I didn't end up going into Blois last night. I was just too buggered. I went for a walk along the river instead. I found an abandoned mini golf course. Not something you really expect to be abandoned. No episodes of Scooby Doo ever led the gang to the old abandoned mini golf course. The holes were still playable, the rest was all overgrown and there were rabbits everywhere. It was like something out of fallout 3 (video game mum, ask Rob).
This morning I went into Blois instead and had a look around. There was another chateau, this one not so impressive. The whole place is built on a hill on the bank of the river. It was bigger than I expected. Lots of winding cobbled streets and huge roundabouts with parks in the middle.
While I was wandering around the rescue service went screaming through town with a rubber ducky (a type of boat, for the non Australians). When I was leaving I saw them out in the river. They hadn't launched the boat but two of them had paddled out on rescue boards and the third bloke was swimming. They probably could have walked out to where they were.
Some people in a canoe had gone through the rapids under the bridge and managed to capsize. I think when they went through the rapids they had decided to go through the bit with the least water, so they bottomed out then I think the water must have turned them sideways and tipped them out. They were fine, safe on the bank so I watched this 3 man rescue crew rescue an esky (cooler for the Brits). They had ropes and boards, flippers and goggles. I was tempted to walk across the rocks and grab it. The canoe was still on the rocks so I'd say they brought in the helicopter for that.
When I finally got riding I realised I was on a different signposted route to yesterday. The one from yesterday was on the other bank. Mine was like a second division route. It didn't have as many signs and the paths weren't as good, but the scenery was still brilliant. I decided to name them. The route yesterday is Paris Hilton and today's was Nicki Hilton. I named them so because although Paris is flashier and gets more attention, Nicki is just as pretty and a lot less people have been there.
Somehow I managed to lose the route so I headed back towards the river. My phone was flat at this stage. I ended up on Berlin Hilton. The third Hilton sister. Named so because like the third Hilton sister, I was making this route up. I ended up on a road heading towards a station so I turned off and was on a little country lane, then it turned into a bumpy dirt track between cornfields, then back into a country lane, then a straight dirt road, then a grass track behind some farms. Berlin Hilton is not a fun ride.
I ended up back on the road though and now I'm at Beaugency. It's a nice little town much like the others. I'm sitting in a park watching one of the shortest fattest men I've ever seen hustle people in Bocce.
There is another chateau here. Or the remains of one. It looks like this was a larger one and the town has been built amongst it. There is a large central tower - like the white tower at the Tower of London - with shops around it. A block away there's another big stone building and another block or two is the gatehouse and walls. It's kind of cool.
Tomorrow I will most likely head to Orleans, which isn't far. From there I'll probably get a train somewhere. Maybe Geneva. Suggestions welcome but I'm keen to move on from France. Maybe Italy. If you do have a suggestion, could you also pay for the train ticket?
Also, here is the Bayeux Tree of Liberty light show I filmed:
https://youtu.be/LWihqh8Uusw
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