Saint Dye, France - July 3, 2018

Bulls Eye Staircase - Bloise, France

We woke this morning at an early hour, tents heavy with dew. They went in the bags dry after exercise and frisbee.
Near the beginning of the ride, we met a cyclist who had been on the road since March. I was drawn to his touring bike setup. He had invested in a chain-driven, internal rear hub and dynamo front hub for charging electronics. A locking mechanism, which I had never seen before, snaked the seat post (which was topped with a Brooks saddle). I wish I knew Santa better.

Tales of the Road

The Setup

With some effort, we arrived in Blois. We meandered the streets on our bikes before exploring the cathedral. It would be interesting to see the restoration plan for the structure. It appears to be going back to the earth.

Upon leaving the musty ruins, we were sadly (happily?) caught in the tangled web of a vortex at a local street corner restaurant for two hours. I’m working on a definition for this phenomenon. This is what I have so far:
1. The vortex is invisible to the naked eye.
2. The vortex is seemingly benign.
3. Blinking once in the vortex causes two hours to pass.
4. Music is often associated with the vortex.
5. Vortexes are more common in the afternoon hours.
6. Free will does not exist in the vortex.
More to come on this subject.
Leaving the main route, we cycled away from the Loire in search of the fabled Chateau de Chambord. After one major wrong turn that added thirty minutes to our quest, we found the fairytale structure. The multi-tiered towers undoubtedly draw people from all over the world. On the way out, I placed my phone in a stranger’s hands and we posed, with our bikes, for a picture.

Looking at the shot, I find myself in shadow. The bottom third of my bicycle wheels are missing. Nothing, in life, is purely accident. Was the stranger trying to tell me something?
Due to watching the extended World Cup game between Columbia and England (the blokes won on penalty kicks), we took advantage of a free campground in Saint Dye. Setting up our tents, with the aid of Kelley’s high-beam light, we had the pleasure of meeting every insect in the riverside town. The conversation must have went well. Several stayed the night in my tent.
PS - I took my first bottle shower.