Rain, Repairs, and the Road Ahead

Daily Miles: 23.54 | Total Miles: 15,989.74

I spent the night in a dorm room with three men. The guy sleeping above me was snoring heavily. That didn't bother me at all—snoring never bothers me because when I'm asleep, I'm asleep. What did make me smile, however, was the German guy on the bunk across from me. Several times during the night he loudly announced, "You are snoring really loudly!" Every time he did, it woke me up for a moment, and every time I found the situational comedy quite amusing.

When morning came, I still felt very tired, but I got up, packed the buggy and headed down for the breakfast that was included with the hostel stay.

There I met Erin from Ottawa, Canada. She asked about my journey, and what started as a simple question turned into a conversation that lasted at least half an hour. I very much enjoyed talking with her. Encounters like that are one of the reasons I enjoy staying in hostels. People arrive from all corners of the world, each carrying their own stories and curiosities.

After breakfast, with a stunning view over Lyon, I figured out the route for the day and where I might stay for the night. When it was finally time to leave, Erin was waiting outside the hostel. She waved me off and cheered me on as I started another day on the road. Thank you, Erin.

The first challenge was getting down the steep hill from the hostel. With only one working brake on the buggy, I had to hold on tightly and make sure everything stayed under control. Soon I reached the Saône River and found myself running along yet another major artery of France. I always enjoy following rivers. They seem to know exactly where they are going, and for a while I get to borrow their direction.

About an hour into the day, it started raining. At first only lightly, but steadily it became heavier and heavier. By now I am used to running in all kinds of weather, and the rain felt less like an inconvenience and more like another companion for the day.

Around mile sixteen, I spotted a café along the path and decided to stop for a coffee. While chatting with the owner, I realized it was also a bicycle repair shop. So I asked Damien whether he might be able to help with the buggy.

"Of course," he said.

What a coincidence.

Within a short time, he had fixed the issue, and suddenly the buggy felt much happier again. Encounters like that remind me how often help appears exactly when it is needed.

Then it was back out into the rain.

By that point I had already booked a place for the night not too far away, and I was grateful for that decision. The path had become very wet. Large puddles covered sections of it, the sandy surface turned soft underfoot, and at one point even a group of ducks occupied the path ahead of me, hurrying out of the way as I approached. It made me laugh.

Eventually I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and headed out again—still wearing my wet clothes—to buy some groceries. Then came the usual routine: work, work, work.

And now, finally, sleep.

Tomorrow I will pass another milestone. Less than eleven miles remain until 16,000 miles.

One step at a time.

Thanks for checking in. Andrea