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A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu

Orléans to Roses

My third year of cycling through France, this trip started in Orléans, followed the Loire to Nevers, then switched rivers to follow the Allier, went through the Massif Central, down to the Med and then back inland before going over the Pyrenees and to Roses (pronounced RosAs by the way).  1121km not including 50 or 60 not counted along the way.

The second part of the trip, from the Massif to Spain was largely the route I'd done two years ago and had enjoyed so much.  I'd started in Orléans largely because the dates that European Bike Express offered allowed me to arrive in Allègre to coincide with the Human Powered Vehicle Festival (VPH) held there every year.

Date of event: 7/8/2011

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Sambadel to Allègre
<p>I love this bit of the route, great tarmac, beautiful views on what seems like a high plateau, and largely downhil. &nbsp;The swish of tyres on tarmac.</p><p>Got to All&egrave;gre, found the campsite and got set up and immediately met a family who were also there for the VHP festival: Gerald, Veronique and Agate their daughter. &nbsp;Gerald had a Seiran and a Brompton with an extra seat for Agate, and Veronique had a recumbent, though a rather heavy one that didn't handle too well at speed.</p><p>We all cycled in to All&egrave;gre, only 1km away, if that, and had supper with Jean-Charles and Chantal. &nbsp;Jean-Charles was the organiser of the festival and had been extremely helpful when I was planning the trip, answering my many questions on the <a href="http://velorizontal.bbfr.net/t13779-semaine-vph-2011-16-24-juillet-allegre-haute-loire">VHP Forum</a>.</p>
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Sambadel to Allègre

I love this bit of the route, great tarmac, beautiful views on what seems like a high plateau, and largely downhil.  The swish of tyres on tarmac.

Got to Allègre, found the campsite and got set up and immediately met a family who were also there for the VHP festival: Gerald, Veronique and Agate their daughter.  Gerald had a Seiran and a Brompton with an extra seat for Agate, and Veronique had a recumbent, though a rather heavy one that didn't handle too well at speed.

We all cycled in to Allègre, only 1km away, if that, and had supper with Jean-Charles and Chantal.  Jean-Charles was the organiser of the festival and had been extremely helpful when I was planning the trip, answering my many questions on the VHP Forum.

Allègre, fête médiéval
<p><strong>Saturday, 16th July</strong></p><p>I didn't get up too early but then cycled in to All&egrave;gre to have some breakfast, or at least some coffee. &nbsp;I got talking to someone outside this caf&eacute; about the bike who turned out to own said caf&eacute; I found out when I later when in for a caf&eacute; au lait.</p><p>All&egrave;gre was a very pretty little village, though built on a steep hill which meant climbing to get anywhere. &nbsp;The centre is medieval, just below here is an arched gate into the village centre and it so happened that this weekend, today was Saturday, was a medieval fete.</p><p>Here are a couple of videos, and by the way they can take a little while to load so don't be surprised if you see a blank black square for a while, the first (10Mb) is of two <a title="Medieval Musicians" rel="shadowbox;height=400;width=600" href="images/28/frogMusic.mp4">musicians dressed as frogs</a>&nbsp; wearing spring stilts.&nbsp; The second (26Mb) is of the <a title="Procession" rel="shadowbox;height=480;width=720" href="images/28/procession.mp4">initial procession</a>.</p>
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Allègre, fête médiéval

Saturday, 16th July

I didn't get up too early but then cycled in to Allègre to have some breakfast, or at least some coffee.  I got talking to someone outside this café about the bike who turned out to own said café I found out when I later when in for a café au lait.

Allègre was a very pretty little village, though built on a steep hill which meant climbing to get anywhere.  The centre is medieval, just below here is an arched gate into the village centre and it so happened that this weekend, today was Saturday, was a medieval fete.

Here are a couple of videos, and by the way they can take a little while to load so don't be surprised if you see a blank black square for a while, the first (10Mb) is of two musicians dressed as frogs  wearing spring stilts.  The second (26Mb) is of the initial procession.

Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
<p>Lots, I mean lots of people where dressed up in medieval garb and this group were cooking. &nbsp;Cooking for us tourists but also for all the other musicians, jugglers and stall holders who were creating the fete. &nbsp;They were cooking here using traditional medieval cooking methods. &nbsp;I had asked if the recipe included ear of donkey and skin of toad but they assured me that it didn't. &nbsp;I don't think I'd have minded, it smelled wonderful.</p><p>If you click on this photo the larger one is of a view back up the hill into the village and shows the stalls laid out.</p>
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Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble

Lots, I mean lots of people where dressed up in medieval garb and this group were cooking.  Cooking for us tourists but also for all the other musicians, jugglers and stall holders who were creating the fete.  They were cooking here using traditional medieval cooking methods.  I had asked if the recipe included ear of donkey and skin of toad but they assured me that it didn't.  I don't think I'd have minded, it smelled wonderful.

If you click on this photo the larger one is of a view back up the hill into the village and shows the stalls laid out.

A short ride
<p>The previous evening, after expressing enthusiasm for french cheese and goats cheese in particular Jean-Charles suggested that we have a short ride to a local farm where they make some.</p><p>So, here is the group so far, just waiting to get started for our short ride. &nbsp;Our short-ride turned into a hilly 20km which was slightly more than I think Veronique would have preferred, her with her heavy, slow bike that was difficult to ride downhill at speed and uphill even slowly.</p><p>I was, of course fine downhill at speed though uphill I found my'self overtaken by Louis who is perhaps around 10 years old with a bike no higher than my knee and by Jean-Charles on a tandem with another child who was barely peddling. &nbsp;While he was pushing Veronique!! &nbsp;He's quite fit that Jean-Charles.</p><p>Here, in addition to Jean-Charles, at the back in red, you see Gerald on the right in fetching florescent yellow, and Veronique in turquoise blue. &nbsp;The guy with long hair is Sylvain.</p><p>It's worth mentioning Sylvain for three reasons: his trike which has a small roof covered with solar panels which powers the electric motor which helped him to overtake everyone going uphill; his helpfullness in planning an alternative route to Langogne for me; and the fact that he's as blind as a bat yet somehow manages to cycle everywhere. &nbsp;</p><p>He did mention that he can distinguish different types of car and lorry from the sounds they make, I forgot to enquire how that helped when pulling out at junction when there's lots of traffic.</p>
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A short ride

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The previous evening, after expressing enthusiasm for french cheese and goats cheese in particular Jean-Charles suggested that we have a short ride to a local farm where they make some.

So, here is the group so far, just waiting to get started for our short ride.  Our short-ride turned into a hilly 20km which was slightly more than I think Veronique would have preferred, her with her heavy, slow bike that was difficult to ride downhill at speed and uphill even slowly.

I was, of course fine downhill at speed though uphill I found my'self overtaken by Louis who is perhaps around 10 years old with a bike no higher than my knee and by Jean-Charles on a tandem with another child who was barely peddling.  While he was pushing Veronique!!  He's quite fit that Jean-Charles.

Here, in addition to Jean-Charles, at the back in red, you see Gerald on the right in fetching florescent yellow, and Veronique in turquoise blue.  The guy with long hair is Sylvain.

It's worth mentioning Sylvain for three reasons: his trike which has a small roof covered with solar panels which powers the electric motor which helped him to overtake everyone going uphill; his helpfullness in planning an alternative route to Langogne for me; and the fact that he's as blind as a bat yet somehow manages to cycle everywhere.  

He did mention that he can distinguish different types of car and lorry from the sounds they make, I forgot to enquire how that helped when pulling out at junction when there's lots of traffic.