Today we cycled 85 km from Beaugency to Sully-sur-Loire.I’m including the map from our 2012 France cycle. That time we also visited Sully-sur-Loire, the point labelled I on the map. Our two France cycles – north to south in 2012 and west east this year overlap at Sully-sur-Loire!

(I had a much fancier way of doing maps back in 2012, I must re-learn!)

We had a great night’s sleep last night, (although there are no bad sleeps with all the exercise), and were up early. We went down town for breakfast and had no shortage of choice. The market was starting and it was interesting to market watch as we breakfasted.

Then we were back on the road again. We met a lot more of the Lime pollen

We passed a restaurant on the Véloroute just outside the town with this very interesting display set up next-door – I understood the words for ‘humanity’ and ‘conscience’. I assume it is people making a statement.

The countryside we are passing is still mixed farming – barley, wheat, grazing, crops such as lettuce, leeks, corn. The soil seems very rich and fertile.

The farmer may not be pleased to see these weeds in his crop of barley but they sure look pretty.

I loved the interesting meandering of the cycle route.

We are beginning to pick up road markings of the route which are very helpful.

A family reflecting

Crossing the bridge here at Saint-Pryvé-Saint Martin, whilst the bridge is very pretty, the water underneath is not so. We see water that certainly looks very clean but also the opposite, some looks quite polluted as evidenced by discharge on the surface/algal bloom.

A wide area under greenhouses near Orléans – I couldn’t see exactly what is being grown.

A beautiful bridge on our way into Orléans

We had lunch in the old part of the city.

Nothing wrong with our appetites

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Cycling along after lunch, we passed this old shed, I love the sag in the roof – like we all go with old age!

This crop is new to me – seems to be some kind of pea or bean … must enquire and find out. 

The silence is so noticeable while cycling in the open country. Cycling past this lavender – the sound of many bees buzzing around, collecting nectar and pollen was very loud. I stopped to take pictures but couldn’t really capture the bees well. There will be some nice lavender honey soon!

Nuclear power in the distance

Coming into Sully-sur-Loire.

In our first week we were very diligent at booking accommodation ahead. Now we are finding that there is no real need to. Due mainly to the terrorist attacks, tourism is unfortunately down in France, some say by 40%. One proprietor said that also related to terrorism, French people are staying home more also for holidays, but that many stay with friends and family which doesn’t help to make up for the decrease in foreign tourists. Our accommodation varies from some beautiful places to some less beautiful but few bad. This was our nice bedroom in Sully-sur-Loire.

En route to dinner, we passed this group practising music, it made a lovely sound that one could hear downtown.

Sully-sur-Loire castle … Maybe Rapunzel going to bed in the upstairs bedroom? 

An old church

Good night Sully-sur-Loire!