To Moulins

October 4, 2022

Today was a play in three acts, and while the second act was a bit of a letdown, the high points of the day greatly exceeded expectations.

Act I: Exhilaration

Today I was leaving the hilly terrain of Morvan for the lower elevations between the Loire and Allier Rivers. Breakfast lived down to my overall impression of the hotel, so I stopped at the local bakery for a croissant and small loaf of wheat bread. I had a long day ahead, but the sun was shining and the promise of flatter roads were uplifting. I set out with a song and a smile. The day got off to a magnificent start. A nice downhill from Château-Chinon was followed by a moderate mile-long climb to Saint-Leger-de-Fougeret, both offering sweeping views of the hedge-lined pastures and forests of the Morvan.

I can only describe the descent from Saint-Leger-de-Fougeret as exhilarating. I felt so very much alive as I sped (for me) down gently curving roads in the crisp fall air, carefully circumventing the many sections of loose gravel. I crossed the Le Guignon River and followed it into Moulins-Engilbert, where it was market day. After a brief wander through the small stands, I found on a sunny spot for a morning snack and a bit of de-layering. I bade farewell to the Morvan and looked forward to a sunny and easy forty miles to Moulins.

It was nice to be above, and not within, the morning mist of the Morvan

The forests, fields and farms of the Morvan

Saint-Léger-de-Fougeret, with Église Saint-Léger on the left

A view to the southwest from Église Saint Léger

A wonderful seven-mile stretch only slightly marred by loose gravel

Act II: Doldrums

The overall profile of today’s route was dominated by the big descent from Château-Chinon and I did not fully appreciate the “bumpiness” of the middle section of the route. There were no big climbs or descents, nothing steep, but the near continuous rolling terrain was a surprise and, if truth be told, a mental challenge when I’d anticipated a day of cruising along in the sunshine. I paused briefly in Vandenesse and considered diverting my route to the nearby Canal to Nivernais. However, a closer look at my route map indicated it would involve adding more miles to an already long day. I continued on toward Fours.

Adding to the mental challenge was the loss of sunshine. The sky had clouded and although the temperature dropped, I stubbornly refused to layer back up, thinking that the clouds would lift at any time. I pulled into Fours, a bit chilled and searching vainly for a small café or tabac where I could enjoy a warming espresso. Instead, I settled on a small bench where I consumed the last of my Morvan cheese, which nicely complemented the fine loaf bread I’d picked up this morning. At least the food didn’t let me down.

The Canal de Nivernais is only 3 km away, but would result in adding significant miles to an already long day

Act III: Resolution

Things started to pick up shortly after Fours. I’d layered up a bit, the sun was trying the make an appearance, and the rolling terrain was beginning to even out. The route dropped down to Montambert and briefly joined Eurovelo 6 before crossing the Loire. I spotted a couple touring cyclists headed my way, but they continued on EV6 in the direction from whence I’d just come. There was a delightful but brief stretch on small, tree-lined roads took me over the Canal Latéral à la Loire and led me to D30 for the final sixteen miles to Moulins. It was a long, straight road that imperceptibly climbed through a pretty unremarkable landscape of low-lying crops and scrubland.

I arrived in Moulins just past four and discovered I could not check into the B&B until five. Disappointed, I headed in the direction of the center square, but the town was bigger than I anticipated and I grew frustrated with the traffic. I stopped in a small park where I sat in the sun, catching up on blogs and the news until it was time to check-in. The proprietor was quite welcoming and gave me some good recommendations for dinner, but by that time I was pretty well spent. I dined on provisions from my panniers and was asleep by half-past eight.

After the morning highs, the day became more of a psychological than physical challenge. But I’d made it safely to Moulins - and that is always a good day on tour.

The first touring cyclist I saw since leaving Paris

The sun had returned by the time we crossed the Canal Latéral à la Loire

The long and straight D30 seemed almost like a rail-trail cycle path

Late afternoon, the final stretch to Moulins

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Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 2,938 miles (4,728 km)

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