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As a lot of , I used to be as soon as a cycle tour information in Europe (which was the genesis of this weblog). The corporate the place I labored for all these years, Blue Marble Journey, has formed my life in numerous methods. This week, I’m again in France, driving a type of Blue Marble routes, however not as a information; this time I’m driving solo.
After I first began, Blue Marble was maybe not a “naked bones” operation, but it surely was not very removed from it. The corporate focussed on current enterprise and regulation college graduates; folks with not some huge cash at present however those that had the potential to be relatively well-off within the close to future. Thus, so the speculation went, they weren’t too averse to including a number of extra thousand {dollars} onto an already relatively substantial pile of debt.
Again in these early days, everybody carried all of their gear as there was no baggage choice, we stayed in largely two-star resorts (with an occasional three thrown in), and spent loads of time loading bikes on and off of trains.
Over the course of my three a long time of sporadically working for the corporate, the corporate modified a bit, however it might by no means be confused with extra upscale suppliers like Backroads or Butterfield and Robinson. Nonetheless, via Blue Marble I received to see loads of French talking Europe (there have been two foremost necessities for being a information with the corporate: you needed to communicate the native language and also you wanted to know learn how to restore a motorcycle; I solely communicate French, so I used to be restricted to these journeys and I can normally get a motorcycle rolling once more with sufficient time, the suitable instruments, and a bottle of chilled rosé).
Thus I led journeys in France within the Loire Valley, Champagne, Burgundy, Chablis, Alsace, Provence, Brittany, the Pays Basque, and the Jura. Add Belgium, Switzerland, and one foray into Italy (lengthy story) and I received to see some stunning locations, meet attention-grabbing folks, and style unbelievable meals and wine.
There have been two journeys, nonetheless, for which I used to be “certified” however by no means led: the Dordogne Valley and the Gorges of the Cévennes. I’d at all times joke that I used to be not “allowed” to do the journeys, however the reasoning was easy (or so I used to be instructed): these had been two journeys that got here into existence after I began working for the corporate and newer guides can be skilled on these journeys whereas I’d maintain doing the journeys I knew properly.
Or one thing like that.
There was additionally the truth that these journeys normally came about in Could and September when the temperatures in southern France weren’t fairly so hostile to cyclists. Attributable to my various educational commitments, first as a instructor, then a grad scholar, I truly couldn’t do these journeys if that they had been supplied to me.
Nonetheless, I used to be decided to guide each of these journeys sooner or later. I had seen pictures, heard tales, and pined yr after yr to “get the decision” however for quite a lot of causes, it by no means got here. There have been children to lift, jobs to hate, and strikes (to Texas) to make and the years stored ticking off and I puzzled if I’d ever make it to the Dordogne or the Cévennes.
After which, in late 2021, the worst occasion conceivable occurred. The proprietor of the corporate who had change into like a brother to me, died all of a sudden of a coronary heart assault . With him, went the corporate, too; Blue Marble Journey not exists.
Apparently, maybe, the need to do the journeys grew to become stronger after his demise, not a lot as a “tribute” to him however a willpower to trip these routes that he created. The autumn after his demise, I made a decision to do it. I used to be going to make the journey. I had at all times supposed on doing the 2 of them back-to-back as that’s basically how they had been designed however the logistics didn’t make sense in 2022, so I simply rode the Dordogne portion, and it was fabulous.
My plan was to trip the Cévennes in 2023.
Effectively, that received postpone to 2024, which I nearly postpone once more, however near the final minute, I made a decision I needed to get it achieved. If not this yr then when?
So right here I’m, scripting this in any case 500 kilometers (300 miles) have been ridden, able to recap my week.
Day One: The prepare from Paris to Souillac
As I discussed above, the Dordogne journey bleeds into the Cévennes journey, with the pivot level being the city of Souillac on the Dordogne River. Even folks with a reasonably good information of France have probably by no means heard of the city, a lot much less been there. It does have a formidable abbey, however after that? The record is brief.
Actual brief. Like Mugsy Bogues brief.
So why go there? As with lots of the seemingly odd questions similar to this, the historical past of Blue Marble was as a lot concerning the French rail system because it was anything. The proprietor beloved trains (maybe the understatement of the yr) and was decided to use the French rail system at each probability. And Souillac had three issues going for it: each day direct trains to and from Paris, it’s a few 40 mile bike trip from the final city of curiosity within the Dordogne, Sarlat, and one other 40 mile bike trip to the primary city of curiosity going east, Rocamadour. Thus, Souillac.
After a number of days in Paris, I schlepped all of my gear throughout the town for a mid-morning prepare south, to Souillac.
The five-hour prepare from Paris Austerlitz right down to Souillac was relatively uneventful. I used to be sitting in the identical automotive (I name them “James Bond automobiles” as there are six seats, two rows of three going through one another, with a door to every little cabin) with three older girls whose mélange of over-applied perfumes smelled like butterscotch candies being saved in mothballs.
And there was no getting away from it.
It was additionally unattainable to stretch out my legs as one of many girls was seated immediately throughout from me with little or no house in between (I might insert a joke about how brief French individuals are and thus “legroom” by no means enters the minds of the diminutive designers, however that will be insensitive). What made it much more uncomfortable was that over the course of the 5 hours going through one another, she should have utilized lipstick 137 occasions. She used her cellphone as a “mirror” for every administration and after twisting closed the tube, she would then proceed to make “kissing faces” at her cellphone for an additional 3-7 minutes, minimal every time, smiling and admiring her magnificence (which was clearly within the eyes of the beholder).
Yeah. Enjoyable occasions.
As I discussed above, I had solely been to Souillac as soon as earlier than and after this journey, there isn’t a actual purpose to return. In contrast to the primary “go to”, this time I used to be capable of stroll across the city a bit, ducking into the previous Abbey, strolling the slim cobbled streets which are ubiquitous in France, and finally consuming on the similar restaurant as I did my first go round; there usually are not a ton of choices in Souillac (understatement of the week, for positive).
I did take a number of extra pictures (however only some) this time, nonetheless…
That is one among two pictures I took in Souillac in 2022. I’ve no clue about something within the photograph: sculpture, viaduct, vegetation, nothing. Notably why it appears as if the construction to the suitable seemingly has Christmas lighting up. In September.
Random road. Pretty sure it was in Souillac. It goes someplace, I feel. Nothing else worthy of observe.
Saint Mary’s Abbey in Souillac.
Identical abbey, higher sky.
That is within the middle of Souillac. I’ve completely no clue what it’s (or was). I went inside and there have been a bunch of soccer jerseys. I left earlier than I caught one thing.
This was maybe the spotlight of my keep in Souillac: I discovered an ATM. I had forgotten to get money whereas in Paris.
Right here is the one different image I took in Souillac again in 2022, which is basically attention-grabbing if you examine it to the subsequent photograph.
Nope! Not the identical meal rearranged! Not solely did I eat within the very same restaurant, I ordered the similar dish and the similar wine (all unintentional, I swear). I’m undecided if that claims extra about me or Souillac… There may be one slight distinction with the wine (apart from the classic). It’s close to unattainable to note, however the astute wino would possibly be capable to pick the very refined distinction between the 2.
Look out for my Day 2 recap quickly…
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