A Dash In The Rain

Day 2 Chenoise to Troyes

As I lay there listening to the rain pounding down and watching the lightning at 2:00 am I thought it’s ok tomorrow I will have to put my tent away wet but that is fine it will be sunny and warm the weather will have broken. WRONG! When we got up at 6:40 the clouds were still pressing down. We were on the road by 8:10 and hadn’t gone one km before the skies opened up on us.

When we got to Provins we thought about going in to explore the place but it was hard to get excited about it in the pouring rain. So Don, Jim, and I pressed on. We were just entering this little village along the way when we meet up with Stu who had done this ride before and speaks which good French. He suggested stopping for a hot chocolate. In the pouring rain it sounded like a real treat. Stu started talking to one of the locals in the restaurant and he wound up buying our hot chocolates. Very nice treat!

Back on to the pedals hard and soon we were down the road the 50 kms to lunch which was under some trees. The trees kept the rain off sort of but it was still cold so we didn`t hang around. We only had 40 km to go so no time to waste.

The three of us stopped to grab a drink and look at a map, when up pulls this Renault van and this fellow jumps out. He is intent on giving us directions but doesn’t speak any English. As I speak the most French I was on. It was hilarious.

Just before camp the rain stopped and we cruised into camp and got set up. The tent was no sooner up before rain came down. Jim was doing laundry so he gathered up mine and I lay down in my tent. I guess I nodded off because before I knew it Jim was calling me to go phone home. I had just finished phoning when Dan comes out of the laundry with my laundry all done and folded. WOW!

Supper was a lentils and sausage stew . I immediately started calling it Feves Au Lard Avec Saucinies. The staff person serving the stew is French and she had no idea what I was saying.

So not a bad 90 km day in the rain.

Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for your comments.

Ride it like you stole it.

Terry