I stayed last night in the really nice B&B in Montcuq which Bob and Claude told me translates into butt crack. Apparently their young granddaughter greeted them amoung French friends one time and said you smell like Montcuq! Claude had to explain to the others around that they lived in that town and she has the whole house smelling like lavender and that's what her granddaughter meant (We hope..). They were amazing hosts having dinner with me last night and Claude making me breakfast with homemade brioche. Speaking of which Pauline emailed me and told me I don't have enough food pictures to look at. So Pauline....homemade brioche!
I talked with Mary this morning and staying with the butt theme, she told me to get my ass out of bed and start riding. Just as a suggestion, get your cute ass out of bed and start riding would go a long way baby. Just saying...
After this amazing breakfast and nice night, I started out riding. About a mile out of town, I turned on to the GR and it almost instantly rocky, uphill and unrideable. It like, wait a minute, I just had this amazing night in a B&B and homemade brioche for breakfast; this can't be happening...I want to stay in my happy place a while longer. It was not to be.
Be careful what you ask for... The rain is gone, but the sun, heat and steamy farmers fields have replaced it. It was about 85 degrees and humid due to rain in past days. I hiked up these somewhat muddy fields in oppressive heat today and then in a moment of tough realization, found that I had gone down a steep rocky gully and up a very steep hill pushing my bike for about an hour and realized I had gone in a loop. The GR is marked well in both directions and when I missed one marker I picked up the reverse directions a ways away from where I missed the turn. It was disappointing to say the least.
I met Dominick today at a small chapel in the middle of nowhere. He is from Austria and started his pilgrimage there 53 days ago. Respect! I have nothing to complain about.
I had some incredibly steep downhills today. As I was navigating one, I heard a noise I didn't like from my rear brake. It started making noise so I decided to jump on the road for the last few miles to Moissac where I am tonight. I asked the hotel to find a bike shop for me and she ended sending me to a bike club that was closed, not a shop. I got some help from a tattoo shop next door and they sent me to the next town about 3.5 miles away. When I got there, the shop was closed for the day. I was exhausted riding back to town having taken both the wrong turn detour and 7 mile extra trip.
I will have to go back to the shop in the morning and get my brakes looked at for sure. I don't really want to stay here as it a non-descript larger town, but I have to deal with what's in front of me. Hoping for a pad replacement and can get on my way.
Buen Camino
Dave
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