Day 7 Troyes to Chatillon sur Seine

 What a surprise awaited me when I came down to breakfast – there were people eating breakfast and cars in the car park. When I retired at 10pm (sad old git) there were two cars and a van in the car park. They must all have arrived from the autoroute in the night.

Another first occurred when an Englishman was trying to ask the receptionist for the hotel’s phone number for his return trip ( he could have easily found it in the F1 catalogue which was freely available)  and he had his phone poised and  at the ready but she couldn’t understand him so she looked to me for a translation service. Perked me up no end and I needed perking up because the rain had just started and the thunder was pretty loud and pretty nearby. I had a nice chat with another English couple who were heading off to St Moritz. The wife expressed interest in doing something similar to my trip saying she had been inspired. The expression on the husband’s face suggested that the inspiration wouldn’t last long – but I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

I set off in the rain and within 5 km I had my answer to the “where are all of the cyclists?” question of yesterday – they only come out on Sundays. Soon I was joined by a husband and wife who were out for a Sunday morning 60km ride. They politely slowed for a bit while we chatted but were soon heading into the distance on their carbon fibre steeds.

The road was predominantly flat as I followed the course of the river Seine crossing and recrossing it several times. The countryside began to change and I caught sight of the first vines of the trip on a chalky Champagne hillside. The Route Champagneoise suddenly became the Route Cremant 10 kms before Chatillon sur Seine.

I stopped for a coffee in Mussy sur Seine at mid day  and encountered a Dutch couple sitting outside in the rain ( there was a canopy) so I joined them and we chatted in French. Whilst we were sitting outside a local who needed his belt to hold his belly rather than his trousers up told me that when he was younger he cycled from Paris to Roubaix. (he must have been much younger) He was quite knowledgeable about my route and gave me a few useful tips including how to get to tonight’s hotel, Le Maggiot. From the outside it looked like an uninteresting box but inside there are large public spaces and a spacious terrace outside. The room and bathroom are very idiosyncratically French but spacious and more than adequate for my needs.

I arrived just as “le patron” was returning from his lunch. We came up the hill to the front door together and he welcomed me warmly to his hotel. He showed me where I could stow the super galaxy in the garage and suggested where best to place it so it would be out of sight and the wi fi connection worked first time. Quite a contrast with the impersonal and cramped F1 and only €10 more – food for thought.

It has been a good weekend. Friday was a lovely day off and Saturday and Sunday have been easy cycling days. It occurred to me that I am glad that my cycle computer doesn’t work anymore. I don’t really need to know what speed I am going at and what my average speed is. It is however far it is and I get there when I get there ( about 2pm today as it happens)