2 June to 2 July 2007
Nemours to Narbonne
My actual route taken is available in detail the following link
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Nemours-to-Narbonne-A-wine-experience
If you follow this link it shows virtually every twist and turn that I took to finish up at the Bike Express pick up point at Narbonne. I have plotted the route I took very carefully.
The thumbnail maps throughout the journal below are by no means so accurate and are just to show each days journey in outline. Please note that the scale of each of the maps is likely to be different since I have adjusted the scale so the the map shown covers only that days journey in as clear a detail as possible. If you want full and very accurate details of my route follow the link above
Daily Journal
Day 1. Saturday 2 June. Home to Nemours
Up at 0355 hrs (3 alarms set!) and away at 0453 hrs on a misty morning. It was good to be off on the road under full load. 3 others at the pick up point when I arrived. Bus on time at 0630hrs. We left Dover in a heavy sea fret at 1545 hrs and it lasted right across the channel. ( time is now 1830 and it is warm and sunny. The coach is full but all OK.)
Arrived at Nemours at 10:30 pm and in bed by 11:30!
Stats:
Days distance (DD) 16.53 kms. Total Distance (TD) 16.53 kms. Max kph 50 kph. Travel Time 1 hr 04 mins. Average speed (Av) 15.4 kph
Day 2. Sunday 3 June. Nemours to Cezy
Up at 0530 hrs and showered and packed by 0630. It was a glorious day with the red sun rising over distant trees.. I had a good breakfast and was away. I always enjoy that first morning on the bike when the tour has really started.
It is now 1627 hrs. I arrived in the camp site at Cezy at about 1330 hrs after a couple of glasses of Petit Chablis in St Julien. The camp is basic but good with free hot water and it is very clean with plenty of grass on the pitches. When I arrived the family were just finishing lunch -- it was mothers day in France . I was invited to sit and have a couple of glasses of wine -- and they tried my Chianti -- a little well travelled and over warm in one of my 3 water bottles. Eventually set up ( the new tent which I bought 3 years ago but always left behind because it is too heavy took ages to set up -- my little Vango was up and occupied in about 5 minutes -- but I decided that this years trip might be a be wet -- so ....). The tent is huge compared with the Vango
The pot is on my new Trangia spirit stove. I have washed socks shirt and shorts and me! It has been a very hot day with an average sort of ride -- rolling road with nothing to hard or too easy. I am very tired today but I am very unfit. The trailer is certainly too heavy but.....
Changing planned route for tomorrow --- already!
Stats:- DD 66.48 kms. TD 83.01 kms. Max 45kph. TT 4:20. Av 15.3 kph
Day 3. Monday 4 June. Cezy to Chablis
It is now 1330 hrs and I am set up in Chablis. It was an easy ride I stopped in Cheny for a coffee and then steadily on following the D91. A very good road and traffic free. Another stop in Maligny for a glass of Petit Chablis.
The whole route is now, naturally, surrounded by vineyards.
Camping Municipal in Chablis is excellent clean and secure at night with our own keys for the Sanitaire! My camp set up is totally organised after the shambles of my first night yesterday! I am waiting for the shops to open to buy food for tonight -- white wine tonight of course.
8:00 pm. I have eaten a pork curry and had a bottle of awful Chablis with it! Not anywhere near as nice as the ones I had at lunchtime. I had a fall whilst out shopping -- totally my own fault in not concentrating on what I was doing. I went to enter a garage forecourt so I could turn round in a busy narrow road. I hit a raised kerb at a very acute angle and went base over apex . Bike is totally OK. I am bruised and grazed on my right leg and have a bloodied right elbow. The elbow and my right thigh got the worst of it and hurts a bit. First Aid kit was v useful but I had to use insulating tape to hold on a bandage round my elbow joint.
DD 51.59kms. TD 139.0 kms Max 33 kph. TT 3:05. Av 15.7 kph
Day 4. Tuesday 5 June. Chablis to L'Isle-sur-Serein
A late start and my "wounds" from yesterdays fall ( especially my right thigh) badly affect my performance.. I was up at 0700 hrs and away by 0900.
I am now in L'Isle sur-Serein in a bar/hotel "Place de la Fontaine" on my second half litre of "Panuché" ( a shandy) and it is 1300 hrs. It has been very bumpy due to a diversion in Chablis itself. I was going to follow the river Serein all the way but the diversions led me to the D91 and once on it I stayed with it to Aigrement and then the D956 to Noyes before getting back on the river again. A few big hills where my right leg just gave up and I pushed ( with a lot of swearing at my heavy tent ( 4 1/2 kg as opposed to 2 kg of my Vango). Noyers was a small walled town ( old city) and quite scenic and I had a nice caffeine injection with a sticky bun which revived me.
The run to L'Isle was then easier but I am quite chin strapped! I am now going to have an ice cream! Just found out that the bar runs a free internet pc and I moved some money in UK from savings to card cash. Virgin Media was impossible and I couldn't access my web mail!
It is now 1900. Supper over and a bottle of local red wine for Euro2.50 was nice. Very low mileage today (kilometerage?) but I was done for at the end. Very hot and my leg was painful. Some hills were short and steep and I found it hard going and walked up about 4 in part -- drank about 4 litres of water on a very hot day. I must get on the road earlier tomorrow to avoid the heat. Tonight is much cooler-- not cold -- but the last 3 nights have been very humid.
