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    • Danny und LenaVive la France
      1
      Day 2

      Orléans

      August 26, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

      Trotz 8 Stunden Schlaf kamen wir nur mühsam aus dem Bett und suchten uns zuerst einen Supermarkt, um etwas fürs Frühstück zu holen. Gut gesättigt ging es zuerst in die Cathedrale Sainte-Croix, dem Herzstück Orléans. Schon seit 330 n.Chr. steht dort eine Kirche, welche in den kommenden Jahrhunderten durch zahlreiche Anbauten und Einstürze, Plünderungen und Brände bis zur Kathedrale wuchs, um im 11. Jahrhundert als neuer Sitz vom Bistum ernannt zu werden. 1278 wurde der jetzige Bau im gotischen Stil neu begonnen, da viele Teile der alten Kirche eingestürzt waren. Der Bau zog sich bis ins 14. Jahrhundert und überlebte den Hundertjährigen Krieg sowie die Belagerung Orleans (1429) unbeschadet.
      Wobei wir direkt beim nächsten Thema sind: Jeanne d'Arc! Die Jungfrau von Orléans ist überall in der Stadt präsent. Eine große Reiterstatue bildet den zentralen Punkt des großen Place du Martroi, das Museum Maison de Jeanne d'Arc zieht die Blicke auf sich, zahlreiche Schulen und Straßen zieren ihren Namen. Während des Krieges verhalf sie den Truppen des französichen Thronerbens bei Orléans zum Sieg (sie war ungefähr 17 Jahre jung) und geleitete schließlich Karl VII. Von Frankreich zu seiner Krönung. Die Schlacht um Orléans wird als Wendepunkt des langen Krieges gesehen. Jeanne d'Arc wurde 1430 im Krieg gefangen genommen, an die Engländer ausgeliefert und am 30. Mai 1431 in Rouen auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt.

      Zurück zu uns. Da uns die Hitze (34 Grad) und die von der Fahrt geräderten Körper zu schaffen machten, stoppten wir bei unserem Stadtspaziergang erst in einem Café und später mit Baguette an der Loire. Gegen 15 Uhr ging es zurück in die Unterkunft für ein verlängertes Päuschen. Da wir uns für ein kleines Picknick im Park entschieden hatten, ging es um 6 leicht verspätet zum Parc Pasteur mit Oliven und Cidre für eine kleine Stärkung. Anschließend deckten wir uns im Supermarkt für den Abend ein, kochten und schauten uns den Film Johanna von Orléans an, um den Tag und unseren Besuch hier abzurunden.      Read more

    • Danny und LenaVive la France
      Day 3

      Chateau Chambord

      August 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Nach unserem unspektakulären aber perfekt getimeten Frühstück zogen wir frisch bepackt zurück ins Auto und waren um 11 unterwegs zum Chateau Chambord. Zu Beginn also direkt das größte Schloss des Loiretals!
      1519 von König Franz I. als Jagd- und Prestigebau begonnen, sollte es ihm den Weg an die Spitze des heiligen römischen Reiches ebnen. Doch der neue Herrscher wurde sein Widersacher Kaiser Karl V. So blieb Chambord "nur" ein überdimensioniertes Jagdschloss, dass nie einem König o.Ä. als dauerhafte Residenz diente. Trotzdem diente es bei großen Jagden als Unterkunft für mehrere Tausend Personen und auch der Sonnenkönig Ludwig XIV. feierte hier opulente Feste.
      Nach ca. 3 Stunden waren wir mit der Besichtigung samt Virtual Reality durch und fuhren weiter zu unserem neuen Campingplatz La Poterie direkt an der Loire.
      Und dort verließ uns das Glück vorerst. Sobald wir uns angemeldet hatten, fing es an zu regnen. Wir warteten eine halbe Stunde im Auto, zogen nochmal um auf einen Platz mit Stromanschluss und begannen das Zelt aufzubauen. Und was passiert, wenn gerade das halbe Zelt steht? Es fängt wieder an zu schütten. Klatschnass versuchte Danny noch schnell ein paar Heringe in den Boden zu drücken, um die Unterzelte vorm Wasser zu schützen. Das gelang auch größtenteils. Aber die Laune war erst mal gedämpft.
      Zum abendlichen Abschluss gönnten wir uns dafür eine leckeren Burger und am Zelt noch den ein oder anderen Schluck Rotwein.      Read more

