71 miles ridden – 3400 feet climbed – temperature 23C

What a wonderful day. No rain. It almost didn’t matter what the scenery was like or how pretty the villages and towns were we had sun cream on and were dry.

Fields look different in sunshine. Corn looks better, maize looks better and certainly the poppies look a bit brighter.

Riders were much more bunched up today and on flat quiet roads that meant more chatting and laughing which in turn means that the miles (or kilometres) disappear quickly. Tea stops were warmer with more smiling than when everyone is cold, wet and miserable.

[wpvideo KkyOtneu ]

Hope this movie works – it was a fun morning.

We passed through some wonderful little St. Hippolyte, St. Cyan, Chatillion, to out tea stop at Le Tranger. Then through more quiet countryside to our extremely civilised lunch picnic at Meobecq:

It was not all countryside though. When we crossed the Creuse River we were confronted with some extremely beautiful scenery, others were treated with a lovely picture of Sue and I as well.

Then even more pretty villages especially Cuzion

I think that today was the first day that everyone managed to speak with everyone else. The day was more relaxed and therefore the riders were themselves more relaxed. No one was in a rush – we all just enjoyed the day.

The last 10 miles was, shall we say, undulating. We meandered through forest as we climbed and eventually came to the crest of the last hill and the Crozant ruins.

For various logistical reasons we are spread across three hotels and I think Sue and I lucked out with Hotel du Lac. It sits on the river all on its own – a civilised oasis at the end of a lovely, long, hotter and happy day.