Cycling the great bird migration route

THANK God for the budget airlines; it’s so easy to travel nowadays and flying no longer breaks the bank.

When my children were small, visiting France meant a 20-hour ferry ride and lots of motoring, the car crammed with all the accoutrements of camping. Neither the ferries nor the cars were as comfortable then as they are today but it was fun nonetheless and those were wonderful times. Camping remains the best option for most couples with children but the rest of us can avoid the hassle; there are cheap flights to several of France’s most attractive locations.

The French Atlantic coast has always been a big hit with Irish people and it’s easy to see why. This is land of sun, fine beaches, gorgeous food and seductive wines. But it’s not just people who visit; the coastline of the Bay of Biscay, which the French call the Golfe de Gascogne, is on one of the world’s great bird migration routes. Birds fly along coasts so that they don’t lose their way; those from Britain, Ireland and the Nordic countries encounter some of Europe’s most important wetlands as they travel down the French coast.