fontainebleau

Rain!! Heavy first thing so delayed start, and jacket on. Jacket lasted all but 5mins as the clouds rolled back and the sun reappeared. More Loire side cycle ways of excellent quality- some run along levees alongside the river . Detour into Orleans was worth it - the twin towers of the cathedral were a marker on the horizon long before I arrived. Big on Joan of Arc here. Felt a bit bewildering to be in a big city! Easy in and out on the riverside cycle way- and then onto the Orleans canal . The towpaths started off amazing but rapidly deteriorated, so back onto quiet roads as I climbed up imperceptibly to flat nothingness. Eventually entered the Fontainebleau forest and after a critical food pitstop 10k short I popped out into Fontainebleau where city and chateau appear to have mergedEn savoir plus