Here we go again! Looking at my images from the day shows that my memory has been playing me tricks yet again. That fougasse that I thought I remembered from the 10th was clearly from “today”, somewhere between Blois and Ambosie, hm, GPS stamp tells me it was near Candes sur Beuvron now dignified with the first way marker on the map above.
This was a fairly full on cycling day. I was to meet up with J on the 13th to start my week off when we would continue our search for somewhere other than "L129" in the Alps for me to live in France and visit a then colleague of hers. I wanted to get to Chinon but knew it would be tough to get that far.
Talking of memory, this was, like the day before, racing over routes that we had cycled as a family on two terrible hired tandems back in 2012 and that definitely savoured the day.
This was the bridge leaving Blois to start the ride.
And here is Toto, fueled up for the day, that fougasse already in internal fuel tanks, the sweet patisserie awaiting that fate!
Here are some of the sights moving along the river.
Then this was the sightseeing discovery of the day: the church of St. Gervais and St. Protais in the tiny hamlet of Savonnières (marked on the map).
That really is my sort of architecture: minimal and yet not. The bilingual information board tells you about it and the French wikipedia has more about it here.
As the afternoon turned to evening I realised I couldn't make it to Chinon and stopped here ...
... and asked if they had a room for the night. I remember communication was tricky at first but can't remember why, my French has certainly improved since then though it's still work in progress. Anyway, it appeared they had a room though at first hadn't wanted to say that, or so it seemed. It was a lovely simple room behind one of those first floor windows, or was it in the attic? They were also coming near the end of serving food but I was in luck.
Starters:
... gone ...
And the main and cheese courses followed likewise.
My neighbour ...
... thought I should share ...
... but the food was lovely and I thought I'd earned every last bite!
The lights came on showing I was far from the only cyclist eating and/or staying ...
... and a skein of geese put the finishing touches on the glorious view from my table. (Zoom in to see them.)
I had wanted to get further but I know I was happy in a very French way that I can get if I have had some exercise and have lovely French food and views like that. I slept like a log again.