Where in the world is David today? Still in Bellac, but not for much longer...

No map to post today, as no cycling was done. Just three new pictures in the photostream. Laundry is all done and dry. The bike has had its drivetrain (chain, gears, etc.) cleaned and is now running beautifully again. Some items have been picked out for leaving behind (and picking up from Stephen and Ivana in England) so as to lighten the load. The route has been planned for the next five days and problem areas identified. Accommodation is booked for the next three nights. Wonderful meals have been eaten and the batteries are recharged. And the Pyrenees are starting to beckon.

Just one interesting thought for you and a couple of curiosities. The interesting thought that I had while on the way here yesterday was that our perspectives on distance are much more affected than we like to think. That may seem obvious, and not at all profound, but let me explain what brought it on. There I was, chugging along into Bellac, feeling very far from home after three weeks of riding pretty much every day, when I was passed in the car by Stephen and Ivana, who had only set off from Northampton the previous lunchtime and taken a 'slow' overnight ferry. Yet to them it feels like just 'popping over' to Bellac (even if it is quite a tiring hop). If that's the contrast between travelling here by car and by bike, what must it have been like for the first pilgrims on foot? After all, I may be far from home, but I have plenty of connections. I'm hardly what you would call cut off.

Anyway, there are lots of curiosities around here and I've included photos of a few of them. One of them was already in yesterday's blog - the 'Attention au chat' sign (mind the cat). Others include the fact that nearly all the streets here in Bellac have two names. For example, this one is Rue Ledru-Rollin, but everybody knows it as Rue de l'eglise. In most cases, both names are on the signs. Another is similar - in one street here, each house has two numbers (e.g. 20 and 21) because they were renumbered at some point, presumably. I don't have pictures of those yet, but will try to remember tomorrow before leaving. Still out and about, just a short distance from here across the square from the church is a street where an alley runs off to the left called Passage Notre Dame, and on the corner of the house opposite is a statue of the Virgin Mary to match. Just near it is a cross set in the wall of the same house and a statuette. Just as interesting, in the food stakes, there is a special local bread which has what you can only call 'horns' at both ends - I will have to photograph breakfast for you to see that. Finally, at the bar-restaurant where we had lunch today (starting with the best, roughest pate you ever tasted), the interior was full of stuffed animals and the exterior covered with pottery animals.

Today has been very peaceful. Stephen and Ivana have achieved a lot in the garden, I have done what I needed to do, and we have had some good time together. I shall be sorry to leave, and I hope to be back before too long. This is a special place, and they have made a special home here.

Till later, then.

Where in the world is David today? Same as yesterday - Bellac

Sorry I didn't manage to post yesterday - sleep overcame me. Not surprising really. Yesterday was a good day, and I am happy to say that I don't have to ride anywhere today. There are practicalities to accomplish like planning routes for the next few days and booking some accommodation, but otherwise the day is an empty page to write upon! This may even be a short post because I think I hear Stephen returning from the boulangerie with fresh bread for breakfast. (For those who don't know, Stephen and Ivana Partridge are Daniel's godparents, Stephen was my first boss, and they are probably the first new friends we made when we got married and moved to Bedford. We have had quite a few adventures, but not been in close contact for quite a few years, sadly.)

As promised, I got myself off to a quick start yesterday morning, leaving Poitiers just after 8.00am. It was damp,  but not raining, and thankfully the wind had died away almost completely. After a few miles round the ring road, I was onto N147 all the way to Bellac, but the traffic was light and there was nothing to spoil a straightforwardly enjoyable ride through the countryside. I seemed to find a really good rhythm too, and the miles just clicked by. Yes, there were hills, and some of them were hard work (long 5-6% drags for a couple of miles), but that rhythm held and I never once got myself out of breath. Yes, it rained briefly a few miles from the end, but not for long, and not enough to be a bother. So, having budgeted for five hours door-to-door, with just very short breaks I was there in four and a half, and, lo and behold, as I worked my way up the final hill into Bellac, Stephen and Ivana passed me in the car. What timing - they were there in just enough time to get unlocked, really. How did I know it was their car? It was packed to the roof with characteristically Partridge cargo.

Finding the house was even quite straightforward - I didn't have to ask for directions. I made my way down to the church, through crowds emerging from a 'first communion' service and dismounted to negotiate the last bit on the steep narrow streets. It amused me that some people were having more trouble than me with my heavy bike - the ladies from church teetering down 1 in 5 slopes on high heels that they obviously weren't used to. Ivana said to me later that they would be back in their housecoats and flatties today. It was great to arrive, and a great welcome, and I was amazed at how fresh I felt.

Stephen and Ivana's house in Bellac is truly lovely. Of course it isn't finished, but that would spoil things really! I can count five floors, if I try hard - cellar (once a bomb shelter, now used for wine), workshop, kitchen level, living level, bedrooms. And then there's the 'little house' which is very much work in progress, and that has its upper level of three at the same level as the workshop. That should tell you that this is on a steep slope. The views, naturally, are superb - especially from Sophie's bedroom! The exterior is great too, with fruit trees, gorgeous clematis, a pond with fish (which had survived Graham, the neighbour's cat) and multiple interesting spaces.

Anyway, tea was drunk, lunch was eaten, I freshened up, and then there was work to do. I would have been disappointed not to have been given a job! Stephen and I had a car to empty (new garden furniture, plants, bamboo screening and miscellanea for the main house and plumbing goods, kitchen units and doors, plus an old ceramic hob for the little house). Then there was garden furniture to assemble and a hammock to dress in its finery before more tea could be made and drunk. From there on, I rested, I am afraid to say. Stephen pottered around planting things, and my laundry got done, and we took turns to talk about life's serious issues - without, I hope, getting too morose or anything!