DD 42.52 kms. TD 181.6 kms. Max 56.5 kms (bloody big down hill after bloody big uphill!). TT 3:19. Av 12.8kph
Day 5. Wednesday 6 June. L'Isle-sur-Serein to Précy-sous-Thil
Away by 0730 with another warm day in prospect. Off planned route again - on D11 to Toutry and then D954 to Époisses and then back on the planned route again. Felt a bit better today and only had to push up one hill. Just short of Thoste there was a "five lane ends" with a very steep downhill -- followed ( I knew it) by a 1.5 km pushing my overloaded velo uphill with no wind and very hot sun with no shade! But other than that it was OK! I stopped in Époisses for a snack but no coffee available.
I found out later that Époisses is famous for its cheeses, but I would have preferred a bar for a coffee. I arrived in Précy "de bonne heure" and had my standard "panuché" and I was bought a "quart du vin blanc" by a local in celebration of D Day.
The camp site is part of the Hotel de Ville area and is OK but totally open and no security. but there seems to be no local yobs!.
Just had a panic when I lost one of the spring clips for the trailer. It had to be in a very small area of the grass but I spent over an hour quartering the area. No good. I gave up and took the trailer tow bar into a garage and they fixed me up with a nut and bolt for Euro 1. I got back and started my tea/supper and as I was wandering around I found the thing about 1 metre of where I though I had lost it -- what a twit I am -- but after all the panic all is well again!
I took the bandage off my elbow today in the shower and it is OK. The antiseptic spray in the first aid kit is quite excellent -- it also seems to spray on a thin protective layer . I realised that it is four years old now but I have used it on every trip more than once for minor scratches and cuts ( especially on fingers) and it works every time. I'm sure it must be dated but anyway the elbow has a nice firm healthy scab formed now and feels OK.
Just doing tomorrows route -- not as per plan! It is always the same. I see some obviously "better" route once on the road which I just didn't consider during my long planning period. I am also trying to avoid hills! My trailer is certainly too heavy. The bigger tent is really nice but it takes me about 1/2 an hour to set up. My little Vango, if it was raining, took one pole and 4 pegs and I was in the dry -- but with the porch and headroom in the new tent is terrific -- but I swear at it every hill I go up! I have had no headwinds so far -- goodness knows what it will be like when I encounter them!
There is a huge very steep uphill tomorrow to get out of Précy but after that it should be easier going and I shall take a rest day at Lac de Panthier for my 70th birthday.
Stats: DD 39.95 kms . TD 221.5 kms. Max 43 kph. TT 3:19. Av 12 kph
Day 6. Thursday 7 June. Précy-sous-Thil to Lac de Panthier.
A bit of thunder and a splash of rain last night. On the road by 0900. I slept like a log last night -- I think I have been "off colour" ( I still am a bit) after the fall in Chablis. My right thigh is now quite black ( thankfully, for my vanity, it is under my shorts and doesn't show) and when pedalling I can't get enough "push" on the pedal
Another short day and after getting up the hill out of Précy it was fairly good going. It was cloudy and nice and cool at first. I found that my legs still weren't working properly and about 11 am I stopped at a bar for coffee - it is on the TdF route and was already decorated out for the big day. Stopped in Pouilly-en-Axois for meat and veg and a bottle of white wine for tea/supper!
Now 1600 hrs and firmly encamped for 2 nights. Lots of Brits here in there caravans etc. As the receptionist said, Lac de Panthier is nearly mine -- just a little "i" in the way.
The pitch is right at the edge of the camp site over looking the reservoir.
I am told the reservoir is there as the main feeder for the Canal de Bourgogne.
There has been thunder rumbling all round me this afternoon and it is now quite dark and oppressive -- so it will rain soon. Actually I wouldn't mind a downpour tonight -- just to justify this bloody big tent!
DD 30.37 kms ( actually about 9 kms short 'cos I forgot to connect my computer this morning). TD 252 kms. Max 51 kph. Av 14.6 kph
I shall add on 9 kms to each Total Distance from now on today
DD 39.37 kms. TD 261 kms.
Day 7. Friday 8 June. Rest Day -- my 70th birthday!
It is now 1135 hrs. It rained all night and then started again after a brief pause at about 0830. It really tippled and has only just stopped but there may be more to come.
Now 1916 hrs and I am in the restaurant awaiting Jambon Persillé followed by Moules! At about 1500 the sun broke through-- so I went for a 12 km ride to go shopping before it rained again I bought a bottle of Nuits St Georges and a cheap bottle of fizz. The fizz is in my "chiller ( my deepest pot draped with a cloth and filled with water) for later.
Later -- I am now stuffed and not having any cheese but a coffee and cognac.( I actually tried a local "brandy" Vieux de Marc Bourgogne which I found to be a bit "raw")
Later still -- going to bed after my bottle of fizz! I think I shall sleep well!
Stats. DD 13.77 kms TD 274.7 kms
Day 8. Saturday 9 June. Lac de Panthier to Beaune
Change in route again! Away by 0830 hrs and stopped in Bligny-sur-Ouch for coffee at 0930 with 20 kms on the clock I also had a fantastic black pudding pastie -- but I worked it off!. I had a misty start but the sun is out now. The long long uphill from Bligny-sur-Ouch was hard work but the 6 kms down hill run into Beaune was nice, where it is now 1350 hrs. My tent is up and dry and my washing is done! Now off into town to buy my tea!
1600 hrs. I shopped in Leclerc -- a huge hypermarché where you could even buy a car! And there I am buying 2 carrots, 4 potatoes, 6 shallots, a couple of white turnips, one large tomato, chicken breasts and a couple of bottles of wine (one for tomorrow -- Sunday)! Chicken curry tonight -- and tomorrow!
