Casting judgement

Thursday 27

After lunch, I cycled along the river Lot.

The Lot is about the width of the Thames at Barnes and cuts a tightly winding furrow through limestone. The road clings to a limestone cliff and in places is cut into the cliff side. The cycling was good with pleasant and changing views.

Fine cycling along the River Cele.

In fact, throughout the day I had enjoyed very good cycling.

The cliff-side road along the Cele

In Cabrarets I found a campsite by the river Cele - a tributary of the Lot - and took a long time to find a space. Eventually I settled on one, stripped to my shorts and cooled off in the river.

The village of Cabrarets

An elderly couple was sitting outside their motorhome watching a gameshow on television with a portable satelite dish.

I marvelled at the logic of driving such a cumbersome vehicle out to a campsite only to sit and watch television. It would be cheaper and more relaxing to stay in a hotel.

As I climbed up the bank, the wife asked if the water was cold. I replied that it was fresh and the husband laughed and explained that the river is shaded from the sun all day. In fact, the water had been very pleasant.

Later, as I crawled into my open-air sleeping quarters, beside a bike on which I had ridden close to 1,000 kms over the past two weeks, I reflected that this wasn't everybody's idea of fun either and that I was in no position to judge how other people spend their holidays.

BC