[Home]   Cycling the Seine Saturday 22nd June 2024 Day 9 – Conihout de Jumiege It was a cool, drizzly start to the day, rather discouraging, but fortunately it cleared fairly quickly - a few short showers but then ok, becoming a nice day by the time we got to where we were going. A waterproof-feet start to the day Today due to a lamentable error by the route planner we had a need to take some corrective action to try and make up some time. Accordingly we decided to ride to Rouen today then, as long as we felt up to it, continue to La Bouille, a daunting 12 miles further along. Well we got to Rouen, an absolutely huge place, by lunchtime and thought fine, we might manage La Bouille without too much trouble - the roads today had been kind, flattish and predominantly downhill with the river, very smooth surfaces and little traffic. Rouen Unfortunately when Andrew looked for accommodation online there was none to be had in La Bouille, so our heroes bravely decided to buckle down and go the even more extra mile or two to Le Conihout de Jumiege, a tiny hamlet with nothing much there apart from a b&b - better than the hedge though, eh! We managed to get to La Bouille after a ride of 40 miles then pluckily girded the aged loins and bashed on towards Le Conihout de Jumiege. 62 miles in total! Ok, it was easy riding apart from the one terrible hill someone had thought it fun to place just after La Bouille (pushed up naturally), but even so 62 miles was a bit tiring. The b&b is nice though. A sort of farm/smallholding. Not a big farm, just some fruit trees and chickens, nice well-tended gardens, backing onto the Seine... all very pretty. The B&B at Le Conihout de Jumiege No restaurants or pubs nearer than 5 km but the nice woman running the place made us something. Guess what... an omelette. Together with a freshly baked baguette, some brie-like cheese and a bowl of cherries and plums plucked from her own garden. A bargain at 16 euros for that and a couple of beers. And she then threw in a small brandy for each of us. Fiery stuff that was, probably distilled in her own bathtub. The Seine from the B&B garden Anyway, knackered or not that's us caught up now and back on schedule. Hopefully Lillebonne tomorrow and then on to Le Havre. We took two ferries across the Seine today, both free. Waiting for the ferry at La Bouille Disembarking from ferry at Bac de Duclair Approaching the end Andrew chose what he thought an easier track by the river instead of the road. What a nightmare that was. It soon became an overgrown, barely used trail through knee-high vegetation, grass and plant stalks whipping your legs as you bumped along over the ruts and stones. We plodded through about a mile of that before thankfully escaping and getting back to the wonderfully smooth and level road. The jungle trail 62 miles.