There are worse riding surfaces than grass. |
I depart Poitiers, on my own route along minor roads, it mostly works well although sometimes a minor road on the map turns out to be a dirt track on the ground. Not terribly exciting mind, although there is exciting weather, it becomes clear I am heading towards a massive thunderstorm. I manage to skirt the worst of it, and hit some fine scenery at Verteuil-sur-Charente, with its mills and château. From here it is a short ride down the river to Mansle, where I camp and enjoy a proper four course meal.
Verteuil-sur-Charente. |
I decide to stay a day in Mansle, it's a nice spot by the river and I have just done eight days on the trot. Shame it rains pretty much all day, still I guess hanging around the campsite beats riding through it.
Sadly next day that is what I have to do, the weather is not letting up. It's nice enough country, I continue along the Charente, crossing it several times - in this area, the river divides into as many as six or more arms, I ride over a lot of bridges. The water looks high, unsurprising as it just keeps getting wetter, I am soaked by the time I reach Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde, where things just get worse. My poor old tent pole, repaired many times, just disintegrates, I guess fatigue, or else the sheer weight of water is too much for it.
Mansle. |
The campsite warden says I can sleep in the toilet block, yay, well I have slept in worse places. I find a bar to drown my sorrows in, me and a few elderly French people. The local paper has 'vineyards count the cost of exceptional storms' on the cover.
At least it is a short way from here to Bordeaux, and by some miracle the rain holds off. I check into a cheap 'Formule 1' hotel in an industrial estate, it has a somewhat custodial air, but it's a bed at least. The nearby Decathlon doesn't have a pole of the right size, but they suggest a bigger store near the airport which I'll be passing tomorrow. If all else fails I will just buy a new tent...
Last pitch of the tent before the pole disintegrated. |
Photos to go with this post can be found here.