Cognac to Angoulēme

May 13, 2023

A green and leafy trail beside the green Charente.

Woken by a face at the window, one of our host’s cats, either August or Jaime, is keen to enter. After a final walk up the creaky stairs to the bathroom and a couple of coffees each from the coffee machine accompanied by toast, we’re packed and ready to go. We have our jackets on because it’s a chilly 11 degrees, and feels like rain might be on the way. As we cycle down the road to the river though, the sky starts to look clear, and in fact this becomes the pattern for the day as it gradually warms up. We leave without tasting any cognac so will have to make do with brandy in our next Christmas pudding.

We’re expecting the trail to be a little lumpy and potholed as it had been when we finished yesterday, but no, it’s a beautiful track close to the river, and smoothly compacted enough to all for a good uniform speed. There’s plenty to see too- rowers on the river, historic houses and churches and gardens and vineyards and the inevitable pecheurs. Do they catch anything? Well we see one chap with a wriggling 6 inch specimen but not much else.

The Flow Velo trail is like this for much of the day. Green and leafy.

At Jarnac, we find a market and buy some lunch supplies. There’s a museē about Francois Mitterrand here, though we’re not sufficiently captivated by memories of the man to pay a visit. I think I recall him revealing, towards the end of his life, that he’d had a life long mistress. Not sure if that earned him kudos or brickbats.

Further on the trail, we come to a large collection of people of all ages performing folk dances in an open field to Celtic style music played over a parked van’s sound system. They seem to be enjoying themselves and clap enthusiastically at the end. Watching from the road above we clap too.

Seems to be set up for medieval battle reenactment.

The number of cyclists out for the day is increasing and we come across several groups now, some on e-bikes being guided on the route. No doubt this will become popular over summer.

A number of these enormous piles turn up along the trail.

We decide to skip Chateauneuf by taking a small road from St Simon to cut out some of the river trail. This takes us up quite a high hill at Vibrac to with wonderful views over the local countryside. We climbed high to a plateau and dropped down to regain the Flow Velo trail.

Back to the river we find signs to Angouleme and head downhill to the river.

At Trois-Palis we find this beautiful Church from the 12 century. The sculptures around the entrance are still wonderfully detailed.

Back on the river trail at Sireuil we have 5 kilometres before Angouleme. It’s a little rough in places because of recent rain, but pretty good generally. The best part is that as soon as we reach the right bridge, we cross and there is Apart City. For once we’re not having to hunt about. The building is a beautiful old monastery with distinctive curved window surrounds. The receptionist is excellent and stores our bikes in the conference room. A walk to the supermarket sorts out food and a small Bordeaux ensures a relaxing evening .

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 963 km (598 miles)

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Mary HutchingThe countryside looks more interesting than all that flat land.
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