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squiz Member  Member#: 135 Location: Poole Registered: 09-02-2003 Diary Entries: 36 Mood: Optimistic! |
15th September 2016 Mt. Biking: circuit Lac de St. Pardoux Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: 25mph (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 20 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Thursday 15th September – bike ***** circuit Lac de St. Pardoux – 20 miles, 25mph out 7 hours 10 minutes – sunny periods A really pleasant surprise, it is a nice day!! The lesson to be learnt here is never ask for information about the weather because the fact the woman in tourist information yesterday told us it was going to rain until Saturday was quite depressing!! Our intention was to move off as soon as we had had our breakfast but as the early cloud disappeared leaving blue skies we decided to get the bikes off and bike around Lac de St. Pardoux. According to our map there is a walking path which takes you around the edge and is 24km long. The actual bike path only leads from the sailing club to the village and is disappointingly short. We didn’t pack any lunch because we didn’t think we would be very long. We set off on what was to become our toughest mountain bike trail yet!! Due to the rain yesterday the tree roots were a bit wet and that worried Mag because she assumed her front wheel would be sliding off all over the place but in reality it wasn’t too bad. Certainly not as muddy as we expected. We went wrong quite soon because we followed the cycle path up into the village of Freaudour which was very quaint but wasn’t the right way for the footpath. We went back down the hill and found the right path and carried on round the edge, soon coming to a small bridge over to a tiny island :) It was really lovely and we were able to go over to the other side very quickly. We did come a bit unstuck here as I stayed on the island to take photos and Mag thought I had gone so went back across the bridge and followed the path. It took us a while to meet up but we did so that was fine. Carried on and did see some mountain bike signs so it is a dual footpath/bike path which made us feel better although the only people we saw on these paths were 2 other mountain bikers! Came to the proper bike path and branched off past where we stayed last time onto another finger of the lake. This part took us ages! We were bumping over many branches and rocks and at times felt we were going up dried waterfalls! We also went round a farm with beautiful Limosin cows :) Unfortunately Mag got a puncture in her back wheel just as we were coming to the end of this finger of the lake so we spun her wheel and pumped it up hoping that the slime (which has been in there 2 years!!) would hold up. A short while later we arrived at the Site de Santrop which is where the sailing club is. It is having a major overhaul so lots of building work going on on part of the site. Mag’s tyre had gone down again by this point :( I decided to mend it properly and got the trusty kit out only to find there was no glue in it!!! We had biked exactly 10 miles but luckily it was only a short cut back on the bike path to the van so after trying and failing to get some glue from a handy camper van with bikes on, I set off back the mile and a half to the van leaving Mag sitting by the lake on a picnic bench. I got the glue, some cheese and crackers, tomatoes and a chocolate bar as we were starving and estimated we were only half way round the lake!! Biked back and mended the puncture and ate the delicious cheese etc.. Off we go again and the paths didn’t get any easier!! It was a lot more of the same, very beautiful though and we went past a pretty mill at Chabannes and had to take the bikes up a special flight of steps with a running board up the side to wheel them :) On again and through another site set up for many activities with a little beach and although it was all closed there were several tents. We then cycled through a gorgeous village, Villebert, where Mag made a fuss of a kitten who was meowing pitifully outside a very pretty house. We thought we must be nearly back but no it was a long way along this bank and Mag’s tyre went down twice more :( We were lucky that it got us back by just pumping it up because when I started to repair it again the patch hadn’t stuck at all! When we reached the dam at the end of the lake it was only a short track taking us away from the lake side before we saw the van just past the Site de Freaudour where again there are activities and camp sites. Phew 17.6 miles nearly all of it with great lake views, plus my emergency dash to the van! Pedalling for 4 hours and out for over 7!! My back is amazinly not too bad considering!! Had another go at Mags tyre and it went down yet again! I think we need to get a new repair kit because the glue is rubbish although it has hopefully held at the final attempt !! We didn’t have long outside before it started to get dark so in for a quick tea of cheese and potato pie :) Friday 16th September – Mag’s Birthday – Skinny dip, sight seeing, travel – rain A nice start to the day, a few clouds and some watery sunshine and mist rising off the lake :) Had a lie in and read for a bit then did exercises outside. I even went for a swim in the lake, a few metres from the no swimming sign!! Clouds starting to thicken as we had breakfast and packed up the van. We headed down country roads towards another Lake – Lac de Vassiviere, still in the Limousin but moving down towards the Dordogne. We went through Ambazac where we found a handy Lidl opposite a Super U. A few bits required in Lidl then over to Super U to survey the cakes suitable for birthday!! We were definitely in luck! On special offer a selection of 6 of their fancy posh cakes including a tarte citron, pear tart, raspberry and custard. Excellent :) Got another tube of puncture repair glue too just in case of emergency! We travelled down to Saint Leonard de Noblat and by this time it was absolutely chucking it down with rain :( We did a couple of a detours to the Moulin du Got (didn’t stop and go in) and through the town to find a dolman marked on the tourist map and we actually found this one and it was a pretty good one too. In the middle of a field but with its own lay-by!! We got the pathetic umbrella out and walked over for a quick photo before getting back in the van and returning to St. Leonard to eat lunch in a lovely parking spot by the river Vienne, just where it turns a corner between some pretty stone houses. Watched a fisherman catching small fish and putting them into a cool box containing water in his boot – we decided he was catching them for his pond?? Or a very small fish supper!! Went up to the town centre car park and got pathetic umbrella out again and had a quick walk round the medieval centre. Not the most interesting we have been too but fine for a wet and miserable half hour!! Back into the van to drive on to Lac de Vassiviere which is more commercial than Lac de St. Pardoux and definitely more man made because the level of the water is well down leaving a big gap between the water and the bank. In the high season there are boat trips and lots of activities but as with everywhere now, the season is over and thank goodness there is nothing open and only a few camper vans of pensioners here :) There are two islands in the middle joined via pedestrian bridges so we are hoping that the weather gets better tomorrow, which it is supposed to, so we can explore, hopefully on the bikes. We rode round until we found a nice spot to park but it continued to rain for the rest of the day so we ate 3 of the 6 birthday cakes and read our books. Photo Gallery here |
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