August 19, 2016
Tidewater at last.: St. Christoly to Saujon
The campground where I fetched up last night must have been exceptionally quiet, because I slept in until eight o'clock. Normally, I'm up at seven, and usually I take the time to make coffee, but not this morning. I packed up as quickly as I could and was well on my way by nine. First stop was in the village of St. Christoly de Blaye for coffee, then on to Blaye itself. For wine aficionados Blaye is one of the lesser crus of Bordeaux. Sited on the northeast bank of the Gironde estuary, its not as famous as its counterparts in the Medoc on the opposite shore. Still, Blaye vineyards and the vineyards surrounding Blaye produce some excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from which a very serviceable wine is made. The town of Blaye is dominated by the fort constructed by Vauban which served to keep any unwanted ships out of the upper Gironde and well away from the important city of Bordeaux. Having long since lost any military function the fort is used for the by now ubiquitous tourist shops as well as a campground, a wine warehouse and shop, and a winery.
I left Blaye by the "coast" road, a road that paralleled the coast but that only afforded glimpses of the water, as it was constructed to avoid the marshes which line the Gironde. It also avoids the Blaye nuclear power station, a modern eyesore that can be seen for miles around. Supposedly there is a bike route through here, but I could not find it, only picking up a sign after I had crossed from the department of the Gironde into the Charente Maritime. By then I was growing hungry, not having eaten since the previous evening, but country restaurants, my standard for reasonably priced lunches, were thin on the ground. I came upon a rather chic grocery, though and I was able to get some goat cheese, a croissant, and four apricots for lunch. There were picnic tables next to the grocery, and I found a free one. These were occupied by people with caravans and a pair of young French guys off on their own bike tour. We exchanged greetings, but no conversation as I had arrived well before them and left before as well.
The road led on to the sea, and just before getting to Talmont-sur-Gironde, it began to rain. Talmont had been built by Edward the second of England back when the English were still in possession of much of France. It has been largely ignored since, earning it the title of one of the prettiest villages in France and the tourist hoards that go with it. Even in the rain the village was crowded, and because there is no vehicular traffic of any kind allowed, I had to clomp around in my cleats as I toured through the place. Given that the streets are all cobbled, and slicked with rain, I'm not sure I minded leaving the bike at the entrance to the town.
The rain settling in for earnest, I decided that I would start to look for a place to stay. I tried at Arces and Cozes, but no luck then just as I entered Saujon, I found the Auberge du Moulin that had one room left. I took it and got showered and washed out some clothes in the sink. By the time I was done, the rain had stopped, so I went into town for a beer. Saujon is just upstream from the estuary of the Saudre river and its oyster beds, where the famous Marennes oysters are grown. This being August, I couldn't sample any, so I contented myself with the seafood supper at the Auberge. Tartar of tuna, grilled filet of sea bass and chocolate mousse for dessert.
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Today's ride: 110 km (68 miles)
Total: 827 km (514 miles)
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