Day 7 Tours to Amboise 61kms

The kindness of strangers got me through today.

I loaded my bike and headed to the post office to offload a few kgs of unnecessary items - bike headlights (when it's light till 11pm), joggers to find the local place can only do internal France mail.  He sent me to the good In town and when I found it, it was closed for repairs and quite a few outside reading the alternate locations.  Kind lady helped me use the self service matching that would accept a 4 number postcode for my home address!  Eventually sorted and on my way.

Today's terrain started fairly flat along the river and I saw a beautiful white swan gliding along.  I had plotted a route that diverted to see a beautiful looking monument in a lake and then a chateau before circling back to Amboise. I somehow threw caution to the wind and followed cycle signs to a town with very similar spelling to the chateau but no chateau.  After climbing up to the top of a hill, the views over the vineyards were lovely.  I cycled through a forest on a purpose built cycle path with lots of other cyclists.

The path to the town involved quite a steep descent that had most cyclist walking their bikes up it. I didn't fancy that so thought I would follow my nose and a bit of google maps and find the monument in the lake that appeared to have 8 roads leading to it.  It turns out that all the roads are private with no access allowed.  

With no success there, I ventured off to find the Chateau and google maps thought I must have a heavy duty mountain bike as I ended up on a rugged forestry trail.  I was about to turn around when a lovely French man in an old army jalopy came down the trail. He stopped me and motioned that it was not suitable for my bike.  I was right near the highway but no cyclists allowed.  

He gave me an alternate route but by now I had 5% left on my phone battery.  I tried to commit the route to memory and set off down a hill and then of course up a hill through vineyards. 

I came to another forestry road and turned around and then the lovely Frenchman appeared and said this forestry road would be ok.  I passed the Chateau but it was not opened to the public and was barely visible through the overgrown gardens.  I managed to find my way to a main road and followed it through to Amboise.  From the top of the hill, to my delight, I could see the Royal Chateau Amboise on the edge of the river and it was a downhill route.  I was done after a day of wild goose chasing.  I put a smile on my dial, ready to set up camp and get some dinner.  That was not to be 🙄. 3.5kms from the campground I got another flat tyre 😥.   I had two choices 1. To walk it to the campground, with narrow cobbled footpath and no phone battery left and risk damaging the rim due to the weight of the panniers.  Or 2. Try and patch repair it as I had been unable to get a replacement tube yesterday.  I chose no. 2.

I unpacked my bike of panniers on the narrow footpath, removed the wheel and took off the tyre.  The tyres on my bike are very difficult to remove and I was huffing and puffing trying to get it off in the sun when a roller door next to me opened and there was a lovely old couple who had spied me from their window.  He produced a set of ancient bike tools and it took two of us to remove the tyre.  His wife went and got a bucket of water to assist with locating the holes both on yesterday's tyre and today's.  

What lovely people!  we pumped up and couldn't locate a hole on yesterday's tube and it was staying inflated and so he motioned to me to use that tube.  It took both of us to be able to put the tyre back on.  I loaded up the bike and was ready to go and the tube deflated... And so did I 😔. The lovely old lady motioned to follow her I side and she opened a bottle of orange juice and gave me a cold drink.  Meanwhile he had located the hole on the other tube.  We patched the tube, and they graciously let me plug in my phone and checked the campground office hours.  Google translate!  Back out again I went.  Removed the tyre, replaced the tube with the patched on, it took us both to put the tyre on again.  I loaded my bike, gave big hugs and went to go but it deflated AGAIN!  I asked the lovely lady to order me a taxi but they would not despatch for a bike.  Next minute he goes off for a walk to get his tiny car and bring it back, we loaded the bike into his car, it didn't fit but he had anticipated and brought some rope and he drove me to the campground.  All without a work of English spoken.

I set up my tent and then all of a sudden the sky filled with hot air balloons!  

The campground has a restaurant and they had closed the kitchen (930pm)  but my desperation look gave way to quiche and salad - phew!   I went for a short walk as the Royal Chateau is visible from the campground and spectacular at night...  Tomorrow is a new day and I've googled bike shops.