Valencay to home: Bike, train, train, train, bike - Its the Berrys! - CycleBlaze

June 5, 2014

Valencay to home: Bike, train, train, train, bike

The last day of a tour can be bittersweet, like today. I left early to ride the 17 kilometeres to Giévres to catch the first of what would turn out to be three trains. I had planned to take four trains starting in Valençay, but the SNCF needed to do track work, so pedal away I did. It was sweet, because I am finally in shape enough to enjoy the ride. It was bitter because the tour had to end. It was sweet because I would be going home to Sue and total comfort. It was bitter because I have to begin a new round of doctor visits. You get the picture. At the gare in Giévres, the station agent helped me get my bike to the right platform. She asked me all the usual questions, where am I from, do I visit the USA often, etc. It has occurred to me many times that the French don't appreciate what they've got. They all think that the US must be better. Only those of my adopted countrymen who have lived in the USA don't ask why I live here. They are like me, they lived in the US while they were working, but chose to live here later in life. Everybody has their own idea of Shangi La, mine is France. My dad chose Nebraska, proving once again that there is no accounting for taste. This tour was a great chance to make contact with "la France profond", deepest France. Berry is hurting economically. The young are leaving for the cities, whole towns are dying, and what's left is mostly old people. But there is still a lot of charm there. The villages are still graceful, and the legacy of the ancient chateaux and the timeless countryside can still entice. Modern efficiency means fewer jobs, but there is still work for agriculturists, and I know the region will survive, and even prosper despite the change the modern economy has wrought. If you want to go, though, I wouldn't wait. I'm not sure who will cook those wonderful Berrichon dishes in those petites bistros once the current generation passes on. The rest of the tour is rather mundane. Train to Bourges, change for Nevers, change for Dijon, then retrace my steps to home.

Waiting for the train to Bourges. The lady with the red bag talked to everyone who passed, and when she was alone, she used her cell phone. I know way more about her that I would have thought possible in such a brief encounter!
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One last look at the Berrichon countryside.
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Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 373 km (232 miles)

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