12th August.

Last full day in France so we hit the shops to see if we can leave the country not looking like we have been living out of backpacks for three months. Good to have a set of clothes that either haven't tent stitching on them somewhere or have faded that much that only a teenager would buy them new.

Next step off to visit the Fine Arts Museum. Said to have an outstanding collection and one of the oldest and richest in France. Interesting enough and didn't have the crowds. Most of it was nicely set out.

They had a large collection of pastels by someone called Perronneau. They were interesting. Still a bit too many religious and mythological themes. Just look at the detail in a couple of the paintings.

And the detail in this cabinet.

Had a bit of more modern stuff.

A job I could take on when I retire.

Off to the main shopping centre as I've been decked out but not Annette. Check out the bent timber on the house on the left.

Annette finished decking herself out and back to the hotel for dinner. Off to London tomorrow.

11th August.

Today we decided to visit a garden, the Parc Floral de la Source. The Loiret River emerges out of the ground in the middle of the park. Should be interesting and in 2000 it was inscribed on UNESCO'S World Heritage List. Wasn't going to take long to get there as Orleans only tram line goes just about past the front gate.
Theory is all and good. Lots of what would have been gracious houses once line the back streets.

We walk the short distance across to the nearest tram stop and there is a tram coming and going our way. Luck is with us. Quickly figure out how to purchase a ticket and luck is still with us as the tram is still here so on we hop. Off it goes back the way it came, north, not south the way we want to go. Now we are puzzled as there are two set of tracks, one for south, one for north. Oh well, I guess we will just see a bit more of Orleans. Arrived at the end of the line and were the only ones left on and the driver changed ends and looked at us a bit puzzled. Looked approachable so we asked him how our tickets worked (hop on and off for one hour) an how come we went the wrong way. He laughed and said we had got on at the last stop before the works where they are joining up a new line and when we got back we had to walk two stops and then another tram would take us south to where we wanted to go. I don't think he had met any Australians before. Very pleasant fellow.

Back and going the right way this time. Arrived at the gardens to find most of it just a bit past it's heyday. It belonged to a chateau which had been taken over by a university.

The miniature train line hadn't been operating for some time. The great aviary was in a mess, worse than ours. The rock garden needed work. The ice cellar was blocked off. Part of the garden was shut off. The kiosk didn't exist. That said the parts that were maintained were in pretty good nick and very pleasant.

They even had a animal section for the kids. Here the Guinea pigs had a good run.

It was just a pity they hadn't updated the A4 size guide to tell you where everything now was and what you could see. It was like a lot of attractions we have seen over here. Ten or even twenty years ago they must have been immensely popular.

Found the dahlia beds in a different part and it was good.

Still a few bumble bees about.

The rose garden hadn't walked but was past it's best flowering time, pity. As was the very large iris section.

Even had a fuchsia section but the arty types had been at work here.

Also here but interesting.

Annette's leading me up the garden path here, well steps.

The shape garden. Ahem, here the trees pruned in the form of clouds awakens the imagination...and here I always thought it was only a few old foreigners in Melbourne that pruned their whole gardens in this manner. Silly me, now I know they are inspired by the tradition of Zen gardens and I had better sharpen the hedge trimmer at home.

Overall the gardens were pleasant to stroll around and the river just coming up out of a hole in the ground was like you had just dug a dam and the whole bottom of it had collapsed and water was surging out.

Back into Orleans itself and back to the motel where we found out that there are no coin operated laundries here. I can only assume that they keep getting vandalised and have all closed down as there have been plenty in the smaller towns. Nothing for it but a big sink wash and clothes hanging by our walking sticks across the open window to dry. Tent ground sheet washed in the large shower and hung up there to dry. Off for an ordinary dinner served by a disinterested waiter and we would have been better off to have gone to McDonalds.

10th August.

One would have thought we would have slept well but it just goes to show how the body can get used to sleeping on the ground and takes time to readjust to a nice mattress. Off to check out the sights and sounds of Orleans today and not sure what to expect. Poked out noses through a set of big gates in the front of a building and found this in the rear court yard.

Visited the Cathedrale Ste-Croix. Big like them all.

Into the tourist office and not much information on display and altogether a disappointment. Seems the bigger the town the less information the tourist offices have. Sat outside and went through a booklet printed in English I had picked at a tourist office in a small village a few days ago and it had more helpful information in it on Orleans. Go figure that out. Decided to walk around the town today while the weather is still nice and sunny. Followed a walking map on the medieval sights still left.

Found a couple of nice old places.

Lunch and back to the motel and all the gear out and cleaned and put out to dry. Last year we were held up in customs in Melbourne whilst they gave the ground sheet and tent pegs another wash. Apparently they weren't clean enough or they just had to look like they were doing something every now and again. At least we didn't get frisked like some backpackers we saw ahead of us. Hopefully it now won't happen again. Off to have dinner and took a different route and through a more uncomfortable part of town. Annette didn't want to stay and eat there and I didn't blame her.

9th August.

