May 28, 2023
Addendum - The Cevennes Tandem Rally Day 2
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Sore and tired, we crawled out of bed to meet another 900 departure. How do these people do it? I swear that the French are a different race - they have the ability to eat, drink, be merry, and work their butts off all at the same time. I don't know how they do it.
We began by approaching the same boulangerie that we stopped at yesterday, but, oh no! It was closed!! No worries, a quick reroute and we arrived at another bakery, thankfully open on Sunday morning. The French are nothing if not resourceful. We were back on the road, properly provisioned.
Today's ride gave us only 4k or so before launching us up an uncomfortably steep climb. Evidently there was some kind of motorcycle convention going on nearby, so our huffing and puffing was complemented by the whine of "motards" blasting by and enjoying the perfect road surface and beautiful scenery.
Our lunch stop was at a village called "Le Pompidou". Not the art museum, for sure. But conveniently, there was a cafe nearby for that post-lunch coffee. It didn't look open to us, but the French have some kind of special radar that allows them to find open cafes in the most unlikely of places.
Another day, another hair-raising descent. I was really glad I had specified 220mm rotors for the brakes on this bike. My goodness! I didn't know roads like that existed!
More beautiful little Cevenois villages passed by, sometimes in a blur. Luckily, we didn't meet any cars coming up the road. Some of the hairpin corners were almost too tight for a tandem!
The finish of today's ride was the same as the day before. Today, we were better hydrated and fed, so motored up that nasty last hill in record time. Unfortunately, we arrived back at our "chalet" just as cooked as we had been the day before.
Tonight, the American/Franco-American couples had organized dinner. But first, there was the apero!! So we ate, drank, and chatted away until it was time to go eat, drink, and chat in the warm evening with our Anglophone pals.
Another late night, but we rolled into bed feeling warm in the friendship of the beautiful people here, both French and American. We are so lucky to be able to live here and have these experiences!
Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 274 km (170 miles)
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