Ivana took me on a tour round the town to see if any of the local restaurants was open for dinner. OK, it was Sunday, and some might not be, but it was also Mothers' Day in France and first communion, and after touring the whole town - which has surprisingly extensive facilities - we found that nowhere was open. Several places had signs saying things like "Fermeture exceptionelle" with reasons such as illness and family first communion celebrations. In England, we said to ourselves, the restaurants would be doing a roaring trade with families on Mothers' Day, but it is a different, more family-oriented culture - more DIY when it comes to that sort of thing, I suppose. About the only thing open was florists, in case anyone had last minute need! On our return I made myself useful by resolving Stephen's WiFi problems. He had described it as a bit sensitive and choosy. It should serve them better now, and he know's what to change if it gets picky again. Meanwhile, I can actually get connected and blog.

Anyway, as a result of our failed search around town, we took a trip out of Bellac for a few miles to a local restaurant and had a quite exceptional meal. From the freebie asparagus mousse on, it was all excellent. My starter of golden delicious apple baked in flaky pastry with slices of smoked duck on top was wonderful, for example, and so was the pepper ice cream served with our strawberries. An excellent end to the day, and time to fall into bed. Let us see what today holds... I may even take a day's break from blogging.

Where in the world is David today? Poitiers

OK, so let's get this done early today so I can hopefully have a longer and better night's sleep. My neighbour on one side was up at 4.00am this morning and clattering about, which then reminded me I needed to pee, and then my neighbour's children on the other side obviously wanted to be first for breakfast. Just because I hadn't put my earplugs in!

Today's words would have to be wind (again) and rain. However, that does not mean it was a dull and depressing and meaningless day, even though the said wind was basically a 15mph headwind much of the way and there were plenty of ups and downs too. The point with all that is that I am beginning to cope with it much better. The only stops were planned stops, not stops to question my sanity. Also, rain and wind or not, there was a lot to see along the way, even if I wasn't really able to photograph it. The run out of southern Tours was easy, and quickly took me into the valley of the river Indre for a few miles. That was beautiful (and it hadn't started raining). Like all these rivers it flows powerfully, and at Pont-de-Ruan near Artannes-sur-Indre I stopped quickly when I saw a double mill wheel in motion. It turned out to be restored and fully working - see pictures - but looking around it was one of probably several mills. That reminded me that I forgot to say yesterday that the plan of the town of Meung-sur-Loire shows no less than 12 separate mills! Pont-de-Ruan was a lovely quiet spot, and not much further on I was captivated by the roadside flowers, which I had almost stopped to snap on many previous occasions.

Following the Indre brought me to Azay-le-Rideau, but on the south side of the river, and I turned away through the edge of the Foret Domaniale de Chinon. No deer or boar, yet again, but as well as the beautiful forest there were not-so-nice signs pointing out a military training area shortly afterwards warning of danger in circumstances I couldn't understand. I am still here, so I presume they didn't apply today, but I wouldn't have known. At L'Ile Bouchard I crossed yet another major river, the Vienne, and saw a large group of cyclists - which emphasized that it was Saturday today.

The wind and damp were picking up as I passed through Champigny-sur-Veude, so I was very happy to stop when I reached the town (city?) of Richelieu. Following the success of a good lunch break yesterday, I had determined to do the same today, and Richelieu was both large enough to expect success, and almost exactly half way. A 12.30pm arrival (or thereabouts) after three hours of riding was just right. Lunch was good in parts, I have to say. Good pub grub at home would have had less fat and gristle. Incidentally, in respect of Richelieu, think Cardinal, think Three Musketeers - you're there. It is a fascinating place, and would have easily taken up a day in better weather and with more time. At least I moved on refreshed as the weather worsened from there on.

Let's skip forward in time then, past a lot of very dreary pedalling through nasty headwinds and annoying fine rain, but noting that I didn't let it put me off. Poitiers was another strange city to approach - it was visible from a distance, but the major visible features were industrial or blocks of flats - nothing to lift the heart and soul in terms of spires or whatever. In fact, as I followed signs for Centre Ville and took a footbridge across into the city to avoid yet another down and up, I could only see the tip of a single spire, and I still don't know which church (if any) it belonged to. Poitiers was not well signposted, and there seemed to be more than the usual numbers of road closures, but when I got into the city centre I discovered why - a charity run was about to happen, and the police had set up all kinds of diversions. There seems to be something going on wherever I go.

I watched the start, including the man at the back who simply walked, and then tried desperately to follow the map to the labyrinth of streets to find the cathedral. Although I had arrived in good time at 4.45pm - quite impressed myself after all that wind - the time was trickling away and I was concerned about getting my 'tampon' (stamp) or 'compostelle'. The shopping centre could have really caught me - it was full of curious shops - among them a hat shop, which I would really have enjoyed, and numerous independent bookshops, each with its own specialism. Today, I just found it baffling. The first church I came upon was Notre-Dame-la-Grande, and that could have taken up a long time if I'd had the time to spend. It really is quite a remarkable building, with very unusual carvings and many curious features. Apparently the recent cleaning was made necessary by damage not from pigeon droppings, but salt from the nearby market.

