80 km. Details
After long years of experiment and deep contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a following wind. There are those who claim to have had a different experience. If they are to be believed, the only explanation must be that the universe is conscious, and has taken a dislike to me. Whatever, the wind certainly whipped in off the Atlantic today, apparently with me in mind.
I spent a lot of today in and around the Parc Naturel Regionel du Marais Poitevin. It's a beautiful place to ride, criss-crossed by deserted country roads and spotted with pretty villages. The marshes must have been huge, years ago, many hundreds of square kilometres, but like the fens in East Anglia they have mostly been reclaimed for farmland, the land drained by a network of these:
There was lots of birdsong, and the occasional croaking grenouille, but mostly the fauna decided to be heard but not seen. I did spot a couple of raptors lazily quartering the fields - some sort of marsh harrier by the shape of them, but very light-coloured. And here is a curiosity for my neighbours in Leicestershire:
If it isn't clear, the bottom sign reads "Jumelee avec Barrow upon Soar"
So, a nice but windy ride to La Rochelle. It won't be news to many of you, but this is a seriously attractive town. The old port is lovely, as you might expect:
but if anything I am more impressed by the host of really ancient arcaded streets. Here's one picked at random because it's absolutely typical.
A really nice place to just wander around.
Phenomenally cycling-friendly, too, there are bike lanes and paths everywhere. I rode around town for the better part of an hour this afternoon after checking into a hotel, and it took me a while to get used to just how much space on the roads was set aside for cyclists. Most impressive.
Not sure about tomorrow. Maybe Saintes.
3 comments:
Two good days. I suppose the wind is always against you if you choose to ride into it - so don't get a persecution complex! I'm no cyclist, as you know, but clearly important to have a comfortable saddle. Is the latest purchase generally behaving as you would want it to? As with your rain jacket, I am taking to leaving things on trains. A top-notch selection of English and Irish cheeses from La Fromagerie in Marylebone last week. Anno Domini, old son.
Everything fine with the bike, Richard. However well one has them fitted, there's always some tweaking to be done once one has them on the road.
Speaking as an adopted Frenchman, is there such a thing as "a top-notch selection of English and Irish cheeses"? I'm eating a fantastic quantity of cheese here, every breakfast comes with an excellent cheeseboard. It's only the four hours a day on the bike that are keeping the fat in my blood circulating fast enough to prevent a massive coronary event.
...and thanks for the recommendation for "La Terre". I'm about a quarter of the way through. He had a feel for language, EZ, which one can feel even in translation. But I've downloaded the French original too, just to further my education.
Post a Comment