Today felt like the real start of the tour – leaving the comfort of the familiar to embrace new places and new faces each and every day. The familiar was there when I came downstairs for breakfast – the nicely set table, a fire in the woodstove, and, after my arrival, pancakes and all the fixings. I bid farewell to Bérénice and Dieter and headed north into the Charente Limosin. About 4 miles north of Feuillade, I picked up Eurovelo 3, or La Scandibérique as it is known in France.
Table set for 3 (me, Ben and Sarah) and a fire in the woodstove
The route was somewhat familiar to me as I had ridden it south last year on a cool, rainy, high mileage day. Today, I enjoyed the sunshine and took my time. The Charente Limousin includes the western foothills of the Massif Central. It is a rural, hilly area, with few people and quiet roads -which can make for excellent cycling. Beyond Montbron, there was a long but gentle climb into Châtain Besson, a small village outside Écuras, where I stopped for a short rest. Further north, the fields appeared dried out and the shortage of rain this year was more evident. The miles went by quickly, and I was soon in Massignac where I lunched in a little Auberge. The crudité salad was fantastic while the processed ham and canned green beans were okay at best. I spoke briefly with a couple of Belgium cyclists as they were leaving the restaurant, continuing on their day trip along the Lacs de Haute Charente.
Lacs de Haute Charante landscape. The lake appears as a dry lake bed, due not only to lack of rain but also because much of the water has been drained for other uses in this dry year
Not long after leaving Massignac, I reached the turn-off for my night’s lodging – Le Château de la Redortière. Located in the Lacs de Haute Charente area, the castle was built around 1880 by a banker in Paris and currently is a Bed and Breakfast and La Ferme Auberge. I turned up the gravel road and as the castle came into view, I was struck by a magnificent oak tree adjacent to the castle. I had arrived a little early and gladly took the opportunity to explore the area around the castle while my room was being prepared. My companion for the walk was Hugoline, the old, blind Chien du Château. I spotted another grand old oak as well as very large blue cedar whose top had been toppled by the wind. I felt like I was channeling Scott Anderson’s Portland Heritage Tree Quest.
Dinner that night was a 2 hour, five course meal with products from the farm: vegetable soup; zucchini tart; duck with carrots and squash; cheese plate and salad; and chocolate cake. No pictures, only a testament to how delicious everything was. In a food coma, I climbed the spiral marble staircase up two flights to my spacious quarters and was soon fast asleep.