Stats: DD 43.85. TD 318.6 kms Max 43.5 kph. TT 3:15. Av13.4kph
Day 9. Sunday 10 June. Beaune round trip to Beaune.
Late start because it is Sunday morning. Overcast sky but dry. I set off to visit some of the homes of some of my favourite wines. A bit limiting on the velo but I had a few tastings in Nuits St Georges, Gevery Chambertin and one other which I forget and bought one bottle in each cave! Returned back to Beaune after a nice day without the trailer and a nice light velo. Good day but quiet. Curried chicken with a Nuits St Georges for supper! I am not a purist where wine and meat is concerned!
Stats: DD 72.68 kms. TD 391.3 kms. Max 38 .2 kph. TT 5:06. Av 14.2 kph
Day 10. Monday 11 June. Beaune to Cormatin
1518 hrs. Now at Cormatin on the Voie Verte. As I was checking in the thunder clouds were building up so, after an ice cream, the tent was up and everything inside just as it started to spit! This quickly became a gusting whirling storm and I dashed outside to put every peg I had in position because the tent was being battered and bent in every direction. My little Vango Microlite would have survived with ease but the Aztec, being more of a dome tent had its two main support poles bending in every direction till I got all guy and pegs really well secured.
The storm has passed now and the sun is shining. The journey through Pommard, Volnay etc was pleasant in early sunshine and hardly anyone about. Just sleepy little villages which have huge wine reputations! The whole valley of the Saone seeming to be totally filled with vines.
I got a bit lost in Chagny due to diversions but bought some fruit and a pie in the market there. About 5 kms from Givry ( my entry to the Voie Verte) a French cyclist stayed with me and, with his local knowledge, I avoided a busy town centre and was dropped off at a bar for coffee right at the start of the "Green way". The Voie Verte was a smooth and fast ride --- flat with very gentle railway type inclines and I rattled along making up for lost time earlier. However there was not one single cafe/bar/ kiosk on the whole route today -- some 30 kms of the Voie Verte. It is no wonder there were hardly any cyclists on it. There were lots of places ( the old stations and country halts) which would make ideal refreshment stops.
After a cool start this morning I guzzled all my water on the Voie Verte. The real trouble is that it misses all the towns and villages and most of the way I was virtually in a cutting with thick trees on both sides of me. So it was a nice easy ride for me with my trailer load but totally boring!
Stats: DD 65.53 kms. TD 456.9 kms. Max 33 kph. TT 4:33. Av 14.3 kph.
Day 11. Tuesday 12 June. Cormatin to Creches-sur-Saone
Now 1446 hrs and set up. I decided to stay in Camping in Creches-s-S. instead of over the river in Cormoranche. This is to give me a good whack at getting near Lyon tomorrow.
I was up early this morning and away by 0730 and the VV was continuing flat to Cluny but then very lumpy. and vaguely signed to the Bois Clair Tunnel. There were some impossibly steep short stretches which were even hard to push up!
Both pictures taken on a timer and the first should have been better but it was raining and I didn't bother wheeling the velo back to do it again!
Inside the tunnel
The tunnel was a good experience -- I just can't imagine a similar structure in UK surviving without being filled with broken glass , trash and pieces of junk on day 2! It was well lit but not brightly and about 1.6 kms long. It is closed every year between October and March to keep the bats happy in winter -- and one is not supposed to hold raucous parties while in transit! I stopped in a bar for a coffee and a glass of wine -- the first one on the VV! in 65 kms! In fact, after this the VV, changed to a very stony rough track which I left at the next road crossing -- which happened to be on my replanned route at Voisinet. It was a bit confusing but I had help from a parked motorist and I was on my way down the D89 to Creches-s-S where I popped into a cafe for directions and was persuaded to try a couple of glasses of a local white ( yes White) wine which eased the pain in my leg!!! -- but there were only about 4 kms to go but stopped in C-s-S camping instead.
This morning I had about 2 hours of rain-- very fine and still very warm. I just put my waterproof top on and motored on -- in fact it was quite nice riding!
It is still very overcast and I am just off shopping.
Found some nice fresh fish from a Carrefour ( another place where you could buy a car) and a very nice bottle of Beaujolais ( red with fish??). Curried fish tonight -- must eat less curry!
Stats: DD 52.38 kms. TD 509.3 kms. Max 41 kph. TT 3:59. Av 13.1kph
(Remember that the "Av" includes getting lost, walking, shopping and stopping in a village for coffee etc! -- oh and yes -- pushing!)
Going to Lyon tomorrow I hope
Day 12. Wednesday 13 June. Creches-s-Saone to Anse.
I stopped at Anse about 25 kms short of Lyon because it will be a long day tomorrow. There were no problems on the ride today and fairly easy riding which means that my right leg is feeling a whole lot more comfortable -- in fact I am getting more pain at night from the injuries I sustained when I was knocked off my bike last November when both my shoulder joints were damaged.
A narrow street in Anse without a car! A rare event.
1353 In Anse in a small bar with a "quart du vin blanc". Anse is an attractive town but is totally strangled by cars and heavy goods vehicles from a 2 autoroute junction just adjacent to the town. It is a typical southern France town with narrow streets providing shade and cool but is totally tainted and dirty from all the traffic. Going to look for a post office but there is an hour before the shops open at 3:00 pm.
