Following the EuroVelo6 (EV6): THE LAST DAY

Unfortunately my bike trip came to an end about 2 weeks before I wanted it to be over.

In the 10 days or so that I was "on the road" I covered over 400km starting in St. Nazaire and ending up in [Old] Orleans. I accomplished quite a bit in my brief little jaunt, including loosing 10+lbs.

But I STILL have one last day to talk about...

The trash hut at the Etap where I hid the bike- classy

"Hot Boudin....Cold Cous-Cous...." at the roadside diner (France's version of Denny's)

Could this business that starts of the fall of French culture?

After leaving the Etap and getting on my way, I knew it was going to be my last day on the road. Sad, but vacations are supposed to be fun. Even if it's exhausting fun like biking 60 miles, it's still fun. Excruciating pain is NOT what vacations are supposed to be about.

Not far out of Baule, I crossed to the South side of the Loire where the trail turned to dirt and cut through high corn fields and NOTHING ELSE. Then I saw something ahead. It was a little brown dog running the opposite direction.

No, it was a big dog.

No again, it's a big pit bull, running full speed right at me.

In the middle of the corn fields there wasn't even a tree or a fence for me to climb to get away. Occasionally I get a fright that I can feel in my toes- and this was one of those times. I pedaled harder increasing our rate of closure and then he just ran past me. Completely ignored me aside from a little passing glance.

Apparently he was just happy running down the path to seemingly nowhere as I was riding up it.

A small village outside Orleans purchased this old Chateau in the 1970s and refurbished it as their town hall

The bridge to [Old] Orleans

Cathedral in [Old] Orleans

The main street in Orleans, on way to train staiton

The ride was then pretty uneventful to Orleans. I rode to the train station and got a ticket to Paris Airport for 26 Euros. It reminded me how far I had come. My ticket from Paris Airport to the start of my journey was 90 Euros.

The lady at the train station didn't speak English and thought I understood more French than I did. When I got off the train in Paris I quickly realized I was not at the Paris Airport. Examining my ticket, I see I have to make a connecting train in 40 minuets. No problem.

But I couldn't find the connecting train. "You have to change stations sir". Let the insanity begin. "Just take the Metro 7 stops to the North train station"

Fighting up 4 flights of stairs with my bike and luggage I quickly realized getting on a Metro subway train with my bike at 6pm on a Saturday evening in Paris was not a possability.

I wound up riding (in my business class clothes) across Paris to the train station where I took the wrong train and had the "jump" the turn styles like a common criminal with the bike because I had free-loaded on the wrong train system.