Day 262 7th April
48 miles (Connaux to Ancone) Average speed 9 mph Top speed 24 mph
Another day of headwinds.
Up at 9.15 after a good sleep and after 2 cups of tea I hit the road and stopped in Vuillard for bread, then I stopped at a garage for coffee and brekkie of cheese and tomato sarnies. It was still tough into the wind but not as strong as yesterday. There were some lovely villages and lots of fields. It was good to be close to the river again but I was in the main road most of the time and couldn’t appreciate it close up.
River
Things took a turn for the worse when I tried to find a campsite, the first seemed promising when a nice lady offered me a pitch for 10€, but I spent about 30 minutes trying to find one with some grass; the only ones had donkeys or goats on them. So eventually I gave up and went to the one up the road, but it was closed, so I went on looking for another. I found myself on the N7 and unable to get off to the next available, even though I could see it was open. I considered climbing over the barrier but there was no easy way down. When I got to the next, it was camping cars only aargh!
I went back to get water thinking I could wild camp but in doing so I hit a fence and broke my front pannier, my swearing could be heard from the camp and all around. I was getting tired and hungry and headed through Ancone in the hope that the next one would be open. It was through country lanes and my pannier was taking some big hits. I found my way and thankfully it was open and only 10€ but it was now nearly dark. I spent too long searching for a good spot but settled behind a bush in the end. I went back to the bar to pay and hopefully have a beer but it was closed so I would have to cook in the dark. Bangers and mash with some very dodgy yellow gravy made from stock cubes I’d had a very long time. It was a lovely campsite next to a lake so at least I could enjoy a beer watching the stars, but it was a very stressful last couple of hours cycling into the wind. I was in bed by ten and very tired.
I do like to be beside water
Camping L’ile Blanc 10€