A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
France
9.06am I took this photo because it seemed the very essence of a French village. I wasn't sure of the road just after this and asked some local - who didn't know at all but didn't want to say as much. There were no signposts and the roads were tiny to say the least.
Finally, it was topped by being threatened by the biggest black mastif I've ever seen who was running around free in the road. Luckily just before he came in for the kill a car came along and he backed off, giving me a chance to ride off keeping the car behind me until I was out of range.
This area was very quite, a consequence of which was that I couldn't find anywhere that served food. Lots of places were closed or boarded up: Doré-l'Eglise for instance.
La Chaise Dieu
14.54pm The climb from Doré was steep and about 10km it was also rough tarmac and hot; I was so pleased when I arrived here. A lovely restaurant at Bonneval. I made it just as a coach party of about 20 women arrived. They were lovely and we chatted for a while, they looking fresh and french, me dripping with sweat.
I sat outside on this terrace, with views over the valley and had some very nice food, accompanied, as ever, by a chilled rosé
The climb from here to the Chaise Dieu wasn't too bad, but the town, or at least the part I saw didn't merit stopping. I pressed on to Sambadel Gare, again restaurants that were shut and no where to get food for dinner.
Sembadel Gare
However, though there was no food, the camp site was lovely, I was the only person there for one thing so I had my choice of pitches and my choice of showers. In the morning I could leave the door open and shower bathed in sunlight. The guardian showed up briefly about 6ish to take my money (municipal campsites being largely between 4 and 6 euros, private ones were occasionally 8 euros).
Other residents
Exploring that evening I was looking for somewhere to recharge my phone and iPod and found this in the electricity box: I don't think this campsite gets a lot of visitors, human ones that is.