EV6 day 35

Another short half day as we are meeting the supporters group later today! As I am starting from off route due to the lack of camp-space and mainly due to my navigational cock up yesterday, I decide to try and regain a few kilometres by following Google maps direct cycle route instead of my EV6 gpx. Another error! It is fine for about 5 kms, then tries to take me down a wild track. It doesn’t know that the track hasn’t been used for years and is overgrown! I find the cycle path signs and follow those. Great plan- my scheme to reduce the stage by a couple of kms to 26 ends up with me doing 34!

Another aqueduct.

However, en route to Cronat to meet Passepartout I bump into another traveller. Jean-Jacques. He tells me he is from Angers and is travelling from somewhere 500 kms away (I had no idea where it was!) and is heading to the EV6 finish. He has a trailer and is travelling self-sufficient, albeit he is loaded much more lightly than many I have seen. He asks if I have a support vehicle and of course I do. He says that he usually cycles with a friend and their wives bring the car as back up and choose hotels. He says ‘I would never do it this way again!’.

After a fairly easy 51 kms I arrive in Decize. We have cabins booked on the campsite and Passepartout is able to get a pitch on the campsite. We are there at 1230- obviously the office is closed 1200-1400 for lunch!
the campsite operator is great and he gets us sorted out. Cabins are 2 bedded and we are ready for our guests. We don’t know until later that they don’t come with bed linen or towels and you can’t hire any!

We get the afternoon to chill out as our supporters are arriving by train at 1642 in Decize station- about 1 km away. I busy myself sorting the cabins and my admin and Passepartout has a dip in the river, then tries to have a swim in the municipal pool adjacent to us. He is amazed to be ejected for failing to wear his budgie smugglers – a first- as in France swimming shorts are not permitted. I think after that experience the french lawmakers might want to look at it!

At 1642 I have walked up to the station and the train comes in on the dot. Out gets the travelling support. They are here to cheer us on. Heading back to the campsite we find that, in true tradition, most restaurants are not open! We do, however, find a takeaway pizza place and get some wagon wheel sized pizzas. With a couple of bottles of local wine from the camp it turns into a decent evening.