A kind gentleman gave me excellent directions to the cathedral, which showed me that I had actually navigated quite well, and just lost confidence at the last minute. It was another 10 minutes walk away, however, and took me right out of the city centre bustle. That came as a real surprise. When I came upon it, the Cathedral of St Peter looked at first to be a higgledy-piggledy collection of styles. The west front was assymetric and integrated with the rest of the buildings in the square so it just looked like a funny wall with towers. It didn't stand alone, so you couldn't really walk around it like so many others. Construction started at the initiative of our own Henry II but it wasn't finished till much later.

However, what was striking was, once again, the impression of a living church. Yet again, there were preparations going on - this time for the first communion of 67 local children later this evening. It was obviously going to be quite an affair and a lot of care was being taken. A candle was being placed under every chair in the cathedral, with an order of service on the chair, so they were obviously expecting a full house. There was no reception desk, and no bookshop, but when I introduced myself to one of the helpers and explained that I wanted to get my pilgrim stamp, she dropped everything to help and fetched someone else more knowledgeable. Later, as I mooched around the cathedral, each helper in turn stopped to talk to me about my journey and ask questions. The lady who provided my stamp had to go off to get a key for the Sacristy. When she opened it, I had expected a room, but actually it was just a sheltered area on the outside of the cathedral with its own little courtyard, but the stamp was duly found and put in my credencial.

I enjoyed watching the loving care and attention that went into their preparations, and I wished I could have returned for the service, which wouldn't have been practical, but the focus on the living church rather than the historic building was very striking, and I was very taken with the set of wooden furnishings around the nave altar. They were simple, extremely expressive and aesthetically pleasing. I can say little more about them - I don't know anything about them, other than what you can see for yourself in the photostream, but they fitted with the character of the place: uplifting. O, for more time. Another time, maybe.

I left the cathedral somewhat reluctantly, but found it raining much harder for my 3.5-mile, very-uphill ride out to the hotel. However, another stop had to be made when I stumbled upon the Baptistère Saint-Jean. I had read about it, but not expected to see it, and indeed it was closed. However, it is another thing to tuck away for another day as it is very probably the oldest Christian building in France, built around 360AD by the famous Bishop Hilary of Poitiers when baptisms were moved from taking place in the river Clain, 100 metres away. It isn't a church, it is a free-standing baptistery. Fascinating. Again, it will have to go on a must-see list. Along with the church of St-Hilaire-le-Grand, which is where I should really have got my stamp today, but couldn't find. As it turns out it was quite a way from where I was, and in the opposite direction, so maybe it is as well, but as Hilary of Poitiers was mentor to Martin of Tours it would have been nice to cover both in two days. As a piece of trivia, although few of us will ever have celebrated Hilary's feast day, many more of us will have commemorated him incidentally as the timing of that feast day gave the name Hilary term to the spring academic term (or, indeed, to the early part of the year in the English and Welsh legal system).

Sadly, tomorrow promises 'pluies éparses' (occasional rain) again, but let us hope it is light and sporadic. I have a roughly 50-mile run down to Bellac, which will be a bit hilly, but hopefully not so busy with trucks as it is Sunday (that was a bonus today too). I will be meeting Stephen and Ivana Partridge there at their house, and having a rest day on Monday. Though having said that the term 'rest' doesn't usually fit with a day with Partridge - there is almost certain to be a job or two to do. Then there are several more long days to get me to the French/Spanish border - otherwise known as the Pyrenees - and then I will be almost three quarters of the way there. Pray for a good rest, and that I don't then wear myself out in the next stages.

P.S. Passed 1000 miles today!

Where in the world has David been today? Chambord, Blois and Tours

Time to get blogging. Photos and trip data already uploaded. Phone calls made. Shower taken. Supper eaten. Fluids replenished.

Today was one of the best days of riding so far in a lot of ways, marred only by one incident which we'll come to shortly. I was slightly slow off the mark this morning (9.20am departure) which was not what I had intended, but if sleep is needed, sleep is needed! The reason I was anxious was that it was a long ride today and I wasn't sure where I was going to get my pilgrim stamp in Tours (and what time I would need to be there if I wanted to be in time). Hence it was a good thing that it was a flattish ride (especially after yesterday's wind) and I was able to keep the average speed much higher most of the time without overdoing it or missing out on gazing at my surroundings.

Just a few miles into the journey I stopped to take a look around Meung-sur-Loire, which had both a castle I hadn't heard of and a church dedicated to a saint I hadn't heard of. However, the Catholic Online dictionary of saints came to my aid and I soon learned all there is to know about St Liphardus. He turns out to have been a very, very local saint indeed - founder and Abbot of the monastery attached to the church in the 6th century. His feast day is June 3rd - next Thursday - so that's why the flower arrangers and church cleaners were so hard at work when I wandered around for a few minutes. The road continued straight and flat for quite a few miles past Beaugency to Mer, and then I crossed over the Loire to the south bank for most of the rest of the day and made a special deviation before starting to follow that grand river much more closely.

There wasn't really time for proper tourism, but Kate seemed especially keen for me to see Chambord - her favourite of the Loire chateaux. The slow climb up through the woods of the Parc de Chambord was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't spot any of the promised deer or wild boar, but never mind. My pilgrim's guide had commented that the royal sights along the Loire don't fit entirely within a pilgrimage, but I didn't mind. As I rode along at a steady 16-18mph I was just thinking how much Kate would be enjoying riding through those woods on the tandem and other happy thoughts about how we could spend bits of July. Somewhere in the midst of that reverie I must have lost concentration, because I suddenly realised I was heading for the dusty verge of the road where there was no way of controlling the bike or coming to a nice halt. Bike and I both went flying, and I have grazes and bruises to prove it (and may be stiff in the morning). Bike and bags are still dusty, but we are all none the worse for wear really. Crashing at that speed could have been a lot worse!

