Cycle The Parks, Stories

Pouilly, France

Riding through a beautiful national forest I came to a clearing where I could see more forest in the distance.

Next time I looked up, the horizon had become less defined.

Next time I looked up, the forest beyond the clearing was gone.

The fact that I was about to get drenched came to me in time to get my rain gear on. Thus went the rest of the trudge. The rain slacked off, but I had to keep the rain gear on. By the time I got Pouilly, all I wanted was dry. I went north into town and found a closed hotel. A local told me there was another hotel 2km south (wrong direction). That hotel had already closed for the season, but the owner told me there was another place 2km south. That hotel was ‘complete’, or full. I asked anyway, as I was getting desperate. Yes, 2km south was a hotel. This was no longer funny, but here I went. Finding the next hotel, its outward appearance was that this was just a roadside hotel. I asked at the desk for a room, I was asked, “Do you have reservations?” Oh no!

Then the owner stepped out of his office. “Don’t worry; we will take care of you”. He did.

I did something I seldom do upon entering the huge room. Opened the minibar, and enjoyed a bottle of a fine local wine on my balcony overlooking a greenbelt on the Loire. Later, I had the best meal of the month. Well worth going out of my way by just “2km”. Very nice and classy place.