Day 5 - The road less travelled ... Paris and Versailles...

I was lulled into a deep sleep by the
the sound of “hoo” followed by a long “hooooooo.” an hooting owl in the nearby oak tree.
Quiet site - awoke early stomach churning - several visits to the loo told me all was not good. Overnight sewage was overflowing from a man hole cover nearby and the smell was not nice. Ended up taking the long route to toilet block to avoid stepping in sewage soaked grass.
Toilets smelt of ammonia - old urine, were dirty and toilet paper had run out in most cubicles. Convinced I got the runs from cooking my rice in dirty tap water this has to be the worst camp site and most expensive I’ve stayed at in France.
Set off early afternoon (after Imodium started working) and headed West through the national park which was my whole reason for heading here. It was indeed beautiful countryside and worthy of the detour. Lots of very ancient forest and old trees and as I rode through tree lined avenues they enveloped you in a comforting way and gave me a sense of being part of something much bigger than me.
We should be capable of just being present, riding a bike (whether motorised or not) is one sure way of ensuring the senses are awake and feeling what is real.
As old single track lanes wove their way through small villages again most had WW1 memorials and old churches.
I headed back via the small town I rode through yesterday and was going to stop but had an impatient French driver up my rear end (no red mist) so kept going, the images will remain with me but I won’t be able to share them. Which makes me question why - what is the addictive charm of taking images - selfies to prove they have travelled then posting on social media?
Surely if we want to feel alive, we must be capable of just being present, awakening the senses, and feeling what is real. The screen world is not real it is living vicariously through others experiences and the world of likes! Can I brake the mould and my small screen addiction... I think perhaps one summary post a week is acceptable! Will see how we go with that!
Riding out of ... and into manicured streets with neatly cut hedge rows with the familiar smell of wood smoke or leaves burning real French countryside smell - have I started to get into this ride? I always say it takes me around two weeks in any break to chill - I was not sure what day of the week it was today.
I followed my Sat Nav religiously - well it has not not failed me yet! Today would change that mantra.
Somehow it took me the shortest route directly through Paris, that’s not too bad so far but I saw a sign to the péage so took it as they are normally the quickest despite the small cost. Quick circle and ended up sat in a tunnel and pay booth, it came up with 6.50 Euro then the price disappeared.
I took my helmet off and pressed the help button - they all spoke no English...eventually a woman came on that said “its not allowed ...” fairly soon after that a big van with Securite came and a man jumped out and beckoned me to come out and look at the sign “no motos“ I apologised profusely and he showed me an escape route - I said sorry again he said “no probleme ...” don’t think I’m the first to come this way. So rode out of the péage tunnel and stopped. Turned off the toll and motorway settings on my Garmin GPS Then the real fun began as I rode across Paris through the back streets with many 30 km hr places and ped crossings where walkers casually stepped out in front of me several times, Yep my ABS works!
At one point I took the wrong turn and thought I recognised the name ...it was the Palace de Versailles wow what a spectacle like I have never seen before - huge and gilded in gold.
The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the Kings of France from Louis XIV in 1682 until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.
some times taking the road less travelled leads to gold, today was such a day.
I could have visited as was so close but think Liz might like to go there the next time we visit Paris together.
As usual followed the sat back to close to my destination of Orleans and then stopped in a Maccas for free wi fi googled camping, and after last nights experience payed more attention to The reviews. Filled up en route again my cash card was not acceptable, again b*****.

Camping Olivier ... 4.5 stars, free wi fi, but after last night they had me at review Toilet block to die for ... !