Stats: DD 49.89 kms. TD 559.2 kms. Max 43.5 kph. TT 3:38. Av 13.7 kph.
Day 13. Thursday 14 June. Anse to St Clair du Rhone
It is now 1030 hrs and I am having an early glass of white wine in Lyon in a cafe at a busy junction with trolley buses! I have 30 kms on the clock and it is very warm and sunny but clouding up a bit. Right! -- time to get on the road again!
1422 hrs. Now in Vienne with about 25 kms to go. Very hot going and just had 2 panuchés! It was easy getting into Lyon but bloody hard getting out of it. I have heard the getting out of Vienne is potentially difficult too!
I met Ola -- a cycling Swede just after I wrote the above and we cycled together to St Clair du Rhone and camped on the same pitch.
The exit from Lyon was quite horrible when I finished up on the hard shoulder of the Route Périphérique out of Lyon. It had swallowed the D12 which I was supposed to be on. It was more than hairy and I went into an Aire (service station ) and after a lot of walking, riding back and forward I eventually found the D12 ( it had become the D312!) It cost me a lot of sweat and 2 bottles of water but I always replenish when I hit a cafe stop!
Actually after that I had no more problems. The exit from Vienne was easy compared with Lyon and I found the D4 and followed it all the way to St C-d-R. And it was traffic free and easy riding the whole way.
Ola was travelling by train and by bike and camping. He also was travelling without a map and without cooking! We went shopping together and I cooked an excellent pork "casserole al la Dax Camping" which we both enjoyed. Ola sings and plays musical instrument and runs a travelling theatre company in Sweden. 2 bottles of local wine saw us up very late!
Stats: DD 92.73 kms. TD 651.9 kms. Max 37 kph. TT 5:57. Av 15.6 kph
Day 14. Friday 15 June. St Clair du Rhone to Tain L'Hermitage
The time is now 0816 hours and Ola has left to catch a train to Marseilles to meet his wife at the airport there. I am packed and ready for off.
1020 hrs. Morning coffee in St Rambert d ' Albon ( and a coke). Very strong head winds today!
1212 hrs I am now in Tain L ' Hermitage and will stay here in the camping. It is only about 500 metres from the table at which I am enjoying my "quart du vin Blanc" after having just drained a litre of water. The head wind was with me all the way and I don't like having to pedal down hill! As always when struggling a bit I swear at the tent but I have been very comfortable in it and have lots of space. The camp site is OK -- right on the river bank but is the most expensive so far @ Euro 16 per night ( I am rated as 2 persons + car + tent !) Lidl just down the road so I treated myself to a Cotes de Rhone to go with tea. I had a look at Tournon on the other side of the river. I was planning on staying here an extra day and having a ride up into the Massif central but I am told the forecast for tomorrow isn't very good
I had a weird stew for tea -- my usual veg mix but for meat I added a Poudin Noir and then threw in some Tortellini for good measure. It looked horrible when the poudins burst open but tasted fantastic! Then goats cheese for afters. I try and buy a different cheese every day -- small as I can since they don't travel well!
Stats DD 45.19 kms. TD 697.1 kms. Max 29.9 kph. TT 3:21. Av 13.5 kph ( which is high considering the head winds -- I must be getting over the leg injury and be getting fitter at last.)
Day 15. Saturday 16 June. Tain L ' Hermitage to Cruas
It rained heavily in the night and I decided not to stay here an
extra day and go into the Massif Central but packed up, still very wet, early. By the time I was
ready for off the sun was out again and it was warm!!!!
I crossed the river an rode on the D86 / N86 / D86 all day.
1400 hours. I am now in Cruas in a residential camp site but it seems OK -- plenty of shade but I have to go on the bike for water it is so far to the sanitaire!
I dropped off all my used maps in the "Poste" in Tournon and then had a reasonable day except when I stopped for my morning coffee I was attacked by a Yorkshire terrier ( nipped my ankle) and then by a huge unrestrained Doberman type of dog -- it was muzzled but it was bigger and heavier than me and very scary! I couldn't think of enough French swear words but I believe the owners understood my English well enough and a threat of "Ou est le gendarmerie " stopped their laughter especially when I grabbed the bloody terrier and threatened to fling it into the road. An unordered coffee and soft drink appeared but I refused it and left as quickly as I could after pretending to take pictures of the scene. Dogs are very prevalent in France -- the French seem to be worse than the British for having dogs everywhere. and especially on campsites they are a huge nuisance when uncontrolled -- as they often are. And this site is very bad -- being totally residential it is full of dogs roaming around and the French either go for a little yappy thing or a bloody great big hound!
1800 Eaten! I have lost my corkscrew! It might be under the tent! My bottle of Calvados has finished and I shall replenish it Monday. I have a tot as my nightcap every night!
Do not visit Cruas Camping -- totally French residential ( there was a single German motor home similarly unhappy) and very uninterested in overnighters. I tried to pay for my stay but was told to do it in the morning ( opens at 10 am!) I said I was leaving at 0700 and the woman said well you needn't pay then! The owners are just not interested -- which explains why this is the first camping with not a single Hollander on it! Very unhelpful and should not be in the Michelin Camping guide! Also full of dogs!
Stats: DT 67.23 kms TD 764.3 kms Max 44.5kph. TT 4:37. Av 15 kph
Day 16. Sunday 17 June. Cruas to Mondragon.
Up and away at 0650 hrs! It is now 0842 at Chateauneuf du Rhone. with 25 kms under my wheels ( at an Av of 16kph). Nice little bar and very helpful for coffee and I bought croissant and pain chocolat in the boulangerie next door ( and filled all my bottles with ice cold water!)
