Days 15 to 17 2017

            Did I beat myself up today!  These were the double days of the legendary Bear Bryant.  These are the hot days of August times 10.

            In Guer, the energetic young lady at the desk mapped out a ride to Martigne.  Halfway I was very concerned about the battery.  The clerk at the Intermarche graciously set up the charger and the battery in her office.   It was a wise move since the climbs had depleted 75% of the power

            While I lunched and napped the battery came back to life.  I was off under a cloudless sky. Today, Brother Wind enlisted the help of Brother Sun with temperatures soaring into the high 80’s and low 90’s.  Together they pulled out all stops!

            Taking Aaron’s advice I hydrated and refueled often, towards the end of the trek every 3 or 4 miles.  By the time I made Martigne-Ferchaud I felt like one of those 40 mules pulling a Borax wagon in the Mojave Desert.  After paying the bill I collapsed at my site.  An hour later I struggled into the shower to rinse off the day.

            Fortunately, I kept moving because I was the last person allowed entry into the Intermarche.  I bought a delicious salmon concoction and a Guinness.

            For some reason heading back to Niort the trip becomes linear.  I really wanted to spend a night in the Abbey in Solesmes but now that is not possible.  The distance lost on Sunday cannot be made up.

            Instead I will cut the corner from Daon to Gennes and then from Gennes to the home of Jean-Louis in St. Generoux.

            There were numerous trucks on the road today.  The really scary behemoths pull two trailers.  Just as you exhale a sigh of relief the second section sweeps by. 

            I stopped twice to recharge the battery, part of my paranoia.  The first time was in a bar that cost a beer and the second time in a church.  Like on an Easter egg hunt I explored every nook and cranny in the church before finding a live plug near the organ.  I rested on the cool stone floor and napped for an hour as the battery built up a charge.

            Much of the battery is mental.  Will there be power at the end of day?  I will seriously consider buying a back up battery for next year.  

            Once again the two Brothers worked overtime trying their best to defeat this ageless warrior.  I did pull into port an hour earlier that left my brain only slightly scrambled.

            In the distance there is the sound of thunder or it could be the large lorries lumbering over the nearby bridge.  Although physically depleted I wisely setup the tent and put everything inside.  Within minutes the edge of the storm hit.  Giant drops of rain pelted the tent.  Then it was pulled off stage like an errant act in a minstrel show.  The air felt like wet laundry.

            The 17^th day was the hottest so far, nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius.  I took my noon break in Seicles.  The church was open and there was a live plug.  While the battery recharged I pedaled the town and found a grocery store.  The lady manager had finished rolling up the shutters but she kindly reopened.  I bought a delicious beef dish and a cold beer. 

            The camping was in the cute town of Gennes lying next to the Loire River.  I had stayed here four years ago.  The famous Loire Valley filled with many charming chateaus lies east of Gennes.  I took a swim in the Loire and was surprised how warm the water was.  The current was very strong and I had to be careful not to be swept downstream.  Later I discovered that swimming is “strictly” forbidden in the Loire because of the danger.

            I found dinner at a Super U.  The menu was a spectacularly tasteful chicken stew, a carrot salad, and a beer made by monks. 

            A Dutch couple from Amsterdam set up camp across the road.  The husband came over and offered wine.  They had picked up lentil soup at the same Super U.  They are both doctors and have two children.  They are touring along the length of the Loire from east to west. 

She also enjoyed long distance ice-skating.  Biking and skating, you cannot be more Dutch than that!  Last winter she suffered nerve damage in her lower right leg after a particularly arduous skate.  For this bike trip, she had bought an electric bike to compensate for her leg.  They are both in their middle 50’s and do about 50 km each day.  Sadly, having not recovered from the effects of the day, I had to excuse myself after an hour or so of conversation.  Oddly, full recovery comes about 2 in the morning shortly after my legs and feet finish cramping.

I hope that Aaron comes next year.  I would like to go to restaurants for an evening meal.  Eating alone in a restaurant causes a feeling of loneliness.  And with my electric wheel I could actually keep up with the magnificently conditioned Aaron!   

Much joy!!!

Hardy