Day 9: Amboise to Tours

August 18, 2024

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We started out with that classical cycling in the country experience - saying hello to a horse. For the city kids, this was really great. The horse did get fed up, however, and tried to bite Joe's camera.

It seems like each day brings some sort of small crash or scrape for one kid or other. Something had happened here to Evee, not sure what.

However, unlike yesterday, Evee accepted the standard gummy bear remedy!

Oh, maybe some more problems, but the show must go on.

The trail continued through pleasant farm land, with many vines.

Here the expedition enters Lussault sur Loire

The central square is quite a cyclist gathering and rest spot, with a bakery and restaurant, as well as toilets.

Just prior to this point a very stressful saga had begun to unfold. Joshua suddenly noticed that his wallet/iphone was no longer in his pocket. We did some fast reconfiguring, arming him with a phone that had been tracking our progress, so Josh turned around and traced backwards, looking for his fallen phone, and all his credit cards!

We carried on, stopping at Lussault for a break and some cake. Here the children keep a vigil back along the route, hoping their dad will soon reappear.

We left the square, bumping down some fun steps, but having to wait our turn. La Loire a Velo is just crawling with other cyclists.

The expedition proceeds, but with no dad.

Suddenly Josh caught up with us, but still without phone and wallet. He was taking it well, but our stomachs were in knots. In the photo, Josh's predicament draw tears of sympathy from sensitive children.

A new plan is hatched, and Josh will go back along the trail again. Sabrina is supplying "find my phone" help from Montreal.

Oops, elastic rope wrapped in the wheel! Let's get that out, and send Josh off again!

Meanwhile, we approach Tours - see the cathedral spires in the distance!

The Tours cathedral is a focal point for Chemin St Jacques pilgrims. We spoke to these folks from Netherlands, who are on their way by the Napoleon route. I just loved their well matched panniers.

We carried on to the hotel. Dad was well equipped with its name and location, but still no news of him.

We will pick up now with Josh's view of events, and then keep reading, for contributions from Evee and Joe.

Josh:

When we left this morning were were heading towards Tours, therefore i was trying to find a clip of David Sedaris explaining how to properly say "Touuurrr", i was however not successful and instead found a story about him in a paris subway that we listened to before leaving. We decided to take a rest about 10km into our trip to have a snack and i pulled out my phone and found another clip that looked promising and then slipped the phone back into my jacket, off we went on our merry way until we stopped to look at some "Quinoa" - actually sourgum, and pick some side of the road blackberries. When we thought it was time to get moving i went to pull out my cycling gloves, and only found one, but worse! no phone! Panick ensues. Can we get Apple to let us into Icloud to find my phone? No of course not, as everytime i need to access Icloud it makes me change the password and not re-use a password every so i can't remember what the last one it made me choose is. No problem i say, i'll just reset the password and off we go.... Nope apple only likes you to reset your iCloud password from the actual phone, or from another apple device, of which we have none, Merde. Okay well it is about 11:30am so we shouldn't call Sabrina six hours behind us in Montreal, so i head off to backtrack the last 5km to the point that i know i had it, the picnic stop. Not too far away, maybe halfway i find the missing cycling glove, in the middle of the road where we had turned and gone over a sidewalk bump, however, no cell phone. I continue on scanning the ground, and only the ground, riding on the wrong side of the route for better visibility as much as possible, all the way back to the picnic site. No luck. I retrace back to where we were picking blackberries again only looking at the ground, get off and check the bushes incase it had fallen out when the nasty prickle got stuck on my jacket. Nothing. Oh well i guess i'll catch up to the group. Now my goal is to catch them before they make it to Tours so that i can roll up and ask them "Pourriez-vous me diriger vers Tours?" All of this was accomplished using a Grampy phone without internet access, but some fancy map program that tracks both where i'm going and where i've been. Since i knew neither where i was going nor where i've been i had to do my entire trip with one hand holding the phone and one had steering and shifting gears. En route to catch up with the others i passed through a nice square in Montlouis-sur-loire, with a pattiserie that was even open on Sunday, I was in a hurry, i didn't stop, much saddness ensued, and then i went down the stairs on the far side of the square! Once I caught up with the group a little past Montlouis-sur-loire I got to eat some lemon cake from the above mentioned pattiserie! It was now an almost reasonable hour so we called Sabrina and she was able to use Find-my track down my phone, it was at 2 Place Francois Mitterand in Montlouis-sur-loire - At the pattiserie! Back i go another 5km back! I sure am getting a workout just to get some pastries. Upon reaching the Square i start asking random cyclists if they found a cellphone on their route.