    • Danny und LenaVive la France
      Day 4

      Amboise

      August 28, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      Wir schliefen heute aus (soweit das auf einem Campingplatz möglich ist 😉) und frühstückten entspannt. Danach liehen wir uns zwei rustikale Citybikes vom Campingplatz und radelten Richtung Amboise - einer kleinen Stadt (etwa 12000 Einwohner) direkt an der Loire. Leider führte der Radweg nicht an der malerischen Loire entlang, sondern über Land. Das hieß erst einmal Berg hoch und dann von Dorf zu Dorf. Wir entdeckten viele Weingebiete- das erklärte auch die kleinen Dörfer, die teilweise nur aus 5 Häuschen bestanden, in denen wahrscheinlich die Winzer leben. Etwa 1 Stunde brauchten wir für die 12km nach Amboise. Die Stadt besteht hauptsächlich aus einem Schloss (wie sollte es auch anders sein) und einem Anwesen, auf dem Leonardo da Vinci seinen Lebensabend verbrachte. Wir entschieden uns gegen eine Besichtigung und holten uns etwas zum Mittag, was wir dann am Ufer der Loire verputzten. Wenig später machten wir uns auf den Heimweg- die gleiche Strecke wie hinwärts (nur, dass wir beide das Gefühl hatten, dass sie rückwärts kürzer sei). Am Campingplatz angekommen gönnten wir uns ein Eis und entspannten. Zum Abendessen gab es selbstgemachten Bulgursalat, den wir mit einem leckeren Weißwein aus Amboise an der Loire genossen...Read more

    • Danny und LenaVive la France
      1
      Day 8

      Loire --> Normandie

      September 1, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Heute war Reisetag. Da der Weg von zwei Freunden (Maren&Björn), die schon länger nicht mehr in Dresden wohnen, sich heute zufällig mit unserem kreuzte, beschlossen wir ein Treffen in Villandry am frühen Morgen. Die zwei kamen aus Mainz mit zwei Kindern im Gepäck und hatten es am Vorabend bis Tours geschafft und sind unterwegs zur Atlantikküste. Wir fuhren halb 9 in Saumur los und waren eine Stunde später am vereinbarten Treffpunkt.
      Villandry ist ein kleines Schloss mit einem beeindruckenden Garten. Wir schlenderten und quatschen eine gute Stunde und erfreuten uns der bunten Pflanzen und Blumen, bevor wir uns verabschiedeten.

      Kurz vor 12 ging es dann ins Auto bis wir vier Stunden später in der Normandie an einem kleinen Campingplatz namens Les Bas Carreux kurz vor dem Meer unsere Heringe in den zu harten Boden hämmerten. Im Sonnenschein stärkten wir uns nach dem 10-Grad Temperaturgefälle der letzten Nacht und machten uns dann auf zu einem Spaziergang ins nahegelegene Dorf Arromanches-les-Bains. Da wir heute die Gegend nur grob bestimmt und den Campingplatz spontan ausgesucht hatten, war uns das historische Ausmaß des Dorfes nicht gleich bewusst. Ein paar Kilometer weiter nördlich ist der Omaha-Beach, der geschichtlich ein weitaus größerer Begriff ist.
      Aber hier vor der Küste liegen noch Zeitzeugen des D-Days vom 6. Juni 1944 - zahlreiche Senkkästen aus Beton, die damals zu dem künstlichen Hafen "Mulberry Harbours" wurden und am "Golden Beach" die Versorgung der Alliierten sicherstellen sollte. Dazu wurden insgesamt 146 Zementblöcke von England angeschleppt und als Wellenbrecher im Halbkreis vor der Küste versenkt. In den drei Monaten nach Landung in der Normandie wurden an den Mullberrys 2,5 Millionen Männer, 4 Millionen Tonnen Ausrüstung und 500.000 Fahrzeuge entladen. Bei Ebbe kann man zu einigen der Betonruinen laufen. Irgendwie surreal, wenn man auf dem Meeresboden steht und sich vorstellt, was hier einmal passiert ist.
      Die Geschichte ist diesem Ort heute deutlich anzusehen. Straßen benannt nach Generälen, Plakate mit WWII Heros aus Großbritannien und zahlreiche Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte prägen die Stadt. 2019 jährte sich der D-Day zum 75. Mal. Soll er sich noch weitere Jahrhunderte jähren. Die Verbrechen von damals, die ein solches Eingreifen erst nötig machten, sollten heute und in Zukunft nie wieder geschehen. Wie passend, dass heute in Sachsen und Brandenburg Landtagswahlen sind...      Read more

