August 21, 2016
When things go wrong.: Rochefort to la Rochelle
Did you ever have one of those days when you knew things were not going to go completely right? Well, today was one of those. My old friend Dehli belly was still with me this morning, and what was worse, the cycling shorts I had rinsed out last night were still damp. Breakfast at the hotel was nice, though, and all did not appear to be lost. The woman at the checkout was in a foul mood, and I had to ask her twice to let me into the garage to retrieve my bike. While I was getting the panniers on the bike, another guest at the hotel was leaving in his car with several bicycles strapped on a rack at the back. He didn't allow for the way he had loaded the bikes though, with one bike wheel sticking far out to the right of his car, and promptly got the entire lot jammed in the entrance to the garage, thereby preventing anyone from entering or leaving. He had to get out of the car, wiggle into the garage around the bikes, and take them off the rack to get himself unstuck. The entrance cleared, I left and following the marked cycle route I did what I do best, I got lost. Finding myself at the entrance ramps for the autoroute, I did see a way northward, though, and from there I was able to find the small road that I had been looking for.
Virtually all the way from Rochefort to la Rochelle is on a road that parallels the railway and the autoroute, and you are rarely out of sight of either one or the other. For a scenic diversion I decided to go to Fouras. This being a Sunday, the traffic to the old city was rather intense with people making their way to the beaches and the harbor. The cycle paths are unpaved and badly marked so I spent most of my time on the road, which was too busy for a relaxing ride. I took a couple of pictures and left straight away, not bothering much with the town. Once more on the route to la Rochelle, I was stopped in the Village of Yves by a village garage sale (vide grenier) and trying to detour around it I ended up at a railway crossing that was barricaded. I wasn't the only one though, and we, being one cyclist and several autos, made the four kilometer return to Yves where I walked the bike through the streets full of garage sale shoppers to find the right route forward.
Well, you can't have bad luck all the time, and from here on things took a turn for the better. I rode into Chatelaillon Plage following bike route signs (EuroVelo 3) and found a bistro serving seafood. The special of the day was fillet of cabaillaud a la Catalan, rice and a cornet of veggies. Very good. After lunch, I met a German touring cyclist and we kept company into Aytre, where we lost each other in the beach crowd. The route through here follows the beach, and you need to be careful of the sand on the path. From Aytre to la Rochelle its very straight forward and I was soon at the tourist office, where I was able to book a room right in the heart of the old city. A quick shower and I went out to explore.
La Rochelle is considered one of the prettier cities in France, and I think it merits that distinction. Its built around the old port and its fortifications. The streets are lined with arcades in many places, and there are few modern buildings to spoil the ambiance. Its a nice place to wander around in, and watching the boats come and go in the harbor I was pleased to be there.
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Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 1,006 km (625 miles)
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