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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071 |
15th August 2016 Mt. Biking: circuit Lac de St. Pardoux Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: 25 mph (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 20 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Tuesday 13th September – Relax, skinny dip x 2 Not the most comfortable night as I have really aggravated my back again:( It is also very hot! We had a rare treat virtually as soon as we woke up. Mag got out of the van, heard a noise and looked up and there was an enormous hot air balloon in the style of a ladybird really low and basically just above our heads!! The dozen or so people in the huge basket were waving and bonjouring and I was trying desperately to find my shorts!!! We watched them fly even lower right over the water, the pilot was obviously really showing off and giving his passengers the time of their lives:) It is a glorious still morning and perfect for ballooning. They landed just over the river behind some trees. As we were eating our breakfast we had another treat, an osprey diving into the river hunting for his breakfast! We packed up the van ready to move on and turned the key – nothing!! The battery was flat. That’s what we get for staying two nights in the same spot without running the engine for a while on day one!! We made ourselves comfy and hoped the two solar panels would work their magic (they have done it for us before) but no and after having some lunch and still no luck on turning the key we decided something more was needed. I asked a fisherman who had just turned up if he had jump leads but he didn’t so I walked up to the equestrian centre and asked firstly the blacksmith but he didn’t have any and then a young lady from the stables. She was really trying to help and searched for some she thought she had but nothing appeared:( I walked back to the van, attached the tow eye and rope to the van and asked the fisherman if he would give us a tow as he was just about to move along the bank a bit in his 4 x 4 car. He was very happy to help and after only a few yards, voila, we were up and running again. We thanked him profusely and he waved us off before finding another hopeful swim to fish in. We drove the long way round to Blois to do some shopping because we are basically out of everything including water to drink and fill our tanks. We weren’t sure whether there would be a Lidl or not but we hadn’t got far into the town before the magic blue and yellow sign came into view:) We stocked up and rode around Blois until we found a small supermarket to get fresh milk – Lidl just don’t do it unfortunately! Then we found a tap in a picnic area on the edge of town heading back to our original parking place so were able to fill all our tanks. It was too late in the day to move away to find somewhere new so we returned to our perfect spot by the river, read, dozed and I had my second skinny dip of the day making sure I did lots of splashing to keep those rumoured ankle biting fish away!! As the very hot day (38 degrees!) started to cool off we sat outside playing the first of our Phase 10 tournament (I won!) until the sun set. A young family arrived and the Dad took the little boy in paddling and they were throwing stones just as the frogs started their nightly sing song!! Mag had just said I wonder if there will be any more balloons as it is still so still and then looked along the river and there were 2!! We watched them go down and then a paramotor appeared and flew over us and the river before flying back up the other bank. What a lot to see without going anywhere – well apart from the shop!! We had another game of cards playing half before tea and half after (Mag won that one) We ran the engine for 10 minutes, turned on Mag’s small office fan and shut all the doors and windows – if we have them open once the light goes on we are inundated with literally thousands of tiny flies and beautiful lace wings which commit suicide in our sink!! There are hundreds more trying to get in and sticking themselves to the muslin we hang in the door as a mozzy net. We couldn’t face all that carnage again tonight so shut them out!! Wednesday 14th September – Travel, cloudy and rain A cloudy start with one balloon in the distance and a busy kingfisher for entertainment. I didn’t do my exercises because my back is giving me quite a bit of trouble :( It clouded up all the time we were eating breakfast and packing up. I was tempted to canoe but as it was a dodgy day weather wise, and we have explored this stretch of river over the last few days and my back playing up we decided not to bother and left the Loire via Chambord Chateau. It isn’t far and you can drive past and see it but if you want to park it will cost 11 euros!! The front was full of heavy plant digging it all up and there was scaffolding up too so even if we were tempted to look round it wouldn’t be on this trip. Maybe we will come back and cycle from our spot on the river one day. Drove down towards Chateauroux and the free motorway past lots more chateaux. Nothing tempting enough to stop. Saw more deer in the fields and some buzzards. When we got to the motorway it was absolutely pouring with rain. We stopped at an aire for lunch and texted our friend Jace to see if they were free but it is Mia’s birthday so they are out for the day. We went on to Lac St. Pardoux which isn’t far along the motorway from their turn off and were pleased to get off the road because the rain was coming down so fast it was hard to see where you were going especially with the spray coming off the lorries. We drove round to