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    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 22

      A Test of Strength in Sancerre

      September 11, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      After our late start yesterday, we were all keen to get rolling on our bikes as early as possible. I had previously instructed the team to be down for breakfast by 7.30 am, so that we could get started on our ride at 9 am. Since a peloton rides on its stomach, it is always important to begin each day with a hearty repast of cereal, juices, baguettes, yoghurt, cheeses, fruit and of course coffee.

      Buoyed by the lovely meal we had been supplied with the previous evening, we all entered the breakfast room of the hotel with eager anticipation of what glorious delights would be waiting for us. Our spirits soon took a dive when we saw the meager assortment that was waiting for us.

      Not only was there barely enough food for 6, let alone 16 hungry people, but there was almost no cutlery or crockery either. The cereals ran out in the first couple of minutes. This was perhaps just as well as there were no bowls left to put the cereal into. The six slices of ham did not go far either. Although there was still some orange juice, the glasses were smaller than an egg cup, meaning that it was all gone in a single swallow. The owner simply did not seem to appreciate that anything was wrong, even when people had to resort to eating from dirty crockery.

      We looked at each other, wondering whether we were about to witness some sort of miracle of the loaves and fishes. Unfortunately miracles were in short supply and so most of the group went hungry. The owner even struggled to supply us with hot coffee - our staple heart starter for the morning. If it had been an episode of Masterchef, I would have scored the breakfast a 2/10. The only pleasing thing was the lovely crunchy baguettes.

      Although the breakfast was a letdown, our group was in high spirits at the prospect of a lovely ride along the Loire. The early morning weather was cool and fresh, a far cry from the scorching days we had so recently spent in Caumont.

      On the way out of Charite, we stopped at the local Boulangerie to buy some sandwiches and cakes for a picnic lunch by the river. At least we then knew that we would not go hungry during the day.

      The first part of the ride took us out of the town and back across the Loire. The most obvious feature of this part of the city was how neglected the ancient buildings were. Most of the houses looked like they had been deserted, giving the place the feeling of a ghost town.

      We were soon comfortably cruising along an elevated levee bank. We had no real need to hurry as the day's ride was relatively short. It was wonderful to be able to just savour the moment, stopping for pictures along the way. We knew that there would be very few opportunities to purchase food or drinks along the way, however the guide book promised that there would be a cafe at the little town of Pouilly.

      Although we initially rode a short distance past the turnoff, we did eventually make our way across the long bridge and found the promised coffee shop. It gave us a wonderful chance to chat with a group of fellow travellers and laugh with the owner. He asked where we were riding to. When we told him we were going to Sancerre, he rolled his eyes and pointed upwards with his hands. It turned out to be a very accurate prediction of what lay ahead for us.

      After our morning tea stop we continued for another few km, looking for a suitable place for our picnic lunch. We were very happy to discover a lovely spot, right on the river bank. It was the perfect place to eat our baguettes and enjoy the rising temperature.

      When we caught our first glimpses of Sancerre we could see that the final few km were never going to be easy. The city was prominently situated, right on the crest of a distinctive hill. A very steep hill. The ebike riders were not daunted, the rest of us shook our heads in fear and dismay.

      Although the early climb was modest, the road took an abrupt left hand turn, sending us directly up the side of the mountain. The gradient would have been at least 16% or more. I could have risked a heart attack by trying to ride up it, but I could think of no good reason to do so. I stopped and started to walk. When I looked back I found that almost everyone else had done the same thing. As it turned out only two of the ebike riders (Maggie and Sue) had managed to complete the first part of the climb without dismounting, the rest of us decided to ride "Shank's pony" instead.