Still, up and at em. I sorted things out, got back on board and headed up to Chambord itself where I parked and had a mooch before pressing on. From Chambord it was time to head down to the river bank as fast as possible, and from then on except for just a few miles the river was close alongside if not visible. And sometimes it was even audible - a delightful sound to stop and take in. Very soon, Blois came up, and it was time to cross over for a stop for lunch and a leisurely break. I didn't spend time sightseeing, but enjoyed my time in Blois and treated myself to a good lunch (which was a very good idea in the middle of a long day).

Blois had its amusements. One was a bicycle shop sign visible from my cafe table, proclaiming "THEO Cycles" - a profound statement: "God cycles". That was amusingly reassuring after my tumble. The second amusement was a call from Martin Cooke - from Santiago de Compstela. I think he felt he had cheated. He had told me he was going on a business trip to the area, and predicted that his hosts would want to show him the city. He was right. The third amusement happened as I unlocked and loaded up my bike again to set off from Blois, and a couple were loading their bikes up too. Their task consisted mainly of sticking a tiny dog in her front basket.

My last deviation inland from the river was through Cande-sur-Beuvron, which was absolutely delightful - another place I could happily have lingered. Instead, I had to push on through Chaumont-sur-Loire and Amboise in the direction of Tours, all the time beginning to believe that I might actually arrive in time for my pilgrim stamp. There was a lot more to see along this stretch too, in particular the many wine caves and 'troglodyte chateaux' cut into the chalk cliffs along the southern side of the road. Since I was low down I didn't ride through vineyards, but you couldn't fail to realise you had entered a prominent wine area. Amboise has two castles, both of which will have to wait for another time: the Royal Chateau and Clos Luce. The latter was where Leonardo da Vinci died, and now houses reconstructions of his famous inventions.

From Amboise it was a straight (but not short) run into Tours itself, and I pulled up at Tours Cathedral at just 5.05pm - just a quarter hour under eight hours from departure. I was pretty impressed after my Chambord sightseeing, such a long voluntary lunch stop, and my involuntary stop in the forest. The cathedral was worth a visit - it was another living church, without a doubt, with Alpha course posters to prove it. There was a good feel, and again some interesting stained glass with good interpretation. I was particularly taken with some modern glass, however, and there was nothing to explain that at all. However, what became plain was that there was nobody to provide a pilgrim stamp. For that I would need to go to the Basilique St Martin, which turned out to be a 10 minute cycle ride away. I was given excellent instructions (so my request must have been comprehensible) and soon found it first time. When I arrived, worried that it might just have closed, I discovered that it would be open for hours yet, and a lovely nun both provided me with my stamp - amazed at where and when the previous two had been received - and told me that I could have stayed there free that night. Never mind.

I very much enjoyed the time I spent in the Basilique. Given the history of Tours as a place of pilgrimage in itself, it is sad to think that the original basilica was almost completely destroyed in 1802, and the stone sold off, simply in order to drive through the rue des Halles. However, the new basilica has a sense of peace and beauty of its own, and it was possible to build it so that the grave of St Martin of Tours - once in the apse of the old basilica - could be incorporated into the crypt of the new. A line on the floor in the crypt marks the shape of the old church.

I found a great sense of peace in the crypt, and reflected on the thin line that separates the living and the dead and what really happens at that mysterious interface. What are the saints all about? Well, St Martin of Tours was a much loved and inspiring man, and in this case I probably truly was in the presence of his remains - unlike many supposed relics. He is often referred to as the 'pearl of priests' and I enjoyed seeing the inscription (one of the many 'thanksgivings' to St Martin carved into blocks of stone in the roof and walls) which read "O, St Martin, pearl of priests, make of us priests in your image according to the heart of our Lord, Jesus Christ". That seemed a fitting prayer for a priest on sabbatical, and the pilgrim's prayer which was placed in the crypt was helpful too. I reproduce it here, as I prayed it in French:

Bienheureux Martin, nous venons à toi.
Soldat de Dieu, Apôtre du Christ,
Témoin de son Evangile et Pasteur de son Eglise,
nous te prions:

Tu étais présent à Dieu
dans le grand silence des nuits solitaires,
donne-nous de lui rester fidèles dans la foi et la prière.

Catéchumène, tu donnas au mendiant
la moitié de ton manteau,
aide-nous à partager avec nos frères.

A travers champs et bois
tu as défié le démon et détruit ses idoles,
prends-nous en ta garde et protège-nous du mal.

Au soir de ta vie,
tu n’as point refusé le poids des jours et des travaux,
fais que nous soyons dociles à la volonté du Père.

Au ciel de gloire, tu jouis de ton repos dans la maison de Dieu,
mets en nos cœurs le désir de te rejoindre
et de connaître près de toi la joie de l’éternité bienheureuse.
Amen.

This evening I completed 51% of the mileage of the trip (as planned), and the 18th leg of the journey. There are a few more long days to complete, but not many. I have been able to do some re-planning to split the two long days in Spain in half so that as I enter Spain a week tomorrow there will be no more really long days - in fact nothing over 50 miles in a day. Dropping the pace will allow more time for contemplation and make the heat more manageable. Suddenly it all feels very possible, when 24 hours ago it seemed extremely daunting, and this evening Kate was going to purchase tickets to come out and meet me in Santiago de Compostela (hopefully on 18th June) and fly back on 21st June. That's just three weeks away, and a very exciting thought.

