D11 to Orleans

Knowing I'd broken the back of the ride down to my rendezvous with Sus meant I was under no pressure today. So morning swim in the lake and tai chi to start the day in the best possible way. This reminds of some of the very reasons for the Greek project in the firstplace. I do find being out in natural beauty lifts my mood and exercise especially the Chi accentuates this. My psychologist friend labels this biophilia and this is what it looks like in me!

Or maybe that's just the concentration of effort required to take a selfie?

Mainly followed the Canal de Orleans the remaining 30 kms into the city where it meets the Loire. Fittingly built at the end of the 17th century to link the Seine and Loire navigations.

I was intrigued to learn this enabled live fish to be transported to Paris using tanks supplied with the water of the system.

Good to check into a hotel and watch the Tour on telly on the day Garaint Thomas took the yellow jersey after a day of ups and downs not so far from my eventual date with Destiny on  Mont  Cenis. A spot of bike maintenance a la Andy 'guru' Sprod and then of course on the arrival of my wife on the train a lovely diner at the Parenthesis, where for €40 a head we enjoyed the sort of food which gets called fine dining in the UK but in a packed noisy atmosphere complete with dogs (who were fed from bowls under the tables) - no Geena couldn't make it (my dinner companion from Match night last saturday). Expect intermittent blog posts over the next 10 days as we roll eastwards along the Loire enjoying the food life!