Loire Valley - Day Nine

It was supposed to be a simple plan.   We would cycle east on the south bank of the Loire during the morning visiting a number of interesting sights.  The route would only be 35km long.  A relaxing day.  Then tomorrow we would ride in the opposite direction.

It didn't quite work out that way.   To begin with Daniel was leading and navigating using the Komoot App on his phone.  I kept an eye on the navigation using the OSMAnd App on my phone.  Initially there was a very steep hill and we appeared to be going in the wrong direction.  However I eventually realised he was taking us to the chateau above Saumur (Chateau de Saumur).

The original chateau was built on the orders of the Count of Blois and the first stones were laid in 1026AD.  That's 40 years before the Battle of Hastings.

In 1810 Napoleon had the chateau converted into a prison.  By 1814 Napoleon had been sent into exile and the King had the castle converted into an ammunition depot.  It's now owned by the Saumur municipal council.

Daniel then suggested we cycle across the Loire and take a photo from the opposite bank.

It seemed like a good idea to take a photo of the stone bridge across the Loire

Then it was back across the bridge with Daniel continuing to navigate.  Things looked fine but then Daniel started taking us south, away from the Loire and up some rather steep hills.  I said nothing and eventually he turned east along the high ground running parallel to the Loire which was approximately two kilometres to our north.

There were a couple of minor missed turns but eventually we cycled into the "tourist areas"

This part of the Loire is known for its Troilites.  For any reader unfamiliar with the term it means a "cave dweller".  Often from prehistoric times. 

The Loire has approximately 1200km of underground galleries.  My assumption is they were initially used as dwellings before being used for stone extraction and then perhaps cool dry dark cellars for wine, cheese and possibly mushrooms.  It's also a thriving tourist spot.

We had finished the planned circuit by midday and then made decision to cycle the western rout in the afternoon.  This meant crossing back over the Loire and following a path that became rather rough.  Obviously it was not as popular as the south bank.

On passing a canoe rental business Daniel noticed a small shop and we stopped for a cold drink.

I wandered down to the river edge and took a photo of a chateau  and village on the opposite bank. 

This proved to be rather fortuitous as when we cycled back on the opposite bank the chateau was obscured.

Our rough dirt path eventually became cobblestones.  Even harder to ride on!

We crossed back to the south bank and headed east.  Far more cyclists and a much smoother path.

One final crossing of the Loire.

Then a final steady uphill ride to our accommodation.  After a short rest we showered and I then washed out my cycling jersey.  It wasn't smelly but the salt crystals from the perspiration can be abrasive between my back and the camelback bag.

We're both focussed on losing weight so no dinner tonight.

Geoff can you tell me what specifically stops you from leaving a blog comment?