Learning from previous French shutness Sid went into a supermarket in Rochefort to buy sandwiches and apple pie. A wise precaution as every shop we passed was shut, with a variety of excuses.
At one point we were standing outside a Proxi Marche (closed because it was Wednesday) and saying to the local ladies “Is there an open shop anywhere near here?” “It’s there!” they replied. “No, that is shut” we said. “Oh! Is it??” they said, looking at the very closed shop in disbelief. We pressed on to Steph and Fred’s Bakery, guaranteed to be open “le non-stop” (ie never closes for lunch) seven days a week. We pressed on.
At Courcon we found a cafe and market where there was a recorded orchestre hifi playing the same tunes over and over. Sid and Doris have appropriated one of these for new song of shutness. It is a jaunty little number, with a bouncy tune with an underlying conga rhythm – a one and two and Three Four, a one and two and Three Four. And at the end – cha cha cha! whee! Here we go with the chorus:
Our shops are shut you cyclists
Our shops are shut you cyclists
Our shops are shut you cyclists
You cyclists they’re shut.
And now the verse:
They’re shut because it’s Monday
They’re shut because it’s Tuesday
They’re shut because it’s Wednesday, our jour feriee.
They’re shut because it’s Saturday
They’re shut because it’s Sunday
They’re shut because it’s congee
They’re shut anyway!
Back to chorus. Repeat singing and dancing wiggling hips to conga rhythm round village square, to great delight and support from the cafe sitters. And yes, we do have a recording of it. Cha cha cha! Whee!
Seriously. Today is largely about making 100 k of northerly distance through the Poitevin Marshes and then up into farm land on a plateau. We have chosen small roads for relaxed riding. It is not hot and we do the distance and climb in good style, not pooped.
We are not expecting much incident so will have to make our own entertainment and find interest where we can. The pipes here give some sense of the water management. A bit like the fens.
A sign warned of wild animals leaping into the road over the next 2.5 kilometres. Doris took small creatures and Sid the large and we started to count the frogs, weasels, stoats, foxes, marmots, pumas, izards, mouflons that crossed our path and by the end of the distance Doris had won. She claimed to have heard rustling in the verge so the final score: ½ to Doris and nil to Sid. Sid did see a lion. It was on the front of a Peugeot and was disallowed.
We have taken pictures of classic old road signs. We have also picked up names that are corruptible. So we were very pleased yesterday with St Agnant. The boys liked John Dangly. Earlier Miftah Bat was giggling quietly over Craponne, but then “S” does find Miftah Bat a bit, you know, one track?
As ever we are fans of the technology we see. So we have a fine windmill, not actually at Bel Air, but cut us a bit of slack? Notice that these sails furl, see the levers in the centre. “S” wishes he had thought of that.
At Payre we pause to look at these lime kilns, heating chalk to make local lime cement. These are rare double layer kilns, last used in 1914 but looking quite sturdy.
Late in the day we see the laverie (wash house) outside Chataigneraie. This is the romantic picture of the bonnes femmes doing the washing at the communal spring, shaded by terra cotta roofs. The epic truth of the daily routine is more squalid.
So a day with good distance, small pleasures and a new song. We are still enjoying ourselves and will count that a win.