.He is even considering getting a Koga at some stage.He pointed out and named all the surrounding sights and as we stopped at 1 point on a hill top to take some photos,Patrick rang home to check if it would be okay to invite myself home for lunch. His home was situated in the hills and we enjoyed the views and sat out on the terrance and had a super lunch. I had ate everything around me and then a plate arrived with a huge selection of all locally produced cheeses. And I love the cheese down here in France. Soon afterwards more of his extended family arrived and at about 2pm there was 12 of us going for a walk to the local church on a spectacular hilltop with views all around. But,sadly, I had a ferry to catch and I always like to be off the roads before nightfall. I practically free-wheeled downhill for the last hour all the way to the ferry dock. I presently sitting back on the overnight ferry to Corsica.Corsica is part of France but I hear many of the locals see themselves as been Corsican before they are French (maybe its the French equivalent to the "Peoples republic of Cork" in Ireland) and I guess I feel that France has been completed and I'm moving on to Corsia.We're starting to get places.The legs feel strong and the bike is hungry for more. All is 100%