September 24, 2023
Day 12 - Eurovelo 6 across France
Rest day in Orléans
We struck it lucky in Orléans - our arrival coincided with the Festival of the Loire, an annual event now in its 11th year. When we saw thousands of people along the river’s foreshore as we rode in, we thought that it might have been a welcome party for us!
Orléans is famous for its connection to Joan of Arc. In 1429, during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Orléans was under siege. Joan, a young peasant claimed to be guided by divine visions and convinced Charles VII to allow her to lead an army to relieve the besieged city. She played a pivotal role in breaking the siege and this became a turning point in the war. A year later she was captured and tried for heresy and witchcraft by the English, and their church, and was burned at the stake at the age of 19. When I was 19, I was learning to tie my shoelaces.
After checking into the Hotel Marguerite, we met up with our newest rider, Stewart. David and Stewart have been friends for over 35 years, and now he’s our new mate! Over a few beers and dinner, we tried to convince him of all the “initiation” rites for new cyclists, like buying the beers for the group. Stewart saw right through our scheme - he’s a sharp one.
At 10:00 pm, we heard fireworks going off down by the river. The show lasted around 20 minutes and was massive - it felt like the Orléans version of Brisbane’s Riverfire, just without the military flyover! The whole city was in party mode, and every reveller seemed to pass by our hotel rooms on their way home in the early hours of the morning. Delightful!
On our day off, we headed down to the river before the crowds arrived to check out a smorgasbord of maritime delights - displays of Loire history, artisans at work, and wooden boats along a foreshore museum that stretched for hundreds of metres. The place was full of bars, but oddly, not a single coffee stall, so we made our way back to the city centre. We spent the rest of the morning visiting some of Orléans’ sights before I took a quiet afternoon to catch up on washing, reading, and a nap.
We regrouped for pre-dinner drinks and dinner. The meal was a unique experience - we cooked our own meat on hot stones. It’s a thing, though no discount was offered for eliminating the need for a chef! After dinner, we headed to the stunning Orléans Cathedral to watch a light show projected onto its walls - a fantastic blend of modern and historic.
Tomorrow will be an early start as we head to Blois, with a stop at Château de Chambord. It’s now 9:48 pm, and I’m watching the Wallabies play Wales in a must-win game for Australia. Unfortunately, we’re losing, and it doesn’t look like a positive outcome. I’ll check how much we lost by when I wake up tomorrow. Time for bed!
P.S – we lost!
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