September 3, 2009
Etalan
It was a bit wet on waking but we got away rapidly with apple juice and a pain au chocolate. The bikes were extracted from the garage down the road and with many farewells from the man on the front desk we loaded up and departed. It was easy through the central city streets and onto the path beside the river. After the first bend Tricia failed to appear so back I went to see the carrier of her bike projecting onto the rear sprocket. This is exactly the same problem I had had as we approached Reims, there was no trouble with diagnosis this time, the screw had come out and was now lost. I kicked myself several times, I have checked them but not this morning. With this it started to rain, it was 7.30 in the morning.
At least we were in a city with a bike shop so we pushed back to the hotel we had left so recently. The man with good English had disappeared but an extremely helpful lady was there and found us a closer bike shop (Veloland) near the information. In a bedraggled state we set off, but of course it didn't open until 9.00am. We had a coffee under a canvas cover that kept a bit of the rain off then on to Veloland. The good thing was the rain stopped but the bad thing was that the shop didn't open until 9.30. It is amazing how long an hour wait can seem
Eventually first the office lady then a young man on a bike arrived and finally the old guy with the key. His first response was that there was no one to repair it but when we pointed out the problem he set the young man onto it and he replaced the screw and supplied Tricia with a spare - no cost again.
So at close to 10.00 we set off. at first we were beside the Doub, which is navigable with canal boats on it. It was lovely and flat. Then the worst climb of the trip with nearly an hour of pushing up a steep hill. A young man we met coming out of Besanscon managed to ride up with a heavily laden bike we were struggling to push, oh to be young again. Eventually we got to the top and set the GPS for Etalan, We had some coffee at a PMU then on through various small places with heaps of climbing. Our lunch (wet bread) was eaten at the top of a mountain with the weather threatening and Tricia's new watch with water in it. Then on to Etalan were we got a room at a Tabac, Presse, Bar, Restaurant, Hotel (all things to all people). It was a very unuaual room with a certain togetherness sleeping with our bikes which we had to haul up steep steps. Dinner was a 1L bottle of wine type of meal but what were the men in the bar drinking?
Today's ride: 30 km (19 miles)
Total: 996 km (619 miles)
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