May 17: Day 20, Rest day in Montélimar

Decided to take the rest day early, after all. Too many things were nice here, I think I’d regret it if I didn’t…

They had a laundry room in the hotel, which posed the question: is it possible to get all my clothes washed in a single cycle? I have two outfits: cycling clothes and dinner clothes; both need to be washed. So the question that matters is: if they’re in the wash what am I wearing?

I figured that the merino underlayer was still decent, so I wore that. I almost got away without being seen, but I think I’m still PG rated so it was OK.

I also went to a bike repair shop to see about the front derailleur, which is still being uncooperative. The mechanic managed to change into the lower gear first time, which is a life skill I envy. I also found out two things: first, when it rains the water can travel down the cable and cause surface rust which causes sticking. More use should fix that. Second: adjusting the cable tensioner may be enough to keep on top of this in future.

So I found an empty lot and spent a while driving in circles while changing gear. It’s still not as reliable as I’d like but it’s better.

There was also dessert! Here it is.

Went out for dinner to a Moroccan place and had chicken tajine, which was good but a bit small. Their desserts weren’t very exciting so I went to a French restaurant for this.

Tomorrow is 6.5 hours up the Rhône: 110km, good surfaces, 400m climbing, no rain forecast. Should be a walk in the park - if the headwind doesn’t cause trouble.

What I’m listening to: “Sly”, by Massive Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoay3B79QnQ
This is from “Protection”, released in 1994. Which is before software audio mixing really got usable; so this must all have been produced with hardware: tapes, dials, and plugs.

Also: “Splitting The Atom” from Heligoland, released 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQZv30M5Aw&list=RDAzQZv30M5Aw