events

A martinet is a swift by the way, and there were some around though they were greatly outnumbered by swallows, still, I thought it would be churlish to mention to the campsite people that Les Hirondelles would be a more appropriate name.

Most especially since the guardian had put my Powermonkey on to charge for me when I first arrived in what was a daily battle to keep everything charged.  It would normally go something like this: charge the powermonkey at lunch if possible, then again at night, if necessariy top up with the solar charger whilst riding.  Then at night charge the Memory Map GPS and the phone (camera too).  I would have to do this every day.

It was a nice site, good facilities, clean and with flat pitches.

This photo I took as I was leaving at 7.18 am, first up and out though I'd slept through my alarm.

Monday 11th July. Briare to La Charité sur Loire: 75km, avg 17.3km/hr, max 41km/hr

If you rollover this image you'll see a different one, clicking shows the same one but larger.  It was the most lovely morning as you can perhaps tell.  The sun, being low in the sky, casts long shadows that highlight everything bathes it in a warm golden light.  This was the Loire flowing quietly past, just in front of the campsite.

This is a shot of one of those bridges and canals I mentioned.  No one out, no one about, save a few heron and swifts and swallows.

Built in 1890 apparently, I'd seen a few of these in France now, there was a large one at Agen for instance.  Either way it was impressive.  On the other side, just up and making breakfast, were a couple with their tent and canoe who were on holiday.  They just drag their canoe out of the water and camp wherever they feel like it.  A nice way to travel, especially if you go down-stream.