[moon]

went for a trip out with some mates at the week end, into the Sologne region which is within a huge loop of the Loire south of Blois, east of Orleans.
Apologies for the lack of scenery pics, I'm the only one taking photo's & as I wasn't leading we didn't get to stop when I wanted...




"Rendez vous at 08 :30 at Vallan, in the next valley west from me, about 5k. For once everybody turned up on time, even the notorious permanently late person (That’s why the meeting point was at his house!)

We set off under clear blue skies, +/- 10°c cutting across country to pick up the D 965 which runs east / west from the loire Valley to the Yonne Valley, straight as a straight thing, Toucy – Mezilles – St Fargeau – Bonny sur Loire. Between Mezilles & St Fargeau, we ran out of blue sky & stopped to suit up (for those who’d NOT trusted the weather report & brought rain gear with them) and complain (for those who HAD trusted the weatherman & not brought rain gear…)

Just south of Bonny is Neuvy sur Loire where we stopped again to meet up with one of the guy’s Brother who was to join us.

We then crossed the loire & took the minor roads through Vailley sur Sauldre & on to Aubigny sur Nère, passing through one rain shower after another, not enough rain to warrant stopping, just enough to be a pain in the arse.From Aubigny, we took the D923 to Lamotte Beuvron, another straight road which meant that each time we came to a corner it was a big event cos we’d forgotten what to do…

From La Motte Beuvron west, the Sologne region is basically a swamp with thousands of small lakes & ponds. We rode on through mist & drizzle until we came to Dhuizon, met the woman from the Mairee & went to the gite we’d rented for the week-end. Situated right on the eastern edge of the forest of Chambord about 4km from anywhere else. Originally a small hunting lodge.

First things first, get a fire going

Then start drying the wet gear

A couple of hardy souls were designated to go & buy something to eat for lunch which the did whilst the rest of us looked after the aperitif (glug) & organised the table

& then cooked (re heated) what they’d brought back

Boeuf Bourguignon in one & choucroute (saurkraut) in t’other!

As the rain continued we allowed the fainthearted to believe they could settle in for the afternoon…

Having put a stop to the game of Tarot (yes it’s a card game not a fortune telling tool, & a massively complicated game it is too with all the tarot cards as well as the normal ones) I dragged them all kicking & screaming off to see the chateau at Chambord

Much to my disgust, & despite the poor weather, the place was heaving with Japanese tourists, & tacky overpriced souvenir shops. They’d even put up 2 publicity hoardings right in front of the main entrance advertising shitroen FFS!
So I only took a shot or two of the back & the tradesmans entrance

Under clearing skies, we then rode along the banks of the Loire to Blois, found a hypermarket & bought the necessary for the evening meal, ie Paté, saucisson, terrine de sanglier, numerous roast chickens, couscous, cheese, bread, wine (lots) & beer.
We got back to the Gite just before dark & set about re aperitif, & feeding which went on, as is the French way, ‘till late at night. (I’ll spare you the details of the pillow fights, the drunken political & even philosophical discussions & the heated debate about who got to sleep downstairs in front of the fire)

...

 

[moon]

...sunday...

Woke up at 08:30 to the dulcet tones of Alain’s fireblade going off to shoot some croissants for breakfast, which he did remarkably rapidly

There’s no croissant in the pioc cos they were long gone by the time I could get the camera out…

We tidied up & handed the keys back at 10, & then rode up to the Loire again, following its banks west past Blois & on to Tours, with a wee pause for café at Amboise. Tours provided a surprise in that there was a marathon being run right across the centre of town & we had to do a huge loop north over the Loire, crossing back further down stream & into the town from the other side. This lost us nearly an hour, & screwed the plan for the rest of the day. We did manage to find something to eat in the old centre

"L’homme tranquille"

Moules frites ! (mussels & chips to you)

Menu = 1k of mussels (choice of sauces), chips (as much as you like) 1 beer, desert & coffee. 12€

Can’t say fairer than that.

As we couldn’t prise ourselves up from the table until about 3:30, we were then a little pressed for time, so had to trog on a bit & stops became rare so no more photo’s. The sun came out & we rode home under clearing skies & on drying roads, the roads of today making up for the straight lines of the day before.
Along the banks of the Cher:
Tours – Bléré – St Aignan – Villefranche sur Cher
Then :Selles st Denis – Salbris – Souesmes- Aubigny – Vailly & so home by the way we’d come. We did have to stop a couple of times for petrol, one of the bikes ( a hornet somewhat modified) having an autonomy of about 150k. He also managed to nearly loose his exhaust but we managed to save it with a length of wire… then ther was the loo stop where we discovered that the CB500 was pissing coolant from a hole in the radiator probably caused by a stone…

I eventually got home about 8pm just a s night was falling.

Good week end in all, total of about 650 km over the 2 days, lots of good food & drink consumed, good company (as ever) & superb scenery which I have singularly failed to photograph, not being alone (for once).

MooN.