Total km: 593.4
Average km/day: 66
49.8km – 6H07’
Good evening everybody,
This morning we are closing the house after spending 3 nights here since our arrival in our district. I’m up to date but it means that Serge and the team had to drive 1 hour to get back after a long, rainy and exhausting day.
The change to winter time seems like a good thing when the alarm clock rings at 6:00 AM. A last look at our property and our cat and it’s with a certain amount of emotion that we set off for Coquainvilliers in the Calvados department where Jean-Marie and Christophe are waiting for us. We know Jean-Marie without ever having met him because on the Paris Tokyo he sent us a message every day (he never missed one). He came very early to run a few kilometers because this afternoon he is running a race. He has brought us rillettes from Le Mans, because he knows that high morale among the troops depends in great part on good food!
On the road, Serge meets Pascal who will go to the end of the stage and then Philippe of the « No Limit Team) who Serge met last year at the American race, The Badwater Ultramarathon, and finally Ricardo and Eric. There will be a succession of encounters: Robert Le Plus of UFF and Sylviane accompanied Serge on the last 10 kilometers. A big surprise, Alain from Le Fieu in the Gironde department and his family are here. That’s really a surprise. Alain worked on the itinerary in the Gironde and we will be welcomed by his town on November 18th.
All these encounters have a history and we could write several paragraphs, if not pages, on each.
The beautiful autumn sunshine is a lovely gift for Serge who is celebrating his 56th birthday today. At 12:30 PM Serge’s mother calls, right at the time of his birth, it’s a tradition.
Another surprise awaits Serge when he arrives at the Harbor in Caen: The Union Financère de France, represented by Hélène and Robert, who came expressly from Paris, and with colleagues in Caen have organized a reception which is unaffected but royal with a birthday cake. Everyone present can testify to the fact that Serge still has enough breath to blow out all his candles on the first try.
Town : Caen