I guess two rain-free days in a row was too much to hope for. The rain started sometime during the night and carried on well into the morning. Yesterday, after checking the forecast, I decided to avoid the unpaved stretches of La Véloscénie — I’ve had enough of its gooey muck for now.
I first headed to Carrouges to see the castle, but I arrived too early for the opening hours. So I kept moving and made my way to Alençon. By then, the rain had eased and the ride became much more enjoyable. From Alençon, I mapped out a route to Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe, Mortagne-au-Perche, and Rémalard en Perche, running roughly parallel to La Véloscénie.
I probably could’ve pushed past Rémalard, but my gluteus maximus protested. At this point, I think I’ve lost every last bit of fat back there — no cushion left whatsoever.
Since the campsite reception didn’t open until 4 p.m., I had just enough time to pitch the tent and dash to the grocery store before another round of rain swept in. Fortunately, this campground has a covered terrace with a table and chairs, so I could enjoy dinner in peace and relative comfort.
I have big plans for tomorrow: I want to get as close to Paris as possible so that the day after, I can roll into the city and catch a train home. To do that, I’ll be cutting a lot of corners off La Véloscénie. Let’s see how far I can get!
Today by the numbers:
115 km – Distance cycled
7 hours – Time it takes to make just 1 cm² of authentic Alençon lace
220 years – The Château des Ducs of Alençon served as a prison from the French Revolution until 2010
