September 18, 2023
Day 6: EuroVelo 6 across France
Montceau-les-Mines to Bourbon-Lancy
The first 10 km out from Montceau-les-Mines was all about hills - big ones and even bigger ones. They weren't quite the Swiss Alps, but certainly more than I’m used to in Brisbane. One hill had a gradient of 18 degrees! At one point, I tucked in behind Brett, trying to draft, only to be told that drafting uphill at 5 km per hour isn’t exactly effective. With 90 km ahead of us today, I could feel my energy depleting at an alarming rate.
As I began cursing the French, I rounded a corner and saw a farmer with a rifle slung over his shoulder. For a moment, I considered loudly cursing their President, Macron, after all, he’s not exactly popular with farmers - but instead went with a safer approach: “Je suis Australien et j'aime votre beau pays” (“I’m Australian, and I love your beautiful country”). It worked. The farmer didn’t shoot me. Instead, we shared some friendly gestures, and I quickly realised he was off to hunt wild ducks for dinner.
The views down into the valley were spectacular - almost worth the pain of the climb. Almost. The plateau at the top was rich, fertile farmland, with cattle grazing lazily in the fields.
We passed through Saint-Vallier, a picturesque town, but it was like a ghost town - not a café or shop open, and not a soul in sight, even though it was well after 9:00 am.
Brett was determined to find a coffee stop. He assured us there was one just 4 km away. Unfortunately, the map was upside down, and we had already passed Palings 4 km ago. Not that we had seen anything open when we rode through. So, we pushed on for another 20 km to Paray-le-Monial.
Paray-le-Monial (known locally as Paray) was a tidy town, though again, not much was open - it was a Monday after all. We've noticed that many places have been closed. It turns out the reason lies in France's labour laws, specifically the Code du Travail, which dates back to 1910. According to the code, workers can’t work more than six days a week, and they must have thirty-five consecutive hours of rest. So, those working on Saturdays, like shop and service employees, take off Sundays and usually Monday mornings, if not the entire day. France was a pioneer in enshrining workers' rights, leading to the 38-hour work-week, the 35-hour work-week, and now, for some, even a four-day week.
Along our route, we passed the Château de Digoine, an impressive sight from the cycle path. It’s privately owned, but the gardens are considered a national treasure and are open to the public. Well, usually. Today, it was closed - so, on we rode.
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While taking a break, I checked my emails and found a survey from Virgin Airlines. I hoped it would ask for my thoughts on something important - CEO pay, flight prices, or even in-flight dining. No such luck. They wanted my opinion on visible tattoos on staff. I rode on.
As we reached Digion, we stumbled upon the famous Pont Canal, a canal bridge that crosses the Loire River. It’s an engineering marvel - odd, but fascinating! It took four years to build and was completed in 1838. From there, it was the final stretch to our overnight stop at Bourbon-Lancy, a walled medieval town dating back to 1495. The grand buildings and fortifications are still intact. Col took the lead for the last leg, setting a brisk pace and generously allowing us to draft behind him, which certainly helped me. Thanks, Col!
We received a warm welcome at our hotel, Le Port de la Loire, just outside town. The hosts were gracious, offering us wonderful French hospitality. So far, we’ve avoided any major accommodation disasters, but there's still time!
After dropping off our gear, we headed into Bourbon-Lancy to explore - until I had a tyre blowout. Of course, it had to be me! Fortunately, our resident mechanic, Brett, fixed it in no time, with minimal help from me. After knowing me for 40 years, he’s well aware of my mechanical ineptitude. Thanks, Brett!
We wrapped up the day by doing some dinner shopping at Aldi and enjoyed a quiet meal back at our accommodation. A perfect way to end another fantastic day of cycling.
Au Revoir.
Today's ride: 90 km (56 miles)
Total: 465 km (289 miles)
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