Day 5&6: Traversing France, 281+338 km

Did not do my homework, night before yesterday. Result? Some serious misnavigation, getting through Luxemburg and then again getting into France.  As expected, once in France the roads are mighty straight and villages few. However, getting there was a pain. First 100 km took some 4,5 hours. The next 180 took 2...
Also, I find it hard to go beyond 350 km a day right now. It has been 35C plus, which takes its toll when you are riding in full safety gear.

Doing (it) the French way

This made for a stop far sooner than expected and I ended up in Ste Menehould. Passed through Verdun on my way there and more or less everyone at the campsite were going to Verdun.

Bunker at Verdun

Apparently there is something called "the Great War tour", making tourism out of god knows how many dead at the western front. Might be, in a sense, very important tourism, but still...
I did toy with the idea of staying an extra day and go back to see the trenches and memorials, but decided otherwise.

Sunday lunch

I'm glad I did! Had a pretty eventless ride day 6, with a great lunch at a small roadside restaurant in Foret de Fountainebleau (the French does not joke about sunday lunches!) and arrived in Chartres with plenty of time for looking at the old town, the cathederal and attend sunday evening mass.

110 m high cathederal make for some serious AC moves. No haystacks around though...

No picture can make this justice. Truly breathtaking!
Most stained glass windows are 13th century or earlier...

I'm not a very religious man, but this was a truly deep and spiritual experience! Chartres is a highly recommended site to see for everyone. Every bit as good as I had hoped for, if not better!
Plan for tomorrow is Normandie and finding a decent campsite for a two or three night stay, looking at the beaches, Bayeux and Mont St Michel. Also getting tickets for the ferries of course.  England and then on to Spain.