Day 6: Barbezieux to St Foy

Another long day finds us near St Foy in the Bergerac region. At lunch, after a steep forest climb, Mike claims to be king of the mountains, which led to feverish mechanical adjustments by James to sort out his slipping gears and chain. Mike and Jeff went swimming in a lake, popular with locals as an alternative beach resort. Poor James swims out to the other side of the lake after reports from Mike and Jeff that there is a nudist section beyond the pedalo's. On returning, James, who doesn't even like swimming, uses a word very similar to 'Bustards'. Jeff claims a disputed King of the Mountains climb after Mike gets off to walk with James whose chain is still slipping. Jeff rubs it in by attempting to record the uphill trudge of the old comrades on his blackberry, but the blogability of the clip is ruined by a tirade of highly personal/offensive/funny language from Mike and James.

On the way to the campsite we were finally attacked by a rabid dog, which Jeff dodged, left James to hit with his pump and Mike to stare down and kick. jeff has been traumatised by a dog attack in his youth, which every dog in France brings back by charging at us along the length of their gardens and chains. At one point we're climbing uphill and see a rhodesian ridgeback going nuts inside its fence and as we approach the gate...it's wide open. We all try a Mark Cavendish sprint uphill but the dog has a tag which gives it an electric shock if it tries to get past the entrance. Big relief all round.

We also visited a cave where we bought, after much debate, a bottle of fine wine for £3.

We finally arrived at the campsite at seven pm, and being unable to face Jeff's beanfeast, tried out campsite frites, fish, steak, apple pie and of course water.

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Lezay to Barbezieux

Really early start today - 6.30 - to avoid late afternoon heat. Great ride through sunflower fields and vineyards, flattening out towards the beautiful old town of Cognac. Lunched and rested up during max. Daytime temperature of 37 c. Decided to push on after an eccentric Italian widower called Melody accosted us for an hour by the river, offering dinner and music in return for unspecified favours - probably from Jeff, as she thought Mike looked like an elephant in his flappy eared hat, and James looked like ET.

On a descent following a steepish climb out of Cognac Mike sees Jeff wobble wildly as a lorry passes too close. A few minutes he turns around to notice that James has disappeared. After a few minutes waiting, James appears over the top of a hill to explain that he'd actually been clipped on the panniers by the lorry and sent off the road into a wall. Unhurt but a bit p.....ed off that the driver hadn't stopped. Drivers are generally far more couteous and allow more space when overtaking in France, but not this time. James has more lives than a bagful of cats, which is just as well. Twenty odd miles later, we pitched up in Barbezieux, at a bizarre campsite peopled by us, a bunch of French construction workers and a sweet Portugese couple. Poor Jeff is robbed of 42 euros by the ancient patron who runs the place, seemingly on his own. We later speculate that he'd charged us for camping at around 12 euros and then topped up the bill with three small beers, electricity supply and god know what else.

74 miles and 75 swipes of greasy factor 50 between us. Half way and all feeling pretty frazzled but positive.

Day 5: Lezay, Matha, Cognac, Barbezieux StHilarie

Early morning start across the sun flower fields and fine sunshine finds us in Matha. About 20 km to Cognac now for coffee.



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Day 4. The King of the Mountains

Here lies the king of the mountains, destroyed by St Maxien to Lezay. Mike says his chain fell off, which started his troubles. James says it was the Heineken he put in Mikes bag. We actually had a can each in a shaded area of a public park to celebrate a stretch of continuous climbing in 28c mid afternoon heat, before heading off to Jeff's sister's gite for the night. A good chance to wash clothes, watch the end of a TDF stage and sleep in a comfortable bed. A neighbour, Bobbi,
provided us with chicken legs (sorry James) and a glass of wine later on, giving us her insights on life as an expat in a small rural community. It all sounds a little like the wild west, in that you're either in with the mayor or you're run out of town. A friend of hers had left the village after her spaniels had, in a high spirited moment, torn the Mayors cat to pieces.


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Day 4. Breissure to Lezay

Early start and some fine roads gets almost to the end of day 4 distance. Blue skies, no wind and not too hot (yet).


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Day 3 - Ancenis to Breissure 197 miles down

Another sixty miles see us in Breissure - long hard day cycling in the sun, capped by a long 'pull' by Mike who is keen to make amends for the washing line incident yesterday. Jeff has identified a fine campsite with swimming pool. Medmen stripped off and went for a well earned swim, once James had worked out the child lock to the pool gate. James then demonstrated his fine swimming style - and underwater expertise.

On the way we have seen our first vines, plus various pear trees, walnuts, apricot and kumquats. We've also seen a James Pennyalike builder in a little rural village - that's him on the roof. Typical Pennyesque lack of regard for personal safety. James responded to Mike's dare to squirt Jeff - the Dad of the trip - with his bidon, energetically and Jeff, after an initial period of shock, responded with gusto. Bus-stops were a great way to get out of the mid afternoon heat and drink/snack/rest a while.

The english camp-site owner, Rob, seeing our T shirts, offers a free pitch and some excellent restaurant advice. Its a mile or so into Breissure, but we're glad to stretch legs walking for a change and keen to skip our habitual pasta and sauce feast. Mike likes the hand painted signage and is drawn to a retail concept not often seen on the UK hightstreet: wool and knives. fed up with knitting? How about stabbing something?































We then had dinner in town, french frites and steak (fish for James). Jeff and James were keen on Pizza, but Mike persuades them to opt for the traditional French menu, complete with frogs legs and snails - which James would rather die than eat. Novel toilet, with a seat covered in cling film which rotates round when you flush. In France its either 21st century mega hygiene or the opposite, with no seats or loo roll.

We stayed at this campsite for free in aid of the charity run - highly recommended.
http://www.puyrondcamping.com/


Donate to www.justgiving.com/medmen


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Lesser spotted medmen

Sunday morning and the medmen are up and ready to go. Hopefully we will miss the mid-day sun!

Another 60 miles today.

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