Where in the world has David been today? Chartres and Orleans (and the Beauce)

Cor blimey. There were 130 pictures to upload and tag today before I forgot what they all were.That's what comes of visiting one fascinating cathedral (Chartres) and one quite interesting cathedral (Orleans) in one day! I hope you enjoy them after all that. And I was feeling really whacked so I've had to do it all by shifts. Still, a final burst and this should be all done...

The good thing that I can report about today is that at least it didn't rain. There were times when it threatened to, but it didn't come to anything. In fact, it has been a pleasant temperature all day, with sun breaking through when I got to Orleans to give a lovely evening. Weather-wise, the notable thing today was wind. The weather forecast had said there would be some, but it gave the impression it might swing around and be helpful in the afternoon. It didn't, and so it was a bit of a flog all the way. I commented on it to the lady on the desk in Orleans Cathedral, and she said something to the effect of: "Well, that's the Beauce for you". The Beauce is the flat, exposed agricultural area I've cycled through today - often referred to as France's bread basket. As a result, what should have been a four-hour ride became a five-hour ride.

Anyway, let's rewind to the beginning. As planned, I rode back into Chartres this morning to visit the city and cathedral with a mental deadline to leave for Orleans by midday if I could. I was totally charmed by the city. I made my way in by the first way I could and visited the church of Saint-Pierre, as recommended by the pilgrim guide. It was a lovely peaceful place to begin the morning, and from there I wandered through the old town toward the cathedral itself. The shopping centre was full of interesting shops, and would have been delightful to explore given more time. The Cathedral, once you come upon it in the labyrinth that it is the city, is no disappointment. At least it wasn't to me!

For starters, I was finally able to get my first pilgrim stamp in my credencial. They were keen to tell me where I could stay tonight in Chartres, but I had to disappoint them because I needed to press on to Orleans. However, I spent a long time enjoying the cathedral. It was both peaceful and alive. Alive not just with tourists but with school-children, mostly being given guided tours of the stained glass by obviously knowledgeable and  passionate guides (I did a bit of listening in). First impressions were good because the first sign I came upon was all about the activities of a living church - not on a grotty noticeboard, but in the same style, and with the same prominence, as the excellent signage explaining the cathedral for tourists.

The stained glass truly is amazing, and the darkness of the the interior simply serves to emphasise its luminosity. I wish I could have spent longer looking at it all and reading about it. Guides sometimes talk about the darkness of the interior of Chartres as being somehow sombre and forbidding. I found it rather soothing and friendly once my eyes got used to it. The cathedral was full of interesting corners and curiosities both inside and out, and I took rather a lot of pictures (all in the photostream). Because of the darkness of the interior, my Gorillapod came into its own as I could fasten the camera to just about anything, use the self timer and avoid camera shake almost 100%. Mastering the exposure compensation and the self timer made it so much easier to get decent stained glass pictures - God bless my Lumix DMC-TZ10 for being so easy to use and having so many features of a good manual camera!!!

Bits that charmed me particularly were the Ecumenical Chapel, the staircase to the Chapelle St-Piat which one couldn't visit, but which were visible both inside and out, the zodiac window and carvings on the north porch, the clock, the sundial...and many more. Suffice to say I would love to visit again with no pressure of time at all. Memo to self: next time bring pocket binoculars. All the stained-glass and carving aficionados seem to have a pair. The only disappointment was that the famous labyrinth was almost entirely covered by chairs. I had thought I might walk it if time allowed, but about the most you could have managed today was some sort of spiritual hop-scotch. I didn't really want to leave, so I had a rather expensive tuna and tomato sandwich and a cup of tea on the terrace of a cafe facing the cathedral before moving on.

I managed my 12 noon deadline to within a few minutes, but found Chartres harder to find my way out of than to find my way in - a bit like Milton Keynes, but mediaeval. It didn't really seem to want to let me go any more than I wanted to leave myself. From there my route was easy and straight (oh, with a kink half way) but on a very busy roads, so today's word is: lorry! Some were friendlier than others, I have to say, but even the worst weren't as bad as many in England. I stopped a bit over half way in Artenay to do some food shopping so I can have a picnic lunch tomorrow, and then pushed on to Orleans - a much bigger and much busier city. It was strange after having been able to see Chartres Cathedral from miles away that I couldn't spot Orleans Cathedral entering the city at all. In fact it wasn't really mentioned on signs either and I had to look at the map to see where it was. Even then, it seemed to be so shy that it didn't show itself till I was just a block or so away, and then there it was - wow!

It was after 5.00pm by then, so I quickly made the bike secure, but as I did so I realised I was parking outside the music Conservatoire. There were students practising their various instruments, obviously with the window open on such a lovely evening, and I was loath to hurry into the cathedral. However, in I went, and straight away got my second pilgrim stamp from the lovely lady who knew all about the wind in the Beauce region! The cathedral was almost deserted by that time, so I had it it almost to myself - a very nice feeling. I have to say that by comparison with Chartres the interior was a slight disappointment. It somehow lacks some of the character of Chartres, but nevertheless still has interesting features. Perhaps it is simply that after the richness of the stained glass at Chartres, something simply feels missing - many of the windows are plain. The benefit is a lightness and airiness that is good in itself, and it has to be said that some of the bits of stained glass that there are were very interesting and different in style from anything at Chartres. At any rate, both cathedrals were very comfortable places to be and to pray quietly as I went around. Back outside again, the wow factor of aspects of the exterior was still there, having none of the quirky assymetry of Chartres, but its own oddities such as the bits I think of as being crowns on the top of the west end towers - which I even caught in shadow on a transept roof.

