To Lunel - Three Seasons Around France: Spring - CycleBlaze

April 15, 2022

To Lunel

Some unqualified good news

As we’re packing to finally leave Uzès this morning Rachael asks for her radar tail light.  We shuffled our belongings yesterday while we were off on our hike and then later changing hotels, and I can’t remember offhand where I packed them.  I look in all the obvious places and come up dry; but next to the tool bag I find the Garmin, and reach to hand it to Rachael.  She has an odd look on her face - I’d say stunned - because she also has a Garmin in her hand.  We’ve apparently had them both all along but just didn’t look hard enough.

So do you think this counts as good news?  We do.  Ca-Ching!  We hear the lovely sound of 700 unspent euros staying in the Team Anderson account.  

Embarrassing, but a way better outcome than our short tour from Victoria  to Portland four years ago, when I lost my iPad on day one of the tour and assumed it had been stolen at the Seattle train station.  Running a whole tour without an iPad to manage photos and post the journal with was a dismal thought, so we were happy to be able to find a replacement at the Home Depot in Mount Vernon.  Trip saved, but $$$ squandered as we discovered a month later when I magically pulled the lost iPad out of my pannier when we were packing to leave for Dubrovnik.  At least this time we were lucky to have failed in our search for a new Garmin.

Look harder next time, you idiot!
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Suzanne GibsonI can't believe it, you did it again! What a great surprise.
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2 years ago
Rich FrasierGreat News! Maybe you’re starting to catch some good luck! Keep it up!
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2 years ago
Jen RahnI think the Garmin Gremlins were just messing with you.

They took it away, used it for a few adventures, and then quietly snuck it back.
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2 years ago
Our room was pretty small but we made the most of the space available.
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We’re down to breakfast before 7, and out the door before 9 - one of our earliest starts of the tour.  We anticipate a slow 25 mile ride to Nimes, where we’ll catch the train to Lunel.  It’s already warm and pleasant - almost 60 already when we wake up - and we want to allow as much time as possible for the bike shop to fit us into their schedule, so there’s no point in stalling around in the room.

I’ve plotted out the flattest route to Nimes that I can find, although it adds about eight miles over the hillier direct route.  Neither of us really trusts my derailleur and we want to give it every chance to see us through to the station.  The one I found is nearly perfect, with only a single climb of any significance at all.  I walk a short 8% piece of that one to avoid putting any extra tension on the system, but otherwise I just bike at a smooth, even pace the whole way.  It’s a perfect ride for the situation, with a successful result.

I’ve still got it! Even after a layoff I can still navigate the trail barriers like a pro.
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Ooh, I want to be like THAT when I grow up!
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Steve Miller/GrampiesThat last comment was Dodie. I by contrast misinterpreted the caption to mean you want 5 children. Better quit reading blogs at 3 am!

Steve
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2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesYes, five kids. That’s the ticket! Just the thing to fill all those empty hours in our lives.
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2 years ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Scott AndersonI think the main difficulty is in getting them out on the radweg - until they can pedal their own bikes you need trailabike type stuff. Is there anything else one does with kids that takes up time? Hmm, let me think!
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2 years ago
Easy does it.
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East of Uzès.
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Crossing the Gard. Or is it the Gardon?
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We arrive in Nimes about 11:45, with the next regional leaving in about fifteen minutes.  I use three or four of  them up trying to figure out the French dialog on the ticket kiosk, but that's a success too.  were on the platform in plenty of time, helped out by the rare good luck of finding an elevator large enough for both bikes, at both ends of the passage.

The platform is crowded when we arrive, including six or seven other cyclists.  The train arrives, and all the bikers quickly rush down the platform to the door of the bike car.  Fortunately it’s easy to just roll right on, but unfortunately there are more bikes than slots.  We don’t really pass this test, and end up trapped - we’re in the middle of the car with our bikes and the way to the exit is blocked with other bikes clogging the aisle, with their riders having moved on to claim seats.  So that’s a concern we puzzle over on the short, two stop journey to Lunel.

On the way Rachael strikes up a conversation with one of the bikers - a Frenchman from Normandy with quite good English skills.  I was physically one off from the conversation so could really only overhear part of it, but it was quite interesting and very travel-oriented.  He’s a photographer and very well traveled through his profession - he’s lived in Boston and New York, traveled in South America, and was very interested to hear about our experiences in Taiwan and Japan since he’s never been to Asia.

When we arrived at the short stop in Lunel we had a real situation on our hands.  The man Rachael had been conversing with helped out, enlisting another man to help move the other bikes to the side and help us with our luggage so I could slip through with our own bikes.  Without their help I’m not really sure we’d have made it off the train.

In the underpass at the Lunel train station.
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It’s positively hot when we pull up to the bike store, Cyrpeo.  Unsurprisingly they’re closed for lunch and won’t be back for an hour and a half - so we bike a few blocks to the center of town, find a free table under the shade of the plane trees, and have lunch ourselves.  As we sit we watch the street traffic pass by - a steady stream of bikers and walkers - and are taken with what a sunny, attractive place Lunel seems.  