      As we walked our way slowly up the climb, the views opened up behind us. Although it was really hard work, the location was breathtaking (yes, literally breathtaking). A short time later we reached our hotel - the Clos St Martin, and were able to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring this beautiful hilltop city. Once our heart rates had settled a little, we all agreed that the effort was really worth it. How priveleged we were to be able to experience such a glorious part of the world.      Read more

    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 23

      Things go Downhill Rapidly

      September 12, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      I suppose that there are several ingredients for a great ride. These would include favourable weather, amazing scenery, good friends to share the ride with, an absence of punctures and a glorious downhill. Today's ride had all of these things. It also had another ingredient that I would rather we had gone without. That unwelcome ingredient was a crash. To make matters even worse, I was the one that crashed.

      The day began well enough. We left the hotel and climbed back up to the main sqaure of Sancerre where the cafe had agreed to make us baguette sandwiches for lunch. When the whole peloton had obtained their lunch supplies, all we had to go was head down the same very steep hill that had almost done us all in yesterday.

      At first I started walking the bike, but I am not the most patient man in the world and thought it would be better to ride instead. I started to scoot the bike and tried to throw my hind leg over the seat. It was at that point that my life started to flash before my eyes. I managed to get the leg partway over before the seat of my cycling knicks caught on the saddle. With the combination of the very steep descent and the fact that I was involved in some sort of macabre embrace with the bike, things quickly escalated. Although I tried to maintain some sort of dignity and control, after a period of bicycle contortions, I fell over the handlebars and crashed heavily to the road. It was not my finest hour.

      I lay on the road for some time, trying to disentangle my arms and legs from the wheels, chains and handlebars of the bike. Somehow we seemed to have become fused together. Gradually I staggered back up to my feet and examined the carnage. I had taken a large impact to my left knee and managed to collect some of the road gravel in it. The rear of my right thigh was also scraped and I had other assorted cuts and abbrasions over the rest of my body. Not such a bad result under the circumstances.

      The bike had also taken a hit and the front light had been smashed right off its bracket. We managed to secure it witgh a motley assortment of bandages and tape. I tried to assure the others that it was "only a flesh wound" and that I was fir to continue the ride.

      I did manage to complete the rest of the ride, but by the time we reached our hotel in Briare I was conscious of the fact that my left knee had completely stiffened up. This is the same knee that had given me grief in the Baltics and it had taken several weeks to get better again. It now appears that I am back to square one.

      Apart from my unfortunate early malfunction, the rest of the day's ride went without a hitch. The cycling was some of the most delightful any of us had ever experienced. The early focal point was the huge nuclear power plant that we had been able to see from the hilltop of Sancerre. One of the massive cooling towers was blasting a continuous jet of steam high into the atmospehere. No matter how you feel about nuclear power stations, the jet of steam was certainly an impressive sight.

      The towers themselves were so huge that it was very hard to tell just how far away they were. It seemed to take us most of the morning to reach them, but we finally reached the power plant surrounded with heavily armoured perimeter fencing. Large signs warned that taking photos was prohibited (but we cheated ever so little on that point).

      We also managed to find perfect spots for morning tea and lunch. Even more remarkable was our find of a lovely little cafe for afternoon tea. The owner had obviously been celebrating for most of the day and seemed more interested in dancing to his loud music than in serving us. We also discovered that he could not speak French - only Spanish. He did manage to rip me off for about twice the normal rate for a bottle of water and a coke. Such is life.

      Late in the afternoon we reached the beautiful town of Briare, best known for its elevated canal over the Loire. We also discovered that the streets and bridges of the city are liberally decorated with lovely flowering plants. Since I cannot keep any plant alive for longer than about two weeks, I was amazed that the flowers throughout the entire town were all flourishing.

      In the evening we all dined al fresco at the Le Clos des Aromes restaurant. This is one of the very best restaurants in the town and we quickly learnt how they earned that coveted accolade. Their food was simply divine.      Read more

    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 24

      The Chateaux are Starting

      September 13, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      The crash I suffered yesterday had obviously done something horrible to my left knee. All night whenever I rolled over in bed I was awakened by the pain involved in having to relocate my leg to somethingf approaching a comfortable position. I started to have serious worries about how I would cope with the cycling over the next few days. The problem with this type of trip is that there is no "Plan B" - each day it is our responsibility to get ourselves and our bikes to the next hotel. On the other hand I have discovered that you never really discover what you are capable of until you are put to the test.

      The day began promising enough. A glance at the sky showed that we would be in for another absolutely cloudless day. It is incredible that we have not seen a drop of rain since we arrived in France over three weeks ago. One of the locals explained it like this "We need rain, but we don't want it". A typically French attitude.

