Monday 28th September
A few mornings ago, while taking the dogs for their morning walk down by the mill where there is a car-park, I noticed that there were several of those metal barriers which are erected to block off entry roads on Market Days and other Special events in the town. Why were they there? And why in such a strange layout. There were two parallel rows about 12 feet away from each other and another two shorter rows, also parallel and a t an angle off to one side. Well it sort of dissolved into the background of my consciousness and though the barriers were still there I just accepted that that was the way things were; inconvenient for cars wanting to park there but I stopped wondering why.
Today (yesterday) all was revealed. Up quite early again, despite it being a Sunday the Café is still open, and I took the dogs out for their usual walk. Well the car park was full, almost to overflowing. But not with cars, but bikes. And they were all perched, front wheel raised on the barriers. It was a cycle race or ride called the Raide D’Eymet, this is a sort-of triathlon and involves cycling, canoo-ing and running and is apparently an annual event. And there they were, a whole crowd of Lycra-clad Men and Women, many of quite advanced years. France may not win many cycling medals but the sport is very much alive and pedalling furiously here. We often see a lone and sometimes a veritable bevy of cyclists on the small country roads. And age does not deter them at all, in fact there is something about old men and Lycra which the wearers may find to be sexy, indeed French women may also find it extremely attractive; I however find it more than somewhat embarrassing. I have no desire to see, admire, measure or drool over the contents of anyone’s lunchpack. Younger ladies however are something else. In fact just by sheer co-incidence I put on a CD in the Café this morning – Queen Greatest Hits, and guess what tracks 5 and 6 were? Bicycle Races and Fat-Bottomed Girls. Now that’s what I call Serendipity.