Day 9 - The storm and Tours

After an incredibly windy night (in which I discovered that the wind not only blows right through the tent but also right through the sleeping bag too), we awoke to a morning of heavy driving rain, sporadically thankfully, and a wind that could turn a smart car over. Packing up with fair speed (watched at points by amazed and shocked locals walking by) we sidled out of town and made our way onto the road that would take us south to Tours. The wind was blowing hard into our right flanks (coming slightly from the front as well, to make the going not just dangerous but slow too). We were low in the valley though and on our left a wood kept us relatively still as we climbed out onto the hills between the Loir and Loire river valleys. Danny, as usual, raced ahead on his bike stopping at the crest of the hill where the wood stopped also.

Catching up to him he turned round and grinned, "It's a bit blowy." This is what is known as an understatement. In all honesty I should have instantly said we should turn back; the wind was non-stop and of a kind that must have been gale force at least. Danny suggested, with his usual nonchalance, that we walk on (you couldn't even get on the bicycle) and I foolishly assented. We pushed, at a pace not exceeding 2 mph, our bikes along the grassy verge has the wind whipped our faces and the rain came down so hard it hurt. I pray thanks to human ingenuity that only that morning, after the day of rain yesterday, I had discovered upon the brilliant idea of wrapping my socks bin liners before putting them into my soaking wet shoes - my feet stayed comparatively dry. After what felt like hours of walking through this hellish weather, but we had only travelled little over 200 metres, I made the suggestion that we turn back to the woods and shelter there. The going back was easier and we reached the woods in no time, where we sat and ate some bread, ham and cheese we had left over from the day before. After about 20 mins we noticed that the sky to the north was clearing so we cycled back into to town to wait out the storm in the comfort of a cafe.

When we reached town, the sky overhead was sunny and cloudless, and soon we were warming ourselves in the sun whilst we munched on custard pastries hastily bought from the local bakery before it shut. Final, at about half one we attempted the same journey south, and though still windy managed to make it largely unscathed and decidedly dryer into Tours. I can't really remember much of the trip there, as we both rode on auto-pilot.

Still wet, we finally made it across the Loire and into the centre ville of Tours, where we found the Tourist Information and inquired about accomadation. A slight note on the tourist information in Tours - lots of pretty french women work there, and we were much pleased. Danny insisted on a hotel, to allow him to dry off and actually have a matress under him, rather than a simple groundsheet. I assented, my tent was soaking and I really wanted to get it dry. So we were offered the hotel Regina and made our reservations.