      The town of Briare is an absolutely picture perfect treasure. No town has a right to be this beautiful. It makes it impossible to travel more than a few metres without stopping to take a picture. Russell had been chosen as our ride leader for the day, a task he took to with enthusiasm. It was not really his fault that he managed to lead us into a dead end within 5 minutes of leaving the hotel. These sorts of things can happen to even professional cycling guides.

      The undoubted early highlight was the Pont Canal. This ornate iron structure carries the water of the Canal Lateral de la Loire over the top of the Loire itself. For a long time it was the longest such elevated canal bridge in the world, but it has now been exceeded by the new canal bridge in Magdeburg, Germany.

      As we made our way across the pont bridge, my main concern was to avoid falling in the stagnant waters. I was having great difficulty in starting and stopping and had to evolve a completely new (and absolutely unsightly) method for getting my damaged body onto the bike. To my relief I did discover that, once I was underway, I could pedal without too much discomfort.

      Once we found our way out of the town, Russell caught the wind in what was left of his hair and raced ahead. That guy is a real pocket rocket when he decides to be and he was obviously relishing his new job at the front of the peloton. I was also relishing my new role somewhere at the back of the group. It was good to be able to just follow the rider ahead without worrying where we had to go.

      The next amazing sight was the huge medieval city of Gien. Although we did not cross the wide arched bridge to enter the city itself, the view from the opposite bank of the Loire was superb. We also found it to be an ideal place to stop for coffee (actually two, as it was so good). Gordon also found it an ideal place to stage his own crash. Apparently he had been so captivated by the view on the opposite bank, that he missed seeing the curb and performed a slow motion pirouette into the bitumen. A few minutes later, the women had managed to bandage his bleeding elbow and make him look like a cycling leper.

      We then found ourselves riding within clear view of another massive nuclear station. This one had not two, but four huge cooling towers, three of which were belching clouds of white steam into the air.

      Russell somehow managed to find a lovely spot for our picnic lunches, complete with seats and a water view. After lunch we completed the ride along a lovely sealed bike path on an elevated levee bank.

      Our destination for the day was the town of Sully Sur Loire, dominated by the huge Chateau de Sully Sur Loire. It was our first taste of a genuine castle and a great foretaste for the large numbers of such building swe will see over the next week or so.

      After checking into the very comfortable Hotel Burgevin, we had plenty of time to explore the local area and have a closer look at the Chateau. My knee had survived its first real test and I was hoping that things would improve from now on.

      Our evening meal was at the stangely named Aux P'tits Oignons restaurant. It was a tiny place, run by a French couple. He did all the cooking and she did all the serving. Neither of them spoke a single word of English, but the food was sensational. On the way home we walked the silent streets of Sully under a brilliant full moon, It might have been Friday the 13th, but we felt like the luckiest people on the planet.      Read more

    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 25

      In the City of St Jeanne d'Arc

      September 14, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      Ever since we first arrived in France, over three weeks ago, one of the main topics of conversation has been the lack of rain . Paris has had no rain for almost a month and large areas of the country are suffering water restrictions. In a country where floods are far more common than droughts, this has created some degree of anxiety among the locals.

      The lack of rain might not be so good for the people of France, but it has certainly made our cycling easier. We have not had a single wet day, and it is looking like there will be no rain for at least the next week. This is a huge contrast to the last time that the Ghostriders were in this region, back in 2015.

      On that ride we endured one of the toughest days in the saddle that the Ghostriders have ever suffered. The rain started before we rode out of our hotel in Orleans and continued unabated for the entire day. The temperature was in the single digits, meaning that we were all in danger of severe hypothermia. I remember that David Yate's face and hands had turned an interesting shade of blue and we all began to wonder whether he would actually survive the day.

      The most memorable event occured when we were gathered in an open cornfield, trying to repair one of the many punctures that were also part of that incredible day. We heard a noise coming towards us like the sound of a hundred speeding locomotives. It was a most dramatic squall that was cutting its way through the field and heading straight for us. We were already as wet as we could possibly be and about as cold as a mountain climber on the summit of Everest, but the approaching storm filled us with dread.

      Riders huddled together, trying to find protection from the sleet and freezing wind, as the storm front roared right over our heads. It was something we will never forget. When we arrived at our hotel, we all sought any means possible to restore some warmth to our bodies - sit in the bathtub, stand under the shower, cuddle the radiator, etc, etc.

