May 15, 2023
Angouleme to Nontron
A day of 3 halves.
While we’d like to think of today’s effort as character building, some aspects were just plain irritating. It can be divided into 3 parts: the first part being the ducking and diving to get beyond Angouleme, the second, a wonderful 20 plus sealed kilometres Voie verte on an old train line, and thirdly, the final hilly bit. Not killer hills maybe, but a threatening thunderstorm, dark woods and the up, up you don’t really want at day’s end.
The day starts well at Apart City with muesli, fruit yoghurt and filtered coffee. We pack and retrieve our bikes from the conference room, loading up outside. As we load up, a chap of our vintage, in walking garb approaches us and asks where we’re off to. We chat briefly and he tells us how he’s cycled the Camino on a bike he bought in Angouleme for 50 euros. He’s very enthusiastic about the Camino and describes the places he’s stayed. He’s from Ireland and tells us about family who emigrated to NZ in the 50s. We part, wishing each other well. Such people make you feel you’re not alone.
We start back on the Couleē, almost where we left off and it continues pretty and green. There are workmen filling in the potholes on the trail and it’s nice and smooth. After we leave the river trail, the signs take us around quiet streets and lanes, ad infinitum. After we’ve covered about 6 kilometres, we reach a sign telling us that Angouleme Gare is 2 kilometres away. We might have made that our starting point.
We continue to the source of the Touvre River. This river comes from underground and we can see it bubbling up.
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From the source of the river we continue on the road which takes us up through forest for a few kilometres until we come to Queroy and the Voie verte. It’s straight, sealed and 20 plus kilometres on what was an old railway line. I love trains, but if they have to go, replace them with something like this.
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On the trail we stop for lunch and plot our route into Nontron. It seems so close now - under 15 kilometres. We continue on the D road, sharing it with cars which are relatively infrequent.
At a point about 6 kilometres out from Nontron, we decide to take a quieter road recommended for cycles. It is a nice road but has several climbing sections that test the resolve and patience when the end goal is in sight, almost literally. In addition, thunder threatens in the distance and it’s spitting from on high. I see a sign to a place called Pys and that seems to sum up the mood of the moment. Soon we’re over the hump though and descending into the main street of Nontron. We grab supplies and head for our apartment. Once in, we lock up the bikes and head upstairs. It’s spaghetti bolognaise for dinner washed down with lashings of tea.
Today's ride: 61 km (38 miles)
Total: 1,024 km (636 miles)
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