LIVE from the Camino Cycling on the Tours route

[Barbara]

Well guess what? I'm actually on a Camino. On the way to Poitiers, then to Chatellerault checking route options before heading south on the Tours route variant. It's raining. Life is almost normal. I'm camping, tonight I'm in Chauvigny, 1000 years a fortified town which apparently has not got any pilgrim history. Until today? Tomorrow Poitiers, which has.

 

[OzAnnie]

Sounds very pretty .
Is it possible to upload a photo from your phone ?
Bon chemin

 

[mspath]

Hope you have dry weather.
Do pass by the Château d'Harcourt which is splendid.

Bon courage et Bon chemin.

 

[Galloglaigh]

I've got a complicated plan involving a bike, a camper van, a tent, and a husband that can't drive the van. Dogsitters living in our guest house, new born chicks, cats, dogs and donkeys to keep them busy.

How's the plan going?

There doesn't seem to be much accomodation on that part of the Tours route. Is the tent by choice or as backup in case the accommodation is not available / open?

 

[Barbara]

Hi all. The tent is by choice as in the best of times there isn't much budget accommodation. Here I hope are some pictures.
The tower is what can be seen of the old town from the campsite. I've just retired to the tent as another shower goes through.
Mspath, you've obviously been here. Did you try Pizza du Square?
More pictures tomorrow...

 

[Barbara]

Today had it's moments of interest. I had carefully planned a route into Poitiers and on to Chatellerault, which could work in either direction depending on where one wished to start. It might well have been good for walkers if they didn't mind the lack of places to rest, drink coffee, etc. What it wasn't was good for a hybrid bike on a rainy day.
So, back to the maps.
I ended up pushing the bike on wheels which were so encrusted in sticky mud that they didn't want to turn. Once back on a road I used some convenient puddles to wash off the worst of the glop. I refrained from testing other tracks and went directly to my planned campsite. I'm not sure exactly where the derailleur cable broke. Apparently there is a bike breakdown service not far away. There is a bit more to do between Poitiers and St Cyr, which is where I am tonight. Sorry, no photos on the route. But this is a nice place to be while the bike is fixed

 

[Barbara]

So, here I am still dodging rain showers and another night on the same campsite. I do however have my bike fixed after struggling to Chatellerault in top gear and a joyous return with all working and a much cleaner bike. I had removed the biggest lumps of adhesive red mud, and the rain helped a bit overnight. The bike shop did the rest when fixing the derailleur.
And best of all I met a pilgrim from the Sarthe (northern France) heading from Chatellerault to Poitiers. Yay! She isn't having an easy time with all pilgrim lodging still closed. We had a good chat as she ate lunch in a bus shelter. She's pulling a trolley with her camping gear and hopes that when she gets to the border it will be open. Wish her God speed if you see her....
Tomorrow I'm planning to be at St Pierre de Maillé {Tours secondary route) then home for a few days on Wednesday.

 

[Barbara]

Well, people, this is who it's all about
In the St Jacques Church in Chatellerault.
Unfortunately behind a very solid metal cage, since someone stole his staff a few years ago.
He has company

With his dog, which no-one has yet stolen.
The Tours route is rich in history but less so in accommodation. It's still well worth using for those who are either happy to camp or can afford hotels.
The bad news is that officially this year, there will be no pilgrim lodging either in hostels or family homes. I had this from the President of the association who has oversight of this route in France. His view is that many of the people who would normally offer accommodation are elderly and this classed as vulnerable. However, in June to September there are many campsites open, most of them also have some form of ready built tent or bungalow to hire.

 

[Barbara]

I spent a night in St Pierre de Maillé after Châtellerault, simple, clean, friendly and cheap campsite. Met my husband there for lunch, I suggest if you take this route you plan on staying there too.
Once home I did some work on revising the route to be a bit more direct between Poitiers and Chauvigny, and Poitiers and Châtellerault. I am also eliminating some of the more difficult tracks to ride in wet weather. I need to test some of the revised route, but for now I'm going to work on the route between Lussac les Châteaux and Angoulême.
I'm finding some campsites with cheap accommodation ready built, not all but I'll make notes as I go. I'm going to ask the Confraternity of St James to write and officially ask for pilgrim discounts. Some sites seem very open to this. Nearly all are now open, though some are in any case very seasonal.

What are you all hanging around for? Go pilgrims! Onwards and upwards!

 

[lovingkindness]

Bonjour @Barbara! Thanks for posting. It takes courage to set off in these times! The other day when out for a walk I met a couple of french pilgrims resting, sheltering from the heat of the day at Sembas, a hamlet on le voie de Rocamadour. They had set off from Gourdon, aiming for Lourdes, camping along the way as all the gîtes were shut. They were amusing themselves along the way by searching for fishing spots, using a piece of chicken wire to catch crawlies…

 

[VNwalking]

What are you all hanging around for? Go pilgrims! Onwards and upwards!

Many of us cannot yet even leave our countries. And others of us would rather not, even we if we can.
May you have a blessed quiet way, Barbara. And thank you for letting us all know what it's like out there right now.

 

[Galloglaigh]

If you can't go yet, or you don't want to go yet, at least you can plan and prepare. It gives you a target.

 

[Barbara]

Many of us cannot yet even leave our countries. And others of us would rather not, even we if we can.
May you have a blessed quiet way, Barbara. And thank you for letting us all know what it's like out there right now.

Thank you for reminding me. I tend to forget that some people here live a long way from Santiago. I hope you can enjoy a local pilgrimage while you wait for better times.

 

[VNwalking]

I hope you can enjoy a local pilgrimage while you wait for better times.

Merci et bon chemin.
Where I am there are restrictions until the end of the month at least. So I am learning to love walking back and forth......

 

[oursonpolaire]

I loved reading about the pilgrims fishing. I hope that the French offer an exemption from fishing rules for pilgrims. One of the high points of walking in France was the possibility of overnight stays in farmers' gîtes along the way, where I had some wonderful meals and had great conversations in my fractured Ontario French.

 

[Barbara]

Tomorrow I'll be driving to Lussac les Châteaux to set up a base camp with my ancient husband and continue checking out the route to Angoulême. I expect it will rain. Today I spent the afternoon in a casualty department waiting while one of the house sitters got four stitches in the thumb he sliced working on his van. Cycling in the rain is probably an improvement on that.
I'll keep you informed on what I find, but don't actually expect Châteaux, as there aren't any that I know of. There are three bars and a campsite though. Onwards and upwards!

 

[Barbara]

It didn't rain. Must be a mistake. Today I did Lussac les Châteaux to L'Isle Jourdain and return (because husband, camper to collect) a real delight. It can be done entirely on a disused railway line but I took some country roads as well in the hope of coffee stops. Potentially two but too early for one of them.
Onwards and upwards!
Moving the base camp in the morning.

 

[Barbara]

Crossing the Charente beyond Charroux. I pushed the bike. And for quite a bit further.