April 22
"Things start to get interesting - by that I mean not just driving through farms everyday"
Pushed the bike to Sully sur Loire past Ouzoer where I had had breakfast. The road between these two towns was narrow, one-lane, on sort of an elevated causeway overlooking the Loire to the south and woods to the north. I tried several different ways of pushing the bike. The road was just too narrow to comfortably walk it on the road. I tried keeping the bike on the road and walking along the grassy shoulder but it was arduous becuase the grass was really overgrown and putting up resistance. Finally made it. All told, pushed bike about 2-3 hours that morning.
Camped by riverside in public area, campground was still closed. I positioned the tent right next to a latrine that was closed for the season - most public campgrounds don't open until May. This is a really touristy town because of its proximity to the rest of the Loire cultural heritage and because it too has an old castle. It was undergoing some sort of renovation so there was just this one room that you could go into.
I scoped out a bicycle shop that would be open the next morning... good thing the next day was Monday and not a weekend, otherwise I might have been really screwed. While I was exploring the river side, I noticed some youths throwing bottles - one landed near where I was walking. I just assumed they didn't know I was nearby when they threw it. I thought that a confrontation might escalate things so I just kept walking. I didn't want anyone following me and then finding out where I was sleeping. I think the French youths like to drive down to the river side, smash a few bottles on the parking lot and then drive off. Their brains are full of piss.
Had a nice meal sitting outdoors cafe-style. A guy at the next table had a large, loud dog that was pretty annoying. He looked like a skinhead and then started talking to me about how he used to work in Holland and about the upcoming French presidential election. Then I retired, fearing attacks by French skinheads.
breakfast 5
dinner & drinks 38 (tomato & mozzarella, nicoise salad, mousse, wine, aperitif, beer)