Langeais > Blois 85 km et Blois > Orléans (the old one) 70km

July 25, 2014

Langeais > Blois 85 km et Blois > Orléans (the old one) 70km

[Originally posted Jul 25, 2014]

I am 26. I think I will build a small hunting lodge west of Paris. Only 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases should suffice. And one grand double helix staircase made by Leonardo da Vinci will be good too.

You may think this is crazy but this is definitely the start of Château de Chambord and King François I which we saw today. It made us think about the mark we are leaving on the world. Have you left your mark on the world or what is your legacy?

The Loire river valley is dripping with castles. Yes, dripping. They are everywhere. Every nook and cranny--why not stuff a castle here. They are quite amazing but similar to the mindset in England...another bloody (fill in the blank).

Some or maybe most of you are sitting at the edge of your seat with angst and anticipation waiting for the news of the last blog post. (I am not sure this is true but why not make ourselves feel grand.) First, thank you to all who have responded. We love comments. They provide us with much enjoyment as we look at the "drab" scenery go by. Comment away.

Back to what is our legacy. We have been asked a few times why we are doing this trip. In all honesty, when I have been on the verge of tears or throwing helmets in frustration (only once), Clayton loves to tell me that hard things make the best memories. Those are the experiences you will remember the most. You don't remember specific details about the days that go perfectly with no rain, no wind, no place to shower or camp. I concede, he is right about the memories. However, I still enjoy the "easy" days, but challenging days are when you realize what you are made of. When you realize you can do hard things and you will be more than okay. So besides the fact that we normally love mountains, we have decided to head to the Alps. Clayton is currently looking into getting us an easier gear (thank you Howard for your help!! You have been beyond helpful!) And here I am publicly stating that I am willing to climb the Alps. I am actually quite excited to see the mountains from the back of our tandem. Everyone we meet jokes about me kicking up my feet and relaxing on the back so the Alps are as good of a time as any to do that. So here is to our legacy. We have left our safe and easy lives behind in Ann Arbor so why not see and climb one of the most majestic mountain ranges in the world.

(Note: I said I was willing to climb the Alps. I am still leaving the option of public or private transport open.)

A few of the more routine details...

The past few days we have been doing a bit more camping. Last night we stayed at a three star campground. Who knew they rated campgrounds? But regardless we enjoyed the pool before our showers. (Clayton left his suit at our wild campsite so he swam in his bike shorts. The lifeguard told him they were too long and he needed a real swim suit but get this "baggy" swim trunks aren't allowed either. Short and tight, men. Short and tight.)

Tonight we arrived in Orleans to a Warm shower host. We were going to camp in their garden but 15 minutes after we got here it began to POUR! We are now nice and dry, sleeping in their garage. We also had another great meal complete with four new types of cheese. One extremely stinky cheese, Roquefort, a cousin to bleu cheese, graced our palates and was of course delicious. Other highlights from the evening: seeing their 1 month old baby, Axel. Eating homemade yogurt mixing in jams. I want to try this back home. And analyzing the topographical raised map of France. Route planning here we come!

Otherwise, besides castle after castle, Clayton and I have gotten into a bit of a rhythm. We are getting very good at pedaling and eating baguettes covered in either nutella or cheese. Besides the usual, the fruit here has been dynamite. We probably eat 4-6 peaches a day. The "melon" which we call cantaloupe (which the French just laugh at the name) is also on par.