In the beginning, there was fog.

 

The route we had planned for today was, we knew, hillier and longer than yesterday’s.  So we rose early with a prayer that last night’s rain would have passed through.  It had.  But it left behind a fog so thick we were leery of traveling since we are hard enough to see in daylight.

 

We started packing, hoping the sun would burn off the fog before we needed to leave.  However, Jon noticed our trailer’s back wheel was missing its cog pin and washers, without which it would fall off.  These tiny items were almost the only spare parts we didn’t bring with us.  The hotel receptionist told us there were NO hardware stores anywhere in the town.  Jon remembered the wheel being bumped about a half kilometer back, so we trudged off along the route we had come in on to see if we could find them.  You have to try everything, no matter how slim the chance.

 

We found the pin and the metal washer!  In a gutter just ½ block from the hotel.  Jon was able to fashion the second (rubber) washer from a piece of tire tubing he had brought.  So we were on the road only twenty minutes later than our usual start time (instead of an hour early).

 

Then there were apples.

 

Fresh apples from the farmers’ market, apple turnover from the patisserie, apple orchards all along the way, and finally an apple cider museum!!  Though the presentation at the museum was entirely in French, we both enjoyed it and learned a few things.  Jon learned why he was unable to use his little fruit press to make some apple wine years ago.  Apple presses are huge and much stronger.  We also noted that they don’t pick the apples off the trees, but only after they’ve dropped on the ground – making them riper and sweeter.

 

We then hauled ourselves over the many hills, setting a new record for elevation gain in one day on this trip (2,647 feet).  The area we passed through reminded Jon of his hometown in Dubuque Iowa, hilly with lots of corn fields.  We were cheered as we passed a wedding in the country, and then we gratefully landed in the tiny town of Conde-sur-Noireau, found an appropriately rewarding restaurant for dinner, and are at this moment hoping to have recovered enough to get up tomorrow and do it one last time!

 

One note for other cyclists.  In this area we have found the “D” roads to be quite good – especially those with 3 digits, like D255, etc.  They are quiet and for the most part you have signs along the way to show where turns are coming.  You’re also more confident that the roads are not dead ends or gravel.