Finish - Sully Sur Loire
Distance - 64km
Time - 5.5 hrs
Total - 554km
Paul Madden has managed to send me the lyrics to the Bye Bye Blackbird song. Of course he has sent me the proper version, he wouldn't stoop to course rugby songs. He also managed to send me the story about who wrote it and when it was popular....too much information again Paul but thanks!
David and I started our last ride together from the hostel into the centre of Orleans and in doing so we broke through the 500km barrier. He has done a fantastic job managing to ride long distances without a days rest. To add to that he has been my full time interpreter. We had a look around the cathedral and the old city and probably because of the Joan of Arc was from Orleans we got talking about the Hundred Year War between England and France. David came up with a little known story about the French chopping two fingers off the hands of English longbow men they captured. This led to English archers showing them two fingers before a battle and as been a sign of disrespect ever since. What an interesting fact! Anyway we went to the railway station where we hugged in a manly fashion (at least till he kissed me in a continental style). He wished me luck and I went my way. I must say it felt weird setting off by myself but I dare say I will get used to it.
I made good progress towards my next accommodation at Sully sur Loire and I stopped for lunch at Chateauneuf sur Loire in a lovely square with the sun shining down. After my little read I carried on to Sully. Went to the tourist information and they helped me book my following nights accommodation at a village near Sancerre. It was difficult to find places to stay at a reasonable price because the lady at tourist info struggled so it would have been really difficult for me.
I had a tour around Sully Chateau and very nice it was too. I bought a few provisions and set off to my chambre d'hote on the outskirts of town. My first night on my own!!
The Madame at the chambre d'hote doesn't speak English! That's no problem, we have worked out what time breakfast is and that I like a beer after cycling all day and that there is no wi-fi. So, I have all night composing a blog entry but can't send it anywhere! The room is good and I have a whole lounge/kitchenette all myself (see the picture below). After the compulsory shower I eat my bread and cheese and wash it down with red vin, it's not a very varied diet but that's what I'm in France for. I will go out for a walk later but in the meantime I will read the only English language book in the place. It's an English/French dictionary that is a little bit dated. I go straight to the 'conversation' section and find out that 'sois gentil, donne-moi mes lunettes' means 'pass me my specs, there's a dear'. I will try and slip it into conversation next time I'm in the tabac bar. It sounds like a Michael Winner advert!
You can tell that now I am by myself the quality of the blog content is going right down! By the way, !! means that I'm trying to be funny, I know it's a strange concept (me being funny) but I hope you get the hang of it!
Photo 1, Orleans Cathedral
Photo 2, tearful goodbyes
Photo 3, Joan of Arc statue in Orleans - by the way she relieved the English attack on the city of Orleans in 1427.
Photo 4, Sully sur Loire Chateau
Photo 5, The lounge area of my chambre d'hote at Sully.
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