Cycling La Loire

23.05

On route to La Loire after yet another stop at Big Macks to send off emails and a blog.

A bit of a stressful start to the trip with a few narrow roads to get through, the wing mirrors are in serious danger on days like this!!  Surprised we still have them!!

Passed through Dreux, Chartres, Chateaudun and Vendome on our way to a little country camp  “La Ferme de Prunay” in Seillac, 12kms from Blois.  From this base we are within biking range of most of the major Chateaux of La Loire.
24.05
Very pleased with our choice of camp, we have a huge plot with an amazing, unobstructed view of the endless wheat fields and farmlets.  It’s very quiet with only a few other campers here.  This is a working farm and has a pool and bar for our use and baguettes delivered to our door!  Each morning the local kids bus here for a tractor ride and a farm visit, they love it!

 A bike ride to Blois, a medieval city perched above the Loire, and to the Chateau de Chaumont all on glorious bike paths through the countryside and along the banks of the Loire.  There are over 400kms of waymarked cycle tracks here. 

Pam got a puncture 2kms out of Blois so we back tracked and had the repair done with a new tube for 13 euros.  She has to go without dinner tonight as she has blown the budget!

French dogs seem to enjoy the camping life too, although they are charged two euros.  They have their own camp beds, go cycling with their owners in their bike baskets or are towed behind in special carriers!  It’s a dogs life!!

To say we are “living the life” is an understatement.  If there is one thing to be done it is to come and cycle here, words can’t describe the endless beauty and the sheer “wow” factor!  You cycle along rivers, through forests, pass pretty hamlets and fields of wheat, poppies and rape.   The colours are amazing.  If this is not enough you then come across towns and stunning chateaux from centuries past.  Our lunches of baguettes, cheese, tomato and crisps eaten in this enviroment have become a highlight of our day!

Finally arrived home 63kms later and were very pleased to see Lefty!

25.05

Spent the day around the pool blobbing!!

                                                                                       


26.05

Travelled 35kms to Bracieux and another camp (Camping Indigo Les Chateaux) a little closer to Chateaux Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard.



Chateau Chiverny

Biked a 25km round trip to Chateau Cheverny but were unable to enter the grounds gratis.  We sneaked a photo from outside the gates as did many others!  Heard the fox hounds that are still used by the owners being fed, a 5pm daily ritual.

We have selected Chateau Beauregard and Chateau Chenonceau as our two paid entry Chateaux, each Chateaux costs around 12-15 euro per person.

Has our first coffee from our new coffee maker tonight ...  perfect with pain au chocolat (12 for 1.50 euros).

27.05

Up early this morning to cycle to Chateau Chambord through it’s old hunting forest.  Hoping to see some wildlife but the closest we got was a ferrel cat!!

A stunning sight to come out of the forest and have the largest, grandest and most visited Chateau in the region appear before you as if time has stood still.  Begun in 1519 as a hunting lodge for King Francois 1, finished 30 years later with 440 rooms, 365 fire places and 84 staircases, it was the most ambitious and expensive architectural project ever attempted. Francois only stayed for a total of 42 days complaining it was too draughty!!  Spoilt bugger!!

We were able to cycle around the entire grounds and forest, fantastic!

In the afternoon we biked to Chateau Beauregard!  We deviated from the direct route and ended up biking via Cheverny.  A beautiful route through the countryside and the Forests of Cheverny and Domaniale De Russy.  By the time we arrived at the Chateau it had closed!  Damn!  35kms later we were back at camp!  Coffee and ‘pain au chocolat’ hit the spot!  A total of 60kms cycled today, we’ll have buns of steel soon!!

28.05

A cruisey morning, the bikes even got a clean.  Stopped at Chateau Beauregard en route to Monthou sur-Cher.

Well worth the second visit and now one of our favourites!!  (25 euros). Chateau Beauregard with it’s 40 hectares of grounds has a special charm of it’s own!  We followed a fun pathway through the grounds and into the Chateau.  In the early 16^th Century Beauregard was another of Francois I Hunting Lodges.  It’s always been inhabited and has been in the hands of the same family since 1926.

The amazing Portrait Gallery housing 327 medieval celebrities was fascinating.  We spotted Henry VIII of England, his wife Anne Boleyn, Catherine de Medicis as well as every French King since Philippe VI.  Lunch in the grounds overlooking the Carp Pond and a stop at the frog Lilly Pond!  


Onward to Monthou sur-Cher, about 35kms from our last camp in Bracieux.  It is a pretty village on the River Cher and on the ‘vignobles route’ (wine trail).  Our friends, Paul and Cynthia, live 4kms away!  We parked in the little Municipal Campsite situated in a wonderful park with lake, next to the village.  We have the whole camp to ourselves! 

29.05   

Walked 4kms to our friends Paul and Cynthia’s home (rented a Paris apartment from them in 2006) and spent an enjoyable day catching up with Paul and devouring his cheese supply!

This region is a large wine producer and has many caves as the tufa stone is soft and easy to tunnel through.  Great for wine cellars, garages and even homes.

30.05

Biked 40kms round trip to Chateau de Chenonceau, the Ladies’ Chateau!  (22 euros).

Built in 1515 it spans the Cher River via a series of graceful arches.

The design is largely the result of several women who occupied the chateau over the centuries.  The overall effect of the Chateau and it’s magnificent gardens is one of pure elegance and fantasy.  We spent a wonderful three hours exploring the chateau inside and out and of course the obligatory picnic in the grounds!  The most romantic and elegant of the Chateaux we have seen.

In the evening Paul and Cynthia came over to the camp to meet Lefty, then transported us to their home complete with  it’s own cave which they are transforming into a self contained unit.  Had a wonderful evening and a terrific meal of guinea fowl, ratatouille, sorbet and cheese.  Washed it down with champagne from Epernay, red wine from Bordeaux and Pastis from who knows where!  Delivered home in the wee hours as Col couldn’t stop talking!  Another amazing day!

31.05

 Woken by the church bells at 7am ####!!!  A slow start to the day as heads hurt a little.

Cycled to Paul and Cynthia’s to say our goodbyes.  Back to camp through the vineyards and hay fields for a quiet afternoon/evening.

It’s been a fantastic 8 days in the Loire and a real highlight, definately a place to return to!  We’ve now passed the 400kms mark on our bikes.  Next stop Burgundy/Beaujolais