Category: Travel
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A day in Orléans
Days when we get an apartment for a couple nights in a city are great. We get some extended time out of the sun, sleep in a real bed, watch Netflix at night and are able to shop for groceries and cook for ourselves. And we get a whole day to do normal stuff, meaning…
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Into Orléans, and another visit to Decathlon
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…
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Bastille Day – July 14!
The party started yesterday evening and lasted well past midnight – the French celebrating Bastille Day! The noise kept Chris awake but I slept through it all. The National Day of France, also known as Bastille Day, is one of the most important days in the history of France, as it marks the fall of…
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Amboise – amazing chateau (and retail therapy)
Today was a practical day when Chris and I went to Lidl for groceries and Decathlon, a large outdoor gear retailer, to get camp chairs, a new helmet for Chris ( hers was cracked), some clothes, bungee cords, plastic cutlery and other stuff. We got up early but the store opens at 9:00 so we…
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My bike and panniers
I’ve had a few people express interest in how my bike is configured and how I carry gear on the bike. Chris has her own bike and panniers which I will cover in another post. The bike is steel and is a general purpose/touring/gravel bike. Touring bikes generally are not fancy or expensive. The name…
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A hot day and more to come
We started today’s ride early, getting up at 6:00AM to try to escape the worst of the heat. It was 94 degrees (34c) today and is forecast to be over 90 for the next week, with the high temperature being about 100 (38c). We may get up earlier yet tomorrow since today passed well. It’s…
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Saumur: Chateau and rest day
The Loire is famous for its chateaus and we are heading into the most famous part, starting in Saumur. We are staying in a really nice campsite on an island just across the bridge from the main town. For those who have never seen a French campsite, they are amazing. Clean and organized, with a…
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Nantes to Chalonnes-sur-Loire
While Nantes was excitingly busy and full of energy, we were ready to move to quieter places after a couple days there. Our 4th floor apartment up narrow concrete spiral stairs was comfortable and offered super views and cooling breezes. It’s a late night place for people on Friday night and we heard it all…
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Nantes: big city and the start of the EV 6
We left the US a month ago on this chapter of the trip, also passing the 6-month mark a few days ago since we left our house on January 2. It’s gone fast. We have cycled 622 miles (1,000 km) to get to Nantes, which is the start point of the EuroVelo 6 route to…
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Paddle boarding in France
So, not really knowing the word for paddle board in French, I asked the chilled out server at the beach bar near the board rental place and he pursed his lips in that oh-so-French way and said “ah, le paddle-board.” So I guess that’s it, you just have to be cool and say the same…