To Nogent-le-Rotrou

September 19, 2022

Though I’d decided early on that Chartres would be the start of this mini-tour, I wasn’t quite sure where to go next. In looking at the map, I settled on the Parc Regional de Perche. I’d really enjoyed cycling through the regional parks of central France this past spring, and though the terrain would be less challenging it looked like the Parc Regional de Perche might have a similar abundance of the small, traffic free roads that I love. Also, the park is the land of Percherons, a breed of draught horse similar in size to Clydesdales and Belgians. I settled on the town Nogent-le-Rotrou for a two night stay – the choice of lodgings was slim, but the town had a rail station with a direct train back to Paris.

I took an early morning visit to the Chartres Cathedral, arriving even before all the lights were turned on. As on my previous visit, I found the Cathedral awe inspiring and will post a separate entry as an addendum to my Cathedral Tour section. By nine-thirty, I was on my way, continuing on the wonderful cycle path that follows the traditional pilgrimage route along the L’Eure River. The air was clear and crisp, and I thoroughly enjoyed a slow, tranquil pedal past small boat docks, through parks and into the woods.

A final look back at the great Cathedral

An old marker indicating the Chemin de Saint Jacques

I left the river at Barjouville, continuing west on the Velo Scenie bike path for another two miles. The Velo Scenie is a marked route between Chartres and Mont Saint-Michel, and I thought briefly of continuing on and surprising Team Anderson in Brittany; however, sensible Susan took hold and turned off onto on the small roads that populate the French countryside. I soon came to a junction where RWGPS had routed me on a small gravel that appeared to deteriorate into a grass track. I looked more closely at my route and discerned that this was a small shortcut, one I’d missed in reviewing my route. I’d just about decided to take the long way round when I spied a cyclist approaching me along the gravel road. When asked, she indicated (mostly by head bobbing and hand waving) that Vivien George would handle it fine, though it might be a little bumpy. And so we bumped along for a few hundred yards and then were back on sealed roads.

The route itself was nothing of note, but the cycling was quite enjoyable. I pondered the many reasons I so enjoy cycle touring – there is a great sense of adventure in exploring new places or traveling though spectacular landscapes, and I savor the random encounters and ephemeral conversations with strangers. There also is a great personal reward in overcoming the logistical and/or unexpected challenges of life on the road. But the primary reason is that I love cycling – the sheer joy of spending my day riding a bicycle. The road may be flat and the landscape monotonous, but I am still on my bike, pedaling along through a new world. Today, I relished the cool air, the blue skies, and spending time with Vivien George. And as a lover of big sky and long vistas, the landscape wasn’t half bad.

When you come to fork in the road, take it

Big sky and small roads winding through an open landscape - what's not to love

A trio of cyclists on a magic carpet ride

Bright teal farm equipment - something I didn't see in John Deere country.

I stopped for lunch across the road from a small farmstead, sitting by a post and watching a hen and her small flock of chickens run repeatedly run back and forth across the road. Why? The day was clouding up and I moved on, continuing the gentle uphill to the Perche. Most of the day was spent on small roads with little to no traffic, but the last seven miles into Nogent-le-Rotrou was on one of the major roadways through the park. The landscape was more varied and undulating, taking me up and down through woodlands and farmlands before dropping me into the center of town.

The woodlands of the Parc Regional de Perche

One of the small villages of the Parc Regional de Perche - Brunelles, I think

As I mentioned earlier, the choice of lodging was slim – a poorly rated hotel or a three-bedroom house new to Booking. I opted for the house. There was a bit of trouble figuring out instructions for entry, but once I’d opened the gate I found a nice big yard, a spot for Vivien George, and a clean and airy house. I’d been a bit surprised to learn there was an extra fee for bedding and towels, even more so when I discovered I had to make the bed. I’m almost embarrassed to say that I struggled for almost twenty minutes trying to get the duvet into its cover – I’ll leave the details to your imagination. A perusal of the kitchen cupboards revealed boxes of pasta, but I was unable to figure out the hob stovetop, so I settled on muesli and yogurt for dinner. Maybe I’m more cutout for hotel life.

The roofline is a little sagging, but the interior was updated and nicely appointed

A covered place for Vivien George by the poubelles

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Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 2,766 miles (4,451 km)

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Jacquie GaudetI only know how to get a duvet into its cover because I made my own duvet (from a Frostline kit) back around 1980. A year later, I stayed in a French youth hostel and was surprised to see that I was the only one in my dorm who knew how to do it. Start with the cover inside out...
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2 years ago

Rachael AndersonSorry we missed you!
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2 years ago

Susan CarpenterTo Jacquie GaudetThanks for the tip Jacquie - the opening on the cover was about 1/3 the width of the duvet and my solution was to fold the duvet in thirds
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2 years ago