123 km
The day started with reasonable temperatures but later the day it was not comfortable to ride the bike. Some 15 km after start I approached Chalon sur Saône. Here I had two choose out of 2 tracks: One called ‘on old St James ways and the other follows the Canal du Centre to the Loire valley. On the pilgrims track I detected some steep ascents that would be a problem in the heat, so I opted for the canal route that I cycled earlier in 1982. In a supermarket in Chagny I bought additional water. Though the European cycle path no 6 does not follow the canal exactly I did this to avoid unnecessary ascends. I had to share the road sometimes with cars, but there was nearly no traffic thanks the route national parallel to my route.
In Montceau-les-Mines I bought some water again (Aldi). Inside the shop temperatures were very low. as I went out again I felt like going into Dead Valley an needed 10 minutes before I could continue to cycle.. At the end the day I wanted to cycle to a camping at Volesvre, but the road was that steep (or my bicycle too heavy, that I decide to continue some more 6 km to Paray-le-Morial.
Paul
The day started with reasonable temperatures but later the day it was not comfortable to ride the bike. Some 15 km after start I approached Chalon sur Saône. Here I had two choose out of 2 tracks: One called ‘on old St James ways and the other follows the Canal du Centre to the Loire valley. On the pilgrims track I detected some steep ascents that would be a problem in the heat, so I opted for the canal route that I cycled earlier in 1982. In a supermarket in Chagny I bought additional water. Though the European cycle path no 6 does not follow the canal exactly I did this to avoid unnecessary ascends. I had to share the road sometimes with cars, but there was nearly no traffic thanks the route national parallel to my route.
In Montceau-les-Mines I bought some water again (Aldi). Inside the shop temperatures were very low. as I went out again I felt like going into Dead Valley an needed 10 minutes before I could continue to cycle.. At the end the day I wanted to cycle to a camping at Volesvre, but the road was that steep (or my bicycle too heavy, that I decide to continue some more 6 km to Paray-le-Morial.
Paul