1352 hrs Set up in Mondragon. No shops in the village and 2 grotty bars. The weather has deteriorated again and is now cool and overcast with strong wind squalls. I have a half bottle of wine left for this Sunday night! I am not doing any more today and will leave early in the morning if the weather is OK. I still haven't decided on my route after Avignon! ( where I shall be tomorrow!)
Stats: DD 66.49 kms. TD 830.8 Kms. Max 39.5 kph. TT 4:24. Av 15.1 kph
Day 17. Monday 18 June. Mondragon to Avignon.
Up and away by 0650 on the N7 . Despite the continual warnings I have had about riding on the Routes National I have found them to be excellent routes for cycling. Often very light traffic due to a parallel Autoroute alongside, nearly always a broad hard shoulder and extra wide roads that keep the traffic well clear of me. Very many D roads are often much more hazardous and narrow.
The Roman Arc de Triumph in Orange
It is now 0800 and I am having coffee in Orange.
I did another 10 kms and I have stopped in Roquemaure for coffee and a pastis. It is clouding up a bit and I expect thunder -- it was very warm and humid. last night and it still is! About another 12 kms to go . All the bars are very similar -- a bit down at the heel and full of old men ( like me!!) and Algeries!
Right it is now 1330 and I am in the Camping2Rhones about 2 kms from Avignon. a bit second rate ( also privé -- not municipal) but I have settled in shade on the edge of a big field well away from the semi permanent caravans and tack on shacks.
I rode into Avignon mainly in search of a shop but took pictures there of "Le Pont"
"Le Pont" from another one The Papal Palace Much closer to Le Pont
I actually didn't go "Sur le Pont d ' Avignon"
But I went "Sous le Pont"
I couldn't take my bike on the bridge with me since it was via the battlements and there was no way that I was leaving it locked up round this area -- too many dodgy characters around by far!
So I had to be satisfied by "sous le pont"
I didn't find a supermarket and finished up riding right back to Roquemaure where I was at 0900 hrs this morning and shopped in a LIDL. Anyway it was nice to do some riding without the trailer and took no time at all.
1630 hrs
The pot is on the stove and I have supplies for 2 days. I confess that buying wine on the "hoof" as a quart du vin blanc costs euro3 something and for the same bulk standard vin ordinaire I can by 2 bottles of 12.5 % from a supermarché. Interestingly the wine prices in LIDL seem to be exactly the same as in UK but in Euro. e.g. £3.95 in UK and Euro3.95 here in France!
Oh -- after threatening most of the day it has just started spitting with rain but it is still very warm.
Today's Stats DD 77.28 kms. TD 908.1 kms. Max 35.5 kph. TT 4:48. Av 16 kph
Day 18. Tuesday 19 June. Rest Day.
Lazy start and up at 0800. Showered and found that I had left my European power point adaptor in Mondragon. It is going to be very hot today! Off to do my touristy thingy in Avignon.
1234 I have walked my feet off -- naturally I left my camera in my tent! The old city is clogged with traffic in very narrow streets which totally spoils what would be otherwise a delightful experience. I am now going to have lunch by the river and "Le Pont"
It is very hot and having crossed the river by a free ferry I was looking for somewhere to have lunch and dropped in here. It seems to be excellent and although lots of places when I arrived it is now full to the brim. I have ordered a pizza for starter and a grilled salmon fillet for Entrée and for pud I am going to have a ginormous mixed ice creams and sorbets.
The place is called "Le Bercail" and they must have 150 covers here on the terrace. Service is swift and very polite and cheerful. To visit it if you are in Avignon by "le Pont" take the free ferry across the river and turn right along the river path and you bump into it in about 200 metres. The entrance is undistinguished but the terrace is right on the river.
I am stuffed. The lunch was quite excellent and has brightened my day when I was feeling walked out. Lunch with wine cost me Euro33 ( about £23) which I consider to be very good value.
Still haven't made up my mind which route I am going to take tomorrow.
Stats DD 7.71 kms. TD 915.8 kms
Day 19. Wednesday 20 June Avignon to Sommieres.
Up to clear skies which means another hot day and I was away by 0745 hrs. I made good time on my new route and the only hard bit was going round the edge of Nimes ( as I planned last night) in fairly heavy traffic looking for the correct turning off the South circular! I had a stop and had a sausage pastie and murdered 2 cans of fizzy pop and an ice lolly -- and sank two litres of warm bike bottle water. Once I was on the road to Sommieres life got OK again and I made up for the lost time in Nimes.
I stopped in Calvison with only about 5 kms to the end of my day. I had a very welcome 0.5 litre panuché ( shandy) and a super "quart du vin blanc" of the localité in an excellent small restaurant -- lots of people eating here and the place was friendly and so much nicer than two other bars in the main village square.
I am in Camping Municipal Sommieres -- good , clean but basic.
Later. I found a LIDL next door nearly, I bought 2 kg of fresh frozen, shelled mussels for Euro2. So I had Moules Provencal a la Camping et L'indienne avec Riz. Excellent but I made enough for two so I invited my next door neighbour to join me to share!
I found out that he is just separated from his wife ( 2 kms away and has been living in his tent for about 4 weeks. Long difficult conversation ensued. he seems to be a straightforward sort of guy of 32 years old but it is his second marriage. At the moment he seems heads down the slippery slope ( and I know all about that)
Today was very hot. My change from the planned route puts me one day ahead of schedule and the town seems nice here so I shall stop for an extra rest day.
