A Truckstop...with a Jacuzzi!!

Leaving the Loire Valley we had decided to make the most of the remaining daylight and drive through the Orleans area in the hopes of finding decent accomodation within a few minutes of Paris' Orley Airport, which would give us more time the next day to use for Paris proper.  We had some trouble finding a good spot - and even tried a rather tacky looking local motel chain just outside of Orleans that (thankfully) turned out to be full.  Our next oppotunity came when we reached Chateau Gaillard.  Don't be fooled by the name - this is no castle...it's a few small buildings clustered on both sides of a crossroads with the main route - barely a truck stop worhty of the name.  Despite this we turned off when we saw one of the 'Gites de France' signs since we had had such a good experience in Burgundy - it turned out to be a decent decision.  Our guesthouse (we don't recall the name but it is the only accomodation in this 'village') was nothing to look at from the road - appearing to be a run-down backyard building, but the approach road from behind (you double back on the road) was more promising and pleasingly rural (cherry trees, farm animals and some very beautiful fields of wheat).  Our 'welcome' was also less-than-impressive with the butt of a man naked from the waist down waving around the kitchen and visible through the glass partition.  Fortunately it was the last we saw of him and our double room (very reasonably priced) was clean, spacious...and had a large space-age type jacuzzi bath!!!  Suffice it to say that we spent quite some time that night in the tub.  A nice suprise in a not so great location.

Our First View of the Place was the Naked Butt of a Man!