      It is clearly obvious as we ride alongside the, greatly reduced, Loire River, that we are are in no imminent danger of saturation or frostbite on this ride. The fields are much browner than usual and each day the sun shines from a cloudless sky. Any form of rain seems a very remote possibility.

      Yesterday we rode from our overnight stay at Sully to arrive at the major city of Orleans. Although it was long ride, the favourable weather conditions made it not as tiring as it should have been . The day was also notable for the fact that I made the bold decision to put the leadership duties in the hands of two women - Sam and Kay. I would have to say that they actually did a great job, and we found that we got lost no more frequently than we did when a man was leading.

      Carol and Maggie took on the role of "tail end Charlies" and seemed to spend most of the ride laughing together and taking pictures. They did observe that Vicki was the best behaved rider when riding in heavy traffic. She was awarded a special "safe rider" award at the evening meal.

      Orleans is a large city of around 400,000 people. It is most famous for being the home of the famous Joan of Arc. Nowadays her name and image is everywhere throughout the city. This is where we will also have our first rest day during our Loire Ride. I have well learned how p[opular and vital these rest days are to restore morale and energy during extended rides.

      In the evening we dined at the L'Ardoise Restaurant. We had been allocated an upstairs room, presumably to stop us disturbing the other diners. Our waitress was a lively young lady who was wearing a very short skirt which amply revealed a pair of very long shapely legs. The men folk all began wishing they were fifty or so years younger. That was until we heard the way she regularly yelled strings of obscenities at her hidden husband in the kitchen. She also spent the entire evening running up and down the long narrow staircase, carrying dishes to our 16 diners and also to the 30 or so downstairs patrons as well. It was a herculean effort in anyone's language.

      Dining in France is always something of a theatrical experience. You cannot apply the same assessment criteria that you would in Australia. Sometimes it is best to just relax and learn to live by their rules and customs. After all, that is why we came to this country in the first place. The food itself was superb, but it was the entertaining performance of the waitress that we will all remember, long after the trip is over.      Read more

    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 26

      Enjoying our Day of Rest in Orleans

      September 15, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

      Even in a large cosmopolitan city like Orleans, Sundays are quite different from every other day of the week. We have become so accustomed to shops being open 7 days a week, that there is something refreshing about a country that still has enough self belief to put family life ahead of non stop commerce.

      Our rest day in Orleans happened to coincide with the traditional "day of rest" in France. As we walked the streets near our hotel, we found them almost deserted. Most of the shops were shut and shuttered. It even looked like the huge articulated trams that had been passing back and forth every few minutes on the previous day, had also stopped running. In fact we did not see a single tram all day.

      Fortunately the coin laundry was open and we made good use of its facilities to catch up on all our laundry backlog. This is always a very important survival skill when you are undertaking an extended bike ride. We returned to our hotel with our laundry bags full fo freshly laundered clothes and a feeling of relief that we would be able to cope for the next few days at least.

      We did not have any ambitious plans for the remainder of our time in this city. While some choose to frantically rush hither and fro, looking at every major historical site, we are not that type of tourist. I even avoid those well known "hop on, hop off" bus services, as I really hate being crammed together with a crowd of people, all wearing those dreadful headphones. I would much rather spend my time wandering the place to get my own feeling for the city.

      The most obvious thing we found was that the entire city was in the process of getting ready for a Festival of the Loire, due to start in three day's time. Along the river a long line of marquis were being erected. Banners were hung along all the main streets and the spectacular floral displays looked to be in full bloom. It was a bit of a shame that we would not be here for the festivities, but we have a schedule to keep downriver.

      Although I had been here twice previously, on those occasions we did not have any spare time at all. Today we were able to walk the central part of the town and make our own discoveries. Unfortunately the hot sun also meant that it soon became uncomfortably hot for exploring and so we returned to the relative comfort of our hotel room. It was there we discovered that somehow a mistake had been made in the room reservations. Although we all staying here for two nights, a change in the hotel management had somehow changed the booking to one night only. This could have been a disaster, but fortunately they had enough spare capacity to make sure that no one had to spend the second night in the bike garage.

