October 2, 2022
To Saulieu
Le Relais Vauban, my overnight stop, is located in the small commune of Bazoches where it serves as a gathering place for local residents as well as travelers such as myself. As the restaurant filled last night, diners greeted one another with a familiar bonjour and talked across tables, inquiring on such things as to whether their trees were bearing nuts this year. This morning, local workers stood at the bar sipping their coffee while others stopped in for pastries or baguettes that were freshly baked in their kitchen. Unfortunately, coffee, bread and pastries, along with juice and some jam, were the extent of my breakfast. An option for an English breakfast was listed on an information card in room, but all the Cycle Blaze stories of blood sausage and baked beans dissuaded me from such an undertaking. But I did order a take-away sandwich to sustain me during what promised to be a challenging day.
My plan for today was to traverse the hills of the Morvan to Saullieu, located on the eastern edge of the Morvan. While the route itself involved a lot of climbing, I was most concerned about the weather. Predictions were for early rains but clearing by late morning so I delayed my departure to almost eleven, receiving “Bon Courage” from both Relais customers and staff as well as from the few passers-by on the street. One gentleman pointed to a small patch of blue sky in the distance and wished me a little sunshine. And as I shared his hope as I climbed out of Bazoches under cloudy but dry skies.
After cresting the hill out of Bazoches, I descended into fields bathed in sunshine. Reasoning that I’d left the bad weather on the other side of the ridge, I rode up past Empury and stopped in the sunshine to shed some layers and don my shades. Sadly, my time in the sun was short lived. The clouds appeared, accompanied by a chill and light drizzle. Layers went back on, the sunglasses were stowed, and I soldiered on.
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Shortly past Empury, I came to the dreaded Route Barre sign – dreaded because it always presents a dilemma, at least for me. More often than not, the barrier is easily passed by a bike. However, it was chill and rainy and I was cycling through a very rural area with few roads and lots of terrain. I would not be happy should I have to backtrack. The barrier was 2 km ahead, so I scanned my route and could not identify any rivers of streams where there might be a bridge out. Should I have to backtrack, the RWGPS elevation profile seemed fairly reasonable, whereas I had no idea where the detour might take me. Weighing the risks, I decided to forge ahead and was soon barreling down a hill that I clearly did not want to have to climb back up. But my bet paid off – only a short section of washed out road was blocked, and Vivien George and I were able to easily navigate around the barriers.
A two mile climb through a mostly forested landscape brought me into Lormes, the largest town I’ve visiting in the Morvan. It a place that bills itself as “A town of the Future,” one that fosters a community spirit and engagement. I found it a bit quirky in an interesting and enjoyable way. The signs welcoming you into the town did not boast of being one of France’s most beautiful villages, or even a village of beautiful flowers; rather, they declared Lormes to be town of song and music. It is home to an annual French music festival and murals throughout town depict musicians. And in lieu of umbrellas of lampshades, the streets were lined with long brightly colored drapes hanging from windows.
I pedaled slowly through town, chilled and a little hungry. Passing what appeared to be an open café/restaurant, I decided to stop for a cup of coffee, and maybe my sandwich. I tentatively pushed open the door and found myself in a room of warmth, bonhomie and the comforting aroma of grilled fish. It was Sunday, and the French were out with friends and family for their Sunday mid-day meal. I engaged in a friendly conversation with folks at one long table who asked about my mirror, and we all had a good laugh when I thought the optician was a fisherman. Though the restaurant was quite busy, they seated me at a table and I warmed myself with an espresso, deciding to hold off on the sandwich. But what I really wanted was to linger over a long lunch and be a temporary member of this inviting community. But, as the saying goes, I had miles to go before I sleep.
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A fairly long climb out of Lormes brought me to Col de Trois Bornes, a modest 547 m, but deserving of a photo. I descended through tunnel of fog into Bossy, and spent the rest of the afternoon on a series of climbs and descents through the forest. The weather alternated between light drizzle, hard drizzle and outright rain, and worsened as the afternoon wore on. The terrain and weather combined to make for a challenging day, but I was able to stay fairly cheerful – cycling on low traffic roads where the stillness of the forest was broken only by the rushing waters of the Le Cure river.
I arrived in Saulieu about half past four and immediately took a long, hot shower. Reluctant to again face the chill and rain, I opted for dinner the hotel restaurant where I joined tables with an engaging English couple, Heather and Phil, who were seated nearby. It was a most enjoyable evening, good food and interesting conversation on topics ranging from science, to politics, to travel. It was a fine finish to a day of ups and downs.
Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 2,851 miles (4,588 km)
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Glad you managed to soldier on and endure. A long hot shower, buttressed and supported by a couple glasses of adult beverage of some sort, is the perfect antidote after such a ride.
2 years ago