Cycle Touring in France: Blois to Montrichard for Le Tour!

Yesterday we spent a very pleasant day in Blois. After a hearty breakfast we walked uphill to the castle gardens and then spent a couple of hours inside the castle itself, where there is also a gallery of fine arts. It is a famous castle in these parts as several French kings resided there. Joanne d'Arc came there to be blessed before resisting the English attack on Orleans. Afterwards we had our lunch outside in a wide tree-lined square and were again treated to the salamanders protruding out of the windows of the 'house of magic'. It is quite a performance and most people seem unaware until it starts and then they get their iPhones and cameras out to record the event. On the hour, and half hour, the windows open and the salamanders start to come out, they look around in different directions and make strange noises before opening and closing their jaws. Tails come out from the roof and twirl and the railings bend over as the salamander's claws push out and over them. It is all mechanical, but quite impressive in its scale and effect. At night we dined again in the hotel. It had extremely high reviews in Trip Advisor so we had booked a demi pension, which gives you a discount on breakfast and dinner combined, compared to the full cost. The chef had won several awards and we were not disappointed with the food. In fact it was delicious and some of the recipes had been handed down from the chef's grandmother.

Today we set off along the Loire and it was good to be on the bikes again. It's surprising how strange it seems to have a rest day now and we enjoyed flying along the cycle path until a we hit a headwind that seemed to have some kind of grudge against us. It changed direction and increased in intensity at every turn. We even had to cycle downhill at one stage! We left the Loire and headed southwest towards another famous castle, Chenonceau. We had been told that it was not worth paying the entry to visit, but that it could be approached from the back by a small track and was worth a look from the outside. The track was not way marked but we eventually found it. The castle has been built over water and now seems to be a big tourist attraction. There were boat trips from upriver, canoes and rowing boats for hire and a hefty admission fee. The car park was full of coaches and hundreds of cars and we wondered if our detour had been worthwhile. It was only a short cycle from there to Montrichard and this time the wind was on our backs as whizzed down the country lanes. The town is preparing for tomorrow's race and barriers are at the side of the road ready to be put in place. Camper vans are in the caravan park and a fairground has been set up across the river Cher. We dined outside in one of the squares and a jazz quartet played music as we ate.

I am excited at the prospect of seeing what happens in a French town when Le Tour arrives and looking forward very much to tomorrow.

King Louis XII on the front of the chateau.