23 July France

Heading south after Nuit S George this time heading into new territory. The old south west of France. I had a terrible night. Sleeping with earplugs is never comfortable. The "hotel" was on the main street through the village and like all other societies based on consumerism the goods get moved by larger and larger trucks. Big and noisy. Why would anyone live on a main rod and of curse I have the same problem at home, noisier and noisier trucks that run all night. The nicoise salad was good the steak was good and the wine was good, but still did not "sleep" me through the night. An interesting small village and all I saw were old men. The houses are being run down poor people the costs of maintaing stone houses must be terrific and as I am learning there is considerable poverty in France. They work 35 hours a well and thats it.......not even the boss and they retire at 55, so how to live after that. I have no idea. It is not expensive mainly, as the large accumulation of English refugees will attest, but they can not become resident as the French Tax system based on assets will cripple them pretty smartly. So I left Roanne heading south through the winding rural roads that I come here to ride. This time the Garmin had its way and I spent 90 minutes going what should have taken 30 minutes. That would not have mattered but I had set a goal to make Perrigueux near Bordeaux. So I was obliged to abandon le Puy en Velay and instead Aurillac and after a wander through the hills and villages again made Perrigueux in time to find the pace I would hope to stay for a couple of days and become a tourista ! What a magic district. Settled way back in BC and busy ever since with changes in "ownership" French, Romans, English, and back to French. The Islamists got this far, and so there is a spectacular range of small towns, villages Chartreuse ( castles without walls) and Chateau ( which has fortified walls)... the rich were fabulously rich and the poor desperately poor. And of course the Churches where anything the local "owner" didn't keep from them was taken by the church it seems. Nothing changes really there is a pecking order and it remains, unjust and repressive but who would want what the French now have. Poor Buggers. Not an anglo saxon word but with a wide meaning describing a range of "lesser" mortals. They the peasants worked and were barely rewarded with food and shelter, sometimes life ! (Target practice for the Boss and his bow and arrows). Pretty tough times. Little wonder the French have spirit on the rugby field. I hope to settle here for a couple of days in the place to explore before heading back to the Rhone if can to continue my river journey. Like New Zealand rivers were highways and I so enjoyed the activity and the essential focus on the Rhein. They carry everything imaginable and not by truck through the streets. A solution has to be found the world over. Trucks are ruining everything near their corridors, roads, animals, and human lives. The countryside is just so exceptionally attractive. Trees on hillside, paddocks of grain, rivers farmhouses yards cattle it is just such a nice place to ride. Odd range of pictures. The one with the river caught my eye as it reflects the run down state of the smaller cities. Empty commercial buildings. Commerce is tough in France. Lots of tax, lots of compliance, lots of rules, lots of competition.