Day 8 of Tour: Les Sable d'Olonne to La Rochelle

Day 08: Friday 12th June 2015   -  Les Sable d'Olonne to La Rochelle 

Today's Ks': 124.92  Total for Trip: 858.14 ks'

WARNING: Long story today

We've all had those days when everything goes wrong, well this was that day and more. Following on from the mosquito attack last night, I woke and the tent had survived the thunderstorm. I decided to get up at six and hit the road early, as I wanted to get to La Rochelle early to have a look around, as I heard it was a beautiful city.

As everything was wet and it was still raining, I literally threw the tent into a plastic bag rather than try to roll it up into its own little bag. I was ready to go at 06:30 after having breakfast and packing bike. Heading back towards the coast to rejoin my route the rain had lightened and although I was getting wet, it wasn't too bad.

The initial route was grand, a path but at one spot a hedge was touching each other from both sides and it wasn't high enough to duck so had no option but to cycle through it and as I did every drop of rain on it flew onto me as if a few people had thrown buckets of water on me. I was soaked but I thought it was so funny, I was cycling along for the next few kilometres laughing to myself.

The coast road turned inland and I was back on the tracks again, followed by 

roads, heading for Jard-sur--Mer. On the outskirts of the town, I got a puncture, and so proceeded to unpack bike and change tubes. Now, before I continue,....... over the last few days I was having wicked problems with nuts falling off bike, from the rattling on the tracks, and two days before I had spotted a big department store. There I was able to get my bike fixed and also, while there, the guy pumped up my tyres. I also asked him for two spare tubes. Now back to story.

So I take out the new tube, to put on wheel when, low and behold, it would not fit my bike. The guy had given me schredder valves, instead of presta, the plonker (stronger words obviously apply). I decided to look for puncture and put a patch on it, but it was at valve area, so no point (too awkward a spot). Packing up bike, I had to walk, pushing bike about five kilometres before finding a camp-site and asking them for a bike shop. None, but there was a bike hire place that could help me. Off I go, yet another few kilometres, only to find it wouldn't be open until 10:30.

I waited and eventually got tube replaced . He was having problems putting it it and I thought he pinched tyre but he pumped it up and it was fine. I also purchased two more, correct spare tubes and I was off. Unfortunately for me, he did pinch tube and a few kilometres down the road in the next town, the wheel was flat. Offloading bike again and fixing puncture, I discovered the VERY GOOD (my ass) pump I had, I couldn't get to work properly. 

Some other cyclists passed me off without checking was I ok and eventually I nabbed some others, and they gave me a loan of a pump. Sorted off, I went again.......psssssssssssttttttt, another bloody puncture around the corner and so repeat the procedure again. Messing around with pump, I discovered if I could pump faster than the air was hissing out, I'd pump it up but this took about half an hour. Packed bike up and off I went again and all goes well.......oh yeah I'm the man, nothing can stop me now

However going a long, the smoothest tarmac passing some industrial units (I was looking to see if I might get some oil for my chain in one of them, as all the dust over last few days had dried it out,) I managed to find the only stone on the road and whoosh, instantly flat, another puncture. I went through the usual, panniers off, new and last tube in, battle for a long time to get air in tyre, panniers on and off I go again.

At this stage I was starving and on the outskirts of Timbuktu, God knows where I was at this stage and I didn't care, I saw a bright star in the sky and a supermarket under it......I had found heaven. I made a beeline for it and locked up bike. As it had been raining, I wasn't wearing my casual shorts today, just my bib tights and my Cookie jersey and some flat pair of cheap shoes I had bought the day before.  

Plodding into the store in these shoes with my flat feet I bought some milk and tinned makerel and some food for later. As I was so hungry, next to my bike was a wooden bin with a lip all around it. Placing my milk on top, I opened fish tins and emptied juice into bin and proceeded to eat fish with my fingers and drink the milk. I thought security were going to throw me out for being a bum as people passing were disgusted......hey I was hungry.

Satisfied I hit the road and trails for La Rochelle.

 

Going along some road, next to a farm, the tarmac ran out and I was back to tracks but I had a dilemma, the road ended and the sign I was following, as was the gps, said, I must go straight.

