5. Illiers-Combray > Nogent Le Rotrou

In the early morning we arose excitedly and loaded our bikes. We had a strong cafe creme at the hotel and rode off in search of a boulangerie. 

Here it is - any French town has one open early in the morning. After we bought our food an elderly gentleman walked near the shop. The shopkeeper rushed outside and handed a baguette to her regular customer. He had difficulty climbing the stairs so she went out to serve him!

We took our fresh croissants and stopped by picturesque canal to down our fuel for the morning ride. Some ducks swam hopefully by, but no way they were getting my croissant au beurre. 

Finding our route at the crossroads we chose left towards Nogent Le Rotrou. 

Open spaces quickly alternated with wooded paths. The weather could not have felt better at a brisk but comfortable 15 deg C. 

Arriving at an interesting small town we decided that we try to make a stop at the Chateau de Fraze up ahead. 

While I snapped the picture above using my most excellent Bluetooth selfie-stick, Renata took a photo of me, taking a photo of myself!

Stone walls, cast iron gates and old houses were frequent punctuations along our way. 

Over one stone bridge we screeched to halt when seeing this structure. Renata thought it was for washing clothes in the river, while Ivan thought it was for boats. 

The woods in the Perche area are markedly different from Rambouilette forest just 2 days earlier. Sights sounds and smells are all different in distinct ways. 

Once again we passed by these curious structures alongside a stream. This one was open and very well maintained!

Turns out Renata was right! On the information signboard, it was a lavoir - used for washing clothes in medieval times!

Just around the corner was Fraze, with a corner cafe that was perfect for a break! 

After our nourishment we tried to see the Chateau de Fraze. At first, we couldn't get in and circled it a few times. Then Ivan saw someone simply push the gate open even though it looked locked. So we followed suit and explored inside. Later we thought he may have been the gardener!

Such medieval opulence! Our Bromptons fared very well and also enjoying the sights. 

Soon we were out onto wooded paths again. The fresh smell was intoxicating as we comfortably spun along together. 

We stopped many times for pictures because it was so beautiful!

We also stopped to see wild berries growing by the side of the road! Look carefully and you can see the bee enjoying the berries!

Golden ears of corn were waiting to be harvested. We never saw any corn on menus however, so we wondered where these were all destined for. 

Thiron Gardais welcomed us spectacularly. We passed through a beautiful lake in town that would have done splendidly for any picnic. 

However today we were destined for La Forge, a highly rated restaurant that we had researched beforehand. The entrance could not be more picturesque or promising!

We were the first customers, 10 minutes before opening, and chose the courtyard table - having the entire area to ourselves. 

The lunch menu was limited to the plat du jour, but it did not disappoint at the amazing price of 12.50 euro. I had a pate encrusted in pastry, with a refreshing white wine. I had topped up my tyre pressure while waiting so my pump took pride of place next to the foie. 

The main course was a superbly executed duck a l'orange. The baguettes were exceptionally fresh and mopped up the last drop of silky gravy from the plate. We loved how the potatoes are never just mashed potatoes, but retained texture and blended with onions and spinach. 

The ride after lunch was noted by the Veloscenic authorities to be tougher. The deceptively beautiful beginning lulled us.

Then the hills began. To be fair, these would not be considered "real hills" by a European cyclist, but by Singapore flatland standards these required a good amount of effort. Despite her protests, Renata managed just fine on her standard 6-speed Brompton (50T BWR), even though she's not a cyclist - but a fit athlete. I was prepared for a bit of a struggle on my 54T 2-speed, and climbed standing (albeit slowly) on any section above 4%. Slopes were often 5-6% and some 10-12% but were all fairly short. Future note - Brompton gearing for Renata on tour would best be 44T BWR. 

I had told Renata there were a couple of hilly spots but overall this week would be an easy ride! Later she joked that this marriage needs more transparency regarding what is easy! There is just one more section of the Veloscenic that is a little tougher like this. Based on Veloscenic.com ratings I now know that Renata can do "intermediate" enjoyably and can do "expert" with mild protest! She was always smiling whenever my camera was taking a picture at the too of a climb, so it couldn't have been that bad! :)

Finally near the end of the series of short climbsa lovely garden served as a rest stop. Renata panted, downed some orange juice and bravely soldiered on! 

Long downhill sections rewarded us, until finally we dipped down towards Nogent Le Rotrou. About 1km before the town, the famous Chateau St Jean wowed us as we passed through the stone arches. 

Huge and stunning, my Brompton wanted his own picture to show just how far he had come and how grown up he is now. 

We made it down to Nogent Le Rotrou and discovered it was quite a happening small town. In fact it had the most shops we had seen in a long time. By nightfall we had found and devoured what we had been looking for. Escargot was said to be famous in this region! 

Yummy and painstakingly fabulous how one piece of cutlery was created just for eating this single dish!

Our GPS Track today: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/586684059