Quiet day by the van

We had a quieter day, today, as the forecast said showers all day. But it was actually gorgeous all day! 

Still, it's nice to have a little day chilling out by the van, in the sun. We cycled to the local supermarket first thing, to get a few extra supplies. Tomorrow is Sunday, and Monday is a bank holiday in France, so the shops will only be open until about 13:00. 

The L' Authion which runs past the campsite 

We took a rucksack to carry our stuff, but while we were in the shop I had a brainwave and we picked up a decent-sized cool bag and a couple of bungee cords, so that we could attach it to the rack on the back of my bike. We still needed the rucksack for the bread, but everything else fitted in the cool bag. Honestly, I'm a bloody genius at times 😄

My genius idea

On our way back we stopped at the local café/bar/hotel, Café L' Escale, for a coffee. We asked if they had croissants and he directed us to the bakery up the road. So I popped up for a couple of croissants and pain au chocolat and we had them with our coffee. That would be unheard of in the UK - most places won't let you eat food that you've bought elsewhere. But the French help each other out like that; they're not in direct competition with other businesses, especially in a small village. 

We spent the rest of the day sat outside, reading and sorting out our next campsite. We're heading to Camping Les Portes du Perche, in Mamers, not far from Le Mans. It looks like a nice little town. Hopefully we can get into Le Mans, too, as apparently there's a lot more to it than the famous 24hr race. 

Aaand, here comes the thunder and the rain, again ⛈️ so let's have a photo of a speckled wood butterfly, to end on a high.