Hmm but these were just tractor marks in mud before turning to grass. Well I've being on all sorts of tracks to date, so I followed it, and it was tough cycling. 

Then as the field turned to the right I ran out of trail and the gps said I was off course.....noooo, but how ?

Turning around, I thought how did I go wrong ? My only consolation was that there were other bicycle tracks in the mud, so I wasn't the only gobshite.

Getting to the start of the field I checked sign again and it said go straight....I was confused and then I noticed on a little mound running along the side of the field, a gate with a load of no this or that signs on it. I wondered could that be it, and it was, so off I went again.

Now I have no doubts that the farmer and his wife in the house opposite the entrance of that field are bursting their hearts laughing at all the poor cyclists who go the wrong way. They probably even have deck chairs set up to watch the spectacle.

It was very late in the afternoon by now but things are finally working out. However that was a bad thought, because, you guessed it, another puncture. In fact it took a few patches (tubes were gone by now), to get this puncture to hold and then the usual crap with the pump. Fixing it I decided to ring hotel to tell them I was about 40 kilometres away and I was having problems, and they thanked me for my call.

I won't lie I was getting disheartened, but at least I was in a hotel tonight, so a lovely warm shower would cure all. Come on John, keep going, you're getting closer to La Rochelle and I was, when.....crying now.......a loud bang and again, another puncture.

After stripping bike, I tried fixing puncture but it was in an awkward spot and patches wouldn't seal and that was it, I was done, no more patches and only a little bit of glue. I literally just sat down and gave up when about an hour later a man walking by asked was I "Bon" but he got a quick reply..."no Bon". Luckily for me he said he had a few patches in his house but he was a few kilometres away. After some time he came back with two patches for me. Thanking him, he headed off. Preparing tyre, I opened patch, and standing up I dropped that patch and then stood, by accident on the glue, squirting the remains to the ground......really could anymore go wrong :-) Good side is I still have a patch, and I squeezed every last bit of glue that I could on that patch, but no joy, I was stranded.

Feeling sorry for myself, and after some more time, a family of cyclists passed me, and I don't remember did they ask me was I ok, or did I, but the great thing is they stopped. 

Jeff, Kathy and their two year old son Bodhi, were on the road for the last year. They had two bikes with kiddie trailers attached to them. One was for their gear and the other for Bodhi. Jeff gave me a patch to fix puncture, but at this stage I wasn't able to do anything. I'd say they gave, a good hour with me, as one patch didn't work, so he repaired the other punctured tube I had. 

pic www.bodhi-on-wheels.blogspot.com

pic www.bodhi-on-wheels.blogspot.com

Luckily he succeeded, but said it would only get me the rest of the way if I was lucky. Thanking them and while talking, I showed Bodhi my Cookie Monster toy and when I went to but Cookie away, Bodhi got upset and was crying. With that and after all the help they had given me I decided that Cookie would be better with a child to love him. So Cookie continues his travels in another direction. Yo can follow their blog www.bodhi-on-wheels.blogspot.com

They save me and off we went in opposite directions. I cycled like a mad man to make sure I made it and hitting La Rochelle by dark I proceeded to look for hotel. Getting lost when gps said I was at my location I asked a guy passing for directions and he walked wit me the couple of kilometres to made sure I made it.....another act of kindness of the day. 

Next my final and last dilemma of the day.....the hotel was closed and no reception or porter. Some guy coming out said reception is only open until 21:30 and it was just 23:00 now. He said I should have got word with a code and I could get my key from safe at entrance, but I had received nothing and when I rang I wasn't told any of this.

Feeling rejected and with no where to go I just hung around there for some time planning my next move when I saw some guy come out and then go in another side door. I waited outside and when he came back out I asked him if he worked here. He did but not in reception. A friend of his had come along at this stage and she translated and they made a call.......and finally I got it. They brought me to my room, where I had a shower and the nicest can, sorry two cans of coke in the world.

My day cycling started at 06:30 and ended 23:00.......I was wrecked, p%&$ed off, and just went to sleep........funny now, but not at the time. The thing is.....I did it AND survived :-)

Told you, a long story today.......keep smiling :-)

looks like my plan for today :-)