Bike: Sully-sur-Loire to Orleans, 30 miles, 800 feet of climb
Accommodation: Appartement Renove Type2 Centre Ville d’Orleans (Airbnb); host Justine. One-bedroom apartment, kitchen, wifi, washer. Bike storage in common courtyard on the ground level.
We crossed the river on the walking bridge in Sully, followed the canal for quite a while, and then biked on quiet little agricultural roads through little hamlets and big fields.
A few miles from Orleans, the cycle path turned onto a levy separating the Loire River from a small lake, and we passed marinas and resorts--bypassing a lot of the commercial and industrial areas on the outskirts of the city.
The bike path ran just a half block from our apartment building. We locked our bikes in the courtyard as it started to rain. I tied a Family Fare grocery bag around my seat. (I can't believe that bag made it the whole trip; while I was packing at home back in July, I grabbed it at the last minute to stick my sandals in, and I have used it every day for three months!)
After taking our showers and starting a load of laundry, we grabbed the backpacks and headed to the grocery store about eight blocks away. It was raining lightly all the way there, and pouring all the way back. So far, we have not gotten caught in heavy rain while on the bikes, but we have just been lucky.
