Le Blanc to Valencay: Wet tailwind so talley-ho!

June 4, 2014

There comes a point in every tour where it's the ride and not the scenery that makes the day interesting. Today was that kind of a day. The route took me through a lot of flat country. There were some lakes, but mostly they were hidden behind trees and fenced off to boot. It was rainy, which is not usually the best touring weather. But, there was this tremendous southwest wind, up to 50 kph I'm told, and I was headed northeast. Yippee! I was flying. On days like this I'm glad I have a 48 tooth chain ring. I was in my 48/13 combination most of the day, my rain poncho, which usually slows me down must have been acting as a sail, I was going that fast. I left Le Blanc at 8:45 by the town hall clock, and made a lunch stop 60 km later with two intermediate stops along the way. There were a few hills climbing out of river valleys, but even there it was mostly big ring. I arrived in Valençay about 2 PM and called a day with 87 km on the clock. Whoopee!

There were the usual chateaux along the route. I'm almost getting bored with them, but here in Valençay the chateau once belonged to Talleyrand, Napoleon Bonaparts foreign minister. I actually toured this one, and the interior is stocked with the great man's belongings. Very impressive, but all this opulence for just one man makes the revolution a lot easier to understand.

For my eleven o'clock stop in Palleau sur Indre, I went into a small cafe. The proprietress was older than me by a few years, as were the two other customers. Conversation was about who had died, where the children had moved to, and the ailments that each had. The rural exodus has effected these small towns greatly. Soon, there won't be anybody left, which I find rather sad, don't you?

Its hard to get pictures of the lakes, but here's one that can be seen from the road.

A brief moment of sunshine just as I was entering Pallau sur Indre

The hallway leading to the bedrooms is 80 meters long.

Of course, the plumbing was not up to modern standards. This is the bath chair used by the occupants. The porcelain jar next to it is for emergency use.

Today's ride: 87 km (54 miles)
Total: 341 km (212 miles)

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