They awoke to fog and found that dew had made the tents and gear wet.
Pierre had slept well but Joe had found it difficult to get to sleep. It was a
hot night, there were trains running nearby and there was a late party on the
bank opposite – at 2 am, Joe heard the strains of “Happy Birthday”! He didn’t join in.
Grateful for the cooler air, which was due to the fog, they went into
town for croissants and found the streets covered in dead insects from the previous night – it was like
a covering of snow.
They headed back on the tow path and it was a joy to ride
along - flat, well maintained, with
fabulous views along the water and along the banks. They even passed a garden with a statue of a
bear in it. There was shade, trees, cool air and a nice path – definitely one
of their best cycle rides.
Mindful that it would be hard to find anywhere open to eat
on Sunday evening, they opted for a larger meal at lunchtime and stopped at Le
Mas D'Agenais, after 32 Kms. Confit de canard for Joe and steak and chips for Pierre, washed
down with two panaches each and two carafes of water. It was getting hotter,
and they were grateful for the shade of a market cover in the town.
They met up with two other people who had been at the same
campsite the night before – two dutch cyclists who were also travelling along
beside the water.
As they travelled along again, it continued to get hotter
and there was less shade as the trees thinned out. On the path, there were a
few trees roots but these had been painted red so they could be easily seen.
They stopped for a panache at a canalside bar and topped up their liquid. There
were lots of boats moving slowly along the canal so they overtook them
easily - a nice change from tractors. People
were very friendly, waving and saying “Bonjour”.
It got very hot but it was still flat and they had to get
the kilometres under their belts. They had to go into Agen as there was no way
over the water except by the bridge there. The canal went high above the river
and as they entered Agen there were lots of walkers sharing the tow path. They
then had to take a busy major road on their way to Colayrac Saint Cirq and
then it was onto the campsite, which was in the middle of the countryside.
When they got to the campsite, as it was the end of the
season, most facilities were closed. They were aware of this when the booking
was made but had hoped that the hot weather would mean that some would still be
open. The pools were closed, the bar was closed, the shop was closed and the
snack bar closed. There were no restaurants, bars or cafes open nearby. They got the tents up, and managed to charge their phones and
devices thanks to other campers who had electricity.
Joe and Pierre went back to the campsite hosts to see if it
were possible to buy anything at all to eat or drink. They took pity on them
and sold them a chilled bottle of rose and some chips- Joe and Pierre were very
grateful for this. Another two bottles
of rose were purchased and armed with two borrowed chairs and a small table,
they headed back to their tents to relax. A better day, and another 89 kms
down.
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