Two days of riding are under my pedals. Each morning I walk to the local boulangerie to pick up a selection of freshly baked croissants for our group. What a wonderful way to start each day. At 9 AM we pause to reflect on why we are here, review the day’s route and hit the bikes.
Both days have brought rain which brings it’s own challenges but we pedal through. The French countryside in the Loire Valley is dotted with farms and there are a slew of tiny villages that look like they have populations of less than a hundred. The names are so romantic when spoken in French: Saint Michel-Mount-Mercure, Jonchere, La Melleraie-Tillay, Les Chatelliers-Chateaumur and Saint-Malo-Du-Bois. Sadly, our English pronunciation butchers them all.
Our last 10 miles of day two were quite a struggle for us all. After 5 hours of rain, these large hills seemed like mountains but we made it through. It causes one to reflect on the clients of God’s Love We Deliver. We struggled for a few hours and then it was over. After a hot shower and a glass of wine, those hills didn’t seem so bad. However, our clients face struggles every day that aren’t washed away in a shower or in a glass. The challenges they face will be there tomorrow and the next day and that is why I am grateful there is a God’s Love We Deliver and why I ride for them.
I will miss my Wednesday morning pack out this week but I know the “Wonderful Wednesday” crew will more than cover for me. While you are packing I will be sending you love from Montravers, La Pommeraie-Sur-Sevre and La Flocelliere.
George

For more on George’s ride, please click here, here and here.