74.53km –10H19’
Altitude : 151 m
Eliane: The day before yesterday Eliane slept very little in order to contemplate the night. The next morning this is what she told us: “A 9:45 PM the sun went down and twilight set in. It was dark from midnight until 3:00 AM, then the sun came up and it started to get light. There was full daylight at 4:15 AM”.
Laure: Today I asked someone I met if the temperatures we are experiencing are normal for this season. The response was, generally speaking yes but not for May, rather for June and July, which are vacation months for the children. Summer is short and nobody complains about this stormy weather, which goes from sultry to rainy. Besides, it doesn’t keep the children from going to school on bike and playing outside in t-shirts.
The whole team: None of us wanted to try a sauna or go swimming in the lake. It’s not because we didn’t have the opportunity since in the evening when the race stops, around 8:00 PM we can do what we like. It is because it’s too hot outside to go inside and perspire a bit more and the water in the lakes is too cold, so even if it is very clean its color is almost black, which is not very inviting. You will say that these Frenchies are never satisfied: too much of this, not enough of that. The subject that occupies us is not taking time to do things but living 14 hours per day at Mr. Serge’s rhythm, and I can assure you that we don’t feel like doing anything other than going to bed or taking the time to read a few lines before falling asleep with the book on our nose.
So, our nights are restorative, except for Serge, who is sleeping badly right now because first, it’s broad daylight and the sun is high in the sky at 8:00 PM and second, he hurts all over and the pain in his legs wakes him when he moves. Changing position is sport. It’s a rare phenomenon for Serge whose sleep normally revives him.
To break the monotony of our days, the best thing I have found to do is get stuck in the camper when I am looking for a place to spend the night. I realize quickly that I can’t get unstuck without being towed. After 5 minutes I call René for help so Eliane takes the bike with the food for Serge. I also know that the van can’t tow me out of this bad spot. So I stand on the side of the road 200m from where I am and wait for a tractor to pass. Phew, after ten minutes I see one. I stand in the middle of the road to stop him. The driver is a young man who understands my problem and says he will come back. Ten minutes later here he is. He takes the time to assess the situation, his sister brings a chain and we are ready for a funny tow job. It takes 3 tries to get us back on the track!!! With René we “repair the mess made to the small track which leads to a property” and we leave. Having explained to our rescuers that I was looking for a place to sleep before I got stuck, they take me to a farm where we find lodging for the night.
In the past two days I have begun to understand that this country is full of houses, lodgings, and cabins that can be rented for a night or more, but nothing is marked. There are no signs taking the place of a tourist office and the Internet is of no help. Camping sites don’t exist in this remote region and “wilderness camping” is permitted for one night. If you are on private property it is advisable to ask permission. Luckily, many people speak English and it makes things easier. Lastly, up to now we have been able to rely on our maps; however, to find a place to camp they are of no help whatsoever. All that adds spice to the life of our caravan and as long as Serge does not suffer from these problems, everything is fine on the Around the European Union Race.
P.S. Serge spoke on the phone with Christophe Vissant, who is in Croatia. He clocked 1,000 km on Sunday, May 16. He left Aubagne on May 2, on his run to Athens. It was amusing that while they were talking Serge reached his first refueling and Christophe was at his first refueling of the day!!
This evening, figures are upside down, because the Excel spreadsheet does not give the same figures as Garmin, which is the bible. It is a common error of copying to the spreadsheet. Don’t be surprised if Serge has fewer kilometers after the day’s addition.