Sat 2nd Aug - We Will Get There In The End We Will We Will

It was drizzling a bit when we got up but we went to breakfast hoping it would clear up. By the time we'd eaten our midget croissants and I'd had some pureed apple with a yoghurt and some pain d'epices yum yum it had increased to a deluge making the ladies working in the restaurant gasp in horror. We set off but stopped very soon in a petrol station ostensibly to get petrol but also to sneakily hang around for a bit to miss some of the rain.
The rest of the day carried on in a similar way, with bursts of disconcerting sunshine trying to lull us into taking off our waterproofs, interspersed with thoroughly miserable, rainy weather :-(.
We stopped during one of the worst patches (see photos) for a reassuring croque monsieur and met a random other couple of bikers who were pottering along on some ancient bike. They left all their protective gear with the bike and she came in to the cafe in a floaty outfit complete with hair ribbons in every shade of green and full makeup. We had a nice chat over our coffee while they didn't buy anything and then just before we parted company she gave me an inspiring leaflet and tried to convert me :-/
Partly due to the weather and partly the choice of smaller roads and partly perhaps a lack of map reading ability the journey to our destination took nearly 3x what we / I had initially anticipated.  When we arrived our new hotel turned out to be super lovely with a view of the loire and the local chateau from our very window :-) the lady on reception spoke very patient French to me which was kind of nice if a bit slow and we managed to cancel our extra deluxe room and arrange to stay on in the current one - cheaper but really nice. She also rang the bus company, the cycle hire company and the hotel they were dropping our bike off at for us. We established they hadn't left it where agreed so they had to then suggest bringing it to our doorstep haha :-) meaning we could go off for a drink then dinner rather than trekking miles across the loire Valley.  All good. We ate in the hotel restaurant and my dinner won by miles, pate, a semi dead steak and a fondant au chocolat :-P we carried on making a sterling effort with the French over dinner and are now both virtually fluent :-)
Cycling tomorrow! Hopefully the bike saddle is squashy enough...