Blandainville

Can you say 'vent'? Vent implacable?? That was our ride today. The wind was coming from the southwest 35+ kph. And we were biking towards...you guessed it...the southwest! I know... first world problem. Out in the middle of huge fields of stubble (some corn still to be harvested) with no wind break, it can be a slog 😣. And it was at times.

But ... we're cycling in France 🍷😍. Good bike paths the whole way (37 km that was more like 70); espresso at a truck stop where the truckers were lined up at the bar for their shot of alcohol before heading back out on the road; gourmet picnic lunch at the requisite church yard (cut a bit short by a few raindrops that never amounted to anything wet); get to Illiers-Combray by 3 pm (the perfect time to stop when you're slackers like us) and take just less than an hour to find our hotel within a 500 metre radius 😜.

Illiers-Combray is no metropolis (3400 ppl) but we enjoyed a bit of down time before checking out the church (quite nice for a place this size), touring the Jardin de Marcel Proust (French author who stayed here and used this town in his writings), and walking a bit (a very tiny bit) of the pilgrim trail that runs through here. Finished the evening with another 'repas delicieux' complete with creme brulee...tough to take.

Checking the weather forecast here for the days ahead. Looks pretty nice at home 🤔.Baca lagi