The longest day

I woke early, packed everything up, and waited for J-P to arrive. I didn’t have time to admire the view for long before his battered white(ish) van skidded to a halt next to me. The customary pleasantries over he produced an impressive collection of Allen keys and within ten minutes I had extracted the last foot of fishing line, twisted tightly around the spindle.

My aim was to get to Angers, over fifty miles away, but the tow path was excellent and I was soon cruising past the water that had slipped quietly by me during the night. First stop was Chateau Gontier, a charming town whose market was taking place. I had a coffee, a pain aux raisins, and a refill of my water bottle while watching the locals catching up with old friends.

One thing I have noticed is how the further south I have travelled, the bigger the insects are that fly into my face and there are more and more lizards that, on seeing me approaching scurry to the sanctuary af the verge. I even narrowly avoided this snake today.

I plugged on through the afternoon, stopping to take on water about every five miles. The scenery by the river had hardly changed for the last sixty miles until an island appeared where there are nature trails, only accessible via a small ferry, which if it were a few feet longer would be a bridge.

I made it to Angers, a modern, affluent city. The Office de Tourisme found me a hotel by the station. 194 miles covered so far…nearly half way.