Puivert to La Bastidè-de-Serou

September 26, 2024

I slept poorly last night. Usually, WarmShowers homestays involve some interest in conversation or cultural exchange. I'm up early and ready to start rolling by 8am. Maurice's friend, Christophe, comes by in the morning for coffee and we talk a bit about cycle touring. Christophe and Maurice wave me off, and I set a route for a grocery store about 20 minutes away. There, I grab a few spinach and goat cheese pastries for breakfast. I feel comfortable leaving my bike outside, even unlocked. Anything under 10 minutes, I don't use the cable lock. If I'm at a morning market, the lock is being threaded through my frame and rear wheel and something bolted down.

Starting a ride early feels amazing. I was sailing. The air is cool and crisp as clouds obscure the sun. Before long, the clouds start to look sketchy. Here's a progression of the morning.

A Frenchman on a Trek Madone pulls up beside me. We start chatting and he seems surprised that I'm riding by myself as he asks about my plans. I tell him I'm heading to Pays Basque. In the last few days, I've been thinking about whether I should obscure that I'm touring by myself. We somehow end up talking about American politics (seriously, this always happens as soon as they find out I've worked in the US), and I can't help but nod solemnly as he tells me everyone is paying attention to the upcoming election. He warns me about my personal safety, telling me to be careful of people who might want to do me harm as a solo female cyclist. I can't help but wonder -- who? Who should I be afraid of? The Gisèle Pelicot case is still on my mind.

The road turns into nice rolling climbs, and the two of us take turns pulling. He's keeping a good pace, and so do I. My right hand starts feeling numb from the effort. Before I know it, he indicates that he's pulling off to return home. He points me to the road straight ahead, and wishes me a good tour.

I'm on my own for maybe fifteen minutes before it starts raining. I feel my entire backside getting wet from the spray. Note to self, research a rear mudguard on future tours. It's not that cold, but I know I can't make it to my planned destination. I feel water sloshing around in my shoe. I pull over under a tree, and start looking for hotels. I find a chambre d'hôte 11km away, and call ahead. At 130€, it's the most expensive place I'll have stayed at so far, but I can't go 35km more in this weather. Oh, how sweet the moment when I finally pull into the drive.

I'm soaked through. The hosts, a married couple Anne-Marie and Michel, welcome me and I walk through their beautiful home. The woodwork is incredible. The furniture is sublime. It feels like I'm walking through a museum. My wet socks are slopping along the cool stone floor. Michel hunts, and there are various animal heads mounted on the walls. I take a scaldingly hot shower, reveling in the blast of the water pressure. Anne-Marie takes my muddy clothes to the laundry (thank you). I took their smallest, cheapest room, but this place is still huge. After drying my hair, Anne-Marie offers to drive me to the store to buy food. I gratefully accept. After a quick shop, I return to my room and curl under the covers.

At 6pm, I wake up from my nap. Riding through rain really took it out of me. I waddle upstairs to eat. Alone in the dining room, I feel like I'm on the set of a period drama.

After my dinner, I am stopped for an evening chat in the living room. They tell me about their love story (work) and how they ended up owning this chateau. Anne-Marie does everything inside the house, and Michel takes care of the grounds. Then it tailspins. They, mostly led by Michel, express several political opinions. The problems of France caused by North African migrants, "yellow" immigrants being the "good ones," why I don't have children, etc. I must say, I'm taken aback and rather uncomfortable. We're strangers and I'm a paying guest at their establishment. This is not how I want to spend my evening. After basically being talked at for an hour, I retire to my room.

Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 995 km (618 miles)

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