Nontron to Thiviers

May 16, 2023

To the end of the Flow Velo

A chilly start in Nontron but the sky is clearing. We’ve been told that last year temperatures at this time were 35+, so perhaps we’d better stick with what we’ve got. We find the sign for this last part of La Flow Velo, even if we’re now away from the Charente. The sign also references the Pardoux Voie verte. The first few kilometres are on the partagee road, and there’s a bit of fairly gentle climbing.

On the house opposite a roofer is without any sort of safety harness.

The very ordinary entrance to our apartment.

We eventually reach the turnoff from this road, onto a smaller one with the Flow velo sign. It continues along a small sealed road for a few kilometres until we reach Saint Pardoux. Here we have lunch and follow the signs to the start of the Voie verte. Again an old rail line.

The trail feels very rural and isolated once away from the main road.

Lunch stop beside the Clōe, a tributary of the Dromme.

The description of the path from 2018 had us a little uncertain about the condition of the surface, but it was very well compacted and dry all the way. In addition there were interesting information boards with old photographs from the railway days.

We meet a few groups of walkers on the trail and have a brief chat with a chap from the local area.

Then we’re in Thiviers. We stay on the Voie verte to the end, despite the fact that it delivers us onto a road with quarry trucks whizzing by. Fortunately on the other side. In a minute we’re at SuperU getting dinner. It’s a short ride from there to Les Conches where we stash our bikes, hidden in a novel grotto formed by a large tree.

Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 1,059 km (658 miles)

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