Camino v3 - Day 5: Charroux to Angoulême (78km)

Ahead on the road I see what looks like a woman pushing a pram with a small child in it, with a dog trotting along behind. As I get closer, I realise what I assumed to be a young mother is in fact an older woman, and what I assumed to be a small child is in fact two small dogs! I'm riding with a big grin on my face for the next few hundred metres. The things you see.

Nanteuil-en-Vallée

Don't expect God to call your mobile

I ride in to Nanteuil en Vallée just as the church bells strike 10:00. It reminds me of Poitiers where on two occasions, just as I entered a church, the organ started playing. It seemed like amazing timing. Keeping with the theme, as I ride into Saint-Agneau the church bells ring midday.

It's time for something to eat. The first place I had in mind, which features in my guide with a photo of the local boulangerie "welcomes bike riders" is Valence. I arrive there to find the boulangerie closed with the usual "fermé pour congés" (closed for vacation); very French. The next two places are like ghost towns; as I ride through them there not a soul in sight and everything is shut tight. Then I remember that not only is it the holiday period, but it's also lunch time. The last place on my list is Brie, not the Brie, but a Brie. According to the"family tree" in front of the Marie, the are six Bries in France. This Brie looks a little bigger than the other towns which is promising. I ride past the Boulangerie which is not only shut, but looks like it has been for years. This is not looking good. But then I spot something unexpected - a supermarket. Well, I think, not my first choice, but I'll take what I can get. I ride up to it and notice that it's dark inside. Sure enough, they are closed for lunch and don't open again until 3 pm. Just as I've given up hope I spot a large brand new building: Le Fournil d'Alex. It's a brand new boulangerie and it's open! All Alex can offer me in the way of something that's not basic bread or sweet is a slice of pizza, so I have the pizza.

Still on the right path

Brie has a lotissement (new mini-housing estate) on the outskirts, as many small towns do. The local councils are often trying to attract new residents and they sell housing lots quite cheaply to attract new construction. Looking at these houses I suddenly realise why they look a bit odd to me; they aren't the typical "monopoly" houses with a square box shape and steeply-pitched roof that I'm used to seeing further north, they are a more longer rectangular box with a relatively low-pitched roof, which like most houses in this region, as I noted yesterday, is tiled with half-rounded Spanish style terracotta tiles. And staying with the Spanish theme, the (small) windows have bars on them, much like the Spanish rejas.

My legs are tired - this is the fifth day of riding without having done a whole lot of training beforehand -  I decide to stop and call a chambre d'hôtes on the route which I'd had on my list of possible places to stop for the the night. They are full. I've ridden past another on my list two kilometres ago, so I ride back to find that they are also full. Decision made, I change my plans and head to Angoulême which is off the main route, but since it's a sizeable city is more likely to have available places; it's Friday I realise, so many people will have booked places for the weekend. Going to Angoulême means an extra 15 km and, as it turns out, a lot of hill climbing since Angoulême is on the top of a significant hill. Both the extra distance and the hills I could do without, but that's the way it is. I was right yesterday when I predicted that today would be interesting in terms of finding a place to spend the night.

Angoulême - capital of "bande dessinée" (comics)

I get to ride all the way to the top of the hill to find the tourist information centre. At least the view is good. And the guy there goes out of his way to help me find a place with an available room, which turns out to be more difficult than both of us expected. Luckily Angoulême turns out to be a nice place and I'm glad I came.

I'm writing this sitting at the counter looking at a team of three chefs preparing meals: one does the main courses, one is doing the entrees, and the third is doing the desserts. One is French, one is Belgian, and the desserts are being made by a Mexican. Amazingly, despite the place bring packed, they are finding the time to talk with me, there's a great working atmosphere. I am very impressed.

My visit to Angoulême had been a nice experience and it's interesting to reflect on the fact that the only reason I am sitting in a restaurant watching chefs prepare my dinner is because two chambres d'hôtes in nearby villages were fully booked. It's amazing how much of your life is decided by seemingly unrelated things you often have no control over.

My dinner being prepared