Cross country Rural France

Autun, Thursday 15 August, I enjoyed my stay in this old but very luxurious hotel. Last night I dined like a king and slept like a log. The breakfast is also above the norm, with an extensive buffet with serial, fruit, yoghurt, cheeses, meats, bread  and pastries. I do not need any encouragement. Well fortified I am on my way although a little sluggish, a combination for the need of a rest day and the fact that the road undulates and I am going up hill. I decide to take it easy today and stop when I have enough rather than try and reach a target. The ride is beautiful through forests and small villages, it is still rolling country but it seems less so. I notice a disproportionate amount of cars with Dutch number plates on the road, I wonder if there is something for free here? When I realise that the majority of motorways are toll roads, that would explain it!

I ride through the Parc Naturel Regional du Morvan, in a mainly Westerly direction. I pass through Chateau Chinon with a huge museum in the middle of nowhere. I reach Premery by 2 pm and call it a day after 101 km in 5h22, climbing 1088 m and descending 1209 m, so we are still going down! There is no hotel here only a camping and one small restaurant with 4 rooms to rent above it. I enquire and the first question is, am I a pilgrim? It is on the pilgrim route to Northern Spain. The room is pretty basic, separate bathroom, a handkerchief size towel and a single outside toilet in the back yard. I am the only guest and wonder what it would be like with all 4 rooms occupied in the morning. The food is good, although the meat in France is often very tough, the restaurant has a very pleasant atmosphere. I sleep well despite the noisy traffic for most of the night.

Friday 16 August, I am back on the road by 8.30 and heading into the Loire Valley. I cross the main road 151 at Nannay and follow the small country roads through the Forests of Bellary to Donzy. The wind is strong and against as usual and although a man cannot ride across France on "pain au raisin and pastries" alone, one gets a long way with them. Thanks to the Artisan Patisseries which I visit each morning I can obey the calorie alerts my GPS gives me at regular intervals. I hit the main road next to the Loire river after crossing the A77 at Neuvy sur Loire and it is heavy traffic from here. I stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant for the 15 euro plat du jour, which consists of an entrée of cold green beans and cucumber, a main of a 1/4 chicken of unknown age with some chips and green leaves, followed by a tartlet in a foil cup, mass produced somewhere unthinkable. The entertainment was a fat Dutchman who told me how much money he makes, and all the famous people he knows or knew, as most of them have unfortunately died! It is good to get away sometimes. At Bonny sur Loire I cross the river and follow it through small villages away from the busy road on the other side. I reach Chateauneuf after crossing the river again at  5 pm after 140 km in 6h20, climbing 650m and descending 756m, still going downhill.

After my usual laundry duty and shower I find a cold beer as reward for another great day.

Saturday 17August, my Europe Weather App on my mini iPad tells me it is going to rain tomorrow, so I will ride another day and have my rest day tomorrow, wherever that may be. Breakfast in this hotel is at 8 am so by the time I get away it is just about 9 o 'clock. It starts out well with a strong wind semi behind for the first 25 km or so and I make good progress. I leave the river and am heading into a heavily populated region with a lot of mayor highways so it will be interesting to see how the GPS navigates me through this. I ride through the Forest of Orleans, then avoid the city of Pithiviers on my left. I am riding on country lanes closed for vehicles over 3.5 ton! I leave the city of Malesherses on my right followed by Etamples on my left. I ride on through the Parc Naturel Regional du Gatinais following a small river Essonne. It is a hard ride with the wind against which gets very strong in the afternoon. But when I see the twin towers of the cathedral of Chartres on the skyline to my left I know I am nearing my destination. I stop for a breather and a power bar on the village square of La Ferte-Aalais and sit beside an old local man in the shade. After exchanging greetings and establishing that neither speaks each others language, we continue with gestures and my notebook and manage to find out our ages, (he is 83) where I am from, my route and all the Tour de France heroes of the last 50 years. When 2 other men of similar vintage join us, he tells them the story, in a way like he has known me for years. He then asks me if I sleep in a tent, but when I say in a hotel, he raises his eyebrows and gestures plenty of money! He smiles and nods when I sign: Young-lots of time- no money, Old- lots of money- no time! We shake hands and I nurse my developing saddle soar for the remaining 22 km into Maintenon.  Arriving at 4.30pm after 136 km in6h38 climbing 502m and descending 524m still going down!

The town of Maintenon lies between Chartres and Paris and roughly on a diagonal line from Grenoble to Le Havre on the coast. It has a chateau in the centre of town which I overlook from the window of the rather grand room I have rented from a grumpy lady who first tried to make me take the much smaller and inferior room at the back for 75 euro/night. It was a bit of a stand off negotiating, I knew she would not reduce the price and she knew I would not take the small room, all without speaking. It does include breakfast at the restaurant 50 m up the road.

Sunday 18 August, a pleasant rest day, late breakfast, a walk about town, a few drops of rain around 10 am, lots of clouds but the sun is peeping through at regular intervals. I am the only occupant and the lady is a little less grumpy, probably realising that letting the large room to one person is better than hoping for more people to come and having it empty.

In the next two days I should cross the Seine and hit the coast, direction Belgium. Another week or two of adventure awaits me.....