Chateaumeillant to Eguzon: Literary morning, hilly afternoon.
Sainte Severe sur Indre has two claims to fame. George Sand set one of her novels there, and Jaques Tati filmed the first of his big hits "Jour de Fete" there. The village is dedicated to remembering those two events in its history, and as a result much is preserved. ThIs makes the place rather picturesque, but it can be a bit too much, especially as virtually every building in town has a picture or plaque dedicated to one or the other of its heros. I got to Ste. Severe early, and after buying a croissant and eating it in the old market hall, I used a friendly tail wind to follow the Route de George Sand to Nohant, where her grandmother kept a chateau. Yes, George was really a woman, Mary Ann Evans by birth, but writing under a pen name to conceal her identity as a child of wealth, and that someone of her sex and status would stoop to the crass commercialism of selling books. She died in Nohant, or so the plaques say, after being the queen of the Demi-mondaine for 50 years and more, carrying on affairs with artists, authors, and most famously the composer Chopin. Unfortunately, her grandma's castle is not very photogenic, so I didn't go in to see it.
I made my way west through Sarzay, which has a very romantic medieval castle, complete with turrets, and towers. It is very photogenic, so I stopped to take some pictures, but alas, Rapunzel was not at home, so I couldn't climb in. Onward to Neuvey-St. Sepulture, where I treated myself to that great French tradition of a workman's lunch. These lunches are substantial, and very reasonably priced. You get and entree, main course, cheese and desert, served with wine, of course, all for the modest sum of 12 to 13 Euros. Suitably stuffed, I cycled onward. The route got hillier as I went, so it wasn't easy to just cruise along. The river valleys make for a lot of upping and downing, so I determined to make it an early day.
I've been following the route to Compostella, more or less, so I have been asked frequently if I am on pilgrimage. I'm not, but many walkers and cyclists in this area are. They often carry the traditional staff and cockle shell, although I haven't seen any with these items on this tour. The route passes by my home in Burgundy, and I suppose I could have followed it all the way here, but not being terribly pious, I go my own way.
Tonight , I'm camping for the first time. I stopped at the first campground I came upon in Eguzon. The facilities include a laundry and I could get my washing done. Light meal tonight, and early to bed ( yet again).
The ancient market place is still used once a week in St. Severe.