see where we wanted to stop and past where we stayed the last time we were here 5 years ago. We went to the village of St. Pardoux and visited the tourist information where the lady told us it was going to rain until Saturday!!! We found a good place to park overlooking the lake and on pretty firm ground but a few yards around a narrow path there was a good secluded spot I fancied but it wasn’t a good start when a tricky manoeuvre resulted in me reversing into a concrete litter bin breaking the bike light board!! The rain got lots worse so after tea we moved to the original spot fearing we would get stuck. It isn’t as if we could have enjoyed the secluded spot because the weather is just foul. I think it is pretty wide spread and covers this area and down to the Dordogne which is where we will be heading tomorrow. All quite depressing and we are a bit fed up :( Mag checked the weather on her phone and it doesn’t look half as bad so feeling a bit better now!! Thursday 15th September – bike ***** circuit Lac de St. Pardoux – 20 miles, 25mph out 7 hours 10 minutes – sunny periods A really pleasant surprise, it is a nice day!! The lesson to be learnt here is never ask for information about the weather because the fact the woman in tourist information yesterday told us it was going to rain until Saturday was quite depressing!! Our intention was to move off as soon as we had had our breakfast but as the early cloud disappeared leaving blue skies we decided to get the bikes off and bike around Lac de St. Pardoux. According to our map there is a walking path which takes you around the edge and is 24km long. The actual bike path only leads from the sailing club to the village and is disappointingly short. We didn’t pack any lunch because we didn’t think we would be very long. We set off on what was to become our toughest mountain bike trail yet!! Due to the rain yesterday the tree roots were a bit wet and that worried Mag because she assumed her front wheel would be sliding off all over the place but in reality it wasn’t too bad. Certainly not as muddy as we expected. We went wrong quite soon because we followed the cycle path up into the village of Freaudour which was very quaint but wasn’t the right way for the footpath. We went back down the hill and found the right path and carried on round the edge, soon coming to a small bridge over to a tiny island :) It was really lovely and we were able to go over to the other side very quickly. We did come a bit unstuck here as I stayed on the island to take photos and Mag thought I had gone so went back across the bridge and followed the path. It took us a while to meet up but we did so that was fine. Carried on and did see some mountain bike signs so it is a dual footpath/bike path which made us feel better although the only people we saw on these paths were 2 other mountain bikers! Came to the proper bike path and branched off past where we stayed last time onto another finger of the lake. This part took us ages! We were bumping over many branches and rocks and at times felt we were going up dried waterfalls! We also went round a farm with beautiful Limosin cows :) Unfortunately Mag got a puncture in her back wheel just as we were coming to the end of this finger of the lake so we spun her wheel and pumped it up hoping that the slime (which has been in there 2 years!!) would hold up. A short while later we arrived at the Site de Santrop which is where the sailing club is. It is having a major overhaul so lots of building work going on on part of the site. Mag’s tyre had gone down again by this point :( I decided to mend it properly and got the trusty kit out only to find there was no glue in it!!! We had biked exactly 10 miles but luckily it was only a short cut back on the bike path to the van so after trying and failing to get some glue from a handy camper van with bikes on, I set off back the mile and a half to the van leaving Mag sitting by the lake on a picnic bench. I got the glue, some cheese and crackers, tomatoes and a chocolate bar as we were starving and estimated we were only half way round the lake!! Biked back and mended the puncture and ate the delicious cheese etc.. Off we go again and the paths didn’t get any easier!! It was a lot more of the same, very beautiful though and we went past a pretty mill at Chabannes and had to take the bikes up a special flight of steps with a running board up the side to wheel them :) On again and through another site set up for many activities with a little beach and although it was all closed there were several tents. We then cycled through a gorgeous village, Villebert, where Mag made a fuss of a kitten who was meowing pitifully outside a very pretty house. We thought we must be nearly back but no it was a long way along this bank and Mag’s tyre went down twice more :( We were lucky that it got us back by just pumping it up because when I started to repair it again the patch hadn’t stuck at all! When we reached the dam at the end of the lake it was only a short track taking us away from the lake side before we saw the van just past the Site de Freaudour where again there are activities and camp sites. Phew 17.6 miles nearly all of it with great lake views, plus my emergency dash to the van! Pedalling for 4 hours and out for over 7!! My back is amazinly not too bad considering!! Had another go at Mags tyre and it went down yet again! I think we need to get a new repair kit because the glue is rubbish although it has hopefully held at the final attempt !! We didn’t have long outside before it started to get dark so in for a quick tea of cheese and potato pie :) |
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