Stunning views and pain killers !

After a lovely stay with Ludovic, Laure and family in their open plan hilltop chalet I pedaled West some more, well 60km more. Relentless hill climbing, mile after mile, half tempted to just start chucking things from the panniers like a struggling hot air balloon desperate to cling onto some altitude! Nothing sprang to mind but maybe the swearing parrot gifted by Jodi which is lodged in such a position that it squawks “Bugger off” or worse over every bump !

I’m beginning to get wise to the potential hazard of approaching dogs now, the worst generally being the ones behind garden fences, they’ll generally run the full length of the garden bearing their teeth, barking and growling wildly. Whereas the free range farm dogs are generally more used to passers by and just do a mad dash towards you, kicking up some dust and skidding to a firm holt at a comfortable distance off. Before every rural farm or homestead I now unclip my toes, select a good escape gear and be ready for a wild card dog, no lead, no fence and no qualms about attacking me ! Oh yeah, I’ve had a few with hidden chains too, normally very big and growly and always angry, those ones really do go for you, especially if they’re a bit deaf and only hear you as you pass them, thus shocking them in action. Chained up all their lives but seem to completely forget the fact as they scurry full pelt at me followed in quick succession by their chains whipping bar tight, choking them painfully into submission ! Everybody seems to have a dog around here in the foot hills of the Pyrenees.

I pedal through one beautiful village after another, low ones with stone bridges and rushing rivers and really high ones with Ancient Churches … the one thing they all have in common is no Bars for a sandwich and no shops for a snack. Well, some have a little shop but either it’s a Monday, or it’s lunchtime, or a random bank holiday, special third Wednesday, religious holiday, there are any number of reasons and sometimes no reason at all, it’s just shut !

Very few people in these sun baked villages, shutters closed and streets mostly empty but for the odd solitary old boy sat on a bench in the shade, breaking silence and throwing random thoughts out to other old boys on other shady benches…. And so they while away the day.
Finally I find a town with a Bar, several in fact, I pull up a shiny chrome seat, “Bar sport” under the shadow of the funeral directors. With baguette and Coke ordered I’m admiring a fine looking Harley, big fat one with a side car too, or “chair” as I think it would be called? The biker in question has just paid. Long hair, broad shoulders and gruff demeanour, he relights his rollie and reaches for his wheelchair … His lower body, leather clad but withered, hang helplessly as he lifts himself into his wheelchair and makes his way to the waiting Hog. Tucking into my Ham and Cheese Baguette I try not to watch, like trying not to watch the aftermath of a car accident. He’s even made special little running boards for his feet with straps ! watching, without staring as in turn he lashes his feet in place. With one last flick of his Zippo his sparks up his fag and the big twin in unison. Selecting a gear with the hand shift he’s away, safe in the knowledge his legs are firmly strapped in and not flailing about in the wind…

After making my way through a massive “Grotte”, or gorge through a mountain, which was pretty stunning if not a little hairy, dark and narrow ! I did get to try out my snazzy little LED flashing lights though.

So, only about 15 miles to go, I’m aching all over and wondering why I didn’t choose the canal route to Bordeaux ! But feeling happy to be on the days home run. Ipod on random I wind my way west at a steady 7 mph, which is shockingly slow but I recon my panniers must weigh 30kgs, plus all the other stuff on the bike too, also in first gear on the hills sometimes I’m doing about 3mph for a couple of hours at a time ! The going is slow and very tiring but at least I’m moving and it’s surprising how quickly the miles are adding up.

My knee is worrying, a motorcycle crash a few years ago has left it with a niggling pain but 5 hrs plus a day pedaling is now taking it’s toll. I’ve been soaking it with Arnica, popping painkillers and trying to pedal mostly with my left leg, which may sound impossible but with toe clips it kind of works quite well.

I arrived here at Rod and Lindas B&B as darkness fell last night and was watered and fed very well before retiring to bed … I woke up in the early hours under my laptop and realising I’d not taken my all important medication !

Thank you so much for all the kind donations, most recently, Sister Sam, not a holy one but a sister one! Jason the surfer (Roll on Morocco!), Charli "Big bangers" Bennet, Tresco Michelle and last but not least the Night riders ! The fund has now passed £1100 !!
Please keep watching and donating …

Kind regards, Justin.