This week’s on this day post comes from the 23rd-June-2008, and I’m on my first ever long-distance ride. And the start of my cycling adventures.
Monday 23rd June 2008 Lacanau to Rochefort. 97 miles.
More boring straight roads through the pine forests of Aquitaine this morning! But thankfully, by midday, I was out of them and had reached the ferry at Pointe de Grave.
I never thought I’d say it, but yay, roads with hills! I’ve had enough of those pine forests and their long straight roads that seemed to go on forever. Although, at one point, when I rode through the pretty village of Brouage this afternoon. I wished I was back on the smooth roads and pine forests of Aquitaine. Brouage’s streets were old-fashioned cobbles! Which, after having already cycled eighty miles, hurt. However, it was a very picturesque and pretty village, full of tourists, unfortunately.
One More Hurdle
Before reaching my campsite in Rochefort tonight, I had to cross the river Charente, but the road I was on led to a bridge, which was out of bounds to bicycles. Well, that’s a bit stupid, I thought. They could have had a sign further back telling me so. Now I faced going back on myself and taking a big detour inland. I did consider making a mad dash across the bridge but thought twice about it. Luckily though, after looking at the map a little closer, I found another road. Which I assumed was the old road. I didn’t really know. But I decided to follow it and see where it led. What a good move that was. It led to an old cable transporter, which was something new to me. I’d never seen anything like it before, but as long as it got me across the river, I didn’t care. The cable transporter was a flat platform suspended by long cables from a lattice bridge above and only took foot passengers and bicycles. It may have taken cars in the past. I don’t know.
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