Today didn’t turn out exactly as planned.

Bikes in tow, we caught the train out of Bordeaux before the sun was up, for a day of touring. Destination? Arcachon Bay and the Dune du Pilat on the Atlantic Ocean.

It is about one hour out of Bordeaux on a regional train. The actual distance is only 60 kilometres, but with all the stops on the regional train, it takes a while.  We were only going for the day so we were able to leave our panniers behind, which was a real treat.

Arcachon Bay is a very popular beach destination for the Bordelais. There is upscale dining, shopping and hotels. A quick peak at the Sotheby’s window revealed some lovely summer estates on the ocean for €2.3 million.

We rode south out of Arcachon town to the Dune du Pilat. This sand dune is the largest in France. Measuring 107 meters high, 2.7 kilometres long, it contains 60 million cubic meters of sand, as soft and fine as Grand Beach. One can walk to the top and are rewarded with an incredible view. It’s 150 steps up the stairs and then another 75 or so in the sand to reach the top of the dune.

Unless you are with your school mates, then it is a race to the top!

In the afternoon, I had a visit with the dentist! Two days ago, I started to get some tooth pain. It has become progressively worse and I started to worry about it. When we were in Arcachon, we decided to find a dentist. It is an upscale community so there would likely be better care. The tourist office had a list of the dentists, so we rode around hoping to find one who could see me on short notice. This was at 12:30 which is smack dab in the middle of the two-hour French lunch. We finally got someone to answer their door and they generously agreed to fit me into their schedule. After three X-rays and a checkup, the dentist diagnosed some decay under one of my fillings. He said that he couldn’t fix it as it would take several appointments. I don’t know the French word for root canal, but I think that is what he was inferring. He sent me on my way with some ibuprofen and amoxicillin. He said I only should take the amoxicillin if the pain got worse. Leaving the dentist, I’m sure the pain got worse so now I am taking the amoxicillin. I joke about this but, my glands are swollen and I am in a lot of pain. I hope I don’t get hate mail from all my medical friends on this.

The price for this service? €23 for the appointment, including X-rays. €7 for the amoxicillin and the ibuprofen. The women at the pharmacy was very concerned about giving me the necessary paperwork so that I could file a medical claim when I returned home. At that price, it doesn’t seem worth the hassle.

Hopefully, my teeth will settle down and it won’t interfere with our trip. It’s nice to know that good quality care is available at such a reasonable price, though, today, I would have paid just about anything.

Some shots of Arcachon town.