A short day at only 76 miles, shorter than planned as I couldnt find any accomodation in Pornic so I was stopping 5 miles short at La Bernerie en Retz. I cycled north once more along the coast and soon I was in the department of the Vendee. After 30 miles I reached St Jean de Monts where I had once holidayed while touring France, the seafront was massively developed with a huge paved promenade and I didn't recognize any of it.
I continued north for another 10 miles and the bridge across to the Ile de Noumoutier came into view. The island is about 10 miles long and it has a causeway connecting it to the mainland at low tide ... My plan was to cross the bridge and come back across the causeway. I cycled over the bridge and headed straight to the causeway (the Passage du Gois) to check the tide times - I had 2 hours to spare so I cycled into the first town on the island Barbatre where I found a bar open doing food so after a snack and a beer I rode along the coast back to the causeway and waited. With 30 minutes to go the water was inconceivably high and I was sceptical. 30 minutes later the first car set off into what looked like a semi submerged road but across they went, I let the rush subside and then headed off across slippery wet cobbles for 3 miles. The cobbles were severe and it was a tough 3 miles on the body - I found it hard to believe the Tour de France occasionally routes across it. Once over the Passage du Gois there was a long 20 miles across flat fields with little protection against the wind and it was quite late when I eventually cycled into Bernerie en Retz