July 31, 2014
Wed 30 & Thur 31: Nevers to St Germain de Laval.
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The campsite in Nevers costing eight euros seventy-five, is not only cheap but well placed on the riverbank across the main bridge from the hilltop city centre. There isn't wifi. There is internet via plugging directly into a router thingy on a table in the café, where coffee costs a reasonable one euro fifty. Also, as most use tablets and phones and cannot plug in, there's no queue for to use it. The only thing is Luca. The manager's Jack Russell dog. He keeps yapping for no apparent reason, causing such a racket, what with the thin concrete shell of the building having such a resonating ring in my ear, that I can't hear myself think in order to write the journal. I could strangle the dog; well, I felt like going it on the first day; then I get to know him and he's a sweet dog really. He just likes letting off steam.
The few days I've been here have been overcast and drizzling rain at times. A drop in temperatures from what it was on the way here. So I timed my rest days right weather-wise, as I really like the sun.
The way out of Nevers is straightforward. Turn left at the end of the street on to the "Velo Vert" along the Loire canal, the woman at the campsite reception explained. So why did I get it wrong. I turn along a metalled path following the river, thinking this is as good a way out of town as any. Then the path deteriates to gravel, but I can see the cars of a highway moving along in the distance and I stubbornly persist, assuming it'll lead out upon this road. Then the track is reduced to a grassy partly overgrown single-track and it is looking doubtful the way will be open as far as the road.
I turn around and ride back, angry with myself for having wasted so much time. And anxious to return to the street and take the way recommended to me.
Reaching the gravel with quite a way to go, there's a grey-haired man slumped over handlebars of a stationary mountain bike. He's in lycra and underneath a cycle-helmet shows a face wizened and browned by a lifetime of warm sun. He chats away on a phone and beckons with a wave of his free hand for me to stop and wait, something I don't want to do as I'm in a hurry to make some progress, but stop through politeness.
He calls off and he just asks me where I'm from and where I'm going, usually questions. In broken French I say I'm leaving the city and mention a city ahead as my destination. Then at his suggestion we ride together, something making me more frustrated, as he rides so slow. I'm not in any mood for riding at walking pace and soon ride on at my normal running speed, leaving him behind.
Riding the canal towpath is a cycling holiday. The crunch of gravel under my wheels and meeting lots of cycle-tourers coming the other way. With peaceful still water to the right and wildflower verge and a stand of trees on my left and on the right along the opposite side, the scenery remains the same throughout. I reach Decize timely for lunch and with the exception of a short section riding the towpath in late afternoon, remain on D roads the rest of the day.
Thursday: woke up later than I would've wished, ten to eight and don't get on the road until quarter past nine. Then I'm soon part of a long convoy stuck behind a tractor hauling a large load of straw bales, it labouring up each hill which there are increasingly many of. Not long after turning off, I reach Lapalisse, where I stop at a big Bricomarche on the way into town. My day's shopping, almost my only expense for the day, comes to a princely ten euros twenty-four. Cheap when you think of what I've got. Lots of fruit and veg, far in excess of the five-per-day, the balanced diet recommendation. A quarter kilo steak, bottle of wine and of coarse bread. A good bottle of wine would swallow up half that in Ireland or the UK.
In the town's main thoroughfare I stop for a coffee. A group of men of North African descent sit around the next table in boisterous discourse and along the street the eliminated green cross farmacy sign shows the temperature to be twenty-six degrees.
Crossing over the bridge further along the street, I turn right below a huge chateau on a hilltop towering above the street corner. Its only a couple of kilometres more to Saint Prix, a village founded in the sixth century according to an interpretation board on the way in. The text although in French, I could make out that, National Route 7 linking Paris to Lyon was built in the nineteenth century and passed through the village and part of the old route still remains today. Though I expect much of it is now built over by the motorway, which put me off continuing on upon it to Roanne. Instead, after cooking steak for lunch at a picnic table in a well landscaped village park, the experience only disturbed by the hum of a ride-on-lawnmower hovering around, I follow the cycle route sign south on D7 with ever increasing long hills and distant blue mountains ahead.
As I'd only covered twenty-eight kilometres in the morning, I'm determined to make up for it in the afternoon. I keep plugging away as the temperature rises into the thirties. Then I begin feeling a contracting ach in the stomach around six. caused by dehydration. Luckily at around this point I'm passing through a hamlet with a bench to sit upon and a water tap to fill up my water bottles.
I boil water and make tea and eat most of a fruit cake. Then it would take me riding until sunset to make up today's distance. The way onwards is a long gradual climb with lots of good camping possibilities in woodland to the side, completing a hilly overpass to begin a long descend around eight-thirty to a broad agricultural plain ahead with seemingly fewer camping options.
The computer shows 95 km as the road descends to Saint Germain de Laval. At that moment I'm passing a park of nicely trimmed hedges and clumps of scrubs. A good place to hide a tent for the night and as there is no houses near or car access, little possibility I'll be disturbed. Covered from view of the road, the underlayer is level fine quarry blinding; perfectly comfortable to sleep upon.
Today's ride: 196 km (122 miles)
Total: 2,592 km (1,610 miles)
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