2nd of August we started really slow and enjoyed the silence within the 15th century rock walls. We had our sandwiches as breakfast in our pyjamas in the sunshine in front of the tower.
As the last days were completely charged with fixing the bikes and regaining distance we needed some good sleep. To exchange some updates, I called my dad as I had no chance to write on my journal blog. He had sad news for us as he knew already that one of our best friends had passed away this morning. It turns your mind-set in a complete different direction and the thoughts were with him and the widow.
By 11:00 were supposed to leave our room and had everything packed 15 minutes late. But when we got on our bikes and started the family blew the horn and waved a white tablecloth like they were supporting Team “Less-is-more-Tour” for the Tour de France. We still had a look at their watermill down by the river and the island which gave the name to their castle.
We were just back on the road again when Robert was already ahead of me and I discovered my back tire had lost air.
So here we were back again with family Camus la Guèrnière where I pumped up my bicycle tube discussing whether we take the risk to continue or check at the next bike shop. Laurent offered us to put the bikes on his trailer and drive us to the next bike shop in Le Blanc. But that wouldn’t open until 2:00 pm in the afternoon as it was already noon. So we were invited for lunch with the family and were spoiled again with a three course menu.
We discussed the renovation of the mill as a second holiday house to be rented out. Anne-Pascale was not convinced to install a kitchen on the ground floor as it would be flooded by the river every year during winter. I proposed them either to put an old construction trailer outside the building as a kitchen in the garden to be able to move it away in winter, or to have a container kitchen on wheels, which can be stored somewhere else during the winter time. Just some architect’s input which released a domino effect of creative ideas like suspended kitchens and so on.
After lunch we drove with the trailer to the shop “Cycle et Sport” in Le Blanc but unfortunately he didn’t have the tire in the right size. He checked the actual pressure of the tube and said he would run the risk to drive on with it because it didn’t lose a lot of air within the last two hours.
I was a bit tense with the idea because tomorrow would be Sunday and no shop would be open but I had no choice.
So we thanked Laurent for his incredible help and started our tour late at 3:00 pm on an ancient railway line which would accompany us during the whole day on our way to Poitiers. It was in the most excellent state as it was recently turned into a bike trail. Next stop at the UNESCO world heritage site of the Abbey de Saint Savin, which is called to be like the Sistine Chapel of the Romanic age. The Buildings of the monks and their rooms is turned into a museum and the Basilica is renovated at a very high level. It was a beautiful place to light a candle for our friend.
We only found something to eat in a little shop to take away and followed the old railway again further west. Next surprise was Chauvigny by the river Venant which had a beautiful castle, church and ruins on a hilltop above a parc with mirroring ponds. We have never been so late still on tour with our bikes and the sun was setting already above the sunflower fields. I was tempted to take a picture of us in the sunflowers like on the Kruder & Dorfmeister Album cover of “The K&D Sessions”. And there I was back with a new tune in my ear: “Echoing my mind”. We arrived in Poitiers during dusk where the skyline of the cathedral and churches showed its silhouette. Robert chose a hotel downtown to be at ease and find some good sleep after a long day.
