At St-Pourçain we were almost back on the Allier after our westward deviation, and having rejoined it, we stayed close to it for a couple of days, before another deviation was required, at Moulins. Here we struck out perpendicularly away from the river, to the spa town of Bourbon l’Archambault, but the next day we angled back to the Allier at le Veurdre, only to bounce off again to reach Sancoins. It was a hard river to follow, at least for walkers.
We started this section in the first rainy weather that we had encountered this year, but it did not last, and we ate outdoors almost every night. Once we had a picnic on the grass next to our tent, but the rest of our dinners were rather elegant occasions in restaurants. The camping was luxurious and we had two unexpected nights in hotels.
Day 16: St-Pourçain-sur-Sioule to Châtel-de-Neuvre
Day 17: Châtel-de-Neuvre to Moulins
Day 18: Moulins to Bourbon-l’Archambault
Day 19: Bourbon-l’Archambault to Le Veurdre
Day 20: Le Veurdre to Sancoins