Where in the world is David today? Still in Maisons-Laffitte

Well, this is later than promised, but that's a good thing. It means I am quite relaxed!

I shan't repeat what I've already said, but here's a little more about yesterday. Clearly the previous day riding from Lille to Amiens in the heat and with lots of climbing had taken more out of me than I had realised. I am beginning to realise that it is hard to charge yourself up for a full day of cycling on a French breakfast. One man can only eat a certain quantity of brioche without choking, and a big bowl of porridge with dried fruit and a couple of bananas would get me off to a much better start. Consequently, fatigue can set in much more quickly than normal, especially in such heat. Yesterday didn't even start out cool - I set off at 8.30am and it was already pretty warm. So, I need to take note of all that and find ways of enhancing breakfast, e.g. buy some dried fruit and bananas the day before to munch on.

My route yesterday began by heading south out of Amiens along minor roads in the beautiful and heavily-wooded Noye valley. The 'river' is more like a series of small lakes strung together, but that was impossible to catch with a single photo at any point. You could discern it as you moved along, but I wasn't about to try taking video from the bike. The surface was so rutted that I needed my concentration. I made my way all along the Noye as far as Breteuil before getting onto a major road and after a series of hills I was well and truly ready for a halt at the edge of Beauvais. I had noticed that I was going through my supplies of water and isotonic drink quickly, and I consumed two large soft drinks and two teas at my stop. This was clearly going to be a very thirsty day, and unfortunately it was largely a non-working day on the day after Pentecost, so not many shops or bars were open.

I would have liked to stop at Beauvais and visit the cathedral, but I felt it was best to press on to my destination. I had done nearly half the distance to Paris, but only about a third of the climbing, so I knew I had a tough few hours ahead. In Beauvais my instincts were right, but the road signs were so poor that I lost time making sure I was on the right road. This was the point at which my choice was critical. Take the wrong one and I would get to the same place, but after much more uphill pain. When I finally got it right, there was still a very long steady 8% climb (well over a mile of it) in the worst of the heat. It was shortly after there, having again turned off through minor roads to return to the more obvious road to Meru, that I was stopped because of the local cycle race that ended before my eyes. My little run through the minor roads was lovely - a very different area, mainly growing vegetables - but again quite hilly and then there I was at Meru, three quarters of the way to Paris, in theory.

Hydration problems set in again after the heat of the last couple of hours, and I think I astonished the local barman in Amblainville by downing three lemonades on the trot and taking a Fanta to go. That was my last real stop, however, so I needed to charge up for the final push. After the push up hill from Amblainville there were just two more big ones before a downhill run into Auvers-sur-Oise, home of van Gogh. I was sorry not to do the tourist thing, but once again I was aware that there was much more to see on another occasion which didn't really fit in a pilgrimage. From Auvers onwards, it was all urban, with far more unfriendly traffic, terrible road surfaces, and all sorts of navigational challenges. I got lost in an industrial area and lost a lot of time finding my way again, and got very, very fed up of traffic lights, which halved my average speed and meant that the last section of the journey took forever.

Finally crossing the Seine was an absolute delight, and though I didn't take a picture, the Chateau greets you as you come off the bridge and you know precisely which city you are in. I was so, so close, yet it still took another 10-15 frustrating minutes to find the Gibsons' home during which I both revelled in the surroundings and nearly lost the will to live! My fluid levels were dropping, yet again, and I just needed to stop. One look at the road layout of Maisons-Laffitte tells you what an interesting area it must be, but if you bear in mind that it also has a most peculiar one-way system, you can probably see the roots of my frustration!


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When I finally managed to find my way onto the right section of Avenue Lavoisier, and able to ride in the right direction again, it was wonderful to be greeted by Robbie's expectant wave. Bags were taken from me, the bike was safely stowed away, and a chair was placed under my tired behind. A whole jug of water and a whole (large) teapot of Rooibos were consumed, and I soon began to feel human again. Robbie and Jenni have enfolded me with friendship. Their children are a delight! And they have happily agreed to have me for a second night so that I can go on my way tomorrow fresh. I decided not to go into Paris (and Christopher decided not to go to school), so I have been mooching round the grounds with him admiring dragons and wolves and playing at being pirates.

What is interesting is that I have realised that this time has a three-fold function. It is rest at the end of a long journey so far (almost 800 miles complete, so nearly half way). It is a pause for refreshment in itself. And thirdly it is a time of planning and preparation, which is how I have spent most of this morning. I have worked out a route through Paris for tomorrow morning so that I may be able to make my first official pilgrim stop at Notre-Dame and then find my way along the pilgrim route to Chartres (a bit hilly in parts, but nothing like yesterday). I've also plotted out the next two days from Chartres to Orleans (mild) and from Orleans to Tours along the Loire (longer, but fairly much flat 90% of the time. I will plan the next two legs to Poitiers and Bellac before leaving, and that will take me to over 1000 miles and my next rest day with Stephen and Ivana Partridge.