So there we are, the pilgrimage has begun properly in the sense that I have been recorded in the book at the two cathedrals, and I have their stamps in my credencial. Once there are a couple more I will photograph the page and post the photo in the blog! The ride out of town was through some lovely old areas to begin with, and then along the Loire - I was amazed to see what a fast-flowing river it was - taking me to the western edge of town. and giving me a bit of a head start tomorrow. For now, it is time to rest and recharge ready for a longer ride tomorrow. I really can't fathom why the map software says that there is going to be so much climbing when I thought it was mostly following the Loire, but at least I have been warned.

Where in the world has David been today? Paris and Chartres

Today's word? Weather. What a very British topic for a man in France. I set off feeling very refreshed today. Robbie and Jenni Gibson were such good hosts, though we'd never met before. I'll be very disappointed if we are forever relegated to Facebook friend status. Breakfast this morning was so much more wholesome for a long-distance than in my little hotels: porridge, banana, etc... It was sad to say goodbye, and I have to say again that I loved playing with Christopher - he 'read' Puss in Boots to me this morning for good measure, and helped check over my bike before departure. Please tell him that his help obviously worked as there were no mechanical issues today.

Anyway, as I was saying: weather. Having set off refreshed, and felt the sense of achievement that goes with surviving the Paris traffic to make it to Notre Dame, a fierce wind whipped up while I was outside the cathedral, and stormy weather began. The wind was there all the way to Chartres - never helpful, and mostly extremely unhelpful. And though there were sunny spells, rain was usually threatening even when it wasn't happening. There were also a couple of full-scale thunder-lightning-hail downpours, accompanied by enough heat to dry out totally in between times. That all made for a lengthy ride, and an exhausting ride.

Can I pick another word today as well? Navigation. My navigation into Paris was perfect. Navigation out again was much, much harder. I was trying to avoid the very busiest routes, but once again was foiled by signage, too many traffic lights, and the dreaded yellow 'Deviation' signs - their meaning is obvious even to a non-French speaker. It seemed to take forever to get free of the Paris conurbation, which was pretty wearying too, and I resorted to checking the sat nav pretty often. How much easier it must have been for the first pilgrims!

Anyway, in terms of highlights, it was actually very good to wander round central Paris a bit and take in the atmosphere. The nature of the city means you actually see some of the big monuments from all sorts of angles - as when I looked back from the Louvre through the Jardins des Tuileries, and saw the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe in perfect line. It was also good to stand and take stock outside Notre Dame Cathedral (and eat another banana, thank you Jenni). What was disappointing was not to feel able to go inside. With an embargo on 'luggage' inside the cathedral, I would have had to leave the panniers on the bike, and I just didn't feel comfortable about that, so no pilgrim stamp today, and no exploration of the interior of Notre Dame. Maybe I should have cycled in without any baggage yesterday after all.

Other highlights? Well, I've kept forgetting to say it, but the birdsong has been striking throughout the trip. Occasionally I see the birds, and don't just think 'I don't know what that is' but 'I've never seen one of those before. That has continued today. There were some beautiful villages and towns en Route, of which Rambouillet stands out. I glimpsed the chateau, but didn't have time for exploration, obviously, and I was sorry not to have a ride on the 1900 fairground roundabout in the town square. A bit further on, I took minor roads through the Eure valley after Maintenon to get to Chartres. That had several upsides. One was that it was more sheltered from the wind. Another was that it was pretty flat, till a short climb up brought Chartres cathedral into view (lifting the spirits considerably). The third was that it was just beautiful in itself: St Piat, Jouy, St Prest - lovely villages in a lovely valley. That was the traditional pilgrim route into Chartres, and I am glad I opted for it instead of taking the easy option for a tired pilgrim and sticking to the main road.

It was really a bit too late on arrival in Chartres to think of doing any sight-seeing today, so I mooched around  a bit and took some pictures and then retreated to the hotel. I will ride the mile or so back into Chartres tomorrow and spend some time there before heading the 50 (hopefully straightforward) miles to Orleans. That really should be a bit easier, but it is a slightly strange thing to do. The pilgrim routes run either through Chartres OR through Orleans, but I wanted to see both, so I am crossing over from one route to another before heading on to Tours and Poitiers. Today my legs were sort of saying 'We thought you'd given up on this silly idea' after having a rest day. Hopefully they will get the message tomorrow and be back to full strength.

Where in the world is David today? Still in Maisons-Laffitte

Well, this is later than promised, but that's a good thing. It means I am quite relaxed!

I shan't repeat what I've already said, but here's a little more about yesterday. Clearly the previous day riding from Lille to Amiens in the heat and with lots of climbing had taken more out of me than I had realised. I am beginning to realise that it is hard to charge yourself up for a full day of cycling on a French breakfast. One man can only eat a certain quantity of brioche without choking, and a big bowl of porridge with dried fruit and a couple of bananas would get me off to a much better start. Consequently, fatigue can set in much more quickly than normal, especially in such heat. Yesterday didn't even start out cool - I set off at 8.30am and it was already pretty warm. So, I need to take note of all that and find ways of enhancing breakfast, e.g. buy some dried fruit and bananas the day before to munch on.

