Day 13

Rain Rain
Yes, I woke up to my favorite noise again. I went out to the bathroom and it only got worse, so I wrote a couple letters inside the tent. It wasn't getting any better and the rowdy kids nearby were packing up, so I finally got out too. Around noon I made it downtown for the last of my errands. After a quick meal and a check of the news at Packman fast food, I strolled up to the post office. I was a bit flustered by my lack of French comprehension as I tried to send off a package of presents, film, and souvenirs. The man at the window was very nice, though. He maintained his cool better than I did, and much better than the proverbial (?) disgruntled postal worker in the States. After a bit of mulling around, I was off by three.

Serenity
The rain had let up and it was just a cool cloudy afternoon. I understand that this weather is very unusual for central France at this time of year. I guess I have been lucky, because I am a bit of a baby about hot afternoons, and I haven't been getting up too early in the mornings, so...

Riding on the national highway there was decent traffic, but I could still enjoy. I only get a honk or something every once in a while, and they are overshadowed by the people who give me nods of approval. Ah, there was even a bike lane on the way out of town for a few kilometers. A beautiful thing. Otherwise there is not much of a shoulder on French roads. Some trucks have to wait to get around me, but generally everything seems safe. I saw my first accident today. A tractor-trailer jack-knifed in the ditch. I haven't seen anything else in all my riding and driving in Spain and France.

Mostly hay, wheat, and some cows around here. This must be the bread box of France. Something like the central United States. I road through a couple really dense and dark forests. Some really cool air back in there. For the most part a very uneventful afternoon of cycling. I rolled into Clamecy around eight, with plenty of time to get some stuff done. Air out the tent, wash some clothes, take a nice shower. I have to remember that this is a vacation. I haven't had time to read any of my novels lately.