July 31, 2023
Tournus to Culles-les-Roches
We had a pretty slow morning packing up from camping again. I commiserated with Scott of the Kiwi cycle touring family about how cycling with kids changes all expectations around time. Meanwhile all the childless cycle tourists were on the road before we'd even brushed our teeth.
We took a detour around Tournus to find a boulangerie and bike past the Abbey. Being Monday most of the bakeries were closed, but we found the one open one and pulled up 5 minutes before the Kiwi cyclists biked in from the other direction. We had a bit of a long stop because my brakes chose that moment to become so worn down that the springs were rubbing against my discs, so James changed them while we snacked.
Finally on the road we only managed the climb out of town before it was time for lunch. We found a short path down to the edge of a field with a beautiful view and plenty of wild blackberries. Once Tobias was asleep we actually managed to get some riding done and had one long but gradual climb followed by some lumpy stuff. Eventually we ended up on an old railway line turned cycle path heading towards Saint-Gengoux-le-National. It was hot but none of the nice icecream stores were open so we stopped at the supermarket for some supplies and a box of icecreams then ate them at the playground.
From there it was a really nice quiet climb through the woods to Culles-les-Roches. We were greeted by Manue and the two boys on their bikes as we rode the last climb to their house, so Tobias got off to ride as well. Since they visited us in Dunedin they have moved into a very big, very old, house on the edge of the village. They even had an old theatre where we could store our bikes under the house.
Flavien, their youngest, is only 2 months younger than Tobias and once he had recovered from the initial overwhelm of the new house, new people, and mainly new toys, the two of them got on great. After dinner outside we could sit and enjoy wine while the two of them played inside with the toy kitchen.
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Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 2,530 km (1,571 miles)
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