PONS - 18-SEP

 

Today we are on a mission, or to be more precise a pilgrimage. Not to some religious site in Spain, but one of the most unique conveyances we have ever experienced. Our travels over the years have taken us across rivers on bridges and ferries, but never on a "Transporter Bridge" - or "Le Sire du Port Transpordeur".

To make the ride more civilized we drove about half way there. Originally we were planning a loop with the bridge location of Rochefort (Row - Fort) at the top of the ride. To make it even more civilized we decided an out and back along the same route was more sensible. 

After passing through many towns, large and small we came upon a very touristy medieval town with cobble stone streets - an uncomfortable ride. 

In addition to the cobbles was a rampart, and fragments of stone structures. 

Alan passing the corner of Walk and Don't Walk.

Guess my bike was going in the right direction. The D238E1 was key since we would have to pass this way again on our return.

Not to be outdone Kim knew the way as well. 

Yeah, we passed through Hiers-Brouage but never saw the cross. Oh well!

There it is, the main attraction beyond the new new bridge, which replaced the old new bridge in 1993.

Okay, time for an explanation.

Transporter bridges are a rare sighting, especially in France where this is the only one. There are eight remaining transporters in the world, all built between the 1890's and 1920's. There is a collective organization to get these relicts designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.  

After biking around we found the way to visitor's parking.

Time for an explanation. The bridge consists of two towers on opposite shores with a horizontal truss spanning across. 

A detailed explanation but in French. Oh well, we get the picture. 

Suspended by cables is a large platform to transport people, vehicles, and livestock from one side to the other. Why you might ask did they build this contraption? It turns out that a traditional ferry got bogged down at low tide. I am sure if the water was deep enough they would have avoided this unnecessary expense. Don't know if the other transport bridges were built for the same reason.

The platform does not go up and down, just rides on the overhead rails. The docks on both sides are the same height above the water as the platform. 

But first we need to purchase our tickets. Elsewhere in France ferries are free but not in such a tourist rich location. We purchased round trip tickets rather than bike around and cross the new new bridge. 

On our trip over we were the only passengers. 

The crossing only takes a few minutes and returns every ten to fifteen minutes. 

The operator has to watch out for boats along his path. Mostly barges but lots of pleasure craft during the summer tourist season. 

Mid stream and all clear. 

Patient travelers eagerly awaiting our arrival. Guess it will not be a private crossing on the way back. There was a group of three touring bikers, and a young man, a solo thru biker from New Zealand following the coastal Velo 1 route. He started up north and only arrived four days ago. Miles to go as he heads to Provence then up to Switzerland along the Rhone.   

The ride home was a bit more challenging since we did not have a GPS route to follow. Kim the navigator was able to find all our roads in reverse order. Only one wrong turn but easily corrected and back on track. The car was just where we left it in Saint Just Luzac.

A Great Adventure!

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.