2023 - La Loire à Vélo: 06/09/23

18-30 degC, fine with more cloud cover than usual, and also periods of brilliant sunshine. Predicted rain didn’t eventuate.

Walk: 7km; total: 132km

We were at breakfast earlier today to beat the crowds and get on the road to beat the predicted rain. We did good on both counts! Just as we rode through Chinon the town hall clock struck eight. The first 1.5km, including taking the elevator was a doddle. Upon exiting that we pushed our bikes for the next 1.5km as it was too steep to ride. The next 15km were a little lumpy but not enough to bother either of us. Once we made it onto the top of the levee beside the Loire, the ride was a lot more enjoyable and the km ticked over pretty quickly. We had to force ourselves to slow down, stop for mornos, photos, and lunch as we didn’t want to arrive too early. Nevertheless we found ourselves at the hotel half an hour before the designated check-in time of 2pm. Today, there were two people at the check-in counter and we were able to get to our room, 412, at the Ibis Styles Tours Centre with no issues.

The surfaces of the track today ran from very smooth sealed and concrete paths, to a little rough on the dirt sections, to downright bone rattling cobbles (only a short stretch though, thank goodness). We saw a lot of wheat and barley, some close to being harvested and some with enough poppies in the field to believe the French enjoy a little opium with their weeties in the morning. The poppy seeds probably get separated out during the harvest. There was also the odd smelly barn or two to clear the sinuses nicely.

Between Villandry and Savonnieres the path was really busy with cyclists coming from the East; they were mostly day-tripping local tourists with some non-French people as well. We have noticed that we are in the minority having normal bikes. E-bikes are a big thing over here. As we get a little older and the knees ache after a tough day, we are also re-assessing our choice of tour bikes. Nice signage today too, the path was easy to follow making it pleasant just to sit back and enjoy the view. Finding our hotel was also easy as the Loire velo signs practically went past the hotel door. We have also discovered Maps.Me. You need to downloaded the maps while on Wi-Fi and then you use them offline to navigate. Sometimes, though, even when you choose the bicycle option, it does not follow the Loire route. For navigating our walks around the towns/cities, it is great as you don’t need data to use it.

After check-in, we unpacked, had a wash and a nana nap. We then went exploring. First stop was at the Tourist Info for a map of where to go and what to see. With the map secured, we visited the Saint Gatien Cathedral, built between 1170 and 1547, (the first cathedral was built on this site in 337) and it is massive! 100m long x 28m wide x 69m high. It is also very impressive on the inside with enough stained-glass to be overwhelming. You simply don’t know where to look. Each panel has a written story on a display but it would take at least a week of constant reading to get through them all. The other two standout buildings for today were the Tours Town Hall and the Central Railway Station; the best we’ve seen so far.

Back to the hotel via the Carrefour for dinner supplies, dinner, blog and planning tomorrow’s activities, shower and bed.

Spotted in the hotel lift this morning

Exiting the lift, this is the way to ride hills. We came across a couple on a tandem and they had to ride up the hill because the bike was too long to fit in the lift!