We’d never really noticed Lunel on the map before but today it feels like a very attractive place, one we might use as a base.  It’s a better size for us than sprawling Montpellier a few miles to the southwest, and is in an appealing location - on the edge of the Camargue, not far from Sommieres and Montpellier, on the train line, within a day’s ride of the foothills.  A place worth considering.

The bike store is closed for lunch when we arrive, so we follow suit.
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Eew, gross! This plane tree has been dripping sap on me while we ate lunch. Something new I’ll have to watch out for.
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Two thirty comes and we head back to the bike store, a bit apprehensive and wondering what the rest of the day will look like.  How soon will they fit us in - later today?  Tomorrow?  In the meantime how will we manage logistics since our hotel (the Ibis, the only place in town that still had vacancies over Easter weekend) is a mile and a half north?  It could be an awkward and tiring afternoon.

It’s neither of those though, because the shop is waiting for us.  The apprentice mechanic has my bike up on the rack spinning through the gears within five minutes of our arrival, wondering what the problem is - the gears shift smoothly through all the gears, the derailleur is new.  Why am I in here?  Heh, heh - doesn’t this guy know anything about pull ratios?

The owner of the shop takes over.  He pulls out the box with my name on it and a Shimano 105 inside and gets to work.  Fifteen minutes later he pronounces the bike as good as new - better than new!  In the meantime I’ve been checking out the clothing department and find a new shirt I like - a souvenir, I tell him.  We leave him with our nearly new 9 speed derailleur, now just a brick we don’t need and confident that somehow he’ll put it to good use somewhere.  When he presents me the bill we’re charged the list price for the 105, the jersey, a new cable, and $0 00 for labor.  

A great shop, which further disposes us to Lunel.  As we’re chatting on the way out the door though, he tells us the big drawback of life here - the winds.  Have you heard of the Mistral, he asks?  It’s unbearable.

The master and the apprentice.
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Jen RahnAnother great story! Here's to the new derailleur!
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2 years ago
The Cyrpeo bike shop, Lunel.
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It’s hot when we bike the mile and a half to our hotel, the Ibis at the north end of town - it must be near 80.  I’ve got a dim mental image of the Ibis chain, dating back to a place near the DeGaulle airport 30 years ago - an ultra-efficiency unit, it had the tiniest washroom space we’ve ever been lodged with.  We’ve stayed at two on this tour though, both reasonably priced and quite nice.  I’ll have to reconsider.

Finally, a word of thanks for everyone who offered they’re condolences, sympathies and advice over the last few days.  It all helped, and it looks like we’re back on the right track again.  Now if UPS will just pay up for those two suitcases!

The hallway in our Ibis hotel startled me it first. It looks like there’s a mirror halfway down, and I was puzzled to not see my reflection.
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Video sound track: Mr, Lucky, by Sarah Vaughn

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Ride stats today: 29 miles, 600’; for the tour: 740 miles, 38,800’

Today's ride: 29 miles (47 km)
Total: 740 miles (1,191 km)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 13
Comment on this entry Comment 14
Jacquie GaudetSo glad you found the Garmin! I have to wonder how it got there, though, since apparently it was in use on the day it went awol. I expect you're wondering too.
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2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetIt wasn’t a surprise to us. We took them off the bikes when we had lunch, safe from others - and from ourselves, as it turned out. We expected it to be in our panniers but couldn’t find it despite multiple exhaustive searches.
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2 years ago
Jacquie GaudetI never leave mine on my bike either but it goes in my jersey pocket …
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2 years ago
Tricia GrahamThe best day you could have had. Even elevators at the station The Ibis chain we find good when we are tired and don’t want to make any effort as you can be sure what you will get and bikes never a problem. Just a lack of charm
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2 years ago
Suzanne GibsonYoohoo! I knew you'd find a solution! Go, Team Anderson!
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2 years ago
David MathersCongratulations on a very successful day. Super nice that he installed the new derailleur no charge and you helped him out with a few purchases…win win 🥇 Glad you found the Garmin!
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2 years ago
Ben ParkeNow this is the type of post I like to see. A good day all around for Team Anderson. I’ve stayed in a couple Ibis hotels. It’s always been a good experience. Very clean, usually fairly modern, helpful staff. Here’s wishing you a series of continuing good fortune!
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2 years ago
Susan CarpenterHooray! Garmin and gears and you're moving onward!
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2 years ago
Scott FenwickTeam Anderson you have a knack for keeping it interesting. Your problem solving skills are legendary and you always land on your feet! Congratulations on your latest winning streak. But remember even a cat only has nine lives.
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2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Scott FenwickWe do like to put up a good story but it’s time to move on. Four days on that plot line are sufficient, we think.
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2 years ago
Bruce LellmanI'm so glad at least two of your ordeals have ended. But I wonder where those suitcases ended up. Too bad they don't have tracking devices in them. It would be fun to see what route they took.

Here's to an ordeal-free rest of your tour!
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2 years ago
Jen RahnTo Bruce LellmanI vote for just enough adversity to keep Team Anderson on their toes and us readers on the edges of our seats.
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2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnA reasonable request, but I think we’ve exceeded what was strictly required this time. We’ll try to dial it down for a while.
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2 years ago
Jen RahnGood plan! Back to the barefoot stream crossings ... when you're ready.
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2 years ago