By yesterday evening, we were a bit shattered and just exhausted from the heat, which has been merciless. Even last night’s storm didn’t do much to clear the air, and there wasn’t enough rain to even think about wetting the dust.
It was only when we started chatting about how tired we were, that we realised we had cycled an average of 93km per day for 4 days, in brutal heat, carrying a lot of weight too. We had also had 3 days with over 800m of climbing during the rides. Is it any wonder we’re a bit tired.
At home we tend to ride 50-70km at a time, without carrying any panniers or weight, so to go straight to much longer rides, carrying tent, beds etc, was always going to be a bit tough.
That said, it has been really lovely to date, and we have pedalled through some beautiful countryside and visited some picturesque villages too, and we have already maked places on the map, to return to, in the future.
I think we were asleep, before our heads hit the pillow last night, and we woke to the sound of the birds, just before 6, this morning. We had decided to get going early, as even though we would be riding about 15 km less today, we still wanted to get it done by lunchtime, and also wanted to slow down a bit too.
We’re getting rather proficient at packing down the tent and oading the bikes, in silence, as we don’t want to disturb any other people on the sites. And by 6.20, we were on our way, out into the Brenne National Park.
It was another spectacular sunrise, and the long grasses shimmered in the golden light of the new day’s first rays of sun.
The roads were shaded by the hedges and trees, and in places there were patches of damp, and even puddles, where it had obviously rained much harder than where we had been staying. And the air was filled with the scent of moist earth, and the sound of birdsong.
I know I mentioned it yesterday, but cycling with the rising sun is one of the most enjoyable times to be turning the pedals.
We followed the immaculate, straight and empty roads, cooled by the freshness of the dawn air, and listening to the birds. We pedalled past lakes filled with wildlife, and took a stop at one, with an observation hide.
We took a break, parking the bikes and making our way into the hide, where we were met by the sight of a lake filled with birds, the water rippling gently in the early morning breeze.
It was a stunning and gentle sight, as we watched a pair of Great Crested Grebes with their young…
And the ducks just sitting on stones, watching their world pass by. Its hard to drag ourselves away.
The morning just kept going well. We knew we had a shorter day’s ride, and would easily be at the camp site, we had chosen, on the banks of the Vienne river, by lunchtime. It was as if a weight had been lifted.
The roads we pottered along we stunning, passing through beautiful countryside, with gentle rolling hills and a wonderfully smooth rolling surface for our tyres too.
The sharp climbs of the last few days, were soon a distant memory, as we whizzed down hills gaining enough momentum to almost make it up the next.
The roads were heaven and we have marked the area, as one we’d love to return to in sunflower season, as at times, we were surrounded by fields (as far as the eye could see0, which were just starting to come into bud. In a couple of weeks time it will be incredible.
We passed through peaceful villages, arriving in one, which appeared to have welcomed the Tour de France last year, just as the boulangerie opened
We sat on a bench in the shade, at just after 8am, happy that we had already completed a third of the day’s ride, and feeling more relaxed than we have done, all trip.
We passed more Chateaux than we could count, from ones in small hamlets, in need of a bit of TLC
To the fairytale one at La Guerche, on the bank of the river Creuse
We stopped at a cafe in a small village for a cold drink, relishing being able to take it a little more slowly and having time just to sit and watch the world pass by. We had wanted to do so much more of this, but the hot weather has beaten us. The kind owner also refilled all our bottles with icy water too, which was bliss.
Cycling on, we pottered through Saint Remy sur Creuse, with a cliff face filled with troglodytic houses and shelters. It appeared out of nowhere, and was so different to anything else we had seen, before.
Reading up on the site later, it appears that the town was founded by Richard the Lionheart, as a tax-free place to live. Peasants moved there, upsetting other local Lords, who lost out as a result. The labyrinth of troglodytic shelters and tunnels was used by the villagers to hide away from French and British attacks, in the middle ages. Then, when life settled down and the town was absorbed into France, the shelters and the land in front of them were taken over by Hemp Producers and used to house the families and process the hemp for many years.
We have added this to our list of places to return to, as you can visit the caves on a tour, which would be fascinating.
Eventually though, we arrived at tonight’s site, on the banks of the River Vienne. After the early start and 80km of pedalling, we feel much fresher this evening.
That may have been helped by spending the afternoon, sitting under the shade of a weeping willow, and taking a cooling dip in the river too.
Tonight, we feel healthily exercised, and a little more relaxed, although having just seen the updated Canicule warning, placing all the area we are due to be pedalling through in a red ‘Danger to Life’ heat warning until Tuesday, we have some thinking to do.
We may be a bit mad, but we’re not stupid, and continuing to try to ride long distances in the predicted temperatures woudn’t be sensible at all.
Time for a bit of reflection, and a few decisions on what to do next. But t. Keep getting distracted by a visiting Hoopoe
Can today get any better?
Postcards from Provence and beyond 