It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing on a bike. If the weather’s good, everything feels easier.

We woke to another glorious morning. Sunshine. Warm already. Then rode all of 500 metres down the road to catch the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe.

A smooth crossing of the Channel and by about 2 o’clock we were cycling through France again.

It’s always good to be back. Great cycle paths. Courteous drivers. Plenty of other cyclists. The sun shone all afternoon, with just enough breeze to keep us cool as we cruised up the coast to tonight’s stop.

It was hot enough that we decided we’d earned an ice cream.

Unfortunately mine lasted about thirty seconds before the scoop of French vanilla slid off the cone and landed upside down on the pavement.

Robyn went back to the vendor and, using a combination of very limited French and what can only be described as enthusiastic mime, explained that I was about to cry and could she buy another one.

They laughed… and gave me another ice cream for free.

Proof that sometimes kindness, a bit of theatre and good weather make for a pretty perfect day