To Sommières

April 11, 2022

First, the bad news

It’s cold, windy and dampish this morning, so of course we’re in no hurry to rush out. We’re thinking we’ll walk around the village for a better look than we gave it last night and then pack up and leave at around 11. Our host has other plans for us though - we can stay until 10:30, at least better than the unusually early 10:00 posted checkout time; but that’s it. He needs to prepare the room for the next guests.

So that doesn’t leave us much time. Just enough to have breakfast in the room (instant coffee, cheese, bread, a few pastries Rachael picked up yesterday), and contemplate today’s bad news. No, not the lost Garmin. That’s yesterday’s bad news, which we’ve been stewing over ever since the loss was discovered last night. We still have no good theory about what happened, but it must have been in some way associated with our lunch stop at Chez Barmy when we wheeled our bikes into a secure spot next to our table. Maybe we set it down absent-mindedly on the table, or dropped it somehow in shuffling our gear around or afterwards when we pushed our bikes the two blocks through the village to our room. Nothing really makes sense, but there’s nothing to be done. What’s lost is lost.

No, today’s bad news comes when I open up the mail and learn that UPS has acknowledged that they lost our suitcases and now requests receipts and documentation of our lost belongings so they can process a claim. We have no receipts for anything involved, so it’s yet to be seen whether any compensation at all will be forthcoming; but at a minimum we have the now certain hassles of getting our bikes shipped home without suitcases at the end of this odyssey and of working with UPS to try to wrest a few euros back from them.

An expensive morning. The suitcases, packing materials, a few tools and items of clothing probably have a replacement cost of roughly $600 - about the same as the cost of a new Garmin Edge 1030 Plus, if we can even find one.

Then, the good news

It’s cold and windy this morning but at least it’s not raining - which is certainly nothing to be sneezed at. We’re out of the room at just past 10 after making a last exhaustive but fruitless search of the room for the lost Garmin; bundled up against the elements and pushing our bikes up through the village for a look at the abbey that we gave scarcely a glance at yesterday. But our hearts aren’t in it, really. With a challenging 40 miler ahead and the threat of rain, we just give a quick glance to the abbey again this morning and call it good. Let’s hit the road.

On the way out of the village we pass by Chez Barmy and see that the Red is in its courtyard, setting up for the day ahead. We stop for one last futile look to see if the Garmin has been found (which I did last night also). Rocky rashly rushes past the Red to the table we sat at, but she’s quickly arrested by his large, white, poorly controlled dog who grabs her by the arm, forcefully enough to slightly bruise and leave a small scratch on her forearm. It’s a good thing she had her jacket on.

With that rude send-off we’re finally on the road, biking up the gorge on our way to Sommières. Rachael’s carrying the one Garmin we still have, because my map memory is better than hers. We’ll just plan on staying closer together than usual, with her generally riding ahead and waiting for me on the relatively few junctures on today’s ride. And before we go we briefly discuss the plan if we get separated and somehow can’t contact each other by phone - we’ll just meet at the hotel in Sommières.

The sky is gray and fairly menacing as we bike north, and with a couple of longish climbs ahead we’re anxious about the weather and don’t stop often; for a photo here and there, and for a brief stop for lunch 25 miles into the ride, huddled against the side of a building and more or less sheltered from the wind. Challenging, but things could be much, much worse. We see heavy clouds, but no rain.

Video sound track: Heavy Cloud No Rain, by Sting

The gorge is beautiful this morning, even with the gloomy sky. And with the weekend tourist traffic behind us we have the road almost to ourselves.

Almost to ourselves. A half mile into the ride I stop for a photo down into the gorge and a chat with this German traveler from Freiburg to Andalucia. He speaks fine English, and we have a fine chat about bike touring, the meaning of life, and the wisdom of not owning a home, but eventually I decide it’s time to catch up with Rachael.

Crossing the Hérault. On the opposite side we’ll begin the second longish climb of the day, crossing the divide between the Hérault and the Gard.

It’s a throwback to the past, climbing without the Garmin coaxing me along with updates on the road ahead and how much further I have to climb. It’s a different mental state to drop into - just climb, until done.

In Saint-Martin-de-Londres: a Rocky cyclist in a stony village.

Over the top, this stunning view presents itself. This country!

Actually, we’ve been here before - four years ago on a day ride from Montpellier, if I’m remembering correctly. Hard to forget that skyline, like a wide-mouthed giant took a bike out of the ridge.

Climbing through that gap. Short, easy, but dramatic. Easy but very breezy, that is. There’s a strong headwind blowing through from the east, and we’re thoroughly chilled and Rachael’s fingers have gone numb by the time we drop out the other side.

Still climbing. There’s a small ruined castle on that ridge.

Finally I can unload this apple! It’s been weighing me down since I lifted it at breakfast three or four days ago.

A few sheep loose in the vines. We’re cold and impatient to get there, but we have to stop for this.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 40 miles, 2,700’; for the tour: 672 miles, 36,300’

Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 672 miles (1,081 km)

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Suzanne GibsonSuitcases lost, a real bummer! Just leave your Fridays this side of the ocean. We're not on your route of course, but we would have room in our basement. I guess that's no help. Can we order the Garmin and deliver it to you? Mail us if you have any ideas how we could be of help.
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2 years ago

Eva WaltersIt's crazy that UPS lost your suitcases. Surely they should pay for new ones from Bike Friday, and with their international shipping, they could send them to the correct hotel in Nice by ship and ground, since there is so much time before you will need them.

Glad it didn't actually rain on you enroute to Sommieres. Hope the weather improves in the next few days. We've really enjoyed reading your recent posts through the beautifully scenic Herault region.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonActually, leaving the bikes over here somewhere has come up as an idea, as has asking someone to pick up a Garmin for us if we can’t find one. As it happens though, these are the least of our problems at the moment. We didn’t know how good we had it when we were puzzling through just them. Stay tuned.
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2 years ago

Rich FrasierNot to horn in on Suzanne's offer, but we stand ready to help if we can. Robin's mom always said that bad things come in threes. Wisdom from the old country. So be careful over the next few days!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierToo late. Robin’s mom knows of what she speaks, unfortunately. Thank you for your offer to help, which we may impose on when we know more. If so, I’ll contact you through email directly.
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2 years ago