We started this segment of our trip in Roscoff Brittany, planning on 3-4 weeks in cool and wet conditions, cycling and maybe some hiking along the coast.
Naturally, we packed for that type of weather and activity, carrying waterproof everything and clothing to keep us warm, and allowing us to hike some longer distances. And we used them.
But now we are crossing all of Europe on our bikes in summer heat, so some clothing refinements were needed. So we visited Decathlon to buy a few things and then sent about 12 lbs of unneeded stuff to Bratislava where our final destination is. Feels great to have gotten rid of the unneeded stuff. Easier to pack now!
So, back to Orléans. We woke in Beaugency to cooler temperatures. Chris had her tea next to the Loire. We needed to ride less than 25 miles to get to Orléans where we have an apartment for a couple days. Decathlon was a short detour on the way and our relaxed schedule let us shop. Both Chris and I got new footwear and we got a few other things.
We rode 23 miles including our detour to Decathlon. We had a pretty steady headwind but the air was cool so it was nice.
Arriving into central Orléans, it’s very active. Lots of trams snaking along streets, pedestrians on sidewalks, bike lanes everywhere and therefore need to be really careful to not get a wheel stuck in the rails when crossing streets! The bike lanes even have their own stoplights. While a bit overwhelming it’s well organized and drivers are super courteous. The main street leading to the massive cathedral is flying large Ukraine flags.
For lunch, I wanted to get a galette that included mustard but was informed that there was no mustard left! What? So I ordered a Compléte which has ham, emmenthal cheese and an egg. Getting back to the apartment, I researched to find that mustard is in very short supply in France due to crop failures in Canada, France and the war in Ukraine. This is a big issue for the French! See here for more details: https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/france-dijon-mustard-crisis-1234726456/amp/
We have seen lots of sweet signs using bikes. We passed this one today and it struck both of us that we have not seen any ghost bikes here, the ones we see all over the US to mark where a bicyclist has died in an accident with a car. We both feel safer riding here than in the US since so much care has been taken to include bikes in travel infrastructure and mostly that drivers are much more attentive and patient. No big pickup trucks flying Trump flags deliberately driving really close to scare us and people seem not so stressed and rushed. We have not seen anyone texting while driving since we arrived!
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