My route yesterday began by heading south out of Amiens along minor roads in the beautiful and heavily-wooded Noye valley. The 'river' is more like a series of small lakes strung together, but that was impossible to catch with a single photo at any point. You could discern it as you moved along, but I wasn't about to try taking video from the bike. The surface was so rutted that I needed my concentration. I made my way all along the Noye as far as Breteuil before getting onto a major road and after a series of hills I was well and truly ready for a halt at the edge of Beauvais. I had noticed that I was going through my supplies of water and isotonic drink quickly, and I consumed two large soft drinks and two teas at my stop. This was clearly going to be a very thirsty day, and unfortunately it was largely a non-working day on the day after Pentecost, so not many shops or bars were open.

I would have liked to stop at Beauvais and visit the cathedral, but I felt it was best to press on to my destination. I had done nearly half the distance to Paris, but only about a third of the climbing, so I knew I had a tough few hours ahead. In Beauvais my instincts were right, but the road signs were so poor that I lost time making sure I was on the right road. This was the point at which my choice was critical. Take the wrong one and I would get to the same place, but after much more uphill pain. When I finally got it right, there was still a very long steady 8% climb (well over a mile of it) in the worst of the heat. It was shortly after there, having again turned off through minor roads to return to the more obvious road to Meru, that I was stopped because of the local cycle race that ended before my eyes. My little run through the minor roads was lovely - a very different area, mainly growing vegetables - but again quite hilly and then there I was at Meru, three quarters of the way to Paris, in theory.

Hydration problems set in again after the heat of the last couple of hours, and I think I astonished the local barman in Amblainville by downing three lemonades on the trot and taking a Fanta to go. That was my last real stop, however, so I needed to charge up for the final push. After the push up hill from Amblainville there were just two more big ones before a downhill run into Auvers-sur-Oise, home of van Gogh. I was sorry not to do the tourist thing, but once again I was aware that there was much more to see on another occasion which didn't really fit in a pilgrimage. From Auvers onwards, it was all urban, with far more unfriendly traffic, terrible road surfaces, and all sorts of navigational challenges. I got lost in an industrial area and lost a lot of time finding my way again, and got very, very fed up of traffic lights, which halved my average speed and meant that the last section of the journey took forever.

Finally crossing the Seine was an absolute delight, and though I didn't take a picture, the Chateau greets you as you come off the bridge and you know precisely which city you are in. I was so, so close, yet it still took another 10-15 frustrating minutes to find the Gibsons' home during which I both revelled in the surroundings and nearly lost the will to live! My fluid levels were dropping, yet again, and I just needed to stop. One look at the road layout of Maisons-Laffitte tells you what an interesting area it must be, but if you bear in mind that it also has a most peculiar one-way system, you can probably see the roots of my frustration!


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When I finally managed to find my way onto the right section of Avenue Lavoisier, and able to ride in the right direction again, it was wonderful to be greeted by Robbie's expectant wave. Bags were taken from me, the bike was safely stowed away, and a chair was placed under my tired behind. A whole jug of water and a whole (large) teapot of Rooibos were consumed, and I soon began to feel human again. Robbie and Jenni have enfolded me with friendship. Their children are a delight! And they have happily agreed to have me for a second night so that I can go on my way tomorrow fresh. I decided not to go into Paris (and Christopher decided not to go to school), so I have been mooching round the grounds with him admiring dragons and wolves and playing at being pirates.

What is interesting is that I have realised that this time has a three-fold function. It is rest at the end of a long journey so far (almost 800 miles complete, so nearly half way). It is a pause for refreshment in itself. And thirdly it is a time of planning and preparation, which is how I have spent most of this morning. I have worked out a route through Paris for tomorrow morning so that I may be able to make my first official pilgrim stop at Notre-Dame and then find my way along the pilgrim route to Chartres (a bit hilly in parts, but nothing like yesterday). I've also plotted out the next two days from Chartres to Orleans (mild) and from Orleans to Tours along the Loire (longer, but fairly much flat 90% of the time. I will plan the next two legs to Poitiers and Bellac before leaving, and that will take me to over 1000 miles and my next rest day with Stephen and Ivana Partridge.

Where in the world is David today? Maisons-Laffitte on the outskirts of Paris

OK, since the title of this post says today, I had better be quick so it is true when I post it.

Instant summary? More unacceptable heat (38C or 100.4F at the max). More un-fun hills (long and steep). After yesterday's run to Amiens, it was hard work, even though I managed to plan quite a lot of climbing out of the day by being careful.

Highlights? Running across the finish of a local cycle race! And meeting Robbie and Jenni Gibson, my hosts for tonight (and tomorrow night, they now learn). They are friends of Kathie and John Lambert and absolute gems.

Tomorrow is to be a rest day. I may go into Paris, but probably by train if I do. I have done 10 travelling days on the trot, and a rest day (there is time in the schedule) is well deserved.

A slightly fuller post will appear in the morning, after some sleep, but for now the pictures have been posted and here is the information on the route du jour.

Where in the world is David today? Amiens

Now that I am in France and on my own, funnily enough, those nervous feelings seem to have gone. I wonder if they will return as Spain approaches and I am far less confident about making myself understood (and, if I am truthful, far less confident of the accommodation situation). Apparently my niece has expressed surprise that I am in France already - yes, Helen, and well into France. It has me surprised too. The 10 days since I parted company with the CMS cyclists and made my way to stay with Robert, Julie, Chris and Helen in Huntingdon have flashed by. I have hooked up with numerous old friends and had many profound experiences, conversations and thoughts (well, they seemed profound to me).

