July 4, 2010
Chevenon - Bourbon-Lancy: Motorcycles be blessed
The day starts out refreshingly cool. We pack up and Ineke discovers a few crusts of bread in her panniers and I have some bits of cheese left over - our humble breakfast until we find a café.
It's a nice coast down to the village but we can't proceed. The road has been blocked off and a small crowd has gathered at the intersection. When we get closer we see hundreds of motorcycles have assembled and are awaiting the start signal while a group of priests in robe prepare their utensils for blessing the vehicles as they roll by. It takes quite a while and lots of vroom vroom vroom for each and every motorcycle to pass the intersection and receive its sprinkling of holy water.
When the last motorcycle has been blessed, a three-wheeler with lots of chrome appears and one of the priests jumps on board and waves good-bye to the spectators.
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When the show is over we have our coffee and croissants in the café on the corner. The 30 km to Décize is nice riding, a few swells and the air isn't hot yet. And now it's time to say good-bye. Ineke has to start thinking about getting home in time to start work next week. Our companions will now ride northeast along the Canal du Nivernais while we follow the Loire to the south and then head east.
Now there are just the two of us. Our goal is the campground at Bourbon-Lancy and although the road is good and we have tailwinds part of the way, the last kilometers drag by and it is again very hot.
It's uphill into town, but my clever GPS leads us to the campground in a flash. Bourbon-Lancy is a spa town with a walled medieval area set on top of a steep little hill.
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Today's ride: 67 km (42 miles)
Total: 1,283 km (797 miles)
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