Day 5 - Blois to Orleans (40 miles)

Today has been mostly smooth and steady with hardly an incline as my legs rhythmically pushed out the forty miles to Orleans. For most of the day I was on a levee, the river one side, wood or farmland the other. I saw the occasional cyclist or walker but for the most part I was totally alone amidst the peace of the countryside, my only company the sound of birds, the hum of rubber on path and, occasionally, the ticking of my rear wheel as I freewheeled along.

Halfway to Orleans I passed through the small town of Beaugency with its old multi-arch 14th century bridge across the Loire and the site of a battle between the English and Joan of Arc's French troops. Another twenty miles saw me cycling along the river at Orleans heading towards the old quarter and my nearby accommodation. I have decided to spend an extra night in the city to give me time to explore, get a little rest and, most importantly, get some washing done.

Beaugency