Sutra 9 - July,16th (78KM) BAYON - FONTENOY-LE-CHATEAU : On the Road Again, The Fellowship of the W
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Last morning-porridge and soon I had to say goodbye to the warrior-chef, sharing a last croissant outside the local pattisserie... marking this as one of the hardest moments during my trip ;-( . When I saw the car and the waving hand disappearing around the corner I knew that I was once again alone. Me and the road. Non-attachment to things we like and makes us comfortable is a difficult practice! Leaving behind 3 days of rest ... I had to find my discipline once more.
Positive side of that was that I would be back on the road pedaling some kilometers away, cycling up the hills squeezing out all the calories of 4 days excessive eating ... Plus ... I am still 2 countries away from my destination! Portugal is not exactly next door!
That day I wanted to keep it simple ... not too much thinking, just doing. Direction towards Charmes, reaching Fontenoy-le-chateau in the evening and sleep at a camping there. Nothing more or less than that. An important stop at Carrefour before leaving Bayon for supplies, and I was on my way.
Cycling to Charmes was all I needed to start that day. Easy going road, gave me some time to adjust again on the way and put my mind to order as I was thinking that I had a long way to go, feeling kinda blue, and somehow not so motivated to take one more pedaling to continue and cover the distance. Luckily the first kilometers were kinda downhill and Jack was doing the work for me, or I would probably still be stuck somewhere outside Bayon eating croissants ... haha.
Thinking more positive and coming out my little dark cloud rainning above my head, the day was sunny and beautiful, made my heart opening up to the the new things on the road ahead and I soon started feeling better. The emotional clouds were disappearing one by one little by little and I could see the clear blue again. I had to stay focussed, cover my distance, continue learning from this journey and keep on going. With the next exhale I would decide to let go ...
Cycling from Ubexy to Vaubexy helped a lot, as the long uphill distance grabbed me by the face and brought me a lot of sweating moments under the sun... enduring the road, feeling my muscles burning and working hard, kept my mind fixed in what was happening right then in this moment. It was an asana practice. Reaching Dompaire was only a matter of short time and then from Damas with a little help of a local, I was ascending to Gorhey ... continuing to Girancourt!
There was my turning point and tricky part so I had to be very concentrated on my map ... to find the little turn just before exiting the village and crossing the bridge, that was leading to a cycling path I would follow for days, alongside Saone river. Soon I was on track and I felt nothing would stop me ... I was cycling ... and cycling ...
undisturbed, meeting only people fishing and a few cyclists on the way, soon I had left quite a long distance behind me untill further ahead... an obstacle would block my way and also teach me an inspiring lesson ... !!!
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE WHEEL / WILL!
Suddenly, just a few km's before Bains-les-Bains ... the cycling road was barricated, forbidding cyclists to continue further due to constructions later on the route. Next to the obstacle sitting down on the cycling path were a girl (about 16) and two little boys (about 11 and 8) apparently wandering the same as me ... now what? I found it very weird that all 3 of them had bikes loaded with things, obviously covering a long distance as well ... I was like ... huh??? Well what came next would take me completely by surprise!
They told me they were heading to Bains-les-Bains, to spend the night in a hotel there. I was still wandering how on Earth 3 kids were just travelling on their own, but just before opening my mouth to ask, the answer appeared! Two ladies and another ''little one'' about 4 years old, approached us ... and the fellowship of the wheel/will was complete! It turned out that this little ''bizarre group'' was forged with power and brought together by their leading lady and adventurous, fit, enthusiastic mother, Magdalene, that had left her working husband behind,since he couldn't take any vacation, took her 4 kids and a friend of hers, and started cycling from Luxemburg all the way to Epinal ... she had an impressive story not only to tell but to show as well!
She started cycling with her kids already long time ago, (first time her little one cycled a long distance was only 3 years old!!!) covering more and more distance every year with her goal, as her kids growing older, to manage and cycle the San Diago de compostella (El camino) with them! That lady had determination, patience, fire and passion to cycle the road I can tell you!
I joined them for the next hour, first trying to get a detour from the other side of the river, figuring out another way to reach our destination, when luckily we came across a ''service car''
coming our way. With her perfect french, Magdalene, soon found out that we would be able to go back, bypass the obstacle and continue down the cycling path, since the heavy construction work hadn't started yet and we could easily manage to bypass all the further obstacles down the road too.
Great news! We headed back, me her oldest daugter Anne, and her two little brothers led the way ahead, as Magdalene, her friend and her youngest little son were cycling behind us slowly. The 4 of us gained a lot of distance ahead, separating us from the rest of the team, soon we reached and passed all the obstacles succesfully and arrived to the point we had to part ways! Anne and the boys had to wait for the rest and get off the path towards Bains-les-Bains while I had to continue my way further down the river to Fontenoy-le-Chateau, where I would take a rest.
We said our goodbye, and I moved on, being so inspired by this brave lady, an example that any kind of ''load or burden'' or ''frame of mind'' cannot stop you, from achieving what you wanna do. Having the responsibility of taking her whole family on such a trip ... bringing up those little adventurers along, showing them a way to enjoy travelling, cycling and nature. Wow! I thought, while feeling that my own load and only self responsibility had nothing to say that moment! She had clearly showed me that when theres a WHEEL / WILL ... THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY! I wish you and your family safe travels Magdalene! Thank you :-)
I SEE ... DUTCH ....PEOPLE!!!!
Early (about 18:30) i reached Fontenoy-le-Chateau. A nice welcoming to this beautiful town is the little bridge, decorated with a lot of inspirational messages that can captivate and uplift anyone crossing it, giving them a little memory-souvenir of wisdom and philosophy.
An emergency stop at the local Boulangerie for a chocolate - eclair, and a last 2km uphill cycling to find the camping located in the forest, would seal the day. I was in camping Fontenoy, a nice, cute clean place that made you feel relaxed as soon as you stepped your foot on it! The people running it from November to April is a Belgian
family I think, and to be honest it felt a ''home away from home''as most of the campers where either Belgian or Dutch ... the environment was quite familiar. The lady in charge will give you information of other special travellers stayed there (I found out
there is a guy travelling around in France on a monocycle!!!!) and she will ask if anything is needed always igger to help out and invite you to feel like home. The bar/cafe/restaurant is so cozy and nicely decorated, wifi available within the whole camping area, free showers no coins needed, and with my own tent I was able to stay there for only 6,50 euros. Having a really comfy stay, hanging out at the cafe, enjoying apple pie, charging my phone etc, and talk with the rest of the campers mostly Dutch.
That made me think that so far ... Dutch people hold the record of travelling out there AND I MEAN REALLY ... THEY DO! I see them everywhere in my travelling experience so far in any country I 've been to ... there is no place ... river ...cycling path, road, lake, sea, camping, mountain, city, village, town, that I don't see them around, always knowing a lot of things for the area they are travelling to, helping out, or waving at me from their yacht having the dutch flag on, sailing down the rivers I cycled along so far, seeing them enjoying life and themselves, also on a simple way, away from really expensive hotels and luxuries! I find this quite cool ... plus everyone is asking me ''are you dutch?'' when they see I am travelling on a bike for two months with only the basics haha, being very impressed when I answer I am Greek. Very funny fact is that from a lot of campings I passed by lately, I am the first Greek person they've ever had as a guest! ... Come on Greek people! Let's conquer the world a bit more, shall we?????!!!!!
Only for Greeks :
Shkwthhte apo ntivania, karekles, kanapedes, krevatia, trapezia, ksaplwstres, kai fyyyyyyyygame!!! :-P