Stats: DD 78.85 kms. TD 994.7 kms. Max 41 kph. TT 4:55. Av 16 kph
Day 20. Thursday 21 June. Rest Day
Another day off! But it is very very hot!
Sommieres is a lovely cool town and heavily fortified. A lot of the shops, houses and work places are actually part of the fabric of the fortifications.
Cool streets in Sommieres
I got on the internet at last with a good fast connection. I transferred money around in my accounts and then withdrew 300 Euro to see me through to the end of my trip.
Tomorrow is also about 80 kms and in this heat it is going to seem a long day. I had a shower and a siesta and I had just started to prepare supper when a Dutch guy, living in Switzerland, wanted to look at my bike -- my Thorn Raven Tour with its Rohloff hub. We had a long talk and then he came back and took lots of pictures of my VP3 (Velocepanther3) from all angles. It was nice to talk about my bike with which I am very comfortable and extremely happy. I offered him a ride and he left his old battered bike behind ( I had a few minutes of wondering whether he would come back!) -- but he showed a real interest -- and I hope I was honest in my assessment of the Thorn Raven Tour. He is contacting Thorn / SJS Cycles to buy one.
By the time we had finished supper was ready -- tortellini, shallots, garlic, green pepper, tomato, chillies, and some "rice in 5mins" from LIDL -- and a couple of bottles of local wine which cost me about Euro3.
I liked Sommieres, I suppose, because one of the advantages was that most of the streets within the heavily fortified walls were just too narrow for cars unless you had one of those quaint tiny modern thingies which have a maximum speed of about 30 kph. So I pushed my velo all around many cool alleyways.
I did a recce for my route tomorrow because of local road works and my 12 kms ride was worth it!
Stats: DD 4.13kms ( Plus about 12 kms when I did my recce without my computer attached!). TD 998.8 kms
Day 21. Friday 22 June. Sommieres to Canet.
I was up early and was on the road before 0700 hrs. It was a cool start but now hot and I am now in St Paul et Vallmolle with about 15 kms to do-- but there is a hard slog uphill for about 5/6 kms which will be hard work in this heat..
1600 hrs. I am now in Canet -- Camping le Riviere -- and set up -- I am just going into the town to do some shopping.
My!! What a dreary place! A real down and out town in the centre and nothing anywhere else!
The long straight road from St Paul et Vallmolle was a 5 km long uphill -- not over steep but after 3 kms I got off and walked. At the end of the straight it curved round and flattened out. I was expecting more hills but found to my infinite joy that it was a down hill run all the way to Le Pouquet. I must have built up elevation all morning!
Stats: DD 75.56 kms. TD 1074.4 kms. Max 42.5 kph. TT 5:47. Av 13 kph.
Day 22. Saturday 23 June. Rest Day Canet.
Another hot day by the looks of it I am going into Clermont L 'Herault for a look round and to see where the route to my friends house in Liausson starts for tomorrow. I shopped in the Intermarché for wine, cheese and food for tea and then bought some delicious apricots and a melon in a road side stall.
Stats: DD 17.98 kms. TD 1092.4 kms. Max 45 kph. TT 1: 27. Av12.5 kph
Day 23. Sunday 24 June. Canet to Liausson.
There was a dog barking and howling all night and when I got up at 0600 I had a walk toward where there was still the occasional howl. I found that a small dog had trapped itself half way through the bars of a gate. It was obviously very relieved to see me and quietened down straight away but I was very reluctant to try and free it for fear of hurting the dog ( and it might bite at me in its panic) I went back to my tent and got a bowl of water which the dog obviously needed. It was about 2 hours later that I found one of the ground staff and took him to the trapped dog. he went off and got a levering device and with only the smallest of easing of the bars we lifted the mutt free -- a very exhausted dog but very happy to be out of trouble. The gate in question was in a very remote back area and no one else seemed to be worried about the dog howls.
I was away by 0800 and intended to have coffee in Clermont -- but as usual I pressed on -- uphill naturally - towards Liausson. A long uphill drag which I plodded up slowly but didn't have to get off! I must be a bit fitter ( and I have shed about 6 Kgs). There was a short dip when I saw Lac du Salagou below me and then another 2 km grind uphill. On this section a lady came out from her front gate and start jogging very very gently about 50 metres in front of me -- and it took me about 300 metres to overtake her. She thought it quite hilarious as well as me!
I was miles ahead of my intended ETA and I stopped at the top of the long haul and locked the velo to a tree and went for a walk in the woods there -- nicely shaded from the hot sun. On my return I sat on a bank drinking my warm water and watched the "Sunday brigade" of cyclists, out in force, humping up the long drag -- but they weren't travelling with a heavy trailer behind them.
I eventually knocked on the door of 41 rue de Chasseurs at about 1030 having done the 15 km ( all steeply uphill except for about 6 kms at the start) -- hardly a record breaking time!
I was made most cheerfully welcome by Neil and Pauline and my trailer was unloaded and my bike locked away
Neil and I go back over 50 years and we were at the same school and then RMA Sandhurst and served together 3 times in different places but I had lost contact with him after 1976 until a couple of years ago. This was to be the first time in all those years when we would be able to chat and reminisce ( and bore Pauline out of her mind).
