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Saturday, September 1, 2012
From home to Orleans
My alarmclock was set on 04:15 in the morning. After a quick shower
and a cup of coffee with my wife I went to the garage and at a few
minutes before five o'clock I was ready to ride. The tank was full
and I had checked the oil level and tire presure the evening before.
At exactly five in the morning, I started the big BMW and left home
on my way to Spain.
Departure in the dark
The first part, in the Netherlands and Belgium, I used the freeway.
It was dark and much colder then I expected.
Ten kilometers before the French border, at 06:50 h, I stopped at a
gasstation and filled my tank, bought a hot cup of coffee and got my
sweater from my bag.
It was getting light now and after the hot coffee, warm clothes and
the sun that started shining, I was feeling much better.
I drove past Laon, a nice city on a hill and then I went in the
direction of Paris.
At half past nine I filled my tank again at a Total station in Soissons
and around eleven, I stopped at a McDonald's in Tremblay en France for
a cheeseburger and a cappuccino.
Nice road to Laon
After I left the McDonalds I arrived at the Boulevard Peripherique,
the road around Paris. Even on a Saturdaymorning it is a nightmare
of stop and go, bumper to bumper traffic and it cost me a long time to
get past Paris.
The roads around Paris are a nightmare
When I finaly left the Boulevard Peripherique and was riding more relaxed,
I thought that I deserved a nice cold milkshake so I stopped at the
McDonald's in Avrainville.
And then I needed a cool milkshake
The Route Nationale (N-road) from Paris to Orleans is not very interesting
and at a quarter to three I arrived at the Promotel Bourgogne in Orleans but
before I went to the hotel, I filled my tank so the bike is ready for Sunday.
Promotel Bourgogne
I parked my bike at the hotel carpark and locked it with the steering lock,
a diskbrakelock and a heavy chain and then I went to town.
The hotel is not far from the river Loire and on the bank of the river I walked
to the center of Orleans to do some sightseeing.
The river Loire
The riverbank is full with people, walking, sitting in the sun, pushbiking,
and more. A very relaxed atmosphere.
I also visited the cathedral Sainte-Croix of Orleans with a special chapel for
the famous Jeanne d'Arc.
The Cathedral in Orleans
The Chapel of Jeanne d'Arc
After my visit to the chapel, I walked some nice old streets and some crowded
shopping streets and bought some bread and drinks.
In the center was a braderie with all kind of stands and on a big square was
a fitness demo with hundreds of people joining.
A big fitness event
Finaly I walked back to the hotel to work on my weblog and go to bed.
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