      Tomorrow we resume our cycling along the Loire as we ride to the nearby city of Beaugency.      Read more

    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Day 27

      What a Difference Sunshine Makes

      September 16, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      All those who took part in our 2015 ride from Orleans to Le Croisic will never forget the first day on the bikes as we rode out of Orleans. It has been indelibly etched on our memories as one of the coldest, wettest and darkest days we have ever spent on our bikes.

       On that occasion the rain fell continuously from the moment we left the Oceania Hotel in Orleans, the temperature never left single digits and the punctures came in regular bursts (pardon the pun). It was a indeed a bleak day.

      Forur years later to the day, the conditions could not have been more different. The sunshine was unbroken for the entire day (actually it has been unbroken for the entire time we have been in France). The temperature hovered in the mid twenties and as for punctures ? We don't know what punctures are any more - these bikes are unbreakable. All of these factors made for a very enjoyable (and relatively short) ride.

      Our first challenge was to get out of Orleans. I had made the foolish decision to allow the women some shopping time before we got on the bikes. Since most of the shops had been shut yesterday, they were showing definite signs of shopping deprivation. I gave them definite instructions that they would need to be back to start the ride by 10 am. That must have gone straight over their heads as they started to slowly (but happily) drift (or is it doidle ?) back with their bulging bags of treasures.

      As least the women were happy, but their husbands almost certainly won't be when they get the credit card statements. Sometime around 10.30 we were finally ready to leave the city. Maggie had said that she knew a good way to reach the bike path, so I handed her control of the peloton. To my surprise, her route actually worked and we were soon all safely back on the Loire a Velo bike path.

      As we made our way along the bike path it felt good to be back on somewhat familiar territory. I had ridden this part twice before - in 2013 and 2015. It felt even better to be able to enjoy it in perfect conditions. The kilometres quickly slipped by. The riders happily chatted together as they rode along. After our rest day in Orleans it actually felt good to be back on the bikes and resuming our ride along the Loire.

      I guess the only somewhat sad note to the ride is the low level of the water in the river. It is painfully obvious that the lack of rain has severely reduced the flow of water and the usually majestic Loire River is only a much reduced version of its normal self.

      Since we had a short ride, our plan had been to stop in Meung Sur Loire for morning tea and then continue to Beaugency for a late lunch. The only problem was then we arrived in Meung, most of the shops were closed for Monday. (Yes Monday is a bit like a second Sunday here). We searched for coffee in vain. Just as we were about to give up, we were spied by an elderly lady who asked in very broken English what we were looking for. Apparently she had not spoken English since she had been in school, but she did reasonably well.

      When she realised that we were looking for coffee, she explained that she knew a place. We were instructed to follow her. So off we went.

      "It's about 100 metres", she explained. (That was a lie). We went up and down hills, through narrow alleyways, around roundabouts, etc, etc. We looked at each other, wondering just where she was taking us, I just hoped that she wasn't the famous poisoning Frenchwoman who was leading us all back to her house.

      "You will have to forgive me, I am very old" , she explained. I thought that she must be at least 90 or so to be making such slow progress, but she went on to add "Yes I am 71 years old ". Crikey at that rate she would have been one of the youngest in the Ghostriders. We shuffled on and on. I was just glad that Maggie and I had both updated our wills before this trip started.

      Just when we were all about to give up, she finally led us around a blind corner and VOILA, there was a cafe. Although we were told that they had no milk at first, all came good in the end and we were able to enjoy our cappucinos after all. Crisis averted and another wonderful insight into the French psyche. It will be recorded in our memories as one of the highlights of the ride.

      Our home for this evening is the L'Ecu de Bretagne" Hotel. It is the same place I had stayed in twice previously, although it was the first time I had the doubtful privelege of having a room on the top floor. With no lifts in the place, scoring a top floor room is like being allocated a poison chalice. After dragging our suitcases up the narrow winding staircase I felt like the mythical Sisyphus who was condemned to spend all eternity rolling a massive stone to the top of a huge hill, only to see it roll down to the bottom again every night.

      In the evening we all shared what will surely become the most memorable dinner of the trip. The restaurant had set up a huge outdoor table for us in the central part of the town. We watched the sky change colour from blue to pink to purple as we ate and chatted together. The food was amazing, buit it was the location that was pure magic.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Centre-Val-de-Loire, Centre, Centro, Regione Centrale, 상트르

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