2019 Bike Ride - Day 10: Meung to Blois

In the morning I walk to the local boulangerie and get a fresh baguette. I can see the racks of baguettes in the back of the shop, having just come out of the oven. Mine is still warm and of course it doesn't survive the walk back without a part of it being eaten. Although I'm not a fan of white bread, there's definitely something to be said for a crunchy crusty warm baguette.

Cups with moustache rests (really!)

I've planned a short day today and decide that it's time for a little bit of tourism. I'm staying in a town with a château; one that I didn't even know was there but which is well regarded. It doesn't open until 10:00 but that gives me the luxury of a lazy morning and I'll still have enough time for the day's ride. When I get to the château, a full minute's ride from where I'm staying, a bike riding couple I'd seen the evening before has just arrived. Both the guys are very slim and dressed in decidedly non bike riding outfits. No Lycra for them! It's more sequinned shirts, colourful scarves and tight pants.

The château is definitely worth the trip and must be one of the better ones in the region that we've visited over the years. I particularly like the very original attic and the fascinating underground spaces. There's also an "icebox" which is like a wide and very deep well in which they stored ice collected during the winter. According to the description, they managed to keep the ice frozen for at least a year in this way. All it needed was the manpower to cart 100 tonnes of ice from the river and dump it into the well every year. Not something that would be very economical nowadays I would imagine!

Château de Meung-sur-Loire (rear)

When I leave the château there's another couple of bikes parked next to mine. A his and hers electric pair although they are very different. Hers is a Dutch style bike, his is a mountain bike (but electric) towing a single-wheeled trailer with an enormous pack on it. He's obviously towing both their luggage as her bike has no bags at all. The couple come out of the château just after me and it turns out they are French, despite the Dutch bike. They're riding the Loire from Nevers, the source, to where the river flows into the sea. I tell the woman she has a good deal, having her husband tow all her luggage. "Yes" she agrees with a grin, "it wasn't his decision." We say our goodbyes and I head off, but 15 minutes later I spot them coming up behind. "Excuse me for overtaking you" apologises the woman, "The electric bike makes it too easy."

Centrale Nucléaire de Saint-Laurent-Nouan

The ride today is again into the wind, although it's not as relentless as it has been on previous days. I make several stops including a relatively leisurely lunch stop (I have the rest of the baguette and some cheese and paté to finish; all very French). Some of this route I've ridden before and of course the nuclear power station near Blois, which is just by the river, is an obvious landmark that's hard to forget.

Despite the forecast of rain for today, the ride is dry until I'm just 3km from my destination, when there's a shower that's enough for me to have to put my jacket on, but no more. At Blois, which I'm a bit familiar with from previous visits, I am met by the owner of the apartment I have a room in. The apartment is right in the centre of town and is an unexpectedly upmarket place - all high ceilings and parquetry floors. It turns out that Hervé, the owner, is a real estate agent, which probably goes some way to explaining the obviously expensive apartment. I do the usual chores and then remember that I need to get my stamp at the château, which closes soon. Luckily it's not exactly a long walk and in a few minutes I'm there, only to find the ticket office already closed. Of course, they stop allowing entries at least half an hour before it closes so there's some logic in the ticket office closing early. I walk into the main entrance area just as one of the staff members comes out, on her way home  I tell her I'm here for my pilgrim stamp and to my surprise, instead of disinterest she says: "We're closed, but give me your credencial and I'll get it stamped for you." And sure enough, a minute later she's back with my stamped credencial. So acts of service and kindness are not quite dead yet here, thankfully.

As I walk back from the château, in the distance I see the blue flashing lights of some police cars parked at an intersection. Getting closer I see that there's a significant police presence and at the same time somewhere in the distance I hear the sounds of a protest. That's two large towns in two days and in each one a protest. As the marchers approach, the police block the intersection. They've done this before and have an air of nonchalance about them - protests like this one are not uncommon in France after all. I have no idea what the march is about, but the main chanted slogan is 'we are not content'. Whether this is a general statement of their attitude to life or whether there's something specific they are not content with isn't clear. From the look of some of the protesters I'd say it's just their general attitude, but I could be wrong.

Blois - Escalier Denis-Papin & bike couple

I've asked Hervé for a restaurant recommendation; he seems like the type to know his restaurants. I'm walking around until it's late enough to actually go to the restaurant, and there, riding up the street, is the French bike couple; the ones on the electric bikes with him towing a trailer with their luggage. They are late. I wave hello and although they acknowledge me, they ride on, probably looking for their accommodation for the night.

At the restaurant I ask for a table for one. Given that the place is empty except for two guys having an obviously early dinner, I don't expect any issues getting a table. The girl makes a show of leading me to a table then, in an apparent admission that they are not exactly busy, gives up and says that I can sit where I like. So I choose the window table, looking out over the Loire as well as the people passing by. It's nice to have something to look at over dinner, especially when you're dining alone.

So here I am sitting at my window seat looking out to the Loire. There's too many interesting things for me to write about - like the guy in the black t-shirt who has walked back and forth several times now, or the guy with the dreads and colourful knitted jacket who looks at me looking at him. Then suddenly I see the two guys who were at the château this morning walk by (scarves and tight pants, riding bikes). Clearly all of us visiting the château in Meung-sur-Loire this morning had the same idea in terms of how far to ride that day.

There's live music at an outdoor bar set up in the square that my room overlooks. Luckily the windows are reasonably effective at blocking the sound.

Blois - Pont Jacques-Gabriel Blois