15 June 2025 (drizzle and rainy morning, sunny afternoon, mild) 0km

Began the morning at 5.40am. Up and over to the bathrooms, where I left the power bank and my bathroom kit. Power bank to charge and kit as a decoy on top.

This is one of the problems of travelling with our mode of transport. Great way to see a country, but in today's world, you have to have phones and powerbanks charged up. It's easier to do at small sites where you don't have as many people. This is packed. 

As I write, Julia is still sleeping soundly. I think ten days of riding has caught up to her, so a rest day may be required. 

So, after the bad weather early on, it fined up somewhat, although still overcast. Walked to the supermarket down the road, back for breakfast in the TV family room, which was a real find. Hidden away at the back of reception, it had a couch and TV and plugs for charging stuff as well as excellent wifi coverage. 

Lovely leisurely breakfast, as we decided we would indeed take a rest day as the weather was pretty dismal. Mercifully it was also a lot cooler with a high of 22C. 

It's been great in France as most opportunities I get to use their language I will take and they are very appreciative of that.

So, here's one for you. 

Voici une maison.

Voici une porte 

Fenetres, un, deux, trois, quatre

Pret a frappe'

Tournez la serrure

C'est une ecole maternelle

(Sing along) 

Strangely, nobody in France has taken the opportunity to sing along with me on this. Even though I took the trouble to translate it into French.

Our day moved along slowly.

After writing we chatted with Keren and Greg in the Phillipines.

Their posts look amazing, with crystal clear, turquoise coloured water that have us extremely jealous. But they told us the water is too warm, so that quelled the jealousy a tad.

I did some washing, with the only problem being, how to dry it. At least for the next three hours it's sitting on a coat stand in the TV room. 

Something I forgot to mention was a young woman of unknown nationality, who is camped next door but one, away from us. We have seen her around camp looking very strange. Her whole demeanour reeks of multiple personality disorder, (being the clinical psychologist I am).

Talking to herself, (although I know what that feels like, haha), laughing out loud at her own jokes and statements, (oops, didn't I just do that?) Suddenly shouting out for no reason at all, (sounds familiar, when watching Liverpool play).

Okay then....maybe nothing wrong at all..? 

This is a nice camp (except for persons of dubious mental states) and the receptionist here is lovely. Her name is Manon. The guy who works with her is called Dylan and also awesome. Great people, excellent service.

When the rain ceased at 3pm, we wandered the 2kms into Bourges. We had unfinished business with our photographs. First stop the cathedral.

Absolutely incredible.

As we entered, we encountered the usual beggars at the door.

I thought, “You're barking up the wrong tree trying to get money out of me pal." This was a beautiful church, just hope the pics do it justice. 

As a non religious pair, it fascinates me how we can spend so much time wandering around these amazing structures, yet don't believe a word about the person churches are built in honour of.

Still, nice building, good bones.

Ju here: Pete and I are always drawn to these ancient churches and cathedrals. For starters, they're usually the most impressive sights in town. They are also right in the middle of town on the best real estate, so hard to miss. Plus in the case of the cathedrals, usually made out of stone, which makes them a cool place to be on a hot summer's day.

But the thing that really gets us, is the workmanship. The skill that has gone into each and every part of a cathedral is a wonder to behold. But I'm not struck in wonder at God….I'm struck in wonder by the humans that built this cathedral. Who came up with the overall design? Who found the workmen capable of producing say the stained glass windows? Where did they get their raw materials? How did they make them? What came first, the stone carved opening that they fit into, or the window itself? Who lifted those incredibly large windows into place and how? It really beggars belief. That's what makes me stand back in awe at these places.

I would love a description of how and when these cathedrals were made. How long it took and how many people it involved. How many people died building it (as I can imagine it was a few). Were they paid handsomely for their skills, did they donate them to be closer to God, or were they forced into it?

Anyway, all these thoughts cross my mind as I admire their work centuries later and am thankful that earthquakes are uncommon in Europe.

After the cathedral, a wander around Bourges itself was next and being Sunday, when everything except some bars are closed, the streets were virtually empty. Great time just shooting at will. And then we took some photographs.

 

Honestly this whole place could have been the set of the Harry Potter movies.

Back at camp, I spied a Citroen Berlingo. That's the car Aimee owned (Brody's girlfriend) and the one they took around Europe for three months.

Found out the woman driving it was an English/Kiwi woman from Kerikeri, who has kids in NZ and UK, so since her husband died, she spends six months in each place.

Jenny is her name and she was lovely.

Over to the TV room for dinner.Chilli con carne, corn, avocado and rice. Jamie Oliver eat your heart out...!! And I mean that, man it was delicious!

Watched the French tele as we ate, the Israeli attack on Iran and their reply. Nothing changes when nothing changes. I seem to remember the same headlines when I was a kid.

Our new stove has finally been used as have our new coffee cups. Both have passed muster and are happily in our kitchen kit.

And to close the day, some thoughts from the TV room blackboard where we spent most of our day eating, charging our power banks and hiding from the rain. 

"Listen carefully, I will say this only once!" (For all those who remember 'Allo 'Allo, back when TV made entertaining programs with scripts and actors).