Chenehutte, France - June 29, 2018

A morning push-up routine has been started to balance the upper body with the low. At the moment, we are committed.
Kelly and I met three couples today, two headed our direction (Canadian and British), the other cycling west to the Atlantic (Dutch). All were wonderful people. It’s very easy to find topics to converse about when you are experiencing the highs and lows of bicycle touring. In this case, small talk is quite pleasant.

This morning, after selecting a couple of items from a bakery, we sat down on a bench by a tenth century church. Light piano music could be heard from the Sanctuary. I slipped in and sat down (Kelly enjoyed a coffee at a nearby cafe). The pianist and I were the only people in the place. After several pieces, he introduced himself and shared that he was practicing for a performance later that evening. The music was by French composer Ravel. I am only slightly familiar with his work, but have an interest in exploring more when time allows.
Further up the route, we stopped to play hacky sack before entering a restaurant. Kelly is quite good; I’m just beginning. I really did enjoy myself and hope to practice as the weeks unfold. Activities of this nature offer a sense of flow and seem to find their way into these trips.
There are powerful forces at work here - sun, wind, wheels and the road along a winding river. Fighting these forces results in unnecessary fatigue. Not having a set agenda, we stay open to possibly. Go with the flow. Cycle when it’s pleasant; stop at places of interest. In this way, the trip becomes a perpetual surprise.
We ended the day at Huttopia, a campground above the Loire. The place offered a swimming pool, which we used without hesitation. The evening closed with the splitting of a pizza baked on the premises and the song "With or Without You" by U2.