Tuesday, 24 April Poitiers to Melle

DISTANCE: 71 k/44 mi; TIME: 4h 56m; AV: 14.3 kph/8.7 mph; ODO: 800.9 k

Breakfast was early, just after 7 am and I was on the road by 8 am. I found my route out of Poiters quite easily. The sun soon came out and it was not long before I discarded my Pertex over-trousers and my jacket. I also put on my fingerless gloves. Although the sun was warm, there was a strong wind from the SW, and I was heading due SW! I decided to “cut the corner” before Lusignan and head direct for St. Sauvin. I arrived in Chenay about 12:50 and had lunch at the “Trois Pigeons.”

It clouded over somewhat for the afternoon. As I left it was raining, but not heavily. As I entered Melle, a lady flagged me down. It seemed that her husband was doing the pilgrimage from Paris, also on a bicycle. His wife was supporting him with a car, so no baggage for him to carry. As I entered Melle at about 4:30 pm, it started to rain more heavily. I decided to put up at the “Hôtel Glycines.” I have a broken spoke again. Madame says that there is a secure place for my vélo, but no one can find the key! So my early stop to fix the spoke is to no avail. I will have to do it in the morning.

When I come down to dinner, I saw that one of the hotel staff had lifted my bicycle into the hotel foyer, together with the bicycle of a French gentleman. He sat at the table next to me. I opened a conversation with him, but he was a bit quiet, having ascertained that I was not from a French region but from England. For some reason I never made a note of what I had for dinner.

It now looks as if a repair of my spoke is not feasible in the morning. It will depend on the weather. I may go on to St. Jean-d’Angely.

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