PONS - 17-SEP

 

Today we headed west toward the Atlantic. It was the longest ride this trip at 37.1 miles. With the exception of at few short hills (topped out at 7.5% grade) it was relatively flat and straight. Heading south along the coast was a breeze which included a breezy head wind. Also a .8 mile unpaved section made for slow going.

Since we drove to the starting point we decided a quick detour to our local Boulanger was a must. Never know when we might get stranded so a fresh bread will sustain us. 

Our first Boulanger stop was overkill since we happened upon this one shortly after we started our ride. When a local is carrying a baguette it is a safe bet that a Boulanger is close at hand. A few French directions and wave of the hands is all we needed to find this place. 

While we were in the neighborhood a chocolate eclair for pastry insurance should we get to the coffee stop empty handed. As it turned out we left our planned Napolean in the fridge in the haste of our departure. 

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea. Actually this port is a long way from the actual ocean but a safe harbor for many boats. We will have to wait a bit for an actual ocean view. 

Cruising on by. Mr. Demille I am ready for my closeup.

Velo Route heading south along the coast. 

They say that grazing cows don't chase cyclists. We shall see. 

Hey Vache, did you see a guy go by on a red Trek bike? Moo means don't bother me while I am munching. Chasing cyclists is a waste of energy. 

Yes, that is a chocolate covered cream puff (chou à la crème) filled with mocha flavored cream. Yeah, we know the second one would have been better than the first but we settled for one pastry and two coffees. 

Always good to have an "I Love Monica Kleinman" hat.

Old style Michelin road sign for the D17 in the town we stopped for coffee. Happiness is finding the right spot in the right place at the right time along the ride. 

Resting my bike against some grape vines waiting for Kim to catch up.

 

Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, not far from where we are staying. It is made from either the Cognac or Pinot grape variety which is exclusive to vineyards in this area. After the distillation it is about 70% alcohol by volume but decreases to about 40% when transferred from oak barrel to glass bottle for consumption.  

Don't know if these are Pinot or Cognac grape variety.

Very old church in the town where we started our ride. 

There wasn't a plaque providing the history or date but appears very old.  

PONS - 16-SEP

 

Today is our first ride in Pons, west of the Dordogne stop and very close to the Atlantic coast. The terrain is very different with no climbs to speak of, just rolling hills of grape vines and other lesser crops. 

This 32 mile ride is Kim's delight: cool temperatures - check, overcast skies - check, flat roads - check,  predominately smooth pavement - check, few cars - check, coffee and pastry - check.

It is Saturday and still bird hunting season. Fortunately cyclist hunting season ended last month. Their bird dog did not get the message and chased us down the road. Kim got away. Good Kim! Good dog! 

We are used to seeing grape vines and corn fields but never planted side by side. 

One of the towns on Kim's route notes. Guess we must be going the right way. 

Market stall but no market day.

But a good place for a much needed bread break. 

Kim agrees.

A town between here and there. Guess we are still going the right way.

Hi, remember me. Wait up!

A Velo Route from times gone by. We agree it is a nice place for cycling. 

Passing over the A something or other. Great way to go when you want to get there. Cycling is for going slow with no special destination in mind. 

Any town named Chez whatever is worthy of a photo. I am sure it was the house of someone important and probably dead. 

The leaning tower but not sure if it was going up or just came down. 

The church of our ???? of ????. No shortage of churches in France.

The road taken. A beaten path not off the beaten path. It was smoothly paved at some point but only remnants remain. Fortunately our new 32 mm tires with only 65 PSI of pressure survived the challenge. 

Steep gravel covered downhill requires heavy braking and slow speed to stay upright. Not a fun place to take a spill and painful road rash. Got to love those disc brakes.

A sad end to such a beautiful flower. But worth the sacrifice to harvest the sunflower seeds - great in a salad or just by the handful. 

Back to Pons - home again, home again, jiggety jig.

It is not ideal to wait for our coffee stop at the end of the ride but nary a Tabac or Cafe along the route. Notice how well our Napolean survived the rugged ride. Kim has perfected her carrying techniques. 

Formerly "Donjon medieval de Pons" 
Okay, what gives?
It was built to house the passage of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Some modern pilgrims still walk the road but most drive or cycle their way to Spain. Smart, or just bypass it altogether. 

 

Our timing was spot on. Finished coffee in time to get here before the1300 (1 PM for normal folk) closing siesta time. 

Casted our left over bread from yesterday since we now had a fresh loaf. 
Did anyone say "Foie Gras?" - just kidding. 

These birds have survived bird hunting season for 1000 years. 

Back to our Moulin. The property was a centuries old abandoned grain mill converted into the family residence and three Gites spread over the expansive property. The water wheel needs renovation but is on the "to-do" list. 


It is Saturday night, date night, so dinner out. Our hosts recommended one of their favorite places only a short walk from the house, all up hill of course.

We ordered the carpaccio, salad, and pizza. Too much food for us lightweights so most of the pizza followed us home for tomorrow's lunch.

Good thing we did the uphill on the way there. Kim over ordered on the carafe of wine which was totally consumed. We overshot our first turn and had to walk back and consult Goggle Maps to confirm our path before starting down hill to the house. We were in no condition to climb one centimeter more than necessary. Stumbled our way home in time to squeeze in a quick desert before heading to bed. Sweet dreams.

PONS - 15-SEP

 

Today is transfer day as we relocate from Saint Julien in the Dordogne to Pons in the west near the Atlantic. 

"All our bags are packed and we are ready to go" (John Denver - jet plane optional). Everything fit into our SUV with room to spare for the groceries. 

Transfer days are tough because we pack the car, drive to the next location, replenish at the market, find the new house and unpack. Whew! 

Notice the essentials are wine and pastries. A perfect combination. 

Exit the market through these enormous rotating doors. Like other revolving doors you have to move ahead of the chasing door. 

Moulin is "mill". The entire property and buildings were a grain mill operated by a water wheel. Operations were ceased long ago and the dilapidated buildings deteriorated over time. The current owners are British ex-pats who moved here 17 years ago. Michael is in his 50's as we guess is Louise his wife; she has yet to appear. They live here with their daughter and two sons.  

The whole property is surrounded by water with the faint rush of water everywhere. Since the water is slow flowing lily pads flourish. This is our new home for the next 5 nights. 

Expansive weeping willow hangs over the water. 

Monet would feel right at home here. 

Perfect settling for an impressionist water color.

Must be a dam beyond this flat water. Guess you can boat along this section. Also saw someone fishing but not much worth catching.

We can get to this Boulanger through a back gate and over a narrow bridge. We took the road since I could not remember the way through the secret garden.  

A place like this so close to home would be hazardous to our health. Could not bike enough miles to offset the damage. 

Back home again through the iron gates and bridge over the stream,

A well deserved rest and sipping our favorite beverage. Long day but worth the energy. 

A home cooked gourmet dinner. Notice the unique shape of the wine bottle. Rose wine was not bad either.