| Thursday, June 20, 2013 -- Chambord to Cour Cheverny -- Biking Day 2 | We left the sunshine of Chambord about 4:30, heading south on a forest trail followed by storm clouds. After about 45 minutes, a downpour started and we sought shelter under trees. Soon, the mosquitoes had us on the move again. We pedaled about 10 km to the town of Bracieux just as the next downpour hit. We parked the bikes under some temporary awnings set up in the village square wher...

| Thursday, June 20, 2013 -- Château de Chambord -- Biking Day 2 | We arrived at Château Chambord the day before a large hunting exposition, and there were lots of people setting up for the onslaught of hunters and their dogs. We parked the bikes and then went straight to a row of shops and restaurants set up for tourists to grab some lunch. And of course, ice cream (la glace). Afterward, we toured the château. Chambord was built in the first half of...

| Wednesay, June 19, 2013 -- Paris, France -- Day 4 Departure | We checked out of the Hotel Beaugency in Paris on Wednesdy morning, June 19, and walked with our panniers to the École Militaire metro station. Our plan was to ride the the RATP "light purple" metro line two stops north to the Invalides station and then transfer to "mustard yellow" commuter rail line eastward to the Gare d'Austerlitz train station. There we were planning on catching the 9:27 SNCF...

| Wednesday, June 19, 2013 -- Beaugency -- Biking Day 1 | We arrived in the Medieval town of Beaugency at close to 8:30 PM, hungry and tired. The staff at Le Grand Hôtel de l'Abbaye, a 1,000 year old building that functioned as an Abbey for its first 700 years, were fantastic. They swept us in, helped with the bike storage, and made us dinner reservations for 12 people at a nearby restaurant, L'Idee (The Idea) with "le menu des enfants". Meanwhile we ...

| Wednesay, June 19, 2013 -- Orléans to Beaugency -- Biking Day 1 | I guess you could say we got a late start, leaving the bike shop in Saint Jean de Braye just east of Orléans at 4 PM, headed west for Beaugency. We started off heading west on a nice, bike only trail along the Loire River, a mixture of paved and dirt surfaces. After 4 km, we crossed over the Loire River just west of Orléans. From there, we paralled the river riding along various roads pa...