First couple, no dice. Second couple, no dice. And then I came accross Alanna and her crew who even knew my name once i asked if they'd found a phone, eurika!

Before finding them our heroes took a selfie and sent me an invitation on linkedin.

They actually studied\work at Mcgill so i think even if i hadn't been successful in tracking them down when we are back in Montreal I could have in theory crossed the street from my work and picked it up! See there was never anything to worry about! Now that that's all sorted it is time for a Mocha.

This Pattiserie didn't have a Mocha Latte per se, but upon asking the proprietress what her favorite amoung her creations was she said the "Moka" so i got a Moka and a Latte!

After having a leisurly coffee and pastry i set off to catch up with the rest of the group. Since i had my phone back i just punched in our hotel address in Tours and told google maps I was on a bicycle. Apparently Airpods don't like it when the transmitter moves too much as everytime i pedaled it would cut out so i heard a lot of "in 1.5 in 1 in 1 in 1 in 1.2km" unless i would stop pedaling and let her give me instructions which were invariably to go onto the highway above me so i mostly ignored her and followed the signs until I got into Tours, rode up past the Cathedral looking building along some tram lines and saw the group walking their bikes into the hotel from accross the street! huzzah we are re-united!

Evee:

today was better than yesterday it was not rainy but it was not hot .

there were lots of animal's today there were some ponies, geese, chiken horses and dogs.

we went to achapel it was beautiful

Joe:

this is THE HORSY SIRIUSLY STARING AT ME!!!

this is a dady horse (you can compare the two horeses)

this is me when amelia axedentaly kicked me:(

Steve back here, for an evening wrap-up. In the evenings, Grampies when on their own would prefer to write the blog, maybe eat some grocery store salad, and go to sleep. But with the kids it is different. We walked out into Tours, looking for a restaurant. We found Le Conti, in the middle of downtown, and found it just right for both kids and adults.

Dodie's thing was called a Potatoes Royale. It turned out to be a burger with potato patties serving as the bun.

Kids enjoying the non-toughening aspect of a cycle tour.

Today's ride: 33 km (20 miles)
Total: 177 km (110 miles)

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Andrea BrownWait. Didn't Josh lose his credit cards too? Maybe I missed a turn of this plot what with all the coming and going.
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4 months ago

Annette SchneiderWhat a tech miracle, finding that phone! So funny that the finders (sketchy vocabulary!) were actually from Montreal! Josh's recounting of the discovery tour had me LOLing all the way. Kids are doing better, that's great! Great photographic descriptions too. Enjoy!!
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4 months ago

Scott AndersonYou guys! What a stack of memories you’re all piling up. They’ll be talking bout this trip for the rest of their lives.
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Andrea BrownYeah, phone, drivers license, credit cards, all lost. Quel disastre .
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Annette SchneiderIt was quite the day! At least it ended well, but it was touch and go for awhile.
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Scott AndersonIt sure is having its moments.
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4 months ago

Rachael AndersonWhat an amazing set of events and the writing had me on the edge of my seat! I’m sure glad it worked out!
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Rachael AndersonIt had us on the edge of our (bicycle) seats. Poor Josh put in an extra 20 km going back and forth twice. Thank goodness we were able to carry on with the kids and it all ended well. By the way, Josh found the dropped glove also.
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4 months ago

Laurie MarczakThe high suspense and drama are playing well with the “crowd” back at the Jubilee in Vic. Most exciting thing happening here is what kind of smoothie I will bring Joni!
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4 months ago

Andrea BrownTo Steve Miller/GrampiesSo, I went back and read it all again and am still unclear. His wallet is still lost? That is quel disastre. (I'm secretly hoping the cyclists picked it up as well as the phone and returned all to him but now I'm in suspense)
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4 months ago

Gina OrchardAs much as I enjoyed reading the high suspense - please, no more loss of phones/cards. So thankful it was all found! What a crazy day!
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Andrea BrownAll is well. The case for the phone has slots for cards, and that is where Josh keeps his credit cards, drivers license, etc.
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Laurie MarczakWe aim to please, but this daily high level of drama and suspense is surely excessive.
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Gina OrchardWe are always happy to entertain our readers, but maybe this level of drama is over the top. Hopefully the beautiful scenery, interesting architecture and delicious food will be enough for the rest of the trip.
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4 months ago

Ardell SiegelThe lesson learned as I see it… Never bypass a patisserie!! 😊 so glad everything worked out.
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4 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Ardell SiegelHaha, that is one of the principles we live by.
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4 months ago