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Blois: Day 2

Today was my first time cycling in France - we left the apartment as early as we could to head to the bike rental store. At first glance, the selection wasn't great - all hybrid bikes - but this turned out to be a blessing. We ended up on cobblestones and gravel many times so the comfortable saddle, leisurely riding position, and tough-as-nails tires served us very well.

First stop was for breakfast, and we couldn't help but head back to the same boulangerie that offered us such sumptuous pastries yesterday. This time, I tried a chocolate croissant (yum!) and a potato galette. The potato galette (galette de pomme de terres) turned out to be pretty good, considering my initial surprise - I had actually meant to order an apple galette (galette de pommes). We also tried an olive baguette, which was bursting with olives.

For coffee, we had to try a different café because yesterday's provider only opened at 11:00. We found one along the Loire, and enjoyed café au lait before heading out to Château Chambord on our rental bikes.

The Loire Valley is extremely bikeable, with well-maintained cyclist/pedestrian routes that are out of sight from the car-specific roads. There were some parts that took us through rural streets, but I enjoyed the entire route because I had opportunities to see nature as well as local dwellings. Prior to visiting France, I had always been in awe of French homes, which seemed so lavish and spacious compared to our high-density condo dwellings. I had just assumed they were special cases, but now I realize that those spacious homes with large footprints are the norm! I also did not see any homes that looked like they were made of wood - wood was only used decoratively or for window shutters. Stone or cement were the building materials of choice, and many homes were bordered by fences.

After about 20km, we reached Chambord, and cycled through the park until reaching the castle grounds. It was a magnificent castle, with intricate decorative structures befitting a king. We cycled the entire path around the castle (4.2km) and fully enjoyed the accompaniment of perfect weather (20 degrees and sunny with clouds).

We headed back to Blois without entering the castle (to see the inside, there is an entrance fee, but we were a bit short on time and do plan on exploring the entirety of Chenonceau castle tomorrow), stopping at a small café along the way. With the sun shining, it was a unanimous decision to refresh ourselves with some beer before continuing the journey. Beer and baguettes. Can't have one "b" without the other!

Once we returned to Blois, there was just enough time to shower and clean up before it was time for dinner! Back to the historic center, we tried Les Banquettes Rouges - a slightly more touristy restaurant than yesterday. The food was noticeably less rich than Le Bistrot du Cuisinier, for which we were very thankful, just to give our stomachs a rest. I had a few bites of an appetizer following an apértif of kir (black currant liquer mixed with white wine), but focused mainly on my "plat principal" of lobster tail skewers - delicate nuggets of lobster with grilled vegetables, complemented with fruit vinaigrette. It was the perfect balance of flavors, and didn't feel overwhelmingly rich, which left me wanting more. It was lucky that extra space was available for dessert because I ordered a sampler of crème brulée. 3 in total, which definitely filled me up!

Tomorrow, we'll be heading to the famous Chenonceau castle on our last day in Blois.

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