Tours France

This morning brought with it a clear head and a cloudy sky. I found an open bike shop and ventured out into the pouring rain with The Green Machine to fix its flat. Twenty minutes and two saturated shoes later I arrived at the shop. An hour wait they told me. There went my dreams of an early start.

I left the shop on foot in search of a dry place to get a quick coffee and breakfast. A Starbucks was nearby so I ordered a croissant and an Americano.

The Tours Starbucks is like…every other Starbucks

Soon after sitting down I heard American English and I perked up. A man named James and his wife, Betty-Ann, and I got to talking. With my knee injury, my flat tire, the rain, and my newfound solitude, I was feeling a bit lonely. Talking with James and Betty-Ann was an instant cure. James is a recovering lawyer who coincidentally spent a lot of time in upstate New York too. We talked legal careers, bikes, travel, and laughed about how ashamed we were to be at a Starbucks in France, the world’s capital of cafe culture.

It was time to pick up my bicycle. , I walked back to the bike shop during a brief break in the rain. 15euros later and I was on my way. That is until the bike mechanic gave me a quizzical look, “Where you ride today?”

“Orleans,” I replied.

“You maybe not go today. 70km winds. Very dangerous.”

I thanked him for the heads up and made my way to the train station. With a still-hurting knee and the prospect of torrential winds and rain, I decided to take the short train ride to Blois where I’d recuperate before riding into Orleans.

Detours de Loire is a great shop in Tours, France

Blois is a strange town caught between Tours and Orleans. I found a room in some kind of compound. Not quite a hostel but not a hotel either. The weather is bad. Howling winds. Cafeteria-style dinner. I asked them to pile on the couscous and they certainly did.

Tomorrow I’ll be back in the saddle and riding to Chateau Chambord then Orleans.

(I’ve developed a sort of mantra over the past few days. Anytime negative or anxious thoughts start taking hold I simply remind myself to Leave The Room. Good things happen every time I leave my room.)

The pain in my knee was no better today. So I took the train from Saumur to Tours and let it heal in the meantime.

Nothing to complain about in Tours. It is a picturesque town with timber-framed medieval houses and restaurants.

The embodiment of my knee pain

Once I made it to Tours, I tinkered with my seat height and the pain all but subsided. With a new lease on leg, I spent the day riding around Tours exploring its every site and sidestreet.

On the steps of Saint Martin’s Basilica stood a man politely asking for spare change. He thanked me for the small amount of change I’d handed him then asked about my journey. As soon as he heard my American accent he blurted: “Trump, es he insane?” I nodded.

Tours has a vegan restaurant called Tahina, which is where I stopped for lunch. I recommend it!

I don’t know whether to be upset or grateful. But before dinner last night I got my front derailleur fixed by a professional. At 4 am, I awoke to a loud whooshing noise! ‘Hm,’ I thought, ‘the person next door must have to wake up really early to shower for work…wait, not that’s not a shower.’ I slid out from under the covers and put my ear near The Green Machine. ‘Shit.’ My rear tire tube was expelling every last bit of its air.

I did the only thing I could do and went back to sleep.

Dinner then a bike ride baguette