After lunch I was taken on a super trip to the Grotte de Clamouse and a tour round the mountain behind their home
Neil & Pauline Stalactites Pauline
The Cirque de Mouréze
At supper Pauline was extremely patient as two 70 year old fogies rediscovered so many long forgotten memories. What a very good day this was!. After dinner I watched BBC TV till about midnight and then spent most of the night in bed trying to get comfortable enough to sleep. As usual, after 3 weeks on my Thermarest, a real bed was just too different. I also heard every hour and half hour strike on the church clock and then 2 minutes later another bell would chime the same thing. I found out next morning that it was just the one clock sounding the hours and each time it re sounds again 2 minutes later. Something to do with the workers in the vineyards and this "unique" time keeping is all over Langedoc.
Stats: DD 15.18 kms TD 1107.6 kms. Av 9.5 kph
Day 24. Monday 25 June. Liausson
Up at 0600 after a restless night and had a shower and tiptoed around quietly. Had my morning pill and I am now reading a book about winemaking in Langedoc
Later. All the expected guests have arrived and we had lunch followed by the officially guided tour of Liausson.
Lake du Salagou from Liausson The tour Party 41 rue de Chassuers
Neil the Intrepid
We all then went down to the lake for a swim but with a near gale blowing only Julian and Neil went it. The water was amazingly warm but I didn't fancy the freezing exit. So I just watched!
Dinner followed with much chat and a lot less of the two oldest men retelling old tales.
Stats DD 38.62 kms. TD 1146.2 Kms.
Day 25. Tuesday 26 June. Liausson
Long breakfast and an interesting talk with Jamie about music and his very state of the art "music box" -- I want one!
I went for a circular ride round the Cirque de Mouréze and a general pootle around. Still very windy from the West but much sunnier today. Back in time for another big lunch. In the evening after another trip to the lake we dined endlessly on barbequed duck and kebabs and lots of chat on the roof top patio.
I am on my way again tomorrow and as always, although I have enjoyed this interlude with Neil and his family I shall be glad to be back on the road again and in my tent.
Stats: DD 52.8 kms. TD 1199 kms. Max 58.4 kph (downhill following wind). TT 3:35 Av 15.1 kph
Day 26. Wednesday 27 June. Liausson to Villeneuve les Beziers
Up at 0530. I am showered and packed and my trailer is hitched up by 0730 with fresh mountain water in my bottles. I am ready for off.
At 0800 everyone is up and ready for breakfast. I got away at 0930 with brief farewells and a whole new stack of happy memories.
Leaving 41 rue de Chasseurs On the road and away from Liausson
Pictures courtesy of Neil
It was easy riding all the way to Pezenas with very light traffic. Pezenas was, as warned by Neil, very busy but I travelled faster than the motorised traffic. After that, until I turned West at St Thibery, it was a busy route with heavy traffic to the port at Agde. But I followed my route as planned after that turn but later ran into trouble as an un marked "local road" deteriorated into a heavily cratered track for about 2 kms. But I was on the right route and landmarks I expected from my map duly appeared. I eventually reached a tarmaced road and headed for a point on the map that I could understand. It was on the edge of Beziers in its commercial area and on a 3 lane dual carriage way for about 4 kms, quite busy and a bit hairy when the hard shoulder kept disappearing due to redevelopment and road works. The road I was looking for had been swallowed up by a new huge "hanger" style building totally obliterating the road I wanted. No real problem just a bit more on the main road and then quite quickly I was in Villeneuve-les-Beziers and in the camp site. Right on the Canal du Midi.
In my late afternoon shopping in the town centre I lost my cable lock -- sod it!
Stats: DD 68.73 kms. TD 1267.7 kms. Max 47.5 kph TT 4: 12. v 15.4 kph.
Day 27. Thursday 28 June Villeneuve-les-Beziers to Beziers and return
Up at 0900 after a long lay in. Very warm again and there is no shade in the morning. I am going into Beziers today to buy a new lock for the velo.
Later. So I looked at where I had left my velo while shopping yesterday and there was my cable lock on the floor by the tree where I had locked it!.
I rode to Beziers along the Canal du Midi -- a nice easy ride and lots of boats to watch as they were passing through the various "ecluses". It is generally a source of great amusement to see the skills ( or lack of same) demonstrated by the boat crews!
At Beziers there is a 9 Ecluses rise and there were lots of people walking up the steep slope alongside the locks. I rode on from here and went as far as Colombiers before returning to Beziers for a look round the town
I then cycled back to Villeneuve-les-Beziers for tea and a swim.
Stats: DD 39.48 kms. TD 1307.2 kms Max 43.78 kph. TT 2:16. Av 17. 3 kph
Day 28. Friday 29 June Villeneuve-les-Beziers to Narbonne La Nautique
Away by 0800 hrs. I stopped in Serignan market for cherries and apricots. I have been eating fresh and nearly peach sized apricots nearly every day for ages. On one campsite I had 3 apricot trees around my tent and I must have gorged on about a kg of free apricots that night!
Then in Vendres I stopped for bread, cheese and paté from a tiny market and it was an excellent breakfast! A few more kms and I stopped in Lespignan for coffee and pastis at about 1030 and again in Vinassan for the same before heading into the commercial area of Narbonne.
I hit directly on to the Bike express pick up point and popped into the Carrefour for victuals before heading on to La Nautique camping. As I checked in I found out that every pitch has its own sanitaire, with its own key -- shower, toilet and wash basin. The ground is rock hard but a Hollander next door lent me a hammer. I was also made welcome as I arrived on my pitch when he offered me a bottle of very cold beer --- excellent!
