Free Entry to Chambord and a Head Wind to Blois

It wasn't entirely my fault. I am normally a very law abiding person and would never even steal a grape from the Woolworths fruit section (well not very often anyway). In spite of this, I can sometimes be a victim of circumstances and today was just one of those occasions.

The gigantic Chateau de Chambord was always going to be the standout highlight of today's ride. It is certainly one of the most distinctive and famous castles in a region that is filled with similar giant edifices of opulence. One of the things that gives Chambord extra credence is the fact that it was partially designed by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, although he unfortunately died back in 1519, possibly of a stroke, before the huge castle was completed. It was reported that Leonardo, on his death bed, was remorseful that he had practised his art as diligently as he should have. Considering that he was regarded as a genuine genius in multiple areas of study, he never the less thought that he had not made the most of what he had been given. He was only 67 years old.

Since I had already visited this structure several times before, I was quite content to sit outside and mind the bikes, while the others paid their entry and spent a couple of hours exploring. I did, however, get a little bored waiting and went off on a walk around the outside of the castle. I had not gone far before I spied an interesting brown door on the side of the building. Being a curious soul, I went to have a closer look, only to find that some careless person had left in unlocked. Now I really was intrigued and decided that it wouldn't hurt to see what was inside.

I took a few steps and found myself inside some sort of office, A man walked past and wished me a customary bonjour. At least it wasn't a torrent of abuse. Of course now I was hooked. I walked on further, through a couple more doors and then found myself in the middle of the tourist throng. I ended up wandering the chateau, including climbing up to the rooftop. It was quite special. I got the same experience that everyone else did, except they had all paid 31 Euro for the privilege and I had paid nothing. Although I had entered via the wrong door, I partially atoned by leaving via the correct exit.

By 2 pm we were ready to resume the ride to Blois, but had not ridden far before discovering that a steady head wind had developed. When we last did this ride in 2019, we were riding analogue bikes and this would have been quite a challenge. Now we are all much older and smarter, and are equipped with lovely ebikes instead. At times like this, the added motor assistance was well appreciated.

When we reached the bridge across the Loire at Blois, we stopped to take the obligatory photos. The entrance to this city is one of the most memorable of this entire ride, and I wanted to make sure that no one missed the chance to capture some memories.

Our home for the night was the modern 4 star Mercure Hotel. It was nice to have working lifts, air conditioning and large rooms, but we all agreed that it really lacked the French character and quirkiness that we had come to expect on our journey.Read more