Morning mist in Chartres
This couchsurfing thing is totally changing my travel experience…It is starting to feel like this trip is more about couchsurfing and less than the bike! Don’t get me wrong…the cycling is super important! But what I am enjoying is that through couchsurfing I am meeting people that I would never normally have contact with…people from new cultures, new places, and totally different backgrounds – it allows you to see the life of locals and get that much closer to the places your are visiting.
The other thing about couchsurfing is that random strangers invite you into their home, feed you, give you a place to shower and sleep and expect nothing in return…it really is a fantastic way to experience the goodness of the human spirit.
This morning I had breakfast with my host, Etienne, in Chartres before returning to the city centre. The day was fresh, crisp, and the sky was clear. I took some time to work on my blog in the sunrise just below Notre Dame de Chartres cathedral…really fantastic morning.
I set off for my ride at about 9.30am…I wasn’t expecting much…I was told the between Chartres and Orleans the contry side was flat as a pancake so I figured it would be 80km of much the same terrain as yesterday…and it was…however, it was a little warmer and the sun shone a little brighter!
I won’t bore you with more pictures of my bike and fields today…but if you refer to yesterdays photos, you’ll have a good idea of today’s scenery….but I did see some foie gras…
So there I was, me and my thoughts, when I suddenly noticed I was picking up hitch hikers…hundreds of them…every few meters…spiders that is. The entire day of cycling was filled with dodging spiders webs! They were every where…just hanging silently in the air…every 5 meters or so another one would wrap itself around my face or the front of the bike. It was annoying at first, but once I let go and tried to enjoy the experience it was extraordinary. I guess the baby spiders were on the move…kept me busy picking off the little creatures.
My hosts tonight, Diane and Alex, live right next to the cathedral in Orleans.
The Cathedral in Orleans
As all my hosts, they have been very hospitable and eager to show me their hometown. We had a nice walk through the city, visited a park, and this evening went out to dinner with some of their friends….and then we went out for drinks…but I wasn’t expecting Alex to order to platter of 24 shots of assorted rum! …so yeah…I’ll leave it at that…
My hosts in Orleans
Rum anyone?
A nice day…great evening…
And tomorrow I’m off to Blois.
80km Bicycled Today
565km to Date
3 Comments
well, spiderman and wine power back in force. Good to hear it. Yesterday we had fog so much so that the pier disappeared from sight, but it’s sunny again.
hey hey – great reading what you are up to and sounds like you are gathering speed and having a blast! couch surfing adds such a different dimension to the experience eh – a grea way to really get into the culture of a place!
glad its all going so well
Jo
Yo Jo,
yeah…the couchsurfing is a great aspect…adds a great dimension. tonight staying with a guy who guides tourists on bike tours in France! Lots of knowledge to learn here!