Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

September 25, 2019

It was a blue-sky morning with predictions for more rain this afternoon, a good day for an early start. Breakfast was not one worth lingering over, so I was on my way a few minutes after nine – earliest yet. And it was a fabulous start – the kind of day where the air has been cleared by overnight rain, the light seems ethereal, and the roads and flora glisten. I rolled through the small communes of Saint-Césaire and Saint-Sauvant, and at the intersection of D24, crossed the route I had ridden eight days earlier. After another crossing of the Charente River, I headed southeast for Barbazieux-Saint-Hilaire, my destination for the day.

You might be able to make out Flow Vélo route between Cognac and Saintes - it's the tan-colored road on the far side of the trees

Haven't I passed near this way before? Yes, a mere 8 days ago when you were hot and thirsty

The wind and weather was coming from the southwest, meaning another day of crosswinds. In the hopes of a shortening my cycling time, I had tweaked my route a bit this morning before I left. Paralleling the Charente and its tributaries, the new route had a similar distance but somewhat less climbing. I left Charente Maritime and was back in the landscape of farm fields and hillside vineyards. Over time, the skies darkened a bit and I could see evidence of recent rain. The scattered showers were apparently hit and miss, and were mostly missing me, I thought smugly. After quick break in Gimeux, however, the showers began – gently episodic at first, then a steady soaking rain. The saving grace was that I was now riding along the northern side of the Le Né River, whose wooded embankments provided a buffer against the southern winds.

I passed large numbers of cognac distilleries - not many tanks as old as this one

The modern tanks were by far the most popular

A disadvantage of my route was that it did not go through any substantial towns, just small communities engaged in the making of cognac. It was past noon, and I was getting a bit hungry. Though I had some bread and cheese, I was bit chilled and did not want to stop – even if I had found a sheltered spot. The signage at the intersection to Criteuil-la-Magdeleine indicated a restaurant and epicerie in town. It was about 12:30 – usually a time restaurants are serving lunch – so I headed into town and found the restaurant and epicerie: closed Wednesday’s. The rain had lessened a bit, so I found a bench, pulled out my bread, and took a couple of very unsatisfactory bites before I gave up and made a beeline for Barbazieux.

The steady downpour and wind arrived within a few minutes of my leaving Criteuil. I arrived at my Logis hotel in Barbazieux dripping wet, hoping that my room would be ready. Five minutes, was the most welcome reply. After a quick and hot shower, I made it to the hotel restaurant at 1:52 - eight minutes to spare! The entrée was a delectable cream of beet soup with eggs and crunchies (my description) and the main was beef and potatoes. Both were delicious and warmed me inside and out. After lunch, I took a short nap and then holed up in my room listening to the rain and route planning. I’m hoping the rain will stop for a bit in the morning so that I can explore the town before heading off for Aubeterre-sur-Dronne. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and it won’t rain at all…

A few bites of stale bread was all it took to get me back on the bike and making a beeline for Barbezieux

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Today's ride: 37 miles (60 km)
Total: 523 miles (842 km)

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