Today's entry will probably be much shorter, you will be relieved to hear. There were no dramatic experiences en route, no mechanical problems (though I have traced the source of an irritating noise to my own ineptitude and will rectify it in due course), and no really interesting stops along the way compared to yesterday. Not even any towns with interesting names. Today's word, however, is: heat! That is what has marked today out. It was a long day anyway (80.66 miles to the point where I stopped for something to eat in northern Amiens and forgot to turn the cycle computer back on again, plus about two into Amiens centre, and about four out to the hotel, so just under 87 miles in total). But more than that, it was hot. Too darn hot: average temperature 79F (26C), maximum 93F (34C). And, even worse, the highest temperatures coincided with the longest climbs. They weren't so bad in themselves, but being as steep as they were, in the worst heat, and after 60 miles, they were deadly. That was payback - they came immediately after I set my new maximum speed for the whole trip (41.2mph). You can even see the effect of it in terms of a little bit of wind chill on the temperature chart - pushing it down to a mere 80F!!

Along with heat has gone the business of food and water. Food was scarce today, being Sunday, and Pentecost at that, but I managed OK and have gone through far more fluid. I wasn't dehydrated on arrival at the hotel, but I had gone through virtually all the water in my 3 litre Camelback, one 500ml bike bottle, several cans/bottles of Fanta and a cup of tea. I need to load up with all the fluids I can carry in this heat - which, of course, just adds weight. There are two sides to everything. I will be aiming to start earlier tomorrow because it will be another long day to Paris (just a little shorter, maybe, but not much) and the weather promises to be hot again, though not quite as scorching as today. I was glad that I had decided to wear a long-sleeved shirt today, but got burnt on my left (east-facing) leg and need to use more cream tomorrow. By Tuesday and Wednesday we might be into rain showers, which will almost be a relief, and the temperatures should remain lower even when it dries up later in the week.

So what did I see today? Lots of lovely countryside, mainly. The run from Lille to Arras through Lens was flattish, with the odd enormously high spoil heap. But they were very shapely spoil heaps and for a landscape that includes mines it was very un-industrial. After Arras, I deviated from my original planned route and headed out of Arras through Amion and Vimy, which took me through another major WWI area. Vimy Ridge fell to the German army in October 1914, and various attempts to re-take the area failed. In April 1917, it was retaken in the Battle of Vimy Ridge as part of the larger Battle of Arras, mostly due to the efforts of the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

I passed by the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which I now regret, but I did do something I had promised myself to do after yesterday. That was to stop for the vast German war cemetery at Neuville-St-Vaast, the largest German war cemetery in France, with 44833 graves. It didn't have the same impact on me quite, but the sheer scale of it was breathtaking, with each grave marked by a plain cross, the rows reaching off into the distance under the trees. Admittedly it is a 'gathering cemetery' for a wide area, whereas the commonwealth cemeteries tend to be smaller ones for particular areas, but the effect is striking, especially when you remember that it contains only 5% of the German young men (some Jewish) who fell for Imperial Germany in France in WWI. I was also struck by the thought that whereas the young men commemorated at Messines Ridge gave their lives as the price of freedom and peace, these soldiers gave theirs as the price of pride and the pursuit of power. The sense of brooding about the place, even on a day like today, is fitting.

Beyond Arras itself, the country began to be much more rolling and shortly before Doullens I entered the department of the Somme, part of the region of Picardy. No roses were blooming, but it is beautiful country. It was coming into Doullens, my last planned stop before Amiens, that I had my super-fast run downhill, and coming out of it that I slogged against the heat and the uphill gradient. Whereas in flat northern France towns had been visible from far away, the road to Amiens rose and fell, unrelentingly, and instead of views of Amiens, there were false summits galore, luring you into thinking there were only a few yards to go before some relief!

Amiens deserves more time on another occasion. It is a lovely city centre, and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens is stunning. It is the tallest complete cathedral in France, and it has a tremendous sense of space. It had none of the things that often put me off French cathedrals, and many beautiful features. I completely missed the labyrinth, sadly, but I did get to hear the organist practising, and I did light a candle and pray for the rest of the journey ahead. There are loads of pictures of the cathedral in my Flickr photostream. I got a bit carried away, but there was simply too much to see and I was trying to take everything in as well as record it on 'film'. Apparently, in his book Mr Standfast, John Buchan has his character Richard Hannay describe the cathedral as being "the noblest church that the hand of man ever built for God." I'm not sure about that - surely Durham Cathedral is superior (local pride), but it is a wonderfully prayerful place.

I only saw the revitalised Saint Leu area and the park in passing, but they looked like wonderful places to spend time. The other buildings in the historic quarter round the cathedral were beautiful too, and in the square outside the Palais de Justice, I enjoyed watching students at play - unicycling, juggling, doing handstands. All in all, a beautiful and relaxed city, but I was too tired (and it was too late) to enjoy it in full, and I retreated to my hotel to recuperate. Another time, as tourist rather than pilgrim, I think. There is no time tomorrow - I must head for Paris (or, more precisely, Maisons-Laffitte), and a night with friends of John and Kathie Lambert's. I am looking forward to that greatly. Holy Trinity Maisons-Laffitte is, of course, also the church where my friend Simon Cutmore (who I visited earlier in this trip) worked some years ago. So, till tomorrow, that's all. Not so short after all...