fairly early start in Geneva, fairly late arrival near Oingt (more exactly in Pouilly-le-Monial). fairly hot weather through the Dombes, afternoon temperatures 35-40 ºC on the computer.
still in Switzerland. horses up early.
lovely early morning sensations
first bakery stop. i am susceptible to a sugar brioche.
first << climb >> of the trip. had some bread and cheese on the way (smart). chased the wheel of a jolly fellow on a semi-classic Canyon, who told me about wintertime snow conditions (silly).
after the descent, a Saturday market. this town is on a beautiful lake surrounded by parked RVs.
so many cheeses to eat, but my stomach is often full. this one was no problem.
rolling down toward the Ain
much of this stretch along the Ain was beautiful to ride, smelling of low tide. something like apocalyptically dry conditions, signs advertising boat berths and swimming on what appears to be a hundred meters of dry mud.
last lunchbeer for a while
good vibes at the muddy buvette
the water in the Ain appears to be mainly here
how it’s going / how it started
getting down into the flatland of the Dombes. on the map, a spooky marsh of rainwater puddles on earth cement. fields of desiccated sunflowers, quiet of the hot late summer afternoon.
stands of trees along the Dombes. most of the marshy pits appear simply grassy. muddy smells.
old Roman bridge along the Roman road, a komoot highlight (thanks). worth the tiny detour, very much a cartoon monster “the past.”
giant farm/abbey complex, nice, quiet, spooky.
I think they sell honey and stuff
church at the end of the road
a watery sight
pizza from a truck. distant sounds of nostalgia-rock concert by the river. sunset soon. apologetic call to hosts for the night–gonna be a little late.
(…for more coverage of “france 2023”, click here…)
a cozy place for odd rats i guess 