The heat is on: Availles-Limozine to Exideuil

August 14, 2016

French weddings are generally on Saturday, so that family and friends can attend. They also are generally followed by two days of partying. Why am I giving you this sociology lesson? Well, the campground where I slept last night was not far from the village salle de fetes, the town social hall. And there was a wedding in town yesterday. I heard the honking as the wedding parade wound through the village as I was eating. And I heard the dance band hired for the party off and on all night. I mostly slept through it, but the bass drumm and the bass guitar periodically penetrated my concious. So, it was not the best night's sleep I've ever had.

Never mind, I was headed south today, and had to find a way past Confolens and its festival. After getting lost on tiny country roads, some not much more than farm tracks, I finally made it to Lesterps,,where I found a delightful cafe just opening for lunch. A nice chat with the chef and his wife who run the place, and I had salad with cooked gizzards, and a steak in Roquefort sauce. I was finished early, so I left on mostly empty roads to get to Chassenon, the ancient Cassinomagus, and it's splendid Roman ruins. The heat was really beginning to build up, but I toured the site, talking with some of the guides who double as demonstrators of Roman technologies such as making mortar, or cutting stone.

After the visit, and refilling water bottles, I left toward the west, looking for the first shelter I could find. There was a campground just a few kilometers down the road, so I got a spot, pitched the tent, showered, and drank large amounts of cold juices and water. I got some laundry done in the machine at the campground and hung it out hoping it would dry quick in the heat. Supper,at the campground, was a salad festooned with different cheeses, and a small pitcher of red wine. The campground was noisy, but I got settled by 11. Unfortunately, the owner and his buddies played loud music til 1AM, waking me. I asked them to turn it down, and they did, but they talked loudly until 2. I just lay in my tent sweating until eventually, they went off to bed.

Random chateau of the day. Discovered while lost, somewhere north of Lesterps.

The ruins of the Roman baths in Chassenon.

Interior of one of the heated pools in the baths. Most of the stones lining the pool were stolen for other buildings long ago.

The entrance to the space UNDER the pool. A room for heating, filling and draining the pool.

A stone lathe used to carve sections of columns.

Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 464 km (288 miles)

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