Raindrops are Falling
France Stage 03 – Saint-Mammès to Montargis 56 Km (Mon 11 June 2018)
Weather: 16⁰C min – 21⁰C max, overcast, rain showers
“Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.” ~ Dale Carnegie
Surely not rain I could hear falling on the roof when I awoke this morning! Bring back the fog! Never mind, the show must go on.
My one night stay in Saint-Mammes was less than memorable. Last night, being Sunday, the only food place open in this tiny town was a takeaway pizza shop. If I had known how unappealing Saint-Mammes is, I would have ridden an extra 20 Km to the neat and tidy town of Nemours, where I treated myself this morning to a pain-au-raisin and cafe-au-lait at a good boulangerie-patisserie. Pastries and breads in France are irresistible!
Steady rain was falling when I left Saint-Mammes, but thanks to my chilli-red Madigan rain jacket I managed to stay warm and dry (at least my top half). Just as well I used the wet lubrication when I oiled my chain last night.
Unlike yesterday, the road surface today was perfect. Having given my bicycle a thorough clean and service yesterday (and given that it is raining) I was determined to avoid dirt tracks today, so I changed my route to follow the D40 (a good secondary road that had only moderate traffic) with the result that I enjoyed excellent riding conditions in spite of the weather.
Following the road rather than Les Route de Pèlerins was a good move, particularly as I passed through beautiful green countryside and typically French villages like the ones you see when watching Le Tour de France. Wild roses and honeysuckle shrubs even formed a hedge beside the roadway at one stage.
The sun, which has been very shy since I arrived in France, made a brief cameo appearance for a while before retreating behind the clouds again. At least the rain had stopped, so I enjoyed rolling along on the smooth road through the lovely country.
Did I say the rain had stopped? Not for long I am sad to say, becoming quite heavy for the last 10 Km. Then just as I arrived at my destination the rain ceased again.
It is stunning towns like Montargis, where I am staying tonight, that make France so appealing for bicycle touring. Montargis is such a pretty town it is easy to understand why it boasts four flowers (the maximum award) on its ville fleurie welcome sign. Out of 12,000 awarded cities, towns and villages, only 226 of them have four flowers.
The other reason I have fallen in love with Montargis is the number and variety of reasonable restaurants. Unlike last night, my choice won’t be restricted to takeaway pizza!
Gorgeously vivid flowers & a charming-looking town. You must be sick of riding in the rain though – fingers crossed for clear skies ahead!
Pink roses seem to be in vogue in these parts, so it is a nice change when I see something else like hollyhocks.