Wrong, no rain last night and bird poo all over the back end of the tent. On top of that had a rough night trying to sleep.The wind shifted and blew from across the river from the town and freight trains thundered through all night and made a hell of a racket. There must have been 30 or more trains. Added to that they had a music concert on the river bank that went till midnight.

Up and off early enough. View of town as we left.

On the outskirts they had a corn crop that had been turned into a maze. In the middle this witch was keeping watch.

Went past a couple of interesting places.

Walked into Meung-sur-Loire and saw this old hot house. It must have been magnificent when new.

Into the tourist information and the nice lady was only too happy for us to leave our packs there. I could see that a few others had also left bikes. What a change it made from the UK where no packs were allowed anywhere. Found out that no camping grounds open between where we stayed last night and Orleans. Too far to walk today so looks like a train.

Visited the Chateau Meung and it was very interesting. Front view.

Rear view.

We wandered all through it, up into the roof space and under into the cellars. Warts and all. The place looked as if it had been locked up for a few hundred years and only just discovered. We were given a good information book in english describing the rooms. This was the herbal room.

Anyone for leather?

One of the bedrooms.

Inside the roof of one of the towers.

It said the laundry was done twice a year and took three days. The first day just sorting it out. After it was all boiled it was then taken down to the river and beaten all day then back to the chateau and hung up in the attic. Annette's still in a state of shock.

The dinning room.

Kitchen.

Down to the cellars. Annette is only half way down the stairs here. Once down there rooms went off everywhere and there was even a cell where they kept the odd poor bloke.

On the way out.

Now this was what a tour of a chateau should be like.

Had a look around the town and found it much like a lot of the other towns. Plenty of nice old houses. This town and three streams running through it that joined up before going into the river. Houses were build along side them an over them. Now made into a pretty area.

Used to be lots of mills.

View of chateau and church in the background.

Collected our packs when the tourist info opened at 1.30 and raced up to the train station to catch the next train only to arrive puffed to be told that it didn't run today and the next on was in two odd hours. Nothing for it but to wait it out catching up on the blog and giving the feet a rest. Booked in to a hotel in Orleans for a few days to dry out the gear before going across to the UK. Looks like today was the last day of our holiday walking with the packs and staying in the tent. Don't know to be happy or sad. Annette said she knows. Glad not to be in the tent anyway, I need a good nights sleep that doesn't end up on the ground.

8th August.

Blew a gale last night and still blowing this morning with the promise of rain. Decided to stay put in the tent until the weather decided what it was going to do. If we had been home we would have had heavy showers every half hour but over here it just comes up black and passes right over. By mid morning we decided it would be too unpleasant walking in the wind so we decided to sit it out for the day.

Walked back into Beaugency over the bridge hanging on and found shelter in a nice little restaurant where we had the special of the day, poultry, chips and salad. Spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the town having a real good look at it. This is how the locals clean out their gutters.

Annette playing boats at one of the many fountains in town.

This carving of the impertinent child is 500 years old. Some things don't change much.

One of the many old streets.

One of the streets had a stream running down the side. It was beautifully maintained and went for blocks.

Found some wild raspberries growing along the river that had huge berries. Obviously I need to take better care of ours this year.

Back to the camping ground and biscuits and cheese for dinner with an ice-cream from the shop. Rained so to bed early as rain hail or shine we will be off towards Orleans tomorrow. Just as we are trying to nod off one of those noisy pigeons landed in the tree above us and started up it's racket. Annette said one of my mates were here. I often lie in the tent of a morning or evening and can't believe the locals haven't shot them all. There would be none alive near me if I lived here. It then gave one last cry, did a big poop right on the tent and flew off. Ahhh!!! Oh well it will rain and it will wash off.

7th August.

Rained off and on during the night. Plenty of late arrivals putting up their tents in the rain. Bit of sun so shifted the tent and got it to just damp before it was packed up and we were off over the bridge.

Mostly walking on the GR trail today past the power station. Pretty much a straight walk along the river.

The twin towers of the power station.

Went through a few nice villages. Plenty of blackberries for snacks.

Into the town of Beaugency Where we are staying in the camping ground on the other side of the old bridge. Talk about being a bit wonky.

Up with the tent and showered.

Back into town to have a look around. They have a lovely green country over here but there are always some people who don't appreciate it and want sand.

Just one of the many carvings on the buildings.

The old clock tower in one of the town gates.

View of the bridge. Over the years parts have been washed away and repaired.

Old houses along the river.

Just look at this.

They say the devil played a part in building the old town and also the bridge. The town folk were to give him a soul as payment so they gave him a cat! Virgins must have been scarce.

Had a pizza from a caravan for dinner. Now if our first aid cabinets looked more like this one I'm sure more people would remember where they were at work.

Watch the locals playing boules. I had been given a set for Christmas so at least now I know all the right facial expressions.

Just got back to the camping ground in time to hit the tent before the wind got up and it stared to pour rain. Heaps of people still putting up tents and would have gotten very wet. Good night for sleeping.