The Coast of Normandy, France

France.  Here I am.  My journey progresses like a dream.  I sit in a small cafe by the sea in a small town by the name of St. Isny sur Mare.  A fantastic series of adventures, fueled by the uncanny generosity of the French people I have met,  has unfolded since my arrival.

I literally have not been able to spend one Euro of my own money for the last three days.  Yet, outside, my bike is laden with more food than I can squeeze into my pouches, all my computers are charged,  I am showered, have everything I could possibly need, and have eaten like a King the last two nights.  I mentioned in my last post that I was starting to loose faith in money as a means to make things happen.  I am now thoroughly convinced in the futility of worrying about money.

Arriving in Cherbourg, I road into a glorious sun rise as I pedaled my first French kilometres.  Along the road I ran into a lady picking Chestnuts, she advised me how to pick and cook them.   Another lady showed me how to harvest coquilles and muscles on the beach.  

My first evening, after a fabulous conversation with the farmer who lent me his field for the night, I dined on roasted chestnuts and muscles cooked in donated white wine and butter.  Not a seafood fan, I was warry at first of the strange looking crustucians, however, by the last shell I was thoroughly converted.  Wow.   I had one fabulous meal.

Then, this past night, seeking only to fill up my water bottles at a farm house on the side of the road, an incredibly kind young French and Dutch couple let me camp outside their 17th century manor.  Not only this, but they invited me inside to a rolling multiple course meal as we discussed France and Canada and the world.  This morning I was gifted by fresh croissants and yet another coffee.

I say 'yet another coffee', because that day I was gifted by not one but four coffees!   After breaking camp at the Famers I was lamenting not having had my morning coffee-- my supply had ran out.  I met a group of French cyclist who treated me to a coffee, and then a fabulously interesting English lady who also treated me to two coffees.  By the end of the day I gone from lack to overdose!

This entry rambles.  Yet, it feels unjust to not at least touch upon each of these encounters that could indeed each make an entry.   I suspect I will soon touch on all the ideas that my many conversations and experiences have inspired as I progress.