11 June, Aups and Downs
I got out for a second bike ride yesterday. The weather was perfect, and this mountain that sits behind our house has been calling my name since I first located this place on a map, back in March. When I started my previous ride, I went up the hill on one side of the mountain, but realized I’d bitten off a lot, so I took a lower chemin along the side of the hill. This time I wanted to get over the top.
In addition, I wanted to check out some roads that lead up from town. My brother is coming to visit and wants to rent a bike, and i want to see what’s actually possible and probable before we get stuck somewhere we shouldn’t be. The roads went straight up and led to some spectacular olive-tree filled valleys and views. At one point, I went down a small road that wasn’t on the map, and found myself staring down five (5) large dogs, three behind chicken wire fences and two chained to a stake in front of a ramshackle cottage. I’m less worried about crazy guys with guns here in France, but an angry dog is an angry dog in any language, so I turned and bolted back up the road. It was fine.
I mean, it was hard. 15 miles, 2200 feet of climbing. Much of the climbing was on really difficult chunk that made rocky Pennsylvania seems like a cake-walk. Needless to say, it’s not somewhere I’d take my brother or anyone else for a spin. But I’m glad I did it, and I’m glad I don’t have to do it again. Back to chateaus and villages!
sketched while on the bike ride