Unpacking essentials first! The beer disappeared too quickly Tent is up and ready
Pictures above by Henk van Hassel
Loes and Henk van Hassel my nice neighbours in La Nautique
I returned the favour of the beer later after my tea / supper by offering a little Calvados. Which then developed into a very pleasant evening with various little eats from both sides -- and some Spanish brandy which I remember well from my Santiago trip in 2004! I had a bottle of wine which saw me well pickled and Henk had a few beers before tackling the Calvados and Brandy! Late night and I slept well!
Stats: DD 47.87 kms. TD 1355.1 kms. Max 33 kph. TT 3:44. Av !2.8 kph
Day 29. Saturday 30 June. Local into Narbonne and return.
A hot day which I spent looking round Narbonne and enjoying a long coffee and a few Pastis'. I popped into a supermarché and bought some frozen moules and some wine and a couple of veg!. I then went for a pootle around and cycled around the area and dipped my toes in the Mediterranean! I arranged to stay here tomorrow till noon so that I would then just have a short wait at the pick up point.
Stats: DD 32.59 kms. TD 1387.7 kms. Max 35.2 kph
Day 30. Sunday 1 July. Narbonne La Nautique to Pick up Point.
I woke up at 0600 to find heavily overcast skies with a distinct threat of rain and I decided to strike camp earlier than planned in case it rained later! So I was away by 0830! which meant that I had an extra 4 hours to fill in. I expected that the large Carrefour would be open but it wasn't and the cafeteria wasn't open till 1100. I had a bite of breakfast that I had bought in the camp shop. I then went into Narbonne centre and had a coffee and a couple of Pastis' before returning to the cafeteria at the pick up point. There I had a couple of sticky buns and a demi of draught red wine and then a huge ice cream with 4 different flavours!
When I went out to the pick up point another cyclist arrived just as I was unhitching the trailer and then another couple arrived followed by another singleton! It is always nice to know you are in the right place! The bus arrived about an hour early but all the passengers were here and so there was no delay! It just started to spot with rain as we were loading up and it continued to rain for the rest of the day!
When we stopped at Montpellier a tour climbed on board and a man claimed I was in his seat! Fortunately I had my ticket to hand and showed him that I was sitting in the seat allocated to me. The tour leader tried to oust me from my seat -- an obnoxious American woman -- who wouldn't accept that Bike Express had double booked the seat and that I wasn't moving! She even said I was on the wrong bus -- despite the bus ringing my mobile an hour before they picked me up and my name was on the bus manifest! Awful woman who I told to shut up and stop being a pain in the ass!
Stats: DD 16.13 kms. TD 1403.8 kms
Day 31 Monday 2 July. Sheffield Meadowhall to Home
The journey back overnight wasn't that bad. I think I got about 2 hours sleep but was grateful to see dawn. it rained on and off all night and dawn was wet and heavily overcast as we board the ferry which sailed at 0630. We docked in Dover at about 0700 BST and were off heading back up North dropping people off as we went. There was a seemingly unending series of stormy squalls and England looked very cold and wet!
There were 3 of us dropped of at Meadowhall and the storm had just finished. I rode all the way home in sunshine with a following wind.. I called in at my Dads flat and had a chat before setting off the last 500 metres home -- to find my trailer had picked up a thorn and had a flat tyre!!!!! A little final fling of my 2007 tour!
Stats DD 17.86 kms. TD 1421.7 kms.
A few After Thoughts on the Tour
I was distinctly unfit and the fall I had in Chablis didn't help at all. I lost 9 kgs in weight during the trip which was much needed!
All in all I didn't enjoy it as much as my last 3 tours. It is clearly not a touring cyclists route since I met only 5 cycling tourists on the whole trip. The Swedish guy Ola, 2 brits ( man and wife) between Lac de Panthier and Beaune who didn't want to talk, and another couple on a tandem west of Avignon who were pootling round the area and we chatted. That was it. I met no other camping cyclists at all in any of the camp sites I stayed in. I saw lots of the French Sunday Cyclists but only in a few cases did they stay with me for a short time and chat.
The route was better than I expected as far as traffic was concerned and I regularly used the Routes Nationale for safe, easy riding. My only difficult day in traffic was getting out of Lyon which was a bit hairy!
I bought a Trianga spirit stove last autumn ( well it was a LIDL copy but identical as far as I could tell). I actually bought a genuine spare burner just to see if there was any difference to the cheap one -- there wasn't!
So this year I decided to abandon my small Camping Gaz stove ( which uses the small cylinders which are pierced as you screw the burner in position). The trouble with the camping gaz is that I plan on carrying just 2 cylinders -- 1 on and 1 spare but experience has shown that I finish up carrying 3 spares most of the time to get me through areas where I can't find any gas. I have never run out of gas but I have several times had to restrict use of the stove due to imminent shortage.
The spirit stove was terrific and worked very well. I bought 2 bottles of "acool a bruler" ( at different times) and the second bottle came home more than half full. A great feature is that you don't have to hold on to the pan while stirring it. The whole set up is totally stable -- I can normally guarentee that I will tip over a least one meal on my tours. The pan bottom became blacked very quickly but once I returned home it was a matter of one brillo pad and it was clean again. I cook most meals completely from fresh ingredients and once the pot was on the simmer with heat turned down I could go and shower etc and after one hour on the stove my tea was ready. No hassle and the stove in intrinsically wind proof! The second pan was inevitably my wine cooler -- filled with water with a wet cloth over the bottle -- hey presto in about 1